25

A.—No. 3.

[Teanslation.] Ngamotu, 6th August, 1866. On the 23rd July, 1866, To Ua came to my village, 1 and made known to us tho goodwill of the Governor. The Tangahoo tribe was pleased with Te Ua's advice to lie down (discontinue fighting). The tribe looked for a man, and selected me, Ngahina Natanahira, to go with Te Ua, with the man sent here by the Governor, to ascertain tho mind of the peopfo. On the 27th July, 1866, the day wo arrived, Major McDonnell's signs wore received at my village, one white flag, one bullet, one cap (percussion), and one bottle of rum: they were laid down in the presence of the Tangahoe tribo. The motive in sending these things was (for the Natives) to choose evil or to choose good ; if the bad things were taken, evil would follow ; if the good things were taken, good would follow. Enough, the people considered these things, took the white flag (the emblem of) good news, sending to Major McDonnell the bullet, the cap, and the bottle of spirits. Enough, we came away, aud arrived at Waingongoro. Major McDonnell was not there. Te Tnrupa was sent to tako back the bullet, the cap, and the bottle, to Major McDonnell. Wo came on to the Kauwae. 3 On the 28th July, 1866, Major McDonnell arrived at tho Kauwae. He stood up and calling to the people said, " Come to the Governor, and discontinue evil: act like these who are now lying down. What is the advantage to you of evil work ?" He and 3 Eeihana had an angry discussion and it ended. I stood up and said, " McDonnell, do you hearken, I have no word for you ;it is sufficient that my word has been seen by you. The bullet, the cap, and the bottle, have been returned to you; the white flag has been retained by the people." He assented. I said to him, " This is a word in reference to your word to tho Ngaruahinc 4 tribe." [Here follows a song.] I called out, " McDonnell, look at me, lam now between your hardness and the hardness of the people (meaning, I have now assumed the position of mediator between you and the people), that is all I have to say." Major McDonnell sat down and had some food. He called upon me to join him; I did so and had some food. He urged me to go with him, and said he would send me to Wellington to the Governor. Te Ua's Government party called out " no," because the object of my being sent by the people was that I might go to Mr. Parris. That same Pakeha (McDonnell) urged me, but I did not attend. I sent my child 5 in fulfilment of the word of that Pakeha. When my child arrived at the barracks 6 the annoying work within that Pakeha had commenced. We came on. Afterwards my wife's village 7 was attacked, and she was killed there by McDonnell. Friends, the Pakeha chiefs, this killing is a murderous killing, because we had carefully and particularly pointed out to that Pakeha the line of boundary of the bad places, and the boundary of' the good places. In reference to the mission of that Pakeha, he did not go against the pa that fired upon him, but wrongfully against men who had not offended. Enough, these are my words of information respecting this wrong. From your affectionate friend, ' Ngahina Natanahiea.

MB. GEAHAM'S BEPOBT. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Geoeoe Geaiiam to His Excellency the Goveenoe. House of Eepresentatives, Sic,— Wellington, 14th August, 1868. I beg permission to transmit to your Excellency the draft of a Beport which, as one of your Excellency's Commissioners on the Pokaikai affair, I submitted to my colleagues, but which was not adopted by them. I have, &c, Geo. Geaham. To His Excellency Sir George Ferguson Bowen, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand, &c, <fee.

Sic,— Wellington, 22nd July, 1868. I, one of the Commissioners appointed by your Excellency, by commission dated 27th February, 1868, attached to this report, " to make enquiry into alleged acts of cruelty and wanton outrage, said to have been committed by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, commanding the Militia, &c.,inthe Patea District, by causing an attack to be made in the month of August, 1866, on the village of Pokaikai," have the honor to report as follows : — Meetings were held by us for the purpose of investigating the questions submitted to us by your Excellency at Wanganui, Patea, and Inatangara, on the several dates mentioned in the minutes of proceedings attached to this Beport, and at such meetings we took the evidence of several witnesses whose names appear in the minutes of evidence annexed to this report. I find that tho first intimation received by the Government of the attack on Pokaikai was contained in a letter addressed by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, and dated 4th August, 1866, to the Hon. the Defence Minister. In considering the motives which induced Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell to make the attack in question, I find that in the latter part of tho month of July, 1866, negotiations for the surrender of the Tangahoe hapu, of the Ngatiruanui tribe, were opened by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, through the medium of one Wiremu, of Kauae, and that certain emblems, representing peace and war, were confided to this Native by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, to be delivered to the Tangahoe people, in order that they might signify their intentions by the selection of the one or the other. I further find that the peace embiem was retained, the war emblem being returned —and that Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell understood from this that the Natives were willing to make peace. All this took place 1. Pokaikai, situated one mile southward of Paiporohenui. 2. A pa at Waingongora. 3. A Ngatiruanui chief residing at Te Kauae. He has recently tendered his allegiance. 4. One of the Ngatiruanui sections hostile to theGovernment. 5. His nephew, sixteen years of age. 6. At Waingongoro. 7. Pokaikai. 7