27

A.—No. 3.

tion of no importance, I gave him a white handkerchief and pistol cartridge, and told him to send them to the pa as emblems of my willingness to make peace or fight, and also to inform the rebels that by the return of the messenger I must have an answer one way or the other." The letter also states that, " On nearing Kauae, I rode on with Hone Pehama, and reached the village first, and, on entering a house, saw from twenty to thirty young men —Hauhaus ; Te Ua was among them. Soon after Wiremu came in and took me away. When the remainder of the party came up, I ordered the men to dismount and cap. Then the korero commenced. I need not relate all that was said. The chief Natanahira at length agreed to come to AVaingongoro the next day, and thence proceed to Wellington to represent the tribes south of Otapawa. The cartridge already mentioned was returned, but the handkerchief was retained." " I shook hands with him, and said it would be all right." " I then proceeded to salute the tribe ; but the young men meanwhile had gone away, leaving ten old men, with whom I shook hands. I returned to AVaingongora that night." " The following morning AViremu came to me and said that Te Ua had gone northward with Hone Pehama and the chief who had promised to come in and go to Wellington on behalf of his people." " I said no more ; but, thoroughly disappointed at not having succeeded in making peace, I inarched to Manawapou."

The following extracts from Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell's letter, dated the 4th August, 1866, and addressed to the Hon. the Minister for Cofonial Defence, reports the attack on Pokaikai. He says : — " I publicly announced to the Native Contingent my intention of returning to Patea, and at the same time I wroto a letter to tho rebels at Otapawa, saying that I would visit them in a few days. This, as I imagined they would, they looked upon as bounce. " On the morning of the 31st, I started the fad off to Otapawa, and determined to attack the Hauhaus tho same night, having ascertained that they were dweifing in fancied security in a village called Pokaikai, about two miles north-west of Otapawa. " To the intense annoyance of myseff, and the whole force under my command, who were eager for a brush with the enemy, it rained heavily all that afternoon, and continued to pour far into the next day, Ist August; but towards the afternoon the weather commenced to clear, and a short time before dusk I paraded the force named in the margin, and, crossing the Pangahoo Biver, halted in the sandhills until it became dark. I then marched along the Waingongoro road," &c. " In this order, and in perfect silence, the force crept up until the head of the column was within 100 yards of the village. I then ordered the men to lay down in the fern on either side of tho road, while Captain McDonnell and two Natives crept up to within 20 yards of tho village : here they heard the inhabitants talking in their whares, so that I was obliged to keep the force laying in the fern for nearly an hour, until all was reported quiet. " The village was situated on a spur inclining gently downward from where we were lying to a precipitous and thickly-wooded gully, which nearly surrounded the position, and afforded an easy escape in case of attack. It was therefore impossible to surround the place without running great risk of arousing the inhabitants, who would all have escaped with their arms ; I therefore determined to rush it suddenly. The word was passed down the column to advance, and the whole force crept up silently, and, when close to the palisading, rushed in with fixed bayonets, taking the enemy completely by surprise; but owing to the position of the village, as already described, the bulk of the enemy threw themselves down the gully, closely followed by our own men, who poured volley after volley into them." Tho same letter, in conclusion, says : —" This morning I released Natanahira's wife, and sent her to Otapawa with a letter to the rebels, telling them that if they do not immediately submit, I will carry fire and sword through their country, and give them no rest by day or night. I have detained his child as a hostage." (Signed) Thos. McDonnell, Major Commanding Colonial Forces, Patea District.