A.—No. 8

10

PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE

there a man named Hiscox, who has a house at Keteonetea, reported that himself and Milmoe (another settler) had that afternoon left their houses in charge of an old man named Griffiths; that during their absence fifteen armed men had gone to the house and asked Griffiths if he owned any land there; he said, No, I am a poor man and have no land; they replied you are the same as the Maoris, they aro poor men and have no land. On learning that Hiscox and Milmoe were absent, they sent a message to them to say that if they came back they would be killed; they then told Griffiths to go away, and left the place. Griffiths says that either seven or eight of these men were armed with revolvers, one of which, with the holster, was perfectly new. I then proceeded on my way and reached Waihi about dusk, and there heard particulars of tho deaths of the poor men above mentioned, and learnt that Ihaka, the escaped prisoner, was one of the murderers. The escape of Ihaka I reported last week. To-day I held inquests on the bodies of the three murdered men, and afterwards buried them. Eour of the murderers are known, namely, Ihaka, Hauwhenua, Te Iki, and Ngana. The murderers were committed with the knowledge and consent of Titokowaru and the rest of Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu Natives. After the inquests I had a meeting with the Natives and secured tho allegiance of the neighbouring hapu, viz., Hatepe, Mawhitiwhiti, and Kauwae; Ngahina has promised for himself and tribe that ho will give protection to all Europeans between Manawapou and the Tawhiti, and coastwise to Waingongoro. Wi Hukanui and Beihana are to send ten men armed from Kauwae to Waingongoro to assist, with ten of the Armed Constabulary, to give protection to the settlers. They are also to give protection to travellers. Signals between the camp at Waihi and Mawhitiwhiti have been agreed upon. I can now speak positively as to tho numbers of these murderers. When I was last at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu I'saw in the village I suppose about one hundred armed men. Some men from Araukuku, not more than twenty may join them. Ahitana's people are at Te Ngaire, and it is very doubtful whether they will remain neutral. Ahitana's men may number from eighty to one hundred —this, however, is a mere guess. Tho rest of the Natives from Kauwae to Waitotara are, I believe, to be depended on. In my speech to the Natives at Waihi to-day, I said that the Government nowr looked to them for more than mere nominal assistance. I should expect them to give active armed protection to the settlers under their charge. This they promised to do. Whilst writing on this subject I would suggest to the Government the advisability of adopting some sort of distinguishing badge which cannot easily be obtained by the Hauhaus, for instance a disk of stout block tin about twice the size of a crown piece, with a device, say the Boyal Arms or V.B. stamped upon it, and with three or four holes punched in it to fasten it to the front of the cap. A few hundreds of these badges could bo obtained very cheaply in Wellington. If the Government approve of this suggestion I would issue them to individuals only, and on personal application. This would be a good means of distinguishing our friends from our foes, as the wearers would become marked as Government men, and any men seen without them would be liable to be shot. I would also urge upon the Government the urgent necessity there is for a reinforcement in this district. It is a matter of utter impossibility with the present number of armed constables in this district to make any offensive movement whatever ; and now that these murderers have as it were had a taste of blood they will not stop till they have committed further outrages. It is therefore a matter of the greatest possible importance that a sharp and decisive blow be struck as soon as it is possible to do so. But in a country composed of dense bush as this is, and where the main road to the village is only wide enough to admit men walking single file ; and where, to surround the village you would have to work for miles through dense bush, it is absolutely necessary that there should be a large attacking, force. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell says he ought to have two hundred men and a Native contingent in addition, to the force already hero, before he could be at all certain of success. I would, therefore, earnestly entreat the Government to send either two more companies of armed constables or to authorize the raising a force sufficient to make success a certainty. On consultation with Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell I have considered it advisable that that gentleman should go to Wellington in person and urge the great necessity of something being done at onco. I have, &c, The Hon. the Native Minister, James Booth, Wellington. Besident Magistrate.

Enclosure 1 in No. 12. E koeo c te Betimona, — Patea, Hune 10, 1868. Tena koe kia rongo mai koe, ko matou nga tangata a te Iwi Pakakohi. c noho nei ki nga tahataha o Patea o noho pouri ana mo te Pakeha i kohurutia nei ki Ketemarae kei mahara koe ko matou c tapoko atu ana ki roto ki tena mahi kohuru. Kia rongo mai koe ki ta matou whakaaro ta te Iwi Pakakohi, ko matou rite tahi matou kite Iwi Pakeha na, c mea ana matou kia kaua nga Pakeha o to matou taha c pouri, ko matou hoki he kai tiaki mo nga wahine Pakeha, mo nga tamariki Pakeha ka pa he he ki nga Pakeha o to matou taha na, ko matou tahi kite mate, kia mate matou, me mate i runga i te pai. Timata to matou tiakanga Pakeha i Heiawe (Wairoa) puta noa ki Whenuakura, ki Patea, ki Oroua ki Manutahi ki Mokoia. Otira ko te tiaki Pakeha hoki nga Tangata ote Iwi Ngarauru kua Pakehatia hoki taua Iwi. Pai Marire kia tau te rangi marie ki runga ki a koe. Heoi ano, Na Taueua, o Patea, WnAEEMATANGi, o Patea, Te One Kuea, o Patea, Te Paeaone, o Manutahi, Te BANGinAEATA, o Mokoia, Otira na matou katoa na te Iwi Pakakohi puta noa In ona wahine ki ona tamariki atu.