A.—No. 15.

I at once ordered tlio wives and children to Mr. Stand's, my interpreter's Louse, being situated at a mile and a half distant on a hill side, and where I felt they would be safer than remaining in the pa, in case the prisoners or any of them attempted to land from the " Rifleman." It was now getting dark, and the vessel tried to get under weigh, which she failed to do, having gone out a short way and returned. Prom the first outset of the outbreak to the time of the prisoners all getting on board the " Rifleman," I do not think more than one hour and ten minutes elapsed. Mr. Chudleigh, J.P., started then on foot, no horse being available, although much wounded in his hand, to warn all the' settlers and Natives in other parts of the Island. The Waitangi Natives, thirty-one in number, then got their guns, twenty-five in number, all arms and ammunition belonging to the settlers having been looted by the prisoners. On seeing the vessel returned, I requested the Waitangi Natives to go over with myself and five of the constabulary, whohad remained with me, and eight Europeans, to occupy the redoubt. On the Natives dissenting to this proposal, I asked them to give over their guns to the Europeans for the above purpose, intending to endeavour to get some more of the Europeans to follow me. As the Natives did not seem inclined to acquiesce in this proposal either, I did not press it, but remained all night at the pa, anxiously watching the movements of the vessel, having duly posted sentries. The remaining five of the constabulary had fled into the bush. The prisoners had sought eagerly for the late sergeant, avowedly for the purpose of killing him. Five or six shots were also fired at Private Elliott, one ball lodging in the heel of one of his boots, on his running down from the redoubt, after following me up. He gave himself up after taking refuge in one of the settlers' houses on the beach, and was conveyed to the gaol, without having been bound or hurt, —the proprietress of the house in which he took refuge having, when her money was demanded by the prisoners, put the larger portion of it for safety into a boiling kettle on the fire. The following morning (Sunday) at daylight, the Native and the European force with me during the previous night, moved over from the pa across the river to the redoubt, about four hundred yards distant, —a few more Europeans having joined. Nothing of importance occurred until ten a.m., when the " Rifleman " got under weigh with a light wind, and I despatched sentries to the hill above the harbour to watch her movements. She was the whole day getting out of the bay, and the last that was seen of her was at dusk, when she was steering a direct course for the North of New Zealand, between a reef of rocks known as the Western Reef and the north-west end of this Island. At three p.m. settlers from various parts of the Island had arrived, and I had then a force assembled as per margin, with guns and ammunition as per margin, occupying the redoubt. Fifteen Natives from Kaingaroa arrived the following day, with guns and ammunition as per margin, malting a total of sixty-one guns and one thousand and fifty rounds, and twenty-two Europeans and forty Natives. This force I kept on duty, drawing rations without pay, until Wednesday morning following, for the purpose of opposing any landing of the prisoners, if any unforeseen casualty should bring the " Eifleman " back. This force I placed under the charge of Mr. J. 0. Rowan, late an officer of the 43rd Foot, now attached to the Government survey of these Islands, and who had formerly held command of a body of Volunteers at Taranaki. I received from him most willing and able assistance ; and I cannot speak too highly of the cheerful and ready obedience to my orders given by the whole body of the surveyors, eight in number, who formed part of the Volunteers, and by all members of the above force, both European and Native. During the interim, in the event of the " Rifleman" returning to any available part of the coast of the Island, I arranged with Mr. Chudleigh. J.P., by messenger, to move with a force from Kaingaroa of Europeans and Natives, along the coast towards Waitangi here via Tupuangi and Whangaroa, arranging at the same time the concentration of my Waitangi force with that of Mr. Chudleigh's, if it should be necessary. One reason made it possible that the " Rifleman" might return, as she had only four hundred gallons of water on board. The concluding paragraph of my letter, No. 16, of the 30th March last, viz.: —" lam happy to be able to report of the continued good, conduct of the men of the guard, and. likewise of the prisoners, but the latter have, without showing any open defiance, of late not exhibited the same amount of willingness that they previously did;" and my letter, No. 30, of the Ist ultimo, both addressed to the Under Secretary for Defence, reporting the action I had deemed it necessary to take of separating To Kooti Rikirangi from the rest of the prisoners, comprise the only facts to show any unsatisfactory conduct existing on the part of the prisoners ; but nothing has occurred to lead me to suppose that the prisoners would revolt as they have done. This last letter reporting the necessity of separating Te Kooti accompanies this mail, there having been no opportunity to forward it before. Keke, one of the prisoners, who is one of the three left behind, reported to me on the 20th of May last that Te Kooti had anointed his wife with oil, and Warihi, another of the prisoners, reported at the same time the fact of Te Kooti having rubbed his hands with the phosphorus off matches on one occasion before holding divine service with the prisoners. Te Kooti strongly denied both facts ; as these two other prisoners had had previously a quarrel with To Kooti, I at the time doubted their statements, until, after making inquiries, I had the fact of To Kooti rubbing his hands with phosphorus confirmed by Natives of the Island, and whom I blamed for not telling mo before. On the Bth of June last, I separated Te Kooti, as above mentioned, and forbade him holding service or intercourse any more with the main body of the prisoners. I noticed at this time a warm sympathy on the part of the other prisoners with Te Kooti, and considerable influence exercised by him over them, with the exception of Keke, Warihi, and Wharetotara, who held aloof. I have no doubt that Te Kooti has been the organizer and promoter of the revolt, which opinion is strengthened by the contents of two letters written by him, discovered in one of the prisoners' wliares since their departure, which contains instructions from him to the others to seize the " St. Kilda," or any other vessel. These letters I have handed in due course to Mr. Cooper, who will present them to the Government. I cannot help most respectfully expressing my feeling that I have been left too unprotected in the event of any serious difficulties, such as have now occurred, arising with the prisoners ; and that I should have applied for one officer and a larger force of constabulary than that appointed, had my

22 whites, 31 Natives—s3. Guns : 22 whites, 25 Natives —47. Bounds : 376 whites, 392 Natives—76B. Kaingaroa Natives' guns 15, rounds 282. Total: 61 guns, 1,050 rounds. Total strength: 22 Europeans, 40 Natives—62.

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO ESCAPE OF