A.—No. 3f.

6

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO MILITARY

No. C. Copy of a Letter from Major Bitowx to Colonel Wiiithore. Sic,— Militia Office, New Plymouth, 27th March, 1809. I have the honor to inform you that a lengthened discussion took place late yesterday evening, at a meeting convened by His Honor the Superintendent (and Agent of the General Government) to press upon me urgency of the reasons that he considered ought to delay me from proceeding to To Ngaere, until you had been further communicated with. While allowing to his reasons the weight that they were entitled to, I stated that I did not consider them sufficient to justify me in not carrying out your order; that any eventualities that might arise to the settlement from the Ngatiawa and Taranaki Natives by the force being moved could be met by the Militia that would be left (about 700), until Titokowaru was disposed of, and that settling him would so much tend to the peace of the Province that the contingency of any of the Native tribes here being offended by the movement ought to be encountered. Moreover, that I believed the settlers generally would gladly take up arms to see your efforts brought to an early and successful issue than remain in the present harassing state of doubt and uncertainty, iv which they aro making no progress, but are fast retrograding. I regret to inform you that, His Honor felt it necessary, about midnight, to send me a protest in the form of a memo, that was afterwards concurred in by Mr. Commissioner Parris, which precludes me from carrying out your instructions until you are further communicated with. I enclose copy of the memo., and Mr. Parris informed me that ho had taken steps to detain the messenger with my letter of yesterday's date, so that this will accompany it. I have, &c, C. Bnowx, Major, Colonel Whitmore, Commanding Taranaki Militia and Volunteers. Commanding Local Forces, Te Ngaere.

No. 7. Copy of a Letter from Colonel Wiiitmoke to Major Beown. My deab Sic,— Keteonetea, 20th March, 1869. It was my fault not to have advised your consul) ing with Messrs. Parrisand liichmond before you undertook the enterprise I suggested ; for with my imperfect knowledge of the country and the probable political effect of any movements in that direction, I imposed an unfair responsibilit}' on you in appealing to your military spirit for co-operation. Nevertheless, and apart from such reasons, the proposal was a right one, and under the circumstances, had I not been thwarted by the friendly or neutral Native nuisance, must have brought my fugitive opponent to bay. As it happens I had written to ask you to relinquish the expedition, though of course had I learned that you had started I should have pushed on in spite of all the neutral Natives in the country. I shall ever believe that Titokowaru escaped entirely through the reluctance I felt to fire on neutral people, and especially as I had been led to believe that to disregard or violate Ahitana's neutrality would have resulted in raisins; the Taranaki Tribes. I never directed a more complicated operation, never overcame its chief difficulties more successfully; and I cannot describe to you with how much disappointment, almost grief, I was obliged to let my enemy pass unmolested after this long toilsome and difficult pursuit. Every person of experience cautioned mo to be careful, and I had nevertheless met with no loss, and had effected the passage of the swamp and approach to the kainga undiscovered. We had scarcely a sound garment to any twenty men, and had worked through several nights and fourteen consecutive days of all weathers. I had become confident in the men whoso military bush education had been intrusted to me, and they were, I know, eager to engage and bitterly vexed at being restrained. I only hope I have done this much good: that I have proved how faithful we are to our ideas of fair-plny, that even under temptation we shall never depart from them. There is the Ngutu still to examine, but I feel so little confidenco in Taharangi's information that I expect to find no enemy there. I shall shortly visit your district, which you are perhaps aware is now placed under my command ; and I think a few minutes' conversation with you and Mr. Parris will enable us to form better plans than a ton of correspondence. I go to-morrow, perhaps, for one day, to Wellington to consult with the Ministry on the subject of the further prosecution of this campaign. A steamer will also call to bring you more arms. I have, &c, Gr. S. WniTMOIUO, Major Brown, New Plymouth. Colonel.

No. 8. Copy of a Letter from His Honor 11. E. Richmond and Mr. R. Paekts to Colonel Whitmoee. Sin, — New Plymouth, 27th March, 1869. We hare the honor to inform you that yesterday morning a memorandum was submitted to us by Major Brown as to a proposed movement of 250 men from this place, along the mountain line, to intercept Titokowaru, and at the same time Major Brown allowed us to see your letter in which you strongly urge that this step should be taken. Although aware that a certain amount of risk would be involved by this movement of implicating in the present struggle some of the tribes on the borders of this settlement who have hitherto preserved a neutral attitude, we did not at first consider the risk so great as to justify us in offering any opposition to the proposed movement. But from the very strong opinion expressed by Ihaia, Teira of Waitara, and by Mahau, that 'by so doing