A.—No. 4.

I

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

No. G. Copy of Telegram from the Hon. Colonel Haultain to His Honor D. McLean, Esq. Wellington, 10th March, 1869. lam anxious to hear whether Ropata is coming on. The Government will be greatly disappointed if anything prevents this arrangement being carried out. T. M. HjVultain.

No. 7. Copy of Telegram from His Honor D. McLean, Esq., to the Hon. Colonel Haultain. Napier, 10th March, 1869. Ropata is with me. He says he has no heart or inclination to go to the AVest Coast, the reason being that he leaves his own people unprotected while the district is being threatened with danger—that his absence invites attack. 1 ask if he remained whether his people would go. Ho replies all should remain, and expresses dissatisfaction at the manner in which their services have been engaged. Donald McLean.

No. 8. Copy of Telegram from the Hon. Colonel ILyultain to Mr. C. AY. Ferris. AVellington, 11th March, 1569. What agreement was made with Ropata and the Ngatiporou when they embarkedF T. M. Haultain.

No. 0. Copy of Telegram from Mr. C. AY. Feuris to the Hon. Colonel Haultain. Napier, 11th March, 1569. The only agreement was for service at Patea, for which each man gave his consent. Ropata, to time of arrival here, was anxious to go, and in great spirits. C. W. Ferris.

No. 10. Extract from Mr. Feeeis' Diary, on board the s.s. " St. Kilda," on Recruiting Service for the AVest Coast. Tuesday, 9th March, (5 a.m. —Went on deck, off Portland Island, en route for Napier; after breakfast had a long conversation with Eopata, the substance of which was, that after arrival at AVellington he would desire the Government to allow the steamer to return so as to procure Natives from Tapawa, to increase the force to 150 men, when he would go and fight with them, having command in his capacity as Major ; he was in excellent spirits, and said that he had had a dream that Tito Kowaru was his, and adduced that as a reason for his wishing to go. Arrived in Napier at about half-past 2 p.m. Ropata went on shore ; did not see his going or would have gone with him ; went on shore myself at about I p.m.; met Captain Fox, who told me that the vessel would shortly be coaled, and would start in two hours ; went up to town to see Ropata ; could not find him until just starting to return to steamer; sent one of my Natives to tell him (Ropata, who was in a half state of intoxication) that the vessel would shortly sail, and to make haste ; waited some time, then went on to collect the men that wero on shore and wait at the Spit till he arrived ; waited some time, neither him nor my messenger appeared, went on board; the vessel was getting up steam; got up anchor, and steamed slowly about, after firing a gun. A boat came off with a letter from Mr. McLean to Captain Fox, for the steamer to stop till morning ; accordingly Captain Fox .and myself wont on shore to Mr. McLean's residence, where Captain Fox again had orders to stop till he heard again from Mr. McLean. Wednesday, 10th. —No appearance of Ropata up to dinner-time ; after dinner a gentleman named McDonald came on board with letters from Ropata, one to the tribe telling them to come on shore, the other to myself telling me to send them; he adduced no reason, so I went on shore, proceeded to the Telegraph Office, where I saw Ropata, asked him why he had written the letters, could get nothing satisfactory out of him (quite different from his manner to me the day before, when he was quite anxious to go on with the men). I tried my hardest to induce him to go on to AVellington, but he was obstinate, saying he would not go on himself, nor allow the men to go ; after a fruitless persuasion I returned to the steamer, and called the men together and told them as above, as also that it was the wish of the Government for them to go on to Wellington; they wished to go on shore to hear what Ropata had to say, and if ho could not give some satisfactory reason for his stopping them, they would go on with me. Thursday, 11th.—Landed all the Natives; marched them up to the Government Buildings; Colonel Lambert and Mr. Locke were there; Colonel Lambert asked them about going; they wished to hear what Ropata had to say. Ropata told them that he brought them on shore; that he was not goiug on to AVellington, and that therefore they were not to go. I therefore tried to take those that were willing to go on, but met with much opposition from Ropata, who stood in the middle of the road, and stopped the men from coming to me; eventually I succeeded in getting nineteen, whom I marched down to the vessel aud shipped at once. I received great assistance from Te Harewira te Houkamau. son of Iharaira te Houkamau. Chaeles AY. Ferris.