PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE

A.—No. 13

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At Te Ngahere there is an immense swamp, which should you ever reach in pursuit of the enemy I strongly advise you to be cautious of, in the disposition of your force at that place. It affords immense shelter for the enemy, who know every feature thereof, being residents of the district, which is no small advantage over an attacking force that has never perhaps seen it before. There has been a large meeting of all the Taranaki Tribes assembled at Pareaka, inland of Warea, the past fortnight, which was attended by a party from Te Ngahere. The young chief Hone Pihama and Natanahira and their followers all attended the meeting, and a goodly number of the Ngatiawa Natives. The meeting terminated favourably, and the opinion of our Assessors, who were present, is that the Taranaki Tribes really intend to remain quiet. I have, &c, The Hon. Colonel Whitmore, R. Paeeis, Commanding Colonial Forces, Patea. Civil Commissioner.

No. 53. Copy of a Letter from Mr. H. Halse to Mr. R. Paeeis. (No. 55-2.) Sic,— Native Office, Wellington, 23rd March, 1869. Major Brown having applied to the Government for permission to select two half acres fronting on the beach at Opunake, I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Richmond, to state that he is not aware of any objection to granting Major Brown's application, and that, if you and His Honor Mr. H. Richmond see no objection, the two half town acres may be selected contiguous to one another. I am to request you to be good enough to report the selection, aud forward plan of the two allotments to this office. I have, &c, H. Halse, The Civil Commissioner, Taranaki. Assistant Under Secretary.

No. 54. Copy of a Letter from Mr. R. Paeeis to Mr. G. S. Coopee. (No. 79.) Sic,— New Plymouth, Ist April, ] 869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, enclosing the copy of a letter from Mr. Booth to the Hon. the Native Minister. With regard to the statement of the female prisoner that Paraone went to Titokowaru's camp with a message from Wiremu Kingi te Rangitake and Mahau, offering to supply him with ammunition, I am of opinion that the statement should be received with reservation. So far as Mahau is concerned, I have no hesitation in saying that I am of opinion the report is utterly without foundation. Without doubt, Mahau is a Maori of the old stamp, but for the last ten years he has been thoroughly opposed to the movements of the disaffected tribes, and on several occasions rendered no mean service against them with the Government forces. In 1860, he was in the engagement at Mahoetahi, and was among the first who entered the pa, where he closed with a Waikato Native, and tomahawked him after a struggle. At the taking of Manutahi and Mataitawa, he was with the Volunteers when they entered the former place, where he tomahawked one of Wm. King's Natives, and would have served a second (Wm. King's nephew) the same but for the interposition of a European. These acts stamped him as an enemy of the Natives in rebellion, a position he has never retracted from so far as I know ; but on the contrary, declares to this day his determination to defend his own territory against them in support of the authority of the Government. As regards Wm. King, in his case I am not so clear ; but knowing, as I do, his alliance with Te Whiti, of Warea, for the last three years, and their views in reference to Titokowaru's proceedings, which they have publicly condemned, I think there is fair reason to doubt whether he ever offered such assistance to Titokowaru within the last ten months. I have, &c, R. Paeeis, The Under Native Secretary, Wellington. Civil Commissioner.

No. 55. Copy of a Letter from Mr. J. Booth to the Hon. the Native Ministee. (No. 15-2.) Sie — Patca, 16th March, 1869. I have the honor to report that, in a conversation I had to-day with one of the female prisoners, I gathered from her the following information : — 1. That Titokowaru is very short of ammunition, and that he and his hapu intend to make their way to Waitara, and from thence to Waikato, for the purpose of procuring a fresh supply. 2. That whilst they were retreating from Taurangaika, and in the neighbourhood of Okotuku, " Paraone," formerly of Manutahi, went to Titokowaru's camp with a message from "Wiremu Kingi Te Eangitake, of Waitara, and from Mahau, to say that they were prepared to give him a supply of ammunition, but that he must send to Waitara for it.