A.—No. 16.

REPORT BY MR. MACKAY RELATIVE TO

4

was fully committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court, on the charge of having murdered Nuku. He, however, managed to escape from their custody, and to get away to Te Earawa. It is perhaps fortunate he did, as it has since transpired that, on the day of the peacemaking, a number of the Earawa intended to shoot Messrs. Eichmond, Barstow, and Williams, but, owing to unfavourable circumstances, they were unable to carry out their treacherous designs, but, as a set-off for their want of success on that occasion, they had plotted to waylay Messrs. Barstow and Williams on their road to the Bay of Islands, murder them, and rescue the prisoner. After the escape of the prisoner, Messrs. Barstow and Williams returned to the Bay of Islands. The Earawa withdrew from Whirinake to their settlement at the north side of the Hokianga Eiver, and erected the pas before-mentioned at Motukauri and Te Karaka. On the 11th May, a party of Ngapuhi crossed the river to Te Karaka; some firing took place between them and Te Earawa, which resulted in the retreat of Ngapuhi to Onoke, with one man mortally wounded. The Earawa sustained no loss. After this both parties contented themselves with firing occasionally harmless volleys from opposite sides of the river, varied by dubbing canoes and making preparations for crossing the river for a final engagement. Such was the state of affairs when myself and party arrived at Te Karaka. As previously stated, we landed at that place on the 4th June. We were met on the beach by a chief of the Earawa named Tehu and about eight Natives, all fully armed; they invited us to a hut on the beach; and, although they did not give us a very cordial reception, they could not be considered as unfriendly. After this a number of Natives arrived from the pas on the hiil, and assumed rather a threatening and hostile attitude; but whatever their intentions were, they were not carried out, owing to the intervention of the chief Tehu. We camped on the beach for the night. During the night guards were kept by the Earawa, and shots were fired by both parties, so as to keep their people on the alert. Early on the sth June I asked the Earawa to meet at Te Karaka to discuss matters. This they refused to do, saving, "If they left their pas, Ngapuhi would attack them." I then wrote a letter to Mohi Tawhai asking him and his people to cease firing, and agree to a truce during our visit. AVirope Hoterini Taipari and Ngakapa Whanaunga volunteered to carry the letter to Ngapuhi. On their arrival at Onoke, Ngapuhi, under the advice of Mr. Mailing, Judge of Native Lands Court, hoisted a white flag, and agreed to a cessation of hostilities for the time being. My messengers returned the same evening. These preliminaries having been arranged, Te Earawa also agreed to a truce, and put up white flags at their pas. It was then determined that the korero should take place on Monday, the Bth June. Sunday was properly observed by both sides. On Monday the Earawa, to the number of 343, assembled at Te Karaka, and as each division arrived they favoured us with a war dance. I found that any mention of the name even of Wake was hazardous; and therefore, in the first instance, I withheld the letters to the Earawa written by the Government. I then proceeded to inform the Earawa that myself and the chiefs who accompanied me had been deputed by the Government to visit them, and endeavour to induce them to cease fighting with Ngapuhi. They replied that the Government had no right to interfere in their quarrels ; and if they did, the result would be they would attack the European settlers. That if we had come to ask for Te Wake, lie would not be given up; that he had been handed over to the law, that it had held him, and while he was in its custody he was as a dead man ; but having regained his liberty was now free, and the law had no right to demand him, and he should not be given up a second time; his body no longer belonged to the law but to himself. I replied I had not come to investigate the guilt or innocence of Te Wake, that was not my business ; that anything concerning him was of secondary importance, but so long as there was so much smoke from gunpowder no one would be able to see clearly whether Te Wake was right or wrong. The first step, therefore, was to clear away the smoke by making peace with Ngapuhi. Te Earawa contended that they had not broken the peace made at Whirinake, but the Ngapuhi had done so by coming over to Te Karaka and attacking them. That the peace should emanate from Ngapuhi and not from them. I said it was true Ngapuhi had broken the peace, but then they had been punished, as they had lost a man and the Earawa had repulsed them. All I wanted was for them to say they would make peace ; then I would go to Ngapuhi, and ask them to do likewise. That the demand did not arise from either of the belligerent parties, but from the Government, who were acting as mediators between them. A very lengthy discussion ensued, and the chiefs who accompanied me joined in it with considerable ability, pointing out the evils of war as experienced by themselves at Waikato. The Earawa ultimately consented to cease fighting provided Ngapuhi would agree to do the same. They would not, however, consent to surrender Te Wake either to the law or to Ngapuhi. I answered that the question of war or peace with Ngapuhi, and that about Te Wake, were quite separate. It was not Ngapuhi who required Te Wake but the law. They had, in the first instance, during Mr. Eichmond's visit made peace, and had very properly handed over Te Wake to the authorities ; that his escape was no fault of" theirs, and the Government did not blame them at all for it; that they would only be blamable if they retained him when asked to give him up. That if Ngapuhi made peace I should then return to talk about Te Wake. After concluding the talk with the Earawa, myself and party crossed the river to the Ngapuhi settlement at Onoke, and requested the people there to meet us the next morning. On Tuesday, the 9th, the Ngapuhi assembled at Onoke. The proceedings commenced by a war dance, in which about 460 men took part, and there were about 70 others sitting on the beach as spectators. This mummery being completed, the actors returned to the pa and proceeded to the lawn in front of Mr. Mailing's house, where the korero commenced. Mohi Tawhai initiated the korero of the day by saying he was glad to see the law and the Government stepping in to make peace and maintain order in that district. That they had frequently solicited the Government to take action in other cases, but nothing had come of it. He was followed