A.—No. 18.

10

REPORTS RELATIVE TO NEGOTIATIONS

23rd July. —Heavy easterly gale. This morning the " Mavis " put back, having lost her jibboom last night. Mr. Mackay had a long conversation with Colonel Greer on the subject of peace, with the nature of which Mr. Mackay will, I presume, make the Government acquainted. The weather so bad that we could not get about among the Natives. No news of any importance. 24th July.—This morning Mr. Mackay and myself, having procured a boat, went over to Te Matapihi, called at Mr. Black's, where-w re staid some time, being desirous of ascertaining the views of a person who, from his residence among them, is most likely to know their intentions. He does not appear to look favourably upon the present movement, and referred to a conversation with one of the field-officers now in camp, who emphatically declared that he did not care on what terms peace was made, so long as it resulted in their removal from the country. The military are tired of foreign service, and having no stake or interest in the country, care not for the future troubles and perplexities that may arise out of any error in the system by which terms of peace are negotiated. The war is unpopular with them, and their chief care is how quickest to get out of it. It is in this way that pressure has been brought to bear upon the question, and I feci daily more convinced that it is premature and not thoroughly understood, either by the rebel Maoris or the parties engaged in the negotiation. At the pa we saw about twenty persons, who were regaling themselves with biscuit and tea. They were pointed, out to us as the men who had surrendered their arms (such, I presume, as had any), and were now friends. They appeared to be in high spirits, and joked about the incidents of the war. They told me I had several narrow escapes. At the Gate Pa they nearly succeeded in cutting me off, when there was no one near mo but one of the guides carrying my rifle. At To Eanga they took me for the Colonel, as I was riding the only grey horse in the staff, and particular orders were issued to knock me over. They were certainly in a very jubilant mood for conquered men, and did not seem at all inclined to think we had much the best of the fighting. They stated that night favoured us at the Gate Pa, or they would have annihilated us ; and that at Te Eanga we were too soon, and took them unawares. Their bearing indicated anything but a consciousness of defeat. From Te Matapihi we w rent on to Mangatapu, where we found a large number of people, some of whom were said to be those of Maihi's tribe who had come in to surrender their arms. They did not appear to have much idea of what they were doing; in fact, Patene and Hohepa, Mr. Bice's coadjutors, were so evidently misleading them that Mr. Mackay interposed, whereupon a warm discussion ensued. Patene tried to explain, but floundered about, getting deeper into falsehood and perversion of what the Governor had said, and the authority upon which he was acting, until he and Hohepa both lost their temper and became abusive. He admitted that he had gone to tiki his relations, but maintained that he was authorized to do so by the Governor. On being contradicted,he said the Governor's words were that he w ras "aroha" to his children, and wished them " kai ora," which wras strained by him to mean that he might fetch them. Maihi Pohepohe claimed his right as an assessor to act on his discretion; he was to put down evil, and had done so by fetching his children back. Hohepa's language took a directly abusive turn, especially when Mr. Mackay said there were two roads open for them to choose, the good, and the bad. If they chose the former, well; if the latter, it was their own doing or thought, "na koutou te whakaaro." This annoyed Hohepa, who said it was calculated to do mischief, and much more to that effect. Mr. Bice then broke up the meeting by saying that there was to be no more korero —all the korero was to be at Te Papa to-morrow ; which, considering that there were two officers of the Native Department present, both senior to himself, struck me as rather a disrespectful proceeding, especially as Mr. Mackay (Civil Commissioner) was the principal speaker all through the discussion. One thing is quite certain, there can be little chance of discussion being permitted to-morrow, so that this decision, abruptly announced, virtually put a stop to any explanation, and I am quite sure that these people do not understand the terms upon which they submit. By Mr. Eice's own admission ho has not seen these people before ; and if, on the occasion of his first interview, discussion is prohibited, I apprehend the Government will be able to draw their own conclusion as to the probable fate of these negotiations and promises. Fpon our arrival a paper was being read purporting to bo a declaration of the surrender of their arms to Colonel Greer, leaving their lands to the disposal of the Governor. Even on this head there was an evident misunderstanding The mana of the land was spoken of. On this being set right, it leaked out that they fancied the Governor would be satisfied with what may be call a nominal or temporary surrender; that he would retain a portion, but give them back the greater quantity. Then again Maihi has a scheme to propose. He wants to see the Governor arrange for their transportation to one of the small islands of the Pacific, where there are no Pakehas, where there is nothing to tempt the Pakeha to reside among them, where the orange, banana, kumara, and taro grow spontaneousry, and so on. He has heard of Paora Tuhaere's visit to the South Sea Islands, and fancies that such a home would suit him and his people. He tells me that forty men, besides women and children, are prepared to go. This, I have no doubt, has been one of the arguments used by him. In the evening I had a long chat with Colonel Greer on the subject of the peace movement, wdien he commended me for not interfering. I then put the question as to how he intended to act in the matter of the certificate, which was referred to in the Proclamation, and for which forms were issued by the Government. The Colonel replied that he objected to the Proclamation, and would not have it read. He, however, wished me to issue the certificate. After some conversation, in which the Colonel spoke very harshly of Mr. Mackay, he said he had a will of his own, and that he would not have it read. I remarked that it was the basis of all negotiations regarding peace, and I did not see how a magistrate could receive a declaration if the declarant did not know what he was signing and became liable for. He then said it should not be done. In the course of further conversation, I remarked that I was present at the peace-making at Wanganui in 184S, and took part in the proceedings. I drew his attention to the present state of that district. Again, at Taranaki in 1861, when Governor Brown made peace with Hapurona and W. King, I was present as the Governor's interpreter, and quoted a remark made by a Native a day or two ago that, " before the ripples of the steamer's screw had disappeared, the report of guns was heard on the shore." I was well acquainted with the views of the Natives in such matters, and looking at the antecedents of the present case (here for the first time the Colonel seemed rather excited, and exclaimed, " Why, Baker, I had always taken you for a man of sense! antecedents be "). Immediately recovering his equanimity, he said that ho