A.—No. Ib.

DESPATCHES EROM THE SECRETARY OE STATE

42

(Mr. McLean), who had preceded me by sea to Taranaki. To our great satisfaction, the redoubtable Ngatiruanui chief Hone Pihama, who fought so long and so bravely against Generals Cameron and Chute, attended the korero, and made a loyal speech. He has ahvays waged an honorable Avarfare, and has never sanctioned (like TitokoAvaru and Te Kooti) murders in cold blood, or the slaughter of women and children, so he comes under the spirit of the peace Proclamations. Hone Pihama has actually taken the contract for the conveyance of the mails across the country of TitokoAvaru, who dares not meddle Avith him. The truth is that many of the Maori chiefs on the West Coast, who a short time back thought and spoke of nothing but " driving the Pakehas into the sea," appear now to have come to the conclusion that it Avill be more pleasant and profitable to follow the example of their countrymen at HaAvke's Bay and elseAvhere on the East Coast, by leasing their lands to the Pakehas, and living in European comfort and luxury on the rents. Hone Pihama's conversations with me and Avith Mr. McLean Avere full of the blessings of Christianity, and of law and order, of loyalty to the Queen, friendship for the settlers, and offers of land on sale or lease for the making of roads, the erection of flax mills, saAV mills, and iron foundries, the discovery of gold fields, and the general development of the natural resources of the country. 10. The growing value of the New Zealand flax (JPhormium tenax), as an article of commerce, is very fortunate at the present time, for its cultivation and manufacture require the active co-operation of both races; of the Maoris to supply the ra\v material, and of the Europeans to prepare it for use and shipment. Much attention is also being paid to the remarkable " iron sand," or titaniferous iron ore, which is found in great abundance on the sea-beach of Taranaki, and from Avhich the best qualities of steel can be manufactured. I visited Avith much interest the first foundry erected at Ncav Plymouth, and hope to take an early opportunity of reporting at length on this and other cognate subjects. 11. The Province of Taranaki has often been called the " Garden of New Zealand :" and the beauty of its scenery combines with the fertility of its soil to entitle it to this distinction. It Avill not be forgotten that its defence has been very costly to both the Imperial and the Colonial Governments. However, the exertions made by the settlers for their own protection render them deserving of support. They number in all barely four thousand (4,000) men, women, and children; of Avhom eight hundred (800), including nearly every able-bodied male, are armed and drilled, and have been for the most part under fire during the war of the last nine years. Detachments of the Militia and Volunteers hold the frontier posts, Avhile the entire force is ready to take the field in case of need at very short notice. There is also in the Province a division, one hundred and fifty (150) strong, of the Armed Constabulary ; while the stockade in the town of New Plymouth is garrisoned by two companies, about one hundred and twenty (120) officers and men, of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment. Here, as elseAvhere in the disturbed districts, the opinion seems universal that the moral support of detachments of Imperial troops in the principal toAvns is indispensable to secure any certain prospect of peace and tranquillity. 12. During the week Avhich I spent in the Province of Taranaki, I visited on horseback the scenes of the principal fights between Generals Pratt and Cameron and the Natives under Te Rangitaki (William King), who is iioav living in the forests near the base of Mount Egmont, about twenty-five (25) miles .from Ncav Plymouth. He sent a message to the effect that he also, like so many other chiefs recently in arms against the CroAvn, would have attended the meeting held to Avelcome me, if he had not been "Avhakama," that is, "ashamed of himself." This modesty probably means that he is still watching the course of events before he finally decides on peace. He has never committed homicide except in fair fight, so it has been intimated by the Government that no notice will be taken of his past conduct, and that some valuable land has been reserved for him on the banks of the River Waitara (where he began the war in 1880), upon Avhich he can come and live quietly whenever he pleases. The voluminous Parliamentary Papers and other official documents published on the subject contain full information about the controversy respecting the Waitara block of land, and the