A.—No. 8.

14

PAPERS RELATIVE TO MILITARY OPERATIONS

I also beg that you will bring to the notice of the Hon. Defence Minister that there will always be a considerable quantity of stores, and sometimes ammunition, at Kaiteriria, and that I therefore think it would be advisable to remove the detachment from Matata to Kaiteriria. It would be a support to the Tapuaeharuru garrison, and would give confidence to the people who were employed in packing up supplies. An escort could then be furnished with each convoy of horses, as the detachments could find men to go half-way between Kaiteriria and Tapuaeharuru from each place. There would be no difficulty in feeding the men, as Mr. McPherson has offered to supply them with meat at 7d. per lb., and the rest of the rations could be sent from here. I have, &c, Philip Harington, Lieut.-Colonel, Commanding Field Force, Bay of Plenty District. The Acting Under Secretary, Defence Office, Wellington.

No. 13. His Honor J. D. Ormond to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Napier, 14th September, 1869. I have the honor to enclose for your information copy of a letter received last night from Mr. Deighton, the Resident Magistrate at the W rairoa, from which it would appear that the Urewera are moving about in the district at the back of the Wairoa. The Wairoa Settlement is as safe as the force at my disposal will enable me to- make it, and the people are on their guard. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. J. D. Ormond.

Enclosure in No. 13. The Resident Magistrate, W rairoa, to His Honor J. D. Ormond. Sir,— Te Wairoa, 10th September, 1869. I have the honor to report that fires were seen in the direction of the Kiwi and Onepoto, on Wednesday last, by a Mr. Brigham, who was out on Mr. Walker's run, and saw them from thence. The Natives here are all aware of the fact and on their guard. They have, I believe, written to the Hon. the Defence Minister, to have a few Maoris stationed at the Kopu Blockhouse. I have, &c, J. D. Ormond, Esq., General Government Agent, S. Deighton, R.M. Napier.

No. 11. The Under Secretary to His Honor J. D. Ormond. (No. 37.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Sir, — Wellington, 28th September, 1869. I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Gisborne, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the I4th instant, enclosing copy of a letter from the Resident Magistrate at the Wairoa, relative to the movements of the Urewera. I have, &c, A. C. P. MacdoNald The General Government Agent, Hawke's Bay. (for the Under Secretary).

No. 15. His Honor J. D. Ormond to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Napier, 20th September, 1869. The telegraph has kept the Government informed of all information that has reached me from Taupo as it arrived, and I have now only to send the official report of occurrences since my last letter. When I last wrote, information had been just received of a second attack upon Henare by Te Kooti, the result of which was not known, and in respect to which I felt great anxiety. On the 15th inst., I heard from Lieut.-Colonel Herrick, who was marching to join Henare, that he had met a messenger on the way coming from him, and that he was all right, and had repulsed Te Kooti's second attack. On the 16th, I again heard from Lieut.-Colonel Herrick, that he had joined Henare at Tauranga with the Mounted Division and 130 Natives from Tapuaeharuru, and that the whole force was to advance on Tokano, on that or the following day. Lieut.-Colonel Herrick explained that the cause of his not joining Henare sooner after hearing that he had been attacked, was, that on the night previous a horse belonging to an orderly who had gone with