A.—No. B*.

AGAINST THE REBEL NATIVES.

21

Enclosure 2 in No. 51. To Tahan Turoa, — . Rav.ponga, December. Friend, greeting. A messenger, Huiatahi, has come from Te Kuiti with a letter from Manuwhiri, and his son (Tawhiao), approving of my talk and actions. That is all from Topia.

No. 52. His Honor J. D. Ormond to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir, — Napier, 4th January, 1870. I have the honor to enclose copies of telegrams from Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell and Major Roberts, from which you will see what have been the recent movements of our forces at Taupo. I also enclose copy of a plan of the country to the west of the lake, which shows something of the position of the different places. Distances are not, however, accurately judged, as Porere is made further from Tokano than Moerangi, which is much further off. Up to the present time I have received no information from Taupo as to Kemp and Topia, which I should immediately Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell heard from them. The weather, both here and at Taupo, has been, up to the 2nd, most severe, and would effectually have prevented any movement up the Wanganui River. You are receiving by this mail copy of Mr. Buller's telegram to Mr. Gisborne, with news from Wanganui to the 31st, from which it would appear that everything was most favourable, with the exception of the weather. The information that Te Kooti was at Makokomiko does not, however, tally with what you have heard from Waikato. I regret to say that the late floods have caused some damage to the roads to Taupo, and that communication has been temporarily cut off by the high state of all the rivers. Some inconvenience may arise from want of supplies, but I am doing my best to remedy it. I have, &c, The Hon. the Defence Minister, Auckland. J. D. Ormond. Enclosure 1 in No. 52. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell to His Honor J. D. Ormond. (Telegram.) Camp, Tokano, 30th December, 1869. In continuation of last telegram, I have to report that, in consequence of the stores not arriving till late on Saturday instead of Tuesday, I was unable to start with the force till Monday morning. Left Tokano on Monday, 27th, with fifty-eight Europeans (forty of them mounted) and sixty Natives. Marched to Pokura, a village on west side of lake; halted for the night. Marched early on 28th, and reached Tewera about noon. After a rest, sent the mounted portion of the force to scout as far as Umuroa. They searched all about that neighbourhood, but no appearance of Kemp or enemy. T'eeling sure that Kemp must before this time have reached Tuhua, and that if Te Kooti had been driven in he was not coming this way, I determined to return, as my force would be more in hand at Tokano, and Kemp's messenger sure to find me. Sent the men on foot home by the lake, and, with the mounted men, scoured the whole country towards Poaru and Moerangi without seeing any sign of the enemy. Reached Tokano in the afternoon. lam inclined to think the rumour is correct that Te Kooti has gone towards Tokangamutu; if so, Kemp and Topia have probably gone after him. His Honor J. D. Ormond. Thos. McDonnell, Lieut.-Colonel. Enclosure 2 in No. 52. Inspector Roberts to His Honor J. D. Ormond. (Telegram.) Pukutarata, 25th December, 1869. Yesterday I took Pakuatua and two of his Natives, and went bey^ond Hapotea and Tataroa. The latter is about three or four miles on this side of Titiraupenga. If I had been better mounted I should have gone on to Titiraupenga; under the circumstances, did not consider it prudent to do so. Tataroa is about twenty miles from Tapuaeharuru. I saw no sign of the enemy. More convinced than ever of the possibility of Te Kooti's being able to go to Patetere without our knowledge, there are so many tracks left open. The Tapuaeharuru Natives are getting seriously in want of food; most of their own kind of food is done. Hitherto I have given them as little as I possibly could of my supplies, but while in Government employment I presume they must be fed when their own food is eaten. If so, I need hardly point out the necessity for more supplies being forwarded. To His Honor J. D. Ormond. Roberts.

No. 53. His Honor J. D. Ormond to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir, — Napier, 9th January, 1870. I have the honor to enclose, for your information, telegrams received at a late hour last 6