OP REBEL NATIVES, ETC.

35

T.—No. 1

6th March. —The men arrived this morning, weather still wet. I have arranged for all supplies to return by men to meet Ropata and party. Leave to-morrow for Napier. A sufficient quantity of food cannot be obtained here for a fresh start. 18th March. —The time intervening from the above date has been occupied by preparing for the march, in recruiting the men, and issuing supplies of clothing to tbem, as the season is far advanced, and the weather during nearly the whole period has been wet, but has now every appearance of being settled and fine. We slept at the Kapu last night; towards midnight a voile)' was fired on the opposite side of the river by a party of our men who were encamped there ; the cause of which was two men on horseback from the direction of Waikare, who not replying to challenges, were fired at; we are suspicious of their being messengers sent to warn Te Kooti of our being On the march again. 19th March, Sunday. —We started this morning, the men all heavily burdened with food, and •amped at the Maru Maru at night. We have determined upon our line of march, viz., via Waikare-Moana, and thence to other places, according to information we may obtain concerning Te Kooti, and finally on to Te Haupapa. 20s*A March. —We are now encamped at Orewha having reached here by a night march as we a,__ipated capturing some Hauhaus; but we found the place was unoccupied. 2lsi* March. A party of our men started out this morning, and in a clearing came upon traces of persons having lately visited it, they are now following up the trail, and we shall await their return. 22nd March. —Two orderlies arrived from Te AVairoa with despatches from J. D. Ormond, Esq. Our men out on the trail are still absent. We are in hopes they will capture some one before they return. 23rd March. —Our men have at last returned from the chase, which has ended most successfully, even beyond our most sanguine expectations. They report having followed the trail to a place called Eripiti, where they succeeded in capturing a man of Te Kooti's, named Tautata; he states that he left Te Kooti about a fortnight ago, with a party, to search the Lake for ammunition said to be buried there by the Government people. They left the Haupapa a day or two after we had started out for Te Wairoa, and coming upon our camp found the letter left there by us, which was returned to Te Kooti; he confirmed the information that Te Kooti had been at Maungapowhatu, but was returned to his kainga. He has given me the names of the whole of the men with Te Kooti, young and old, twenty-five only of whom have guns. AVhen Te Kooti knew that we had come out, a party of pig hunters was sent out beyond Matahukia, who will not return for a fortnight. Te Kooti purposed getting his people tatooed. He says there are three pas at Haupapa, and has promised to show us the easiest way to surround them. Our hopes are now high, though without being too sanguine of a successful issue to our expedition. We have persevered to the utmost, and I sincerely hope we may catch the rebel we are in quest of. AVe are very much gratified to find all our conjectures correct as to Te Kooti's kainga, not having once heard of it during the long chase, though often guided only by signs. It is impossible for any one to conceive the number of difficulties we have had to surmount and the hardships endured. Tautata states that Te Kooti kept up communication with the Wairoa Natives, and was supplied by them with clothing, &c. 24j"7i March. —Marched at daylight, and proceeded by the track followed by TeWaru and his people ween going to join Te Kooti prior to the massacre at Poverty Bay. Fell in with some fresh tracks of about two days old, which we suppose to be those of some of Te Kooti's pig hunters. 25tli March. —Raining heavily all day, with strong gales of wind ; could not march, but sent a small party of men to follow the tracks seen yesterday, which they did as far as Puketapu, and have just returned. 26th March, Sunday. —The weather having cleared up this morning we were enabled to march, our track lying along the top of Puketoromiro. AVe are now waiting till night to be able to proceed on our march, as we are afraid of exposing ourselves to any of Te Kooti's people who may be wandering about. 27th March. —We marched last night until the moon set, when we were compelled to encamp on the top of a spur without fire and with a very cold wind blowing. At 4 a.m. we again started and at 10 am. reached Pahekeheke, the crossing of the Hangaroa; this spot is the junction of six different tracks, one by which Te Kooti marched upon Poverty Bay, two to Te Reinga, two to the Haupapa, and one to Papuni. We shall hfkve to make another night march of it. It has been showery all day. Tautata deserves great praise for the manner in which he has guided us by the least exposed places. 28th March. —lt coming on to rain heavily last night deterred us from marching, but at 3 a.m. we started and ascended to the summit of Puketapu Maokonui, a range lying to the right; from the summit of the former we obtained a sight of Te Kooti's hiding-place just below Maungatapere. During our march to-day we passed the late camping place of a body of people which Tautata cannot account for; we are afraid it may be Te Kooti on the move. We are now camped very close to Te Kooti's place, on a small stream called Makaka, running into the Ngutuera. 29^7* March. —At 3 o'clock p.m. we are now lying down in the bush, within halfan-hour's march of Te Kooti's place. It is raining, and we are miserably cold and wet; many of the men have severe colds, and it is a constant source cf anxiety to us endeavouring to suppress the coughing. We shall surround the place before daylight, when we shall be relieved of our anxiety. 30th March. —We have now met with another disappointment; we are in possession of Te Kooti's long sought hiding-place. At 3 a.m. we commenced to surround the place, and at dawn of day we rushed it from all sides; our disposition of the men was very well arranged, and the only fault was the absence of an enemy or occupant of the place. Te Kooti's whare was the centre of attraction, and had he been there it would have been impossible for him to have escaped. It is evident from the appearance of the fireplaces that the people have been absent for some time, at least a fortnight. Guided by Tautata in a sort of magazine or cave in the bush, we found secreted