ANNUAL REPORT ON THE

G.—No. 14.

10

Nature of Parades and Brills.— Since the 13th July, 1871, the force has been principally engaged on expeditions in pursuit of Te Kooti, putting up buildings at new stations, and making tracks leading thereto. Parades have not therefore been carried out to that extent they would otherwise have been. There have always been parades for Divine Service at 10 a.m. on Sundays at each of the stations, as well as a weekly parade for inspection with arms, accoutrements, &c, when the strength of any post exceeded ten. Guards have always been paraded at 6 p.m. by the senior non-commissioned officer at each post. , Drills have been kept up at Te Kapu and Onepoto whenever practicable, but the want of iron targets and good rifle ranges have been very much felt at all the stations. Operations in the Field.— From Onepoto one officer and ten rank and file have been constantly engaged in a series of expeditions from" the latter end of December, 1871, to the present date in search and pursuit of Te Kooti, who at one time was driven out on the coast at Nuhaka. This party has travelled over about 700 miles of country, and has in effect driven Te Kooti out of the district. They captured four prisoners on the 27th February last, three of whom were subsequently sent to Napier with an escort. From Maru Maru, one officer and ten men have been out on two expeditions, dated respectively from the sth to the 7th March, and from the 10th March to the Ist April last; these parties acted in conjunction with the party from Onepoto. ' At the same time one officer and four men went to Nubaka from Te Kapu, on its being known that Te Kooti was at the former place, but he (Te Kooti) retreated into the dense bush in that neighbourhood. Another party, consisting of five constables with Native guides, scoured all the country between Te Kapu and Poverty Bay from 10th March to 2nd April last. _ Patrolling and Scouting—A. system of picqueting^ was kept up at the fords of the Waikare Tahiki Eiver when Te Kooti was supposed to be in the vicinity. _ On the 19th November, 1871, one sergeant and two constables proceeded up the Waiau River to Kohotea, an old Hauhau settlement, in search of Hauhau arms supposed to be concealed there. They found two old rifles. , Scouting has been kept up from Maru Maru in the directions of Whataroa, Te Eemga, Eimuroa, the Whakapunaki and Whakaki Eanges, and on the Wairoa, Manga-aruhe, Mangapoiti, Huangaroa, and Euakituri Eivers. Conveying Mails and Despatches. —An orderly leaves Waikare-Moana every_ Wednesday morning for 'Te Ariki with mails and despatches, the orderly at that station proceeding on to Te Kapu and Wairoa ; these orderlies, acting in conjunction with the Native mail from Euatahuna, Te Teko, and Bay of Plenty; the orderly returns from Te Ariki to Waikare-Moana on Saturday morning. An orderly leaves Maru Maru every "Wednesday for Te Kapu with mails and despatches. Orderlies have frequently taken a supplementary mail to Mohaka, overtaking the Napier mailman there. During the expeditions, orderlies have been very often engaged in carrying urgent despatches to Napier. Escorts, Guards, tyc— The guards at Te Kapu have been confined to two men from sunset to sunrise, and one in the daytime, except when the four prisoners taken on the 27th February last were in custody, when a guard of three and a non-commissioned officer was put on. At Te Ariki two men nightly were all that could be spared. At Onepoto four men mount every evening; when necessary it is increased to six. At Maru Mara the same system as at Te. Ariki is observed. _ An escort, consisting of one sergeant and six men, escorted provisions from Te Kapu to Te Eeinga for expeditionary force in March last. The three Native prisoners taken at the Euakituri Eiver on the 27th February, 1872, were sent to Napier with an escort of one constable. Making and Improving Target Ranges— The target range at Te Kapu has been improved, and a complete range at Onepoto made up to 600 yards, part of the range being across the little Lake Waikare-Pupu. Issuers and Storekeepers. —At Te Ariki and Onepoto, one constable at each place was engaged as issuer for rations, from Ist August to 30th September, 1871, when Mr. Peter Walker's contract came into effect, the contractor then finding his own issuer, &c. A constable holds the office of sub-storekeeper for the district, residing in the township of Clyde, and has given every satisfaction to the Inspector of Stores, Lieut.-Colonel Gorton. Erection of Redoubts and Stockades.— At Onepoto, a very strong redoubt has been erected, 50 feet square ;it is built for the most part of stone, with sods on top, surrounded by a palisading. A flanking angle is attached, built of an outer and an inner slab, and filled in with earth of a thickness of 8 inches ; the roof is shingled, the sides loopholed, and perfectly bullet-proof. This latter is used as a guardAt Maru Maru, a substantial redoubt has been completed during the last two months; dimensions, 54 feet square (outside measurement), with an 8-feet ditch, embankment 7 feet at base, and 4 feet at top. Citil Duties. Steps taken for the Prevention of Crime.—The force having been removed from the township of Clyde, Wairoa, not much has been done under this heading. In the latter end of August, 1871, a very serious disturbance was averted in the Clyde township by the Armed Constabulary, who turned out promptly and arrested the instigators, one European, one half-caste, and one Maori, who were brought up before the Eesident Magistrate next morning, and fined respectively £5, £6, and £2. The disturbance referred to was a fight between the Arawa and Wairoa Natives, which would have been serious. The half-caste and Maori, after being lodged in the lock-up, broke out and escaped, but were almost immediately retaken by the Armed Constabulary, who retained them in custody till brought up, a guard of nine being placed over them. On the 12th April, 1872, one sergeant and four constables searched amongst the pas and whares of the Ngatikuru-Pakiaka Tribe for property supposed to have been stolen from the wreck of the cutter " Mahia."