G—No. 29

PAPERS RELATING TO THE REMOVAL AND RE-INTERMENT OF THE REMAINS OF THE IMPERIAL SOLDIERS WHO FELL AT OHAEAWAI IN 1845.

No. 1. Mr. Halse, Assistant Native Secretary, to Mr. H. T. Clarke, Civil Commissioner, Auckland. Sib — . Native Office, Wellington, Bth January, 1872. Adverting to the Venerable Archdeacon Clarke's communication of 6th September, transmitting a letter from Heta To Haara, of Ohaeawai, relative to the remains of troops who fell in the assault on Heke's Pa, in 1845, I have the honor, by direction of Mr. McLean, to inform you that a gratuity of thirty pounds will be given to the Natives to remove the remains within the" churchyard. It ia suggested that you should be present on the occasion. Some little show of ceremony should be observed, to convince the Natives that the Government are not regardless of the memories of brave men who have died in defence of the honor of their country. I have, &c, 11. Halse, Assistant Native Secretary.

No. 2. Mr. H. T. Clarke, Civil Commissioner, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. SlE >~~ Tauranga, Bth August, 1872. In accordance with the suggestion contained in your letter of the Bth January last, No. 277-2, I proceeded from Auckland to the Bay of Islands, on the 21st June, to be present, on behalf of the Government, at the re-interment of the remains of the soldiers who fell at Ohaeawai in the end of June, and beginning of July, 1845. Immediately on my arrival at the Waimate, I communicated with the chief Heta Te Haara and his people, and after a consultation with them, it was decided that the removal of the remains to the churchyard should take place on the Ist July, the twenty-seventh anniversary of the day upon which the fatal attempt was made by the Imperial troops, under Colonel Despard, to storm the strongly fortified pa at Ohaeawai, which resulted to us in a fearful destruction of life. The pa ; as will be remembered, was held by the Chiefs Pene Taui and Kawiti, two of the leading chiefs associated with Hone Heke in the Northern rebellion. It was the expressed wish of the Ohaeawai Natives that the remains of the soldiers buried in an exposed position should be removed from where they were first placed and re-interred within the precincts of the old pa. A neat little church has been built by the Natives, at their own cost, on the site of the pa, and the surrounding land has been set apart for a cemetery, many of their own dead having been recently buried there. _ The Natives were actuated to this from a respect for our dead, and from a fear lest the remains of their former brave enemies should, by any accident, be disturbed, or subjected to any indignity. The wish was a kindly one, and is one of many incontestible proofs that all bitterness or soreness occasioned by the struggle, which took place in the years 1845 and 1846, had entirely passed away. The very day after we had made our arrangements, rain set in, and continued with very little intermission for more than ten days. On the 29th June, the bones were carefully disinterred by some old Native Toliungas—SL class of Maoris supposed to be particularly competent for the task—and placed in six large shells or coffins, which had been previously prepared. The coffins were afterwards removed to a large building, the runanga house of the village, preparatory to being conveyed to the churchyard on the day appointed. On Monday, the Ist July, in spite of the wretchedly cold and wet" weather, a great number of chiefs from the surrounding districts were assembled, amongst whom were Mohi Tawhai, Kira Kingi Hori, Biwhi Hongi, Hemi Marupo, Puataata, Hare Wirikake, Hone Peti, Wi Pepene, and several others of lesser note. I was also gratified to sec many of the principal European settlers from Waimate and Pakaraka present, to testify their respect for the brave men who fell for the honor of their Queen and country. The British ensign was hoisted half-mast, and a procession formed; the coffins, each covered by a red ensign, were preceded by a firing party, headed by Heta Te Haara, the chief of the place, and the representative of the late Pene Taui, and followed by a train of Europeans and Natives, led by Colonel McDonnell and myself. The procession was met by the Venerable Archdeacon E. B. Clarke, and conducted to a large grave that had been dug at the chancel end of the church. The Archdeacon then read, in Maori, the beautiful and impressive service for the burial of the dead, amidst a profound and reverend silence. As soon as the service was completed, three volleys were fired over the grave. I then addressed a few words to the Chiefs and Natives present, expressive of my thanks, on behalf of the Government and the Europeans generally, for the kindly feelings which prompted them to suggest and take a part in the act which had just been performed. I took occasion to draw a contrast between the scenes enacted on the spot twenty-seven years before—the causes which led to the Northern war and its results; and the present good feeling, singleness of purpose, and perfect unanimity which very apparently existed