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Enclosure 5. Sub-Inspector Richaedson to the Commissionee, Armed Constabulary Force. Armed Constabulary Force, District Office, Wairoa, Te Kapu, Sir,— Ist June, 1874. In compliance with instructions contained in Circular No. 145, of 30th March, 1874, I have the honor to forward a report from the Wairoa district, in accordance with terms of Circular No. 47, of sth June, 1871 :— Militaet Duties. Average Strength of Officers and Men in District. —Three officers, 1 surgeon (attached from Militia), 7 non-commissioned officers, and 47 men. Nature of Parades and Drills.—Divine service parade on Sundays, heavy marching order parades on Saturdays, at each post. The Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, held parades at each station, on 9th, 10th, and 11th of February, 1874. Squad and skirmishing drills have been held five days in the week during the summer months, and during the winter months one day in the week. The annual course of musketry was commenced at Te Kapu on the 4th November, 1873, and completed on 23rd January, 1874. Sub-Inspector A. H. Maclean was the officer instructor. Operations in the Field. —The state of the district has been exceedingly quiet, so that nothing has been done under this heading. Patrolling and Scouting. —An armed party proceeds round Lake "Waikare Moana in the Government boat, at intervals, from Onepoto Station, this being the frontier of the Urewera country. Conveying Mails and Despatches. —The overland mail from the Bay of Plenty district is conveyed weekly by a mounted constable from "Waikare Moana to Te Kapu. Despatches have been frequently carried, to Napier and Poverty Bay on Native matters, and in connection with the progress of the telegraph. Escorts, Guards, Sfc. —Escorts have been supplied to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, S. Locke, Esq., and the Hon. J. D. Ormond. Three men mount guard nightly at Onepoto, but one is considered to be sufficient at each of the other stations. Making and Improving Target Ranges. —New ranges have been made at Onepoto, Maru Maru, and Ohuka; the latter could only be obtained up to 400 yards. Issuers and Storekeepers. —As the force mess themselves, no issuers are required. Probationary Sergeant H. J. Williams is still the district sub-storekeeper. Erection of Redoubts and Stockades. —The erection of a redoubt has been commenced at headquarters, in compliance with an order given by the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary Force, on his inspection tour in February last. Sundry repairs have been executed at Onepoto and Maru Maru. Civil Duties. Steps taken for the Prevention of Crime. —On the 28th February last, Archibald Ferguson was arrested on suspicion of having stolen and slaughtered a pig, the property of a settler at Te Kapu. The case was fully proved at the Resident Magistrate's Court, and the prisoner sentenced to two years' imprisonment in Napier Gaol. He subsequently escaped from the Clyde Lock-up, and members of the force were engaged in searching for him for some time, but without success. Attending Civil Courts. —A mounted constable has been appointed Native Interpreter to the Resident Magistrate's Court at Clyde. Other members of the force have attended the same Court when required. On the Bth and 14th of November last, members of the force attended two inquests held by the Coroner ; the former on the body of a man found drowned in the Wairoa River, at Maru Maru, and the latter on the body of a Maori woman, who was burnt to death in her whare. Attending Land Courts. —The Inspector in command and constable attended the Land Court held by Mr. Judge Monro, at Clyde, on the 4th, sth, and 6th of December, 1873. Taking Census. —The census and agricultural statistics of the Province of Hawke's Bay, in the Mohaka and Wairoa districts, were taken by four members of the force, to the satisfaction of the Enumerator, S. Begg, Esq. Another member of the force was engaged in collecting the census of that portion of the Auckland Province which lies in this district. The collection of the census and agricultural statistics of all the East Coast district, from the East Cape to the south of Poverty Bay, have been collected by members of the force in the Poverty Bay district, under the superintendency of the officer in charge of the Wairoa district, and all these returns have been supervised in the district office at Te Kapu. Public and Useful Woeks. Nature and Extent of Road Works. —At Onepoto, a sledge track has been made from the redoubt to the saw-pit at Manga Kio Kio. Most of the sawn timber used at the station has been drawn along this track. Sundry other minor repairs have been made on Te Kapu and Waikare Moana Road by the detachments at Onepoto and Ohuka. From Maru Maru two men were detailed for duty on the Opoiti and Poverty Bay Road in March last, one to act as interpreter to the Overseer of Public Works, and the other to superintend the blasting operations carried on by Natives. Building Bridges and Culverts. —Four culverts on the Te Kapu and Waikare Moana Road, that had been washed away by floods, were replaced by the detachment at Ohuka Station. Building Houses, Stables, fyc. —At Te Kapu, the library and sergeant-major's quarters, that were mentioned in last year's report as having been commenced, have been finished. The whole building is 35' X 12' with 8-feet studs. Wooden spouting has been put round all the buildings at this station