3

H.—l2a.

at each post, every Wednesday and Saturday. One officer, 2 non-commissioned officers, and 19 privates, proceeded to the Armed Constabulary Depot at Wellington on the 21st of January, and returned on the 15th of June, having been put through a course of drill and musketry instruction while there. The remaining portion were put through class firing at their own posts. Mails and Despatches. —A mounted man leaves Te Teko every Monday to meet the Armed Constabulary orderly at Matata, and waits there until the arrival of the mail on the following day. Communication is kept up between Te Teko and Tauranga, and Te Teko and Fort Galatea, Kaiteriria, Opepe, and Ahikereru, by mounted men of the force. Guards and Escorts. —A guard of 1 non-commissioned officer and 3 privates mount daily at each post. One escort was furnished on the 4th of January, in charge of a civil prisoner, to Maketu. Targets and Ranges. —Wooden targets have been made as required; they will be shortly replaced by iron ones from Wellington. New markers' butts have been made at each post. Erection of Stockades and Redoubts. —A strong manuka palisading, bound with aha vine, has been «rected round the new redoubt. The following substantial wooden buildings have been completed:— One barrack-room, 46 feet X 16 feet, with partition for sergeant-major's quarters, 10 feet X 16 feet, and men's quarters, 36 feet X 16 feet. One pumice chimney has been made in each room ; wooden bedsteads have been made. One building, 68 feet x 12 feet, with partitions for orderly room, issuer's store, tool store, guard-room, men's quarters, and reading-room. This house has been completed, with the exception of chimneys, and one partition. Both buildings are floored. Officers' quarters have been finished outside the redoubt. They consist of a cottage 32 feet X 12 feet, with one front room and two bedrooms, lined and floored. The old redoubt has been levelled, and the raupo houses destroyed. A large parade ground has been made, covered with gravel. New mess whares (raupo), with wooden tables and forms, have been made. At Fort Galatea, the raupo houses have been altered and repaired. Wooden houses will be built as soon as there is sufficient timber available. The redoubt has been repaired. Public and Useful Works. —The following road work has been done during the year, full details of which appear in the Schedule hereunto attached: —Formation, 39 chains; felling timber, 9 chains ; stumping and clearing logs, 8 chains ; fascining, 10 chains ; draining and ditching, 21 chains ; side cutting, 7,017 cubic yards ; embankment, 537 cubic yards ; filling in on fascines, 368 cubic yards. The total number of cubic yards of earth removed during the year was 7,922. Four wooden culverts have been made: two, 12 feet x 12 feet; one, 12 feet x 9 feet; and one, 18 feet x 18 feet; each 27 feet long; one bridge culvert, 16 feet long 15 feet wide ; 4 stringers, 12 feet x 4 feet; two cills, 9 feet X 4 feet; and four piles, 9 feet x 9 feet; hand-rails and braces, timber cut by members of the Native Contingent, and drawn by bullock dray fourteen miles. In order to drain the Okauneke Swamp into the Tarawera Eiver, it was found necessary to make a ditch 5 feet wide and 4 feet deep, 21 chains in length. In addition to the above work, sixteen men were employed for twelve days in repairing portions of the Te Teko and Richmond Eoad, which had been damaged by heavy rain. Fencing Paddocks and Sowing Grass. —The Government boundary fence mentioned in my last annual report has been completed. It consists of 29 chains of ditch and bank, with post and rail fence. Twenty-three chains of post and rail fence have been put up inside the old paddock, 10 chains of which is enclosed with palings. Strong gateway posts have been erected to the redoubt; also, a substantial flagstaff, with cross-tree. The barracks and officers' quarters have been painted. At Te Teko, 2 acres of land have been ploughed and laid down in grass. At Fort Galatea, 9£- acres have been ploughed, cleared, and laid down in grass. At Fort Galatea, 677 totara posts have been split to fence in Government land, which can be enclosed by one boundary fence of 60 chains ; 160 posts and 320 rails were split at Ohui, and carted down to this post. The Government bullock dray has been employed in carting timber from the saw-pits at Fort Galatea and Ohui, also in conveying pumice for chimneys and fascines for road work. The Government whale-boat has become unserviceable, and timber has been cut for a new one, which is now being built by a member of the force. After the new boat is completed, the old one will be repaired as much as possible and be used for ferry work. With regard to the discipline and control of the force, I beg respectfully to suggest that they be properly embodied, either under the Armed Constabulary or Militia Acts. I cannot speak too highly of the "behaviour of the men during the last year. The force has been equipped with new sets of accoutrements, and are now clothed in the same uniform as the Armed Constabulary. I would again beg to suggest that, in the event of their services being required in the field, they be armed with the Snider carbine instead of the long rifle. I have, &c, Major Roberts, Geoege Peeece, Commanding Tauranga District. Captain, Commanding Native Contingent.

No. 3. Captain Peeece (per Major Robebts) to the Under Secbetaey, Defence Department. Sib,— Te Teko, 29th June, 1874. I have the honor to forward the following report of all road work done by my Company of Native Contingent, from the Ist of June, 1873, to the 31st of May, 1874, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister: — The men have been employed principally on the Te Teko and Fort Galatea Eoad, but have not been able to do any road work since January, in consequence of a detachment of one captain and twenty men having been absent on duty in Wellington from the 21st of January until the 15th of June, and there not being more than sufficient men to carry on the ordinary camp duties. The following work has been done at Ohui:—Side cutting, 7,017 cubic yards ; formation, 31 chains ; felling heavy bush, 9 chains ; clearing and stumping, 8 chains. This was a very heavy piece of work, the cutting being on an average 30 feet deep, and large trees had to be dug out and cleared away. Two culverts 12 feet X 12 feet, and 27 feet long, have been made on this road.