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permanent and lasting good amongst them, than the Native Schools Act of 1867, and Amendment Act of 1871. I have, &c, Spencer yon Stunner, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Resident Magistrate. Wellington.

No. 5. Mr. H. W. Brabant, R.M., Opotiki, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — Resident Magistrate's Office, Opotiki, 10th July, 1875. I have the honor to submit the following report on Native Schools in the Bay of Plenty District: — 1. Te Kaha School. —l visited this school on June 11th. The number on the books was 54, of whom 29 were present. This school had only been open about three months, but the children examined by me seemed to have made fully as much progress as could have been expected in so short a time. The teacher, Mr. Duffus, whom I had not previously seen, impressed me very favourably; he appeared also to be on excellent terms with the resident Natives, and to be earnest and painstaking, and I doubt not that the school will be a success under his management. 2. Omarumutu School. —When I visited this school 14 children were present, out of 22 on the list. I examined them in reading, writing from dictation, translating into Maori, arithmetic, &c, and found some progress made since my last visit. 3. Opotiki Mixed School. —I regret to have to report that only one Native child has been attending this school during the last quarter. Two of those who formely attended are dead, and two others have left the neighbourhood. The number of Europeans on the books is 105 ; average attendance, 84. 4. Ohiwa School. —On my visit to this school I found 10 present, out of 18 on the books. The teacher continues to conduct the school with ability and perseverance. Some of his best scholars, however, have left for Rotorua, while others have been absent from various causes during tta past few months, so that progress was not so apparent as on previous occasions. All children at the Onekawa Pa attend the school, but owing to a number of the parents returning to Rotorua the attendance must necessarily fall off. I hope some of Te Waru's children from Waitotahi will attend as the summer advances. There are two European children taught at this school. 5. Whakatane School. —This continues to be the largest school under my inspection. There are 63 children on the books, of whom 40 attended on the day of my inspection (June 18). I examined them in the usual branches of education, when some of them showed some improvement, especially in arithmetic. There are two or three European children attending besides the teacher's own, while a good many of the soi-disant Natives are half-castes. 6. Matata School.— -There are 27 children now on the roll of this school, but when I visited it on 24th June they were nearly all absent from sickness. Those who were present (8) I examined, and found had made marked progress, especially in colloquial English. The master and mistress are very painstaking, and appear very anxious for the advancement of the children under their charge. 7. Maketu School. —Only seven children were present when I visited this school on 25th June. This was owing partly, I believe, to sickness. The attendance has also been irregular during the past quarter from the same cause. To this probably may be attributed the small progress made. 8. Wliareroa School, Tauranga. —l visited this district on 28th June, when 15 were present, out of 22 on the roll. The anticipation expressed by me in my last report as to the effect of the new teacher I found realized, as the children, whom I examined in reading English and Maori, translating, writing from dictation, arithmetic, geography, &c, have made marked progress in the several branches of learning. I regret to find that the teacher (Mr. Latrobe) has resigned his appointment, as his ability as a teacher would have made him valuable to the Tauranga Natives and to the Government. The schools in the Lake district were not visited by me on this occasion, two of them, Ohinemutu and Rotoiti, being still without masters, and I was unable to ascertain when I was prepared to start whether that at Te Wairoa was in operation or not. It was reported not to be so, although I subsequently ascertained that it was. This report I have not made so full as on previous occasions, because only four months have elapsed since I had the honor to report on these schools for your information, when I entered minutely into the particulars of my several examinations, and because during that period the rate of attendance at all the schools has been exceptionally low on account of the sickness which has been prevalent throughout the Bay of Plenty (measles, mumps, &c.) : indeed from this cause little progress could be expected. I have, &c, Herbert W. Brabant, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. District Inspector Native Schools.