15

I.—2b

536. Did not you wonder what Captain was about'?— Captain Preece, in his letter, when he was talking about Paora Apatu, was making no comparison with Mr. Wrigg cither, as far as I remember. There are other things in Captain Preece's letter which had no reference to Mr. Wrigg's family matters. 537. There was mention in the evidence of a document, which you were supposed to have, in which the authorities had previously declined to bestow this Cross on Mr. Wrigg?—l have never received any sort or kind of reply from the date that I sent the application for Mr. Wrigg's Cross in. 538. You never heard of it ?—Mr. Wrigg drew thy attention to it. 539. Mr. Lewis.] Were the operations of this body of cavalry attended by much slaughter?— No ; the cavalry were ordered out. There were always wars and alarms. 540. Did you often see dead bodies lying about ? —They were the result of ambuscades. 541. Do you remember having seen Bennett White's head brought in?— No. 542. Were heads brought in so frequently? —White's head being off the body was unusual —in fact, as far as I remember, White was the only man who was beheaded. 543. You have no/ecollection of his head having been brought in ?—No. 544. At the time that Mr. Wrigg wrote to you, and during the correspondence, were you aware the Government had decided not to issue any more Crosses?— No. 545. Ohiwa was ten miles out ? —Yes. 546. The day before the detachment had gone out and brought in these heads without meeting any hostilities on the part of the Maoris ?—I think the road was clear, for as soon as they had committed the murders they retired inland. 547. Is ib usual for Maoris to hang about ambuscades ?—No. 548. We have it in evidence, immediately on returning from a hundred-and-sixty-mile ride through dangerous rivers, and so forth, Mr. Wrigg was ordered out to go and fetch in the bodies of the murdered as well?— Yes, Moore and Beggs. 549. Might that be expected from one who had just returned from a perilous ride of a hundred and sixty miles, and who had displayed conduct which merited the New Zealand Cross?— The commanding officer, I believe, accompanied the detachment that went out to bring in their bodies, and the Bay of Plenty Cavalry accompanied the expedition ; and, if Mr. Wrigg on his arrival found his troop going out, in all probability he accompanied them. 550. Captain Percival: do you remember whether he was an educated man ? Was he a man who had risen from the ranks, or a man y/ho had received an education which officers in the army generally receive ? Was he an Imperial officer ?—Yes, I believe so. 551. Was he an educated man?— Yes, I should say so. He was paymaster of the troops 552. Are you quite sure you never received an answer from the department?— Quite sure I never. 553. Mr. Moore.] Are you in possession of the copy of the letter that was sent ?—The first intimation of the award that I had was from Mr. Wrigg himself. 554. Mr. Hutchison.] This document purports to be a copy of a camp' order. Is it regular for the captain of the troop to issue a camp order?—lt should have been headed " Regimental order." 555. Who issues a camp order?— Troop orders or regimental orders are taken from the district orders and written into order-books. 556. Who issues a camp order?—l do not know the term. District orders are the orders issued to every branch of the service serving in a district, and signed by the district adjutant by order of the commanding officer. They send their orderlies, each particular company or troop, as the case may be, to the sergeant. They get their orders, and then they are entered into a troop or regimental book, whatever it may be. 557. That district order being entered into a regimental book would be by the commanding officer or his regimental officer ?—Yes. 558. If you had been there on the '28th June it would'have been you who would have issued the older?— Yes ; in the district-order book. 559. Mr. Wilford.] Do you remember the death of Moore and Beggs ?—Yes. 560. Do you remember the troop going out to fetch them in?— Yes. 561. You remember the commanding officer going out in charge to fetch in those bodies?— Yes. 562. Then, you were there?—lt was not at the same time. It was a week afterwards. 563. Mr. Hutchison.] Do you say you remember seeing them there ?—No ; I remember the circumstances of Moore and Beggs's murder. 564. Mr. Wilford.] You say you remember the officer commanding going out to bring in the bodies ?—Yes. 565. Do you know Major Mair ?—Yes. 566. Do you know Captain Mair, his brother ?—Yes. 567. Are you aware that Captain Mair was often at Tauranga?—Xes; they were both there often. 568. Mr. Wrigg has told us that when he went to Tauranga Captain Mair rode back two miles with him ?—Yes. 569. You never got a letter from Mr. Wrigg until thirty years after the occurrence ?—I never got a letter from Mr. Wrigg from the 26th June, 1867, until recently. 570. Upon that one letter you wrote him out the certificate?— Yes- . Bower : Mr. Chairman, may I ask that that letter, supposed to be received by me, be read?— Yes. [Letter from the Defence Department, dated 27ch September, addressed to Captain M. N. Bower, read and put in—Exhibit No. 24.] 571. Mr. Monk.] You are sure you never received such a letter, Captain Bower?— Yes, I am sure. 572. You were informed of the letter liaving been received?—lt got into a paper somehow.