19

I.—2b

116. You say the only danger was between Opotiki and Ohiwa : you thought beyond that was friendly country ? —Yes. 117. Do you know of others than the two that heard of riding up and back at that time ? —The mail used to go regularly to the day that they killed the men on the beach. I went up by myself shortly before these murders alone. 118. Are you able to say whether others went up and down soon after the murder?— People continued up and down; men going to their land, and so on. 119. Mr. Morrison.} You said that you were at Opotiki in 1867 ? —Yes. 120. And ac that time you were a volunteer in the Ist "Waikato Regiment ?—I was a militiaman. 121. You belonged to the Ist Waikato Eegiment? —Yes. 122: How many troops were in Opotiki at this particular date, in 1867, mounted and foot and all?—I think there would be about four or five hundred footmen, and the only mounted men at that time were the Bay of Plenty Volunteer Cavalry Company. That is as far as I remember. 123. What was the regiment outside your own at the time ?—There was none. 124. Were there no other corps?—No, I do not recollect any other stationed there. 125. As far as you recollect, there were only the Waikato Eegiment and the Bay of Plenty Cavalry Corps at that time ?—Yes, at that time. 126. In your own troop or company, how many would there be ? —The full strength would be about one hundred men. 127. Have you any idea of the number of men in the Bay of Plenty troop? —They were not a very large body. 128. Forty, twenty, or thirty?— Between thirty and fnty. 129. All told, there would only be forty or fifty men at that time ?—The Waikato regiment had about ten companies ; No. 4 Company had a hundred. 130. You stated you were on guard. You were marched out from Opotiki to Ohiwa when Bennett White's body was found, bow many men went out ?—I think there were about a hundred men that night. 131. You were on guard and saw no sign of the enemy that night?— No. 132. You do noc remember any parade of cavalry that took place on this particular date: there might have been one?—Oh, yes, there might have been. 133. You did not question for a moment but what these Natives were all down on the beach two or three days prior to this murder taking place?— They were there when they killed White. 134. You do not remember how long they were there ? You do not remember the remaining Volunteer corps stating when Wrigg and McDonald said they would volunteer to carry the despatches that that was the last they should see of them ?—Never heard of it. 135. You were not aware the Ureweras were swarming on that beach prior to Bennett White being murdered ? —No. I did not know or I should not have been going to Whakatane on that morning. 136. Then, you said you did not hear of any remarks being made with regard to Cornet Wrigg and McDonald in carrying these despatches ?—I did not. 137. Is it not probable that these remarks might have been made without the Ist Waikato Eegiment knowing anything about it? —Of course. 138. As young soldiers, you would be more interested in your own principal company or regiment than in the cavalry members ?—We generally took a great deal of interest in anything tha.t went on. 139. Two troopers might volunteer to carry out despatches, and the foot soldiers would not know anything about it ?—Hardly, I think. 140. You say that you do not remember Leaning?— No. 141. You also stated in reply to that question that there were hundreds of others there that you did not know ?—I do not recall them now. 142. In a camp of soldiers composed of some four hundred or five hundred men there were one or two hundred men there that you did not know, yet you wish this Committee to believe a cavalry corps could send a couple of men to Tauranga without it being known all over the camp ? —I think it would have been known. 142 a. You have also stated that orders issued by the captain of a troop, or troop orders, would not be binding on that particular company or troop unless sent by the district adjutant? —I never met a district officer who would not want to know what orders were issued. 143. You said that acts of heroism were generally read out on parade?— Yes. 144. Were there a number of general parades for acts of heroism that occurred in Opotiki when you were there '!— The camp orders were read out every day, so that the men would know what to do. 145. I am wanting to draw your attention to the fact that acts of heroism were brought out and read out to the troops on parade. Do you remember any instance ?—Yes. 146. Would you kindly give us one ?—When we attacked Opape, the next day it was read out that Private Haselden was first in the village attacked. 147. That was read out in the district orders ?—Read on parade. 148. Read on parade of the Waikato Regiment before all the troops?—No, all the troops were not there. 149. You were mentioned in the regimental orders ?—Yes. 150. So that in that case, according to your showing, Cornet Wrigg and McDonald might have been specially mentioned in an order issued by the captain of their troop, and issued on parade, and the Waikato Regiment would not hear about it?—We would not hear it then, but would hear it all in the camp afterwards.