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On Saturday, the sth January, 1856, we sailed from Wellington, having on board Mr. Buller the Native Interpreter, two Native chiefs, Te Puni and Wi Gako, and five of their followers. On Saturday, the 12th, arrived at Whangaroa at the Chatham Islands, where I received information from two or three Natives who reside there, that Mr. Shand was at Waitangi. Oil Sunday, 13th, sailed across the Bay and anchored at Waitangi ; found that Mr. Shand was on the other side of the Island, wrote a note and sent it off to him immediately, requesting him to come over to Waitangi as soon as possible. Monday, 14th, landed with the Native chiefs but could transact no business, the whole day ; being occupied according to Native custom, with the tangi and speeches. Mr. Shand arrived in the afternoon, when I proceeded on board with him and administered the usual oaths to hire, to enable him to perform his duties as a Magistrate, under a Dedimus Potestatem furnished me by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, which document I have since returned to the Registrar, with the usual notification on the back thereof. I ascertained from Mr. Shand that he had done nothing towards the establishment of the Customs in the Island, conceiving that he had not sufficient authority for that purpose. He thought I should find great difficulty in effecting the object of my visit; but as I differed from him in all my views, I told him at once, that he could not be of any assistance to me whatever, and begged of him not to interfere, as the Natives had already expressed to me their dislike towards him ; but I requested he would be present at the proposed meeting on the morrow, to hear and see for himself, which he declined doing ; and from that moment, until my departure from the Islands, Mr. Shand took no part in my proceedings with the Natives. Tuesday, loth.—Raining hard. Tangi at the Pa. No business transacted. Wednesday, 16th.—Landed with the Natives; proceeded to the house of a Native called Waupu, and agreed with him to rent ii for a Custom House at thirty pounds sterling per annum, it being admirably situated for that purpose, hence to the Pa, where a large number of the Natives were assembled, and business commenced by Te Puni calling upon them to listen to what \\ i Gako had to say to them. Wi Gako spoke at great length advising the Natives to allow the Customs to be established amongst them, and to adopt the Knglish laws, and support Mr. Shand as Resident Magistrate, explaining to them the practice in the Magistrates' Court in Wellington, and advising them to adopt the same at the Chatham Islands. Toenga, a Native who appears to have great influence amongst them, replied, that the Natives generally, disliked Mr. Shand; that he die! not sufficiently explain the object of his mission to them, and said that the Natives would ha>e offered him no opposition, if he had brought a proper letter to them. After several speeches on both sides by various Natives, it was agreed by the whole meeting that if I would give the Natives a solemn promise in writing on behalf of the Governor, that his Excellency would remove Mr. Shand if he behaved ill towards them, and they presented a numerously signed petition to the Governor to that effect, that I should be allowed to establish the Customs at once. This I promised to do, and then told them I found it would be impossible for Mr. Shand to carry on his duties without assistance from them, the landing places on the Island being so numerous. I then requested them to point out two of themselves in whom they could place the greatest confidence, to act as Preventive Officers, and to render Mr. Shand all the assistance in their power in the protection of this Revenue. They immediately elected Toenga Te Toki and Naira Pomare, to whom I promised to give appointments on the morrow, together with the written promise. They also wished to have a Doctor to attend to their wants, and that he should be the Resident Magistrate, if they had any strong grounds of complaint against Mr. Shand. This I undertook to embody in the promise. Thursday, 17th.—Proceeded a-shore, and had the promise, in the Maori language, read to the Natives assembled. I then delivered it to one of the chiefs. Copy and translation herewith enclosed. The appointments of Toenga and Naira were then read, together with instructions for their guidance, the most simple I could prepare, which met with the entire approbation of the Natives ; and they all with one consent declared they would assist in carrying them out. Copies and translations herewith enclosed. After some further conversation on the subject of a Resident Magistrates' Court, the following names were agreed to, and handed to me for his Excellency the Governor to choose assessors from, viz., Toenga, Te Toki, Naira Pomare, Watare Tangare, Hare Ngaka. Friday, 18th.—Started for Kaingaroa on horseback with Mr. Buller, Te Puni, Wi Gako, and their followers, the Natives having furnished us with horses free of expense. Slept at a Native Fa called Tampeke, and arrived at Kaingaroa on Saturday the 19th ; had a meeting of the Natives, the same day when precisely the same things were agreed to as at Waitangi. I appointed Reni Taupatu to be a Preventive Officer, temporarily, until the Governor's pleasure would be known, and received from the Natives the following list of names for his Excellency to choose assessors from, viz., Wiremu Kingi Mere Mere, Rawiri Kupau Hare, Kingi 1 eoti .Vlanu. I also received an unsealed letter from the Natives, addressed to his Excellency and Mr. M'Lean. Translation herewith enclosed.