. () Tauranga October 1st. 1869. My dear Doctor, I just write you a hurried line, to inform you that our native forces under St. George and Preece have had a smart skirmish with Te Kooti, inflicting serious loss upon them. St. George says - (Sept. 26th. date of letter) ''Yesterday we had a smart skirmish. Kooti's division came down Kakaramea Range yesterday, with the intention of attacking us. Of course the best thing would have been to let them get close, and fought them on our own ground. This is what I should have done if I had a Pakeha force. The Ngatik went out, and then I was obliged to send a party of Tewharetoa (Taupos and Arawas) under Preece. In the end we were all in it, and drove the enemy back over the Range. We found six bodies, and I have no doubt that at least double the number were killed, as all the bodies we found were on the narrow frn ridge of the forest. A good deal of it was bush fighting, and my people behaved very well, but wasted a great deal of ammunition. We got one wounded man (Kooti's), who said that there were between two and three hundred against us; that Te Heu Heu and Tawharetoa were not in the fight at all, but remained in their position to take care of the women and the children. Master Hohepa, when he got up, cut off the fellow's head; so we did not get so much out of him as we might have! - - - No. 2 A.C. arrived to-day, and we start inland to-morrow. I have had letters from our Arawa friends, who report exactly as above, with the addition that they beheaded all the badies which fell into their hands. I don't like that sort of thing myself. Perhaps they think that Te Kooti, by some magic art, can resussitate them again. A few such skirmishes will restore confidence amongst our native allies. None of our people were killed, but seven wounded, some of them badly. You will see by the report I wrote yesterday that I have had a visit from the Piako Hau Haus. The fellows were not very communicative; the most trivial answers to my questions were well weighed. But I succeeded yesterday in drawing them out, and I am quite satisfied that there is a wide breach in the King party. I hope our Waikato Officers will narrowly watch the proceedings of the followers of His Majesty, and will lose no opportunity of widening the breach; and step in, if possible, to strangthen our own position. The Tauranga natives are very quiet, and from the division in the King party, which extends to this place, I am constantly being appealed to by each party, to know what evil things the others have been telling me. Excuse great haste Yours very truly (Signed) H. Clarke. To:- Dr. Pollen.