strong and many of the numerous and disaffected tribes of the East Coast in the vicinity of Poverty Bay may be implicated in the present contest with a view of asserting their national independence and throwing off their nominal allegiance to Her Majesty. These circumstances together with the manifest symptoms of bad feeling recently displayed by the Natives induces me to urge most respectfully on your Excellency the necessity of obtaning a stronger force without delay for the protection of the English settlements and for vindicating Her Majesty's sovereignty over the Island.