. () 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