E— No 18,

No. 3. COPT OF DESPATCH FROM GOTEHXOB GORE EKOW:NE, C. B., TO THE MIGHT HONORABLE H. LABOUCIIEUE, M.P. ■ Government House, Auckland, 20th March, 1858. SlB,— J have the honor to forward a letter from Mr. Charles Brown, formerly Superintendent of the Province of New Plymouth, in which he recommends the raising of troops from among the Natives of New Zealand for service at the Cape of Good Hope or in India, and offering himself to raise and command them. 2. I have had the subject long under consideration, and consulted several persons best capable of giving me correct information. I will now state the conclusion at which I have arrived. 3. I have no doubt that the Natives of this country will make excellent soldiers in the field. They are brave, enduring, and in bush fighting superior to our own troops. No light troops can exceed them. On the other hand, they are changeable, capricious, and torn by tribal animosities. I doubt, and so also does the Native Secretary, whether they would serve for the same pay as that given to the soldiers of the line ; but this could only be proved by experiment. 4. Having served with irregular troops in the East, and had them occasionally under my command, I am satisfied thai; (the material being good) the whole efficiency depends entirely on the officer who commands them. It is not sufficient that he. should possess the respect of his men ; ho must have intimate acquaintance with them, and be able to rely on their attachment to him, and the officers under him. Such men were the late Colonel Skinner, whose influence for good or evil was unlimited, and General Jacob, who, I believe, still commands the Scinde Horse. When the officers have this moral influence, irregular troops are invaluable, and when they have it not, they are too often a curse to the country in which they are quartered. 5. There is a gentleman in New Zealand, Mr. Drummond Hay, who has served with irregular troops in Algeria, and is, I think, perfectly fit for such a command. He is the only person I know of at present who is qualified for such an arduous duty. I consulted him upon the subject long since, and he expressed an ardent desire for such a service, but his intimate knowledge of the Natives led him to see many difficulties. Among these he enumerated that of inducing men of one tribe to serve with those of another, or under non-commissioned officers of another ; the doubt that they would accept the usual pay; the possibility of their growing weary of service and becoming discontented; the suspicions which would be roused if the letters to their friends in New Zealpjid were unsatisfactory ; the desertions which might then take place ; the necessity for immediate embarkation after they were enrolled. 6. Having stated these difficulties, I beg to say that I do not think them insuperable, and if Her Majesty's Government approve, I shall be glad to try the experiment. 7. In order to make it successful, however, I must be armed with full and distinct instructions from you, and be able to publish in Maori the conditions of service, including pay, allowance, and pension, time of service, gratuity for good couduct, wounds, &c., the supply of uniform, and the payment of passage back to New Zealand, as well as from it. 8. I would submit that paj, pension, and allowances shoald be precisely the same as in the line, and that, instead of bounty, uniform and kit complete should be supplied at Her Majesty's expense, that service should not exceed seven years, after which free passage should be granted back to New Zealand. Pensions to be given as in the line after a longer service. In reference to officers, I would submit the name of Mr. Drummond Hay, who should have rank not lower than that of Captain, with promise of promotion after a definite time. Believing, as I do, that everything depends on the special fitness of the Commanding Officer, I should be inclined to leave him unfettered in the selection of his officers, both European and Native. The former I should limit to three and a'doctor, besides the Commanding Officer; the latter should have rank and pay liko the Native Officers of irregular corps in India. It would not be safe to have a less number than the above of European officers, because, a knowledge of the Maori language being indispensable, vacancies could only be supplied from New Zealand. The advantages to be offered to the officers should be specified in detail. I should also be empowered to take up transport without delay, for many reasons would prevent my wishing to have such a force idle in New Zealand. 9. Finally, I would recommend the Cape of Good Hope as the destination of the corps, for the Maoris are with good reason much attached to Sir George Grey, and would readily serve imder him, especially if he were appointed their Colonel. 10. Should you approve the experiment, (for experiment it will be,) I will use every exertion to make it successful, and would suggest that, as a commencement, I may be instructed to raise a " Eoyal Maori Corps," to consist of not more than 600, and not less than 300 rank and file, and as the difficulty of communication is so great, perhaps all the Commissions might be left for me to fill up. 11. A larger number of women must be permitted to accompany their husbands than is usual with the Queen's troops. If settlement on the frontier is contemplated, they ought not to be limited, as the families are very small in New Zealand. I have, &c, T. Goee Browne. P.S. —A copy of this despatch has been forwarded to Sir George Grey, at the Cape of Good Hope, who will probably communicate with you on the subject. T. G. B.

5

NATIVE TROOPS FOR FOREIGN SERVICE.