E.-No. 3 .

Sub-Enclosures in No. 15. LT.-CO . CAREr TO TIIE DEPUTr QUARTER-MASTER-GENERAE, HEAD-QUARTERS. Camp Pukorokoro, Sir,— November 24, 1863. 1 liavo tho honour to report, for the information of the Lieutenant-General commanding the forces, that the troops under my command reached this place at half-past sis o'clock last evening, after a very harassing march over a most difficult country, having left Hauraki at eleven o'clock. The mon were all ashore by half-past eight o'clock a.m., and the horses at 10"45. Each horse had to be landed separately. The boats of the Roval Navy, under command of Captains Jenkins and Hamilton, with the provision cutters, arrived off the mouth of the stream about the same time. On landing it was found that the natives had recently held the position. The mouth of the river is staked across, and the entrance strongly defended by rifle pits (traversed), and others partially dug; these were at once occupied, by blue jackets, royal marines, and the baggage guard of the troops ; and the disembarkation of the camp equipage, &c, &c, commenced, and is now being continued. On reaching the settlement here, fires were found still alight in the whare*, boxes locked, furniture, cooking utensils, a bell tent, a bag of bullets, &c, giving evidence of a hurried departure. A whale-boat, a war canoe, and other canoes were also found in the neighbouring creeks. Owing to the deep mud, and the impracticability of the creek for ships' boats, except at high water, the landing of the baggage will be very tedious. I would strongly recommend two flat-bottomed boats of Aery light draught being sent here at once. The site for the post has been chosen, and the redoubt will be commenced as soon as the " materiel " is landed, and carried up the hill to the encampment. The redoubt will require a small opening work on a hill a few hundred yards to the southward, which will command it; but which being very steep, and more distant from the landing-place, would not be a suitable site for the redoubt. I purpose establishing the commissariat store immediately below the redoubt on a flat spot, round which the creek runs, and on which supplies can be landed by small boats at high tide. Being commanded by the redoubt, the commissariat stores will merely require a small guard over them. The steam ship " Corio" will return to Auckland to-night for the baggage horses. In the meantime I nm-oose reconnoitring the country towards Paparata, and fixing the site of a post, if necessary, midway. I take this opportunity of bringing to the notice of the commander of the forces the very efficient manner in which the disembarkation of the troops and horses was effected by the Royal Navy, under Captains Jenkins and Hamilton, without loss or accident, and beg to testify to their extreme kindness and attention to the wants of the officers and men during the week of our detention off V\ .iheki island, on board the "Miranda" and " Esk." I have, &c. George Caret, The Deputy Quartermaster General, Colonel Commanding Thames Eorce. &c. &c. &c. LT.-COL. CARET TO THE DEPI'TT QEARTER-MASTER-GENERAL, HEAD QUARTERS. Camp, near Paparata, Sir,— December 5, 1863. I have the honor to report, for the information of the Lieut.-General commanding, that the remainder of the force under my command (after establishing posts at Pukorokoro, "Miranda" Redoubt, and at Maiapu, " Esk " Redoubt) reached this yesterday evening, and encamped within a few hundred yards of the Paparata Stockade. A po'-tion of tne force marched to the latter place this afternoon (having been prevented from doing so by heavy rain in the morning), cut down the stockade, and set fire to the whares, which were capable of holding some 700 natives. The enemy must have evacuated the place some time since. The position is not one suited for a redoubt, being commanded by a hill in rear, with a deep wooded gully intervening; it is likewise out of the direct line of communication from the other Thames posts to the Waikato rosts, and not visible from the " Esk " Redoubt. I have therefore decided on building a redoubt on this hill, which commands a fine view of the country as fir as "Waikari Lake, including the Queen's Redoubt and adjacent posts on the west, and "Esk" Redoubt, and a portion of the Thames firth on the east, thus a system of telegraph by signal may be at once established between the Thames and the "Waikato. Subiect to the approval of the commander of the forces, I have named this redoubt " Surrey," havinsr the head quarters of the 70th Regiment encamped here. As Captain Greaves, Deputy-Assistant-Quartermaster-General, is sending you a report of the nature, of the defences of the late Paparata stockade, it is needless for me to do so. The rifle pi _ I purpose having filled in on Monday next. I forward fo the Deputy-Adjutant General a state showing the present distribution of the force under my command.

11

THE NATIVE INSURRECTION".