E.—No. 3 .

NUMERICAL ABSTRACT.

No. 46". REPORT BT HIS 110XOK THE SUPEBrNTEWDENX OF WELLINGTON, 01" THE BATTLE Oi' IIOVTOA, AXD SL BSEQI"E>"T EVENTS ON" THE IV.VXOAM'I BIVEK. Immediately ou receiving intelligence on the Hth of May of an intended attack by the rebel natives upon the settlement of Wanganui, I made arrangements for taking up with me in one of the N.Z.S.N. Company's steamers some 25 men of the Colonial Defence Eorcc, for the purpose of strengthening the troops stationed in the upper part of Rangitikei, which, exposed as it is to attack from the Taupo and Waikato natives, is perhaps the most vulnerable point in this Province. Owing to delay in the arrival of the steamer in this port, we did not sail till the evening of the 14th. On arriving at "Wanganui the following afternoon, I found the whole population, European and Maori, in a state of great excitement in consequence of news having arrived early that morning that an engagement had taken place some sixty miles up the river between the rebels (composed chiefly of the adherents of the new religious sect—or fanatics as they are appropriately termed) and the friendly natives, in which the latter had gained a most signal victory. As to the details of the battle the most contradictory statements were afloat. The settlers were enthusiastic in their praises of their native allies ; and the Maoris, elated beyond measure with the success their friends and relations up the river had achieved, were prepared at once to clear the Wanganui Biver of all Kingites, and at the same time to march to Taranaki, sweeping all before them. Some hundred natives were prepared to reinforce their friends uj> the river. Having ascertained that our native allies were really short of ammunition and guns, and that it was more than probable that the Waikatos, Taranakis, and Ngatiruanuis, and other tribes, would at once muster in force to avenge; the defeat and death of so many of their relations and chiefs in the battle of Moutoa, I determined to furnish the friendly natives with arms, ammunition, and food, and te proceed myself up the river with the reinforcement, taking with me Dr. Fletcher to attend the wounded, and Mr. Booth as my interpreter. I failed in procuring more than seven guns. Previous to leaving, having heard that the Ngatiapas were anxious to join the Wanganui natives, and that the latter were nothing loth to accept their assistance, I requested Mr. White to write to the Ngatiapas, forbidding tliem to move from their district, and then explained to the Putiki chiefs that in the present state of relations between the Ngatiapas and Ngatiraukawas, nothing would tend so much to embroil them with the Ngatiraukawas as their seeking the aid of the Ngatiapas, it being well known that the Wanganui natives arc backing the Ngatiapas against the Ngatiraukawas in their Rangitikei land dispute. They at at once admitted that such in all probability would be the result, and pledged themselves not to allow a single Ngatiapa to accompany them up the river—a pledge they most faithfully kept. Tuesday, May 17th. —AV'e left Wanganui about 1 p.m. in a canoe manned by a crew of some fifteen men, under the guidance of Hoani Wiremu (John Williams) —the main body under Hori Kingi, Mawai,. and other Putiki chiefs, had started some two or three hours amidst the cheers of the Wanganui settlers, who had loaded the canoes with provisions of various kinds. Eew who witnessed tliat scene will forget the heartiness with which tho Maoris responded to the hip, liip, hip, hurra, hurra, hurra, of the settlers. And yet while these Maoris were going again to engage in a contest in which they had little or no concern —to risk their lives a second time almost solely in defence of the Europeans —there were still some few settlers who grudged them the arms and ammunition the Government had supplied them with, and deplored the infatuation of tho Government in trusting them, or, as they expressed it, in arming savages against their own race. It was dusk before we reached Raonkia (Laodicea) where we found Hori Kingi and his jieople engaged in a tangi which lasted nearly the whole night. We pitched our tent on the opposite bank of the river. Wednesday, the 18th.—Owing to a heavy fresh in the river, and to the necessity of having a tangi at each pa for the killed and wounded, our progress was so slow that we did not to-day make more than about twelve miles, arriving at Parakino, where we halted for the night, at 4 p.m. Ten natives belonging to the pa who had been engaged in the fight at Moutoa had just returned. Kawana Paipai (Governor Piper), one of our Putiki chiefs, after conversing with these men for a few moments, came tome in great tribulation, saying that the two chiefs Hemi Napi (a near relation of his own) and Eiwai, who had

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Killed. "WOL'XDKD. aiNCB DEAD. Corps. Officers. Rank and File. Officers. Sergeants. Rank and File. Sergeants. Privates. 43rd Foot 68th Foot 5 2 4 1 2 13 20 ■> Total ... I 8 I G 3 33 2 •I. MOTJAT, Deputy Inspector-Gei Principal Medi leral of Hospitals, ical Officer.