E.—No. 1.

sent to the Kawau, I called together you chiefs, and told you thaft unless you faithfully promised, and gave your word of honor that you would not leave Te Kawau without the sanction of Government, I would refuse to go with you; yon answered, ' Yes, we faithfully promise it'; and again, on the Ist August, when instructions were received, (at 4 p.m.) that the hulk was to be towed down at daylight next morning, I assembled all you natives on the lower deck, and for a second time put the question to you. You one and all answered, ' Yes, we faithfully promise, on our word of honor, not to leave Te Kawau without the sanction of Government.' " Tapihana answered, " What you say is correct; we all pledged our word not to leave Te Kawau without the sanction of Government; but fear was the only cause of our breaking our word. "We have acted very unjustly towards the Governor for his great kindness to us all. Mr. Fox, Mr. Whitaker. the Government, have been very kind in providing for us clothing, provisions, and utensils; and great is our unkindness to you also, who have been a father to us, and attended to all our wants, in sickness as well as on all other occasions ; but fear, and fear alone, was the cause of our running away." In connection with the above, I further have the honor to state, that owing to being ordered ay, ;.; from Auckland very suddenly, and as it were at a moment's notice, I was so busily engaged, (order for departure came on board at 4.30 p.m.) having to make arrangements for receiving prisoners, clothing, utensils, Ac., unloading cargo boats during the major part of the night, had to go on shore and report the sudden death of Wiremu, and remove the corpse to the dead house, and see the Coroner about an inquest, unmooring ship and getting up two anchors in the morning, and landing the German guard, that it quite escaped me to obtain a written promise from the natives. I have, &c., The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, T. A. White, Auckland. Superintendent Te Kawau.

Appendix G. REPORTS of Mr. White and Mr. Seahancke, of events subsequent to the escape of the Prisoners from Kawau. Sib,— Te Kawau, Sept. 16th, 1861. I have the honor to forward the following Report for the information of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, in connection with my visit to the prisoners just escaped from Te Kawau. ■ On Sunday night, the lltli instant, having received information from Mr. J. E. "White that all the Maori prisoners had made their escape to the main land, I immediately called upon His Excellency to inform him of the same ; he at once decided that I should go with him on the following morning, at 11 a.m., to Te Kawau. He also' directed me to call upon the Hon. F. Whitaker. and acquaint him with what bad taken place; he (the Hon. P. Whitaker) at once concurred in His Excellency's decision. On the following day, at 11 a.m., we left in H.M.S. " Miranda," for Te Kawau. When we had got ;:, little past Whangaparoa, we «iw H.M.S. "Falcon," lying at anchor in the Mahurrngi harbour; Capt. Parkins, E.N., sent off a boat to tell us that the natives had crossed over to Waikauri on the night of the 10th ; also that he had been down to Omaha Bay, and into the Whangateao river, but had failed to find any traces of the escaped prisoners ; he then returned to the Mangatawhiri creek, where he found two of our boats ; two others were also found by him on the rocks near Patuone's place, which fast Iwo lie towed to Te Ngaore and hauled up there. After receiving this information, the " Miranda" steamed for Mangatawhiri creek, where we anchored. His Excellency, Capt. Jenkins, R.N.,and myself, landed, and there found the two boats before mentioned ; and seeing a fire about a mile or so away, I at once went to it with Tc Oriori, and there found an European; he informed us that a number of natives had passed that way on Sunday morning, also that two natives from Waikauri who had come that way on the 12th instant, told him that the Chief Tauwhitu had gone with the prisoners. Having on my return informed His Excellency, he directed me to go on for Patuone in H.M.S. " Falcon," and meet him at Te Kawau, where we arrived at 8 p.m. We w rere informed by Patuone that a native from Waikauri told him that Tauwhitu had been suspected by Te Kiri and others of having assisted the prisoners to escape, in consequence of which they quarrelled; and that Tauwhitu had run away ; Pa,tuone also said that i the prisoners had passed Mangatawhiri, crossed over the Whangateao, and gone up into the ranges, and that they were probably then on their way to Kaipara. Upon hearing this, His Excellency decided that I should start early the next morning in pursuit of the prisoners. At 11.30 a.m. on the following morning, L left Te Kawau in company with Mr. Martin, Te Oriori, and two other Natives, on board of H.M.S. " Falcon," for Te Jfgaere, where 1 landed at 1 a.m.: and having engaged a guide proceeded at once into the interior towards Mangateao; after travelling for three hours on foot, we came to Mr. Matthew's house, who (Mr. Matthew) informed us that his brother had on Sunday, the 11th instant, at 11 a.m., seen about 200 natives going to the summit of the hill near their house. We then left Mr. Matthew's cud proceeded further, and found at the foot of the hill two paths, with recent footsteps of a gteat body of men; and a little beyond this again we came upon a place where the natives had evidently halted and had tires. Taking the above circumstances into consideration, and having made other examinations and observations, we conjectured that the prisoners were not far off, and very likely on the top of the hill. We now determined, it being late, 3.30 p.m., to shelter for the night, and accordingly made for Mr. Meicklujohn's house, where we were accommodated. We were here informed that natives, about 200 in number, had passed close by this place, and had encamped on the mountain. We were further told that on Monday, the 12th instant, about SO of them came down to him to purchase tobacco, and he (Mr. Meicklejohn) had been informed by two of his sawyers, that the natives, by the route they were taking, were making their way towards Kaipara. He (Mr. Meicklejohn) stated that he had observed that nearly every one had a spade, a, hatchet, and a bundle of clothiug, and the whole mustered from nine to twelve double-barrelled fowling pieces. (He (Mr. Meicklejohn) was told by the natives that they were on their way for the purpose of crying over a Chief who l:vA died at Kaipara ; but that he (Mr. Meieklejohn) knew that they were the runaway - from To Kawau. Early on the following morning, the 14th instant, after an hour and a-half

56

MEMORANDA AND REPORTS