A.—No. 20.

26

PAPERS RELATIVE TO

attack, but simply to protect the surveyors, that so long as the Natives remained quiet they would not be interfered with. Rawiri Tata, their principal man, directly went himself towards the Thames, and sent other messengers in other directions, it is said to collect a force to attack the military, but up to this evening everything was quiet. No interruption had been offered to the surveyors, and the work is nearly completed. The reports that have been brought in as to the support likely to be afforded to the Pirirakau have been very greatly exaggerated. The only Natives who have yet responded to the call are the Ngatiporou and Taranaki party, referred to by me in my letter on the 25th ultimo (D. 267), headed by Popata and Kewene, a Taranaki. This party passed through some of the Native settlements to-day, armed, and are supposed to have reached their destination this evening. The Ngaiterangi chiefs have warmly supported Mr. Mackay throughout the whole of this affair. As long as these Pirirakau Natives (who number only thirty men) are allowed to defy the Government, so long will this district be in an unsettled state. Mr. Mackay will himself forward a full report of these proceedings. I have, &c, Henet T. Claeke, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Chief Commissioner.

No. 38. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Eolleston to William Thompson, Tarapipipi. [teanslation.] My friend William Thompson,— Wellington, 30th October, 1866. The Government have seen your letter to the Governor of the 11th of October, on the subject of the survey at Te Puna, and they wish you to be assured that they will not put any new condition upon the word of the Governor which he spoke to the Ngaiterangi in 1864. The Governor's promise at that time will be faithfully kept, only let no hasty conclusion be come to on the part of the Maoris. They should understand that to survey land does not mean with the Europeans to seize it. Let this be quite clear. Let the Maoris wait quietly till the Governor comes, and if any mistake has been made in surveying the land it will then be rectified. The Government are grieved to hear that you are still suffering from your complaint, and hope you will shortly be better. From your friend. W. RoLLESTON.

No. 39. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Claeke to the Hon. J. C. Richmond. (D. 277.) Civil Commissioner's Office, Sic, — Tauranga, 12th November, 1866. I have the honor to transmit for your information the enclosed letters (with translations) from the Taupo chiefs, relative to the reported movements of a party of Hauhaus under Kereopa and Eewi. I, immediately on the receipt of these letters forwarded translations to the General Government Agent at Auckland, and translations will be sent to Mr. Cooper by to-morrow's mail. I also communicated with the commanding Officer at Opotiki, warning; him to be on the alert. Before my letters could have reached Opotiki, I received a note from Mr. J. A. Wilson, the special commissioner for the settlement of compensation claims at Opotiki, remarkably corroborative of the rumours in circulation at Taupo. Mr. Mair has arrived this evening from the Whakatanc District, and he informs me that the Hauhaus in the interior seem to hint that an attack upon Tauranga is intended. All these conflicting rumours may bo put in circulation designedly to conceal the real intention. Several Taupo chiefs have arrived here for the purpose of obtaining ammunition, and to ask for a military force to be stationed at Taupo. They are evidently in some alarm. I hope to be able to give the Arawa a supply of ammunition to-morrow. The Taupo chiefs state that Te Hcuheu, Hare, and a party of lately surrendered Natives had gone to Whanganui to escort His Excellency to Taupo. It appears the whole party is made up of lately surrendered rebels. I have, &c, Henet T. Claeke, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Civil Commissioner.

Enclosure 1 in No. 39. Copy of a Letter from Hohepa Tamamutu and others to Messrs. Clabke and Nesbitt. [translation.] To Messrs. Claeke and Nesbitt, — Oruanui, 26th October, 1866. Friends, salutations to you both. This is a letter of warning to you, to the Pakeha side. The army of the Hauhau, that*is, the whole of the Waikatos throughout all the boundaries, is on its way to Heretanga. This is a word of ours to you, to our Pakeha friends, to let us have some soldiers to fight the Hauhaus. Great is the darkness of the heart on account of the obstinate determination of the Hauhaus to fight. Perhaps we shall now be straitened (brought to trouble) by this army now coming hither. The chiefs of that army are Eewi and Kereopa. For this reason we ask for soldiers. Let there be