A.—No. 15e.

No. 41. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to Captain Holt. (No. ;1.) Resident Magistrate's Office, Sin,— Chatham Islands, 29th January, 18G8. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, of the number and date as per margin, with reference to the employment of Native prisoners by settlers at the Chatham Islands, in answer to my letter No. 58, of the 28th November last. On this subject, and on other matters in connection with the guard and prisoners, I have had ample conference with, and received full instructions from, Mr. Under Secretary Rolleston, and the only point I would state, and call respectfully the attention of the Hon. Defence Minister to is, that the employment of the prisoners by the settlers is an indulgence sought by the former with my full acquiescence ; but on no occasion have I permitted this indulgence to interfere with the work of the prisoners providing themselves with food, which I consider of the first importance. A. more than sufficient supply of potatoes has been planted by them, and I have informed them that the crop is their own for consumption or sale. I regret that so small a supply of seed-wheat has been forwarded, viz., twenty bushels ; and I beg to recommend, with the approval of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that a supply of fifty bushels of seed-wheat, free from thistle seed, should be forwarded by the next trip of the steamer for next season's cultivation. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Defence, W. E. Thomas, Wellington. Resident Magistrate.

No. 319, Deo. 23, 1867.

No. 42. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to Captain Holt. (No. 5.) Resident Magistrate's Court, Sic,— Chatham Islands, 29th January, LBGS. In compliance with the instructions received in your letter, of the number and date as per margin, I have the honor to report, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that the privates of the military guard, names as per margin, * will this day embark on board the " St. Kilda" for Wellington, under charge of Captain Tuke, who has received instructions duly to report his and their arrival. The two other privates, names as per margin, f have been discharged since the date of my letter No. Gl, 3rd December, 1867, from the guard, for bad conduct. I beg to enclose their copy defaulters' sheets, and likewise those of John Brennan, previously reported as discharged, and other privates, names as per margin, X who I have felt it my duty to discharge for bad conduct. The copies of the defaulter sheets of those now proceeding are also enclosed; likewise the acquittance rolls of the privates, as per margin, § for the current month, not being in funds to enable me to pay them—Cullon and Green both having been, as you will perceive, discharged. In the meantime 1 have enrolled sufficient men on the island until the next opportunity of communicating again. I have much regret that I am compelled to report irregular conduct on the part of Ensign and Quartermaster Danvers, who, since the date of my last report to you, No. 61,3 rd December last, was unable to account for ten gallons and twenty-one gills of rum, which had been stopped as rations from defaulters of the guard, and formed also rations not drawn by the men. I have since compelled him to make the loss good. I therefore particularly request that, with the approval of the Hon. the Defence Minister, this officer may be recalled, and Captain Tuke allowed to return in his place. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Defence, W. E. Thomas, "Wellington. Resident Magistrate.

No. 17-5, Jan. 20, 1868.

No. 43. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to Captain Holt. (No. 10.) Eesidcnt Magistrate's Office, Sib, — Chatham Islands, 17th February, ISGB. Adverting to my letter of the 29th January last, No. G, I now beg to forward herewith enclosed estimates for pay and contingencies in connection with the guard and prisoners for four months, ending 30th April next, and for provisions and stores for Juno quarter, 1868. Owing to the severest storm that has occurred since I have been resident at these islands having visited these latitudes on the 3rd January last, I am fearful that the crop of prisoners' wheat may not turn out so well as it would have done, and when it comes to be harvested perhaps yield less than the quantity estimated —7,000 lbs. The prisoners are evincing a desire for establishing a school amongst themselves, in fact they have already started two evening classes for writing, and I would suggest that some slates and pencils, as per requisition, may be forwarded for their use, as they are not procurable here ; and likewise any spelling or elementary English and Maori books that might be obtainable ; also some cheap scribbling paper. I beg to enclose, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister, a certified copy of proceedings of the Board of Inquiry, held as referred to in my letter above quoted, on articles short landed from the " St. Kilda." * John Burke, John Teague, Walter Christie, William O'Brien. f Anthony Green, James Hennessey. J William Beresford, Patrick Cullen, Denis Murphy, Albert Hummer, Thomas Collins. § Privates Burke, Christie, Cullen, Green, O'Brien, Teague, Collins.

22

PAPERS RELATIVE TO PRISONERS AND