A.—No. 10.

IN NATIVE DISTRICTS.

19

Poihipi Tukairangi wrote a letter to Te Kooti, which was sent by Ihaia Te Waru, saying that the reason he did not join him was that he was waiting to get as much ammunition as he could from Government. Arapeta Hapi (a relative of Paora Hapi) also either wrote or sent to Te Kooti to the same effect. Te Kooti is in constaut communication with Taupo; he communicates through Ihaia and Maniapoto, a Native of Eunanga. Te Who started yesterday, 25th, with a letter from Te Kooti to the King party. Te Kooti says that his resting-place will be Taupo ;he also says that Taupo will join him witli the exception of Hohopa, P. Hapi, Ecweti, and their people. This is the sum of what Paui and the others told me; you will be able to form an opinion as to the truth of it, a good deal agrees with what I have heard from different sources. I think it doubtful that Poihipi has written this letter to Te Kooti. If he has, I fancy it is only to delude him, and probably it is in answer to some threat of Kooti's. If Poihipi did write the letter, it must have been before the Land Court broke up. However Peraniko (who was taken prisoner by Kooti) thinks differently, and says that Poihipi will join ; before the arrival of Paui, he (Peraniko) tried to impress upon me that Poihipi was a Hauhau at heart. With regard to Upper Taupo Natives, I think that it is quite possible that they may join for reasons which I mentioned before. Te Whe, that Paui mentions, is a brother of Ihaia, and one of the ex-herehere. I expect that the letter mentioned as having been sent to the King, will be taken on by Ihaia, or one of his brothers. This man Ihaia ought to bo stopped. I can easily do it; but what is to be done with him when he is stopped ? Of course if I find letters on him it will be very simple, but he may have given them to some one else, and it is not likely that he would put himself in my way with them on him, although I do not believe that he suspects anything at preseut. On the receipt of Paui's news, I proposed to Te Keepa and Bewi to make a night march, and arrive at Ahikereru by daylight; but although they said they would go, still they wished to halt on the road, which of course would have run us into daylight, and any advantage we might have gained by coming on them unawares would have been lost, as if the enemy was not strong enough to stand, he could get away without our having a shot at him. Of course under these circumstances it was no use our staying at Motumako, although Keepa and Eewi wanted to remain, and send for more men ; before they could have arrived, Kooti might have been at lluatahuna, Waikato, or anywhere else. Kooti sending the greater part of his force with the women and children, does not look like going to Waikato at once ; but of course one cannot believe all that Paui says. This morning I started back ; most of the men will not get further than Eerewhakaaitu ; I rode on ahead of them. I enclose a list of the men that went with me ; I told them I believed that 4s. per day was the pay during the time they were away. Of Ngatiwhakaue you will see that very few over the number that you put on pay went. On the extra list are the names of men that I found at Motumako on my arrival. These of course I had nothing to do with. The Taupos send me a letter that they could not come. I enclose letter. You will see that they make a request for guns. I think that any guns given to them ought to be under the distinct understanding that they are under my orders, and all ammunition ought to be brought to me, and I will store it, and serve it out when I think right. This is of course in the event of your giving arms and ammunition. I have not received any letter from you since I wrote on the 23rd; I shall stay here this evening and return to Taupo to-morrow if I receive no letter before. Maunsell, who brings this, I kept on pay to carry any despatches from here to Motumako, in case one arrived. I shall be glad to keep him on at Taupo, together with one or two Natives. If you think this necessary, will you inform me what pay I am authorized to offer ? I have, &c, Jno. C. St. George. Tamati and Penetito have gone to Matata from Motumako.

Enclosure 2 in No. 17. Memorandum for Mr. Civil Commissioner Clakke, Tauranga. Te Awa-o-te-Atua, Friday night, II o'clock, March 26th, 18G9. Tamati Ngatipoeotj has just come in from Motumako. He makes the following statements : —■ I was taken prisoner at Tauaroa in February last by a party of Ngatiporou from M.ataora and Whangamata, under Te Kewene and Te Munu. They were on their way to join Te Kooti, and I "was forced to go on with them. I remained with Te Kooti and his people all the time till the attack was made upon the Ngatipukeko. I was made to fight with the others. Only one of the ex-prisoners was killed. The loss was principally on the part of the Urewera, and Ngatihaka natives from Te AVhaiti and Tauaroa. There were twelve killed in front of the pa by Hohaia's house when the first rush was made to get into the pa. Te Wirihana of Taupo was killed by the Frenchman at the mill. There was part of a case of breech-loader ammunition, one cask of smooth-bore musket, and some loose powder, found buried under the floor of the Frenchman's house; had it not been for this supply, Te Kooti could not have kept up the attack upon the Ngatipukeko pa for more than a day. He expected to get a great deal of powder from them, after he made truce with them, in which case he would have gone right on to Te Awa-o-te-Atua. After leaving Whakatane, we went by the Baungaehe road through the ranges, and then struck the Eangitaiki Eiver at a place called Otipa. Here Te Kooti sent a party down to Paharakeke and brought away the natives from that place (about forty in number). We then went on towards the Whaiti. When we got to Horomanga, Mohi sent for us to go on to Tauaroa, where we remained till the pa was attacked in the night by the Arawas. Te Tohea was killed by Te Kooti's orders, by