IN NATIVE DISTRICTS.

37

A.—No. 10.

No. 32. Copy of a Letter from Mr. J. Booth to the Hon. J. C. Richmond. Sib,— Carlyle, 14th March, 1869. I have the honor to report, that on the evening of the 12th instant I accompanied Colonel Whitmore, with the force under his command, on an expedition against Titokowaru. At daylight yesterday morning we came upon his position in the bush on the left bank of the Patea River, near to a place called Otautu. After some hours' hard fighting the enemy retreated, leaving the whole of his Baggage, tents, &c, in our hands. Seven or eight Hauhaus are known to have been killed. We did not get any of the bodies. Several of them also must have been wounded, as we saw a good deal of blood in different places. After the village had been taken, Kemp in command of his own men, the Arawa, and Kupapas, started off in pursuit; they killed one man, who had just crossed the river, and brought two women prisoners. Colonel Whitmore and myself examined the prisoners. We learnt that Titokowaru was himself in the fight, and that he escaped by swimming across the river; we also learnt that Taurua, Wharematangi, and Te One Kura are with Titokowaru, but that they are very dissatified with him, and intend to leave him. The Ngarauru, with the exception of Tapa, and perhaps one or two others, have deserted Titokowaru, and have gone up the Waitotara River; at the same time, also, Tito te Hanataua, with ten men, deserted him, and went home, as well as the Ngatimaru, ten in number, from the Upper Waitara. Titokowaru has had no communication whatever with the Ngatimaniapoto or with Te Kooti; it is also satisfactory to know that he has not been in communication with any of the Wanganui Natives, as they do not know what has become of the two prisoners who are in Wanganui. This is by far the greatest success we have yet had against Titokowaru, and the effect will be that his men, with the exception of his own personal hapu (Ngaruahine), will desert him. The retreat from Taurangaika was evidently looked upon as a defeat by some of his followers, who at once left him. I think, also, they are getting very short of ammunition, as we found several very small packages in different whares, carefully tied up, each package not holding more than about an egg-cup full. It is also evident that they are not receiving supplies, or they would have heard news of some kind. One of the women, a sister or cousin of Taurua, speaks very bitterly against Titokowaru, who, she says, had deceived them by false promises. The people are now disheartened, and lam in great hopes that in a week or two Titokowaru's power will be completely broken. I have just learnt from Patohe (Hone Pihama's brother) that Tito has gone to Te Ngaere, and he thinks it is very probable that Titokowaru will also go there on account of his provisions. Kemp and his Natives are in high spirits and eager to go on • the Wanganuis and Arawas are now out scouting. I have, &c, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. James Booth, R.M.

No. 33. Copy of a Letter from Mr. J. Booth to the Hon. J. C. Richmond. (No. 16-2.) Sib,— Patea, 19th March, 1869. I have the honor to report that in consequence of information relative to the position of the Hauhaus, received from Major Kemp, I left this place in company with Colonel Whitmore and Captain Swindley, A.D.C., yesterday, at 1 a.m., to go to Whakamara. We went by way of Manutahi and Taumaha, and overtook the rear of Lieut.-Colonel Lyon's column near Whakamara at daylight. On reaching the head of the column we could plainly hear the Hauhaus talking, and also there was great crying in the camp. Our Natives, who had lain in the neighbourhood all night, reported that during the previous evening the enemy had scouted the road for a considerable distance towards Mokoia, and that the women had been for potatoes, and had returned before nightfall; that about midnight food ■was cooked, and at about 1 a.m. they began to talk, and that one man (Tamati Popo), recognized by his voice, was heard haranguing the fighting men of the tribes, blaming them for not taking his (Tamati's) advice at Otautu, and retreating sooner than they did; that because they had resisted so long they had lost many men, but that they themselves were to blame for their losses. Titokowaru then spoke, advising his people to use very great precautions, not to forget that this was the day of the white man and of the Maori, and that they were to place the women and children in front, and the men were to bring up the rear. There seemed to be a good deal of dissension in the Hauhau camp. They expressed their strong disapprobation at the desertion of the Ngarauru, and said what a pity it was they had not split their heads before allowing them to go. Towards daylight the women began to cry, and were crying when we got up to the column. Horopapera, one of Kemp's men, acted as guide. He, with Kemp and a party of men, made a long detour through the bush to get to the rear of a fortified pa which he knew to be there, and which it was supposed they were occupying (they were encamped close to the edge of the bush, just beyond the pa). This movement delayed the column for some time; and whilst we were waiting for Kemp to open lire, we were unfortunately seen by a mounted scout, who at once gave the alarm, and the Hauhaus got away into the bush. They are evidently in a state of alarm, as, with the exception of the scout, who fired three shots from a revolver to give the alarm, there was not a single shot fired at us. It is satisfactory to know that we can follow them right into the bush, and make them run before us in their own country. Ido not suppose they have more than from 100 to 200 rounds of ammunition; and now that Kemp, with 300 men composed of Wanganuis, Arawas, and GO European volunteers, is on their track, and the whole of the rest of the force is moving on in the open country, so as to be able to intercept them whenever there is a chance of doing so, I do not see how they are to escape from us, hampered as they also are with women, children, and wounded. The men are in the very best of spirits. The Wanganuis and Arawas are behaving splendidly. I have, &c, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. James Booth, E.M. 10