A.—No. 13.

PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE

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Titokowaru and his people had composed a song (haka) in mockery of the Maori King, which they sang ; and that on the second occasion they cursed the Maori King, and threatened to kill More and cook him. That ho (More) told them that they had boasted of having eaten the heart of the European, and threatened to do the same with the Maoris. That in the latter case they had better commence with him. More stated openly and unreservedly before all present, that Titokowaru must be killed, and would be, explaining' that in his view of the matter, it was not difficult to do it, as he had only sixty fighting men to support him, when he was there, and ten others from the Ngatimaru District went to join him after More and his party arrived at Waitara, against the wishes of a majority of the Ngatimaru Tribe; the ten Ngatimarus went with a man named Te Amu, who had a relative wounded in the attack upon Turu-Turu-Mokai, and afterwards died of his wound at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu. This Native had gone to the latter place before the first murders at Ketemarae, with a very few others, men and women, to be tattooed, and became implicated in Titokowaru's proceedings. Previous to More's arrival at Urenui, I had received intelligence from Te Ngahere, Ahitana's place, and also from Hapurona's district, relative to More's arrival at those places, and of his having exhibited the King's flag there, stating that he was taking it to Tokangamutu; and as he, during his statement, did not mention anything about the flag, I asked him what his motive was for taking the flag (haki) to Tokangamutu —whether he was going for reinforcements for Titokowaru, or what it meant? More, in reply, asked me how I became aware, and who informed me, that he was taking away the flag (haki)? I declined to tell him how I got the information, when ho went on to say that as I had described so correctly what took place at Te Ngahere, that he was quite convinced that some one had been in to me, and that it proved to him that there were some among those whom he supposed to be with him, who would betray him if they could. That his work was for good, and he therefore was not afraid of anything they could do. That Jesus Christ when upon earth was betrayed by one of his followers. That if there were onlj- 1,000, 500, 50, or only 12, he should continue his labours for peace. Ho complained of the Ngatiruanui and Taranaki Natives having left them, and said that there were only two Natives in favour of the King from Hangatahua to Waitotara, and they were Te Whiti and Tohu of Warea. That on that account, together with Titokowaru's proceedings, he had brought the King's flag away from those districts, and not for the purpose of enlisting reinforcements for Titokowaru. An amusing incident occurred as More was relating his very peaceful narrative. There was a slight shock of earthquake, when it was suggested that God might have shaken the earth in token of his displeasure of what More was saying, and as a sign of the untruthfulness of his representations. This was done in good humour, aud More replied that God had shaken tho earth as a token of the sincerity of his statements. He further stated that he should return to the district about December next, when he should go along the coast road, in token of his friendship to all Natives and Europeans. An Onaero chief, named Epiha Poiha te Karu, who was with the rebels during the war, spoke to that part of More's statement in reference to the question of prospecting for gold, leasing of land, opening roads, &c, &c, which were said to be prohibited by the King. He told More that he and the Natives of that district had decided to prospect for gold, to lease land, and to make roads. That they had lost land enough already by going to war, and did not want to lose any more. He then put this question to More, " Will you and the King lift the sword against us for doing this ? " More replied, " No ; the sword has been put in its sheath and laid down, and will not be raised again unless the Governor does it." Epiha Poiha te Karu is a chief of good rank, of the Ngatimutunga Tribe, a section of the Ngatiawa Tribe, and was in favour of the King movement, and in rebellion until about eighteen months ago. This interview with More —which was quite public, and without the slightest reserve on his part — has, I am happy to say, allayed a great deal of the uneasy feeling prevalent in this district, consequent upon the late outrages in the Ngatiruanui District, and is, I consider, additional testimony in support of the opinion I have so often expressed in my reports to the Government, that the Tokangamutu Natives are peacefully disposed. I wish, however, in representing the disposition of the Tokangamutu party as peacefully inclined, to guard myself against leading His Excellency's Government to suppose that they have shown any disposition to tender their submission to the authority of the Government, or to relinquish tho Maori King movement, which pitiable delusion is daily becoming more and more circumscribed, and will, I have no doubt, with the exercise of patience and judicious management, in the natural course of things, have but a very short existence, should the Government be successful in disposing of the new complications which have arisen before a reunion of the late disaffected tribes is effected. I explained to More that so long as the Tokangamutu chiefs refused to hold any communication with the Government, nothing could ever be satisfactorily settled. That if they would only meet the Governor and talk matters over, that a satisfactory understanding might be arrived at, which would leave them in a much better position than their present course ever could, for they must see that they were being reduced in numbers and influence, and that no good could result from the course they were now pursuing. I have, &c, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. R. Paeeis, Civil Commissioner.

No. 16. Copy of a Letter from Mr. R. Paeeis to the Hon. the Native Ministee. No. 260.) Sic,— New Plymouth, 14th September, 1868. I have the honor to report, for the information of His Excellency's Government, the particulars which I have received from overland of the casualties of the rebels at Te Ngutu-o-te-Mauu, on the lamentable occasion of an attack by the Colonial forces on Monday, the 7th instant, on that place.