WI TAKO AND OTHERS.

5

E.—No. 7.

Mr. Booth. 18th July, 1870.

and other property stolen from the Europeans, and I will not give them up." Stamping on the ground he said, " The evil is with you ; the land is the cause. When you and the European settlers retire to the left bank of the Waitotara River, then we will talk of giving back the stolen property.'" I then issued a warrant for the arrest of Toi, Hauwhenua, and other Natives of the Ngaruahine hapu, for stealing horses. This warrant was placed in the hands of the Inspector of Police, Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, for execution. He went with an armed party, and returned without the offenders and without the stolen property. I then induced a friendly Native named Natanahira, chief of the Tangahoe hapu, to go to Ngutu-o-te-Manu, and he brought back two mares and a foal, being a portion of the plundered property. One of these mares was a blood racing mare, and was the property of Edward McDonnell, brother of Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell. A complaint had been made to me by a settler named Smith, that his house had been broken into, and that his horses had been stolen, and information was given that Ihaka, of the Ngaruahine hapu, was the offender. I then went to Ngutu-o-te-Manu with Major Hunter, Captain Cumming, and eighteen armed mounted men, myself being unarmed. We left our horses in a clearing in the bush, and proceeded to the village with six armed men. There were in the village 100 armed Natives, the women and children having been sent away. Ihaka and two other Natives were arrested, and two stolen, horses belonging to European settlers of Waihi were recovered. The Natives had run into the bush which surrounds the village, but I induced about thirty of them to come back, and I then explained to them that I should take away the prisoners and the horses. No resistance was made, except by one man named Kokiri, who was arrested by Captain Gumming, but as he had formerly given up a horse he had stolen to Natanahira, as detailed above, he was at once released. On my return to Waihi, I released the other two Natives, but I remanded for additional evidence the case of Ihaka, who was placed tinder the charge of the Inspector. He subsequently escaped from the custody of the police. To prove to the Committee that I am not open to the charge of having incited Titokowaru to make war, I beg to state that, in the end of May, 1868, Pepe and other Natives of the Ngaruahine hapu, residing at the village of Araukuku, about four miles from Ketemarae, and I should think about six miles inland from Ngutu-o-te-Manu, brought in to me a sack full of stolen property, consisting of blankets, wearing apparel, farming implements, saws, wedges, &c, belonging to a settler named Cahill, and they stated that they had been induced to steal these things by Titokowarn, —that they saw that evil would arise, and therefore they had brought the stolen property back. I told them that they had done right in bringing back the stolen property. Subsequently, Pepe and his people, on the Bth June, invited me to visit them at their village the next morning. I promised that I would do so, and on the following morning, viz., the 9th June, I and Ross, both unarmed, started on horseback from Waihi at daybreak for Araukuku. We had not got more than four or five hundred yards into the bush, north from Ketemarae, when two men, armed, belonging to the village of Araukuku, met us, and told us they had been sent by their chief to turn me back, for that the Natives were assembling, and that they would meet me at the Ketemarae clearing. I answered, " I have been invited to Araukuku, and I shall proceed." I and Captain Ross proceeded on our way at a foot's pace, and these two armed men, who were on foot, followed us. Afterwards we met at different times, and at different places on the road, ten more armed men. These all tried to dissuade us from proceeding, and failing in this, they all turned round and followed us, just as the first two men had done. On reaching Araukuku I saw signs of treachery. There were no women or children present, and no fires had been lighted. Captain Ross and I stood close to one another. I made a friendly speech to Pepe, who had invited me, and we returned to Waihi. At Waihi I found Tukino, of the Tangahoe hapu, who lives in Matangarara. He told me that Titokowaru had decided that I must be cut in two [disposed of], and he warned me against going into the bush, or into any Hauhau village. I cautioned Major Hunter to the same effect. Having partaken of breakfast, I started for Patea. In less than an hour after my departure from Waihi, Cahil, Squires, and Clarke were killed by the Natives close to the Ketemarae clearing. My proceedings subsequently to the 9th June will be found in my official letters of the 10th and 11th June, 1868, published in the Appendix to the Journals, 1868. 6. Mr. Kelly. ,] Was no property of the Natives looted by the settlers or any other Europeans between January, 1867, and April, 1868 ?-—I cannot speak positively to a negative. Before January, 1867, war had prevailed. The country was beginning to settle clown. I know of no case of looting. In two or three cases Natives complained to me of the conduct of Europeans. I listened to the complaints, and afforded redress. One complaint was made by Wharerata, who belongs to the Ngaruahine hapu—that is Titokowaru's tribe. The case broke down. I remember one case in which the Chief Tauroa, of the Pakakohi hapu, and who is now a prisoner in the Otago Gaol, complained to me that a settler had shot one of his cows. I gave judgment in favour of Tauroa, and my judgment was executed. There were complaints on the part of the Natives that the settlers shot their wild cattle for food. But no individual case was instituted. The Minister for Native Affairs, Mr. Richmond, on my representation, issued a proclamation forbidding the practice.