A.—No. Ba.

70

PAPERS RELATIVE TO MILITARY OPERATIONS

I have not time to write another report for the Officer Commanding; will you therefore be kind enough, to let him have a copy of this. I have, &c, Gilbert Mair, Lieut., H. T. Clarke, Esq., Civil Commissioner, Tauranga. Commanding N.C Enclosure 2 in No. 234. Statement made by Te Huare. Tc Arapiripiri Rotorua, 31st Januaiy, 1870. I w rAS sent to Tapapa about the end of Januaiy, to get a horse belonging to my uncle, Te Retimana. I had not been there long when Te Kooti came from Taupo by Tc Whakamaru; I was taken prisoner. He had about 200 men with him; the names of the chiefs I remember seeing with him were Kohi, Paerau, Baku Baku, Te Makarini, Matuahu, Ilangiaho, and Kawana Kercru. Hakaraia, Kereopa, and Tc Hira te Tuiri were the cause of his coming to Patetere. Maihi tc Uata and Wikitone led him down from Taupo. A. short time after Te Kooti had been there he said, "He whakaringa paitenei naku kia koutou." " This day, at 2 o'clock, you will receive fifty packets of caps and some ammunition, but you will have to ' hikoi' (march) a long way." Forty of us went with him on horseback past Peria in the direction of Matamata, where we met Hohaia (Mr. Firth) and another European. Te Kooti had a long talk with Hohaia, who was so frightened that he made him a present of fifty caps, some Enfield ammunition, and a revolver. Tc Kooti then let him go, for his knees were shaking together through fear. Tc Kooti had two or three men with him at this meeting, and they told us about it. Hohaia sent Tc Kooti a lot of rum. On another occasion I went with Tc Kooti and forty men to Okaura, Ohineroa, and Ohinemuri, he told us we were going to get ammunition. When wc got to Ohinemuri, the people welcomed us by ringing a bell and by calling to us. Te Hira then gave Te Kooti seven kegs of powder and one bag of bullets, about as much as a man could carry. Wc started back in a great hurry, Te Kooti would not let us stay for anything. We rode all night, and got to Tapapa at daylight. I carried Te Kooti's flag when the attack was made upon the .Europeans at Tapapa. The Ngatiporou caught the Ngatihau boy digging potatoes, and killed him. Kereopa, Ilocra, Maihi tc Ngaru, and Tc Tauaro were the leaders. There were 150 men in the attack. They lost four men killed aud had a good many wounded, so I was told afterwards. While they were retreating I ran away, bringing my gun with mc. I was two clays in the woods, and got to Puhirua. I would not have joined Tc Kooti if 1 could have helped it. Te Kooti's men retreated to Te Kakaho. He said he was determined to go to d^auranga because Ngaiterangi had asked him to do so. He has had a good deal of powder, &c, from Ohinemuri. Connor aud the Irish give it to him. He keeps very much in his own tent and none of the people go close to him, except when he gets drunk as he often docs —then he talks a great deal and takes hold of his people by their arms and walks about. His hand is not quite well yet, two fingers were broken. He has five wives. A half-caste called Hcni is the favourite. No one ever dares to contradict him except old Hakaraia, who generally has his own way; for when Te Kooti talks about his atua, Hakaraia sneers and says that it is an atua which kills men, and he docs not believe in it. Kereopa is very much afraid of him, and Te Kooti has threatened to kill him. He killed a man of Ngatiraukawa called Wirihana for witchcraft; I saw him being buried. Ngaharane of Ngatimanawa is his favourite, and always goes with him to carry his telescope. Te Kooti has sixty Chatham Islanders; hois very careful of them, and does not let them go to fight if he can help it. He said on one occasion that he could always get through by Rotorua to the Urewera country^. He goes to fight in different clothes every time, but generally in the kainga he wears a red shirt, black trousers, and a kiwi mat on his shoulders. Gilbert Mair.

No. 235. The Hon. the Defence Minister to Mr. Commissioner Clarke. (No. 22.) General Government Offices, Sir,— Auckland, 18th February, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, enclosing Lieutenant Gilbert Mair's report of the fight which took place near Ohincmutu between a small party of the Arawa and Te Kooti's forces. The activity and zeal displayed by Lieutenant Mair, in following up and inflicting such heavy loss on the enemy, are deserving of the highest praise, and I am very much gratified with the gallant conduct of himself and the Natives who co-operated with him. Lieutenant Mair's name will be brought under the notice of His Excellency for promotion to the rank of Captain in the New Zealand Militia, from the 7th instant, the date of the engagement with Te Kooti and his band. I have, &c, H. T. Clarke, Esq., Civil Commissioner, Tauranga. Donald McLean.