AGAINST THE REBEL NATIVES.

A—No. Bb,

11

No. 27. Sub-Inspector Gascoigne to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sic— Tauranga, 13th March, 1870. I have the honor to forward the enclosed letters received from Captain Walker, Commanding at Opotiki, for your information. I have, &c, J. W. Gascoigne, Sub-Inspector, In charge of Armed Constabulary, Tauranga. The Hon. the Defence Minister, Auckland.

Enclosure 1 in No. 27. Captain Walker to Lieut.-Colonel Feasee. Sic— Opotiki, 7th March, 1870. I have the honor to report that I have just received information to the effect that a party of the Urewera have made their appearance at Opepe. They fell in with some of the Whakatohea, whom they asked to join them, and on their refusing were made prisoners. The Whakatohea have abandoned their settlements, some taking to the bush, and the remainder have gone by sea to Torere and Te Kaha. The object of the Hauhaus is evidently to try and get the friendlies to join them. I have sent to Ohiwa for 100 of the Whanganui Natives in order to intercept the party on their return, and in the meantime I proceed with a small mounted party to ascertain the track they have taken. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, G. P. Walkee, Captain, Commanding Bay of Plenty District. Commanding Opotiki.

Enclosure 2 in No. 27. Opotiki, 7th March, 1870. This Address is to Ohiwa, as far as Whakatane, and to all the other Settlements northward. Feiends, — This is to inform you that the Hauhaus have made a descent on Opape. It was on Monday that they made the attack, and the people of that place have in consequence been obliged to fly. Some have gone to tho eastward, while others are wandering in the bush, and it is not yet known whether they will find their way here, or whether they will remain in the open bush country. This is the end of my address to you. To Topia, Ohiwa. Captain Walker.

Enclosure 3 in No. 27. Captain Walkee to Lieut.-Colonel Feaser. Sir,— Opotiki, Bth March, 1870. Acting on the information which I received (as stated in my report of yesterday's date), I proceeded to the Waihoua, where I was informed the Hauhaus were at 2 a.m. this morning, with 25 of the Arawa from Ohiwa (who arrived here last evening), and one sergeant and 17 men of the Militia on pay. The Whanganui Natives whom I had sent for, not having arrived till late at night, were unable to march through fatigue. My object in proceeding with so small a party was simply to ascertain the position of the enemy, or, if they had retired, to find out the direction they had taken, as I was apprehensive of the safety of William King's kainga at Torere, most of whose men were absent, doing duty in the field with Major Kemp, and whose pa is greatly weakened in consequence. After proceeding some distance up the Waihoua Valley, I found that the Arawa had returned and left me unsupported. We here found a Maori boy who had been hiding in the scrub, and by him I was told that both his parents had been killed by Te Kooti the night before, and that the Hauhaus were at a cultivation about two miles from where we then were, and that they were going back that morning. He also stated that Omarumutu Pa was occupied by the Hauhaus. At this time I heard some firing from the direction of the pa, and thinking that the Arawa were engaged, I returned to support them. On arriving at the beach I saw six or seven of the Arawa posted behind a sandhill about 300 yards in front of the pa, firing into it, without, however, their fire being returned, or seeing any sign of its being occupied. The rest of the Arawa were some distance from them, stationed on a point terminating the sandhills on to the beach. As the six Natives kept up their firing for a considerable time without its being returned, and no sign of life being visible in the pa, I ordered the Europeans to return to Opotiki, and stayed with the Arawa on the sandhill for nearly an hour. As there still continued to be no movement in the pa, I told the Arawa to return, some of them now having already followed the Europeans. They told me that two of their men had gone to the pa, and that they would return when they came back. I then left them, and, shortly after arriving in Opotiki, a Maori came in and reported that Hctaraka Mahi and Te Awaawa had been shot. The Arawa shortly after arrived with the bodies of the unfortunate men. It appears that they must have left the main body when proceeding up the Waihoua, and gone towards the pa, at the foot of which they were killed. The Arawa, on hearing the shots, must have returned ; but at the time of my leaving them they had no idea that such a melancholy event had happened. All accounts seem to agree that Te Kooti himself is with this body of Hauhaus, which is not