A—No.

42

PAPERS RELATIVE TO MILITARY OPERATIONS

carrying from 90 to 100 lbs. of biscuits. Beaching the Arai Stream, we found the tide high, and were compelled to cross the swags upon mokihi, and the men by swimming. By the time the last of the stragglers had crossed, it was dark. We therefore deemed it prudent to encamp for the night. When all were assembled, after supper, Major Bopata arose, and addressed the taua after the old Maori custom, by relating the deeds of their ancestors, and their own doings in former expeditions and fights. The men always pay great attention to his discourse, and seem to place great reliance upon him. He has great command over his men. In the course of his speech, he told them to consider well before they started on this expedition, as any man falling sick by the way must not expect assistance. He therefore advised those who did not consider themselves able to travel to return at once. Three men only availed themselves of this offer, and left in the morning. Ist March. —Marched from camping place at daylight, and following the Ngatapa track, rested for dinner at the Patutahi Stream. I then, with ten men, went on in advance to kill pigs, and await the arrival of Major Eopata at Fort Arawa. At sundown the main body arrived at that place, where we encamped for the night. Every appearance of rain. 2nd, March. —Left Fort Arawa at 5 o'clock this morning, and marched to the old camp of Te Kooti, Topai-a-torangi-tuanui. Leaving here the main body to rest during the heat of the day, they intending to come on in the evening, I again went on in advance with some men to kill pigs, expecting that Eopata and the others would shortly arrive at Eahui. Night came on, and there being no appearance of Bopata, I felt apprehensive of something wrong, and, though very dark, I returned, and found Bopata very ill, and his men attending him. 3rd March. —Eopata having quite recovered, we started at daylight. Towards noon the heat was very oppressive ; the men seemed much fatigued by the heaviness of their loads. At night we encamped at Wharekopai. The men in advance of the column saw footprints just at the edge of the bush. Some of them were at once on the track, and discovered a raupo whare, with five spades and one billhook inside of it. The whare had the appearance of having been unoccupied for some time. 4<th March. —Started at our usual hour (5 o'clock) this morning. It never requires a bugle and a number of non-commissioned officers to arouse the men. Their food is always prepared before daylight. With Natives, a man lagging behind is a subject of ridicule to the others. After having marched about five miles a halt was called that the men might rest, during which time Eopata got up and sang three waiatas to the taua, inciting them to bravery. Over night, one of Te Aowera, a man of Eopata's hapu and his tangata matakite, had dreamt he had seen an eel-net upside down, with some eels inside and some outside. Tho interpretation of this dream by the men denoted apatahuri. A song was composed and sung by the dreamer, during which he kept beautiful time with his mere-mere. Encamped for the night beyond Te Karetu, where Te Kooti had stayed during his descent upon Turanga. There were remains of old whares, ovens, &c. To-morrow we commence to ascend the hills and break into the Urewera country, following Te Kooti's track. sth March. —To-day's march has been a most fatiguing one, all up hill; the sun very hot, and no water to be obtained. We were nearly three hours climbing up one hill, from the top of which we looked down upon Ngatapa. Turanganui could be plainly seen with a glass. Hikurangi appeared quite close to us. Looking in a westerly direction, Maungapowhatu was visible, rising considerably above all the surrounding hills, or, more correctly speaking, mountains. Its appearance from a distance is that of an immense white cliff. In a gully below the hill our men shot two very fine horses, as they were unable to catch them; they must have been left by Te Kooti last year. Descending to the Hungaroa Biver, in an old temporary whare we found the remains of a man, woman, and child, lying side by side, supposed by us to be refugees from Ngatapa, who being too weak to search for food, had died from starvation. Three of the men were knocked up to-day. We intend to rest here to-morrow, by the Hungaroa Biver, to allow the men who were sick to recover. All the men were very much fatigued to-day. None but Natives could carry the same loads and do the same length of march as we have done to-day. 6th March, Sunday. —Bested to-day, but sent parties out pig-hunting and eel-fishing. Did not succeed in getting pigs, but got a great number of eels, caught by the men under the rocks. One eel caught measured four feet. Ith March. —To-day's march has been over some very rough country, —partly through water and partly over hills, very trying to men heavily laden. On reaching a branch of the Whangaroa, the footprints of three persons were seen, apparently about two days old. Ten men were immediately in hot pursuit, stripping to the buff. These fellows seem to delight in a hunt of this kind. A few men went out in another direction, and returned reporting having seen a place built like a European redoubt, but cannot account for its appearance here. Bth March. —The men were out last night following the tracks of footprints, and returned this morning, bringing in as captives one woman and four children. The husband had escaped. As on the men getting to the whare of the woman and children they found the husband absent, they laid wait for his return, and warned the woman to remain quiet. They had been concealed for some time, when they saw the man returning with a pig on his back. The woman called out to him " Haere mai," upon which he stopped and dropped the pig, no doubt thinking it a most unusual thing to be welcomed by his wife in that manner. Some of the men moving, the eldest boy was alarmed, and called out, " Don't kill Papa." This was a final warning to the man, who darted off like a deer, and, though fired at, escaped. The woman reports herself as one of a bush tribe named Ngatikohatu, having been living out for over eighteen months without any settled abode, and depending solely upon animal food for subsistence. She said that her husband had visited Maungapowhatu some three months previously, to fetch Torori. He then reported Te Kooti at Buatahuna, and that 100 of tho Urewera were with him. A letter had reached Maungapowhatu from the Government, telling them to cease harbouring To Kooti, and to submit to the Kawanatanga. It would appear that tho majority of the tribe were agreeable to the terms, but were living in coustant dread of Te Kooti, and being influenced by their chiefs, it seems impossible for them to be loyal. Te Kooti threatened to destroy them if they listened to the word of Kawanatanga. Consequent upon the information gained from this woman, it is our intention to endeavour to surprise Maungapowhatu, and take them all prisoners, so that none can