INTERVIEW BETWEEN MR. EIRTH AND TE KOOTI.

A.—No. 24a.

6

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 6 in No. 1. Copy of Letter from Manuhiri to J. C. Fieth, Esq., referred to in Letter attached. E. Koro, c Hohaia, — Te Kuiti, 27th Hanuere, 1870. Tena koe. Kua rongo au kua kite koe iTe Koti. Kua tika koe, kua rongo ano au, kua whaia etc Pakeha etc Maori aTe Koti. Ehoa, kua paru ta korua pai ko Tamehana nei paru ki waho c pai ana. Kotena i Waikato Tonu te Kinonga. E Hohaia, ku a pakaru te tuanui ote whare. Kia kaha koe whaka matua tenei mahi. E heana, Kia Hohaia kei Peria Waikato. Heoi Na Manuhiri.

[Translation.] Manuhiri to J. C. Firth, Esq. Sir (Mr. Firth),— Te Kuiti, 27th January, 1870. Salutations. I have heard that you have seen Te Kooti. Tou are right (or did right). I have heard also that the Europeans and Maoris are chasing (or hunting) Te Kooti. Sir, your and Tamehana's good policy is soiled (besmeared). If it were only soiled outside (i.e. the boundary), it would not matter, but the mischief is in Waikato itself. 0 Josiah (Mr. Firth), the roof (ridge pole) of the house is broken (i.e., the people are divided). Be thou strong to cause this evil work to cease. That is all. To Mr. Firth, at Peria, Waikato. Manuhiri.

No. 2. The Hon. D. McLean to J. C. Firth, Esq. Sir, — Colonial Defence Office, Wellington, 30th August, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, complaining of certain statements respecting yourself which have been printed in papers laid before the General Assembly. In the press of business I regret that Huare's narrative, containing reflections upon you, should have been published without my having had an opportunity for careful perusal. With reference to the latter portion of your letter, respecting the mention of your name in a Memorandum to His Excellency enclosed in Despatch to Earl Granville, I have only to repeat that my opinion with reference to the course you then pursued remains unaltered. I do not consider the correspondence, which I shall lay on the table, to be of sufficient interest to be published with Parliamentary papers. I have, &c, J. C. Firth, Esq., Auckland. Donald McLean.