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No. 2. Mr. S. yon Stitrmeßj R.M., Hokianga, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — Resident Magistrate's Office, Hokianga, 27th December, 1875. I have the honor to inform you that I inspected the whole of the schools in this district during the present month; the total number of pupils on the school rolls being 239, consisting of 112 girls and 127 boys, with an average attendance of 174. The progress made by the children in all the schools is most satisfactory, being more particularly observable in those at Waima, Waitapu, and Pakia. The latter, though opened only a little more than a year since, bids fair to rival in advancement the Waima School, which is undoubtedly the most flourishing in the district: this is exceedingly gratifying, as it has now been in existence some years, and shows that the Natives are not, as is too often the case, becoming careless of the advantages to be derived from these institutions. The Native subscriptions towards the support of the teachers are regularly paid, thereby proving in the most substantial manner that the parents fully appreciate the value of education. At Waicapu the attendance is comparatively small, which is owing to a number of the Natives having removed with their families to Whangape; but the children who do attend are rapidly acquiring a thorough knowledge of English. At Rakau Para and Whirinaki the attendance is good, and the children are making progress, through the latter school has lately been under a cloud owing to the difficulty of procuring an efficient teacher. It is now in charge of Mr. Phillips, and in future will, I trust, make steady progress. I, with other gentlemen, propose about the end of January to give the whole of the school children a treat, and publicly examine them and award to the best pupils of each school the prizes given by Government, the result of which I will communicate to you. I enclose eight copybooks showing the best writing (male and female) in each of the schools, which I brought away on the occasion of my last visit. I also enclose the quarterly school returns. I have, &c., Spencer yon Stunner, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. Resident Magistrate.

No. 3. Mr. S. yon Stunner, R.M., Hokianga, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — Resident Magistrate's Office, Hokianga, 6th March, 1876. I have the honor to inform you that the proposed assembly of children attending the Native schools in this district, to which I referred in my report of 29th December last, took place at Herd's Point on Ist instant; and advantage was taken of the opportunity of examining the pupils in order to ascertain the relative merits of each school, the examiners being Messrs. John Webster, "William Webster, Alfred Cooke Yarborough, J.P., and myself. The first boy and girl in the three classes in each school received prizes, Enclosure No. 1 embracing the names of the successful competitors. The examiners then decided to take the most advanced in each school, dividing them into three classes, as follows : —Those who have attended school for three years and under, for two years and under, and for one year and under j when, after a careful and protracted examination, the prizes were awarded to the following pupils : — Ist Class.—Boys, Kereama Tawhai, Waima School; girls, Frances Rirewhero, Waima School. 2nd Class.—Boys, Hemi Papakura, Pakia School; girls, Betsy Boyce, Watapu School. 3rd Class.—Boys, Aporo Kuku, Rakau Para School; girls, Sarah Kaeo, Rakau Para School. Enclosures Nos. 2, 3, and 4 contain the subjects upon which the children were examined, and the number of marks obtained by each pupil. In a former report I had occasion to bring under your notice the name of Kereama Tawhai, a boy eleven years of age (grandson of the late chief Mohi Tawhai), and it now gives me great pleasure to say that his diligence and ability have placed him as best scholar in the Native schools here, he having succeeded in getting 302 marks out of a possible 350. In each of the classes the competition was very keen in most of the subjects, and the manner in which the many difficult questions propounded to the children were answered reflects the highest credit upon the teachers. The order maintained by the several schools under disadvantageous circumstances, through want of room, was especially gratifying to the examiners, and I have no hesitation in saying it would be very difficult to collect the same number of children attending European schools whose personal appearance and behaviour could excel that of the Native children assembled at Herd's Point on Wednesday last. The girls attending each of the schools competed for sewing, the judges being Mrs. Yon Stunner and Mrs. Fraser, who awarded the prize, £\, to Ahaneta, Whirinaki School. A prize of £\ 10s. was also awarded to the Whirinaki pupils for their singing, their performance far exceeding those of the other schools. The examination, which commenced at 9 a.m. and finished at 2 p.m., was witnessed by a large number of Europeans who are interested in the welfare of the Native schools, and it was gene-