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have a large plantation there this season. He has a large patch of ground marked off for himself, which no one else is to cultivate. Public Works. The Natives in this and surrounding districts have not been employed on any public works during the past year. The Ngatihaua. This tribe I have visited periodically at its different settlements, at Maungatatautari, Wharepapa, Tamahere, Maungakawa, and Matamata settlements. I find that, since the concentration ideas commenced, many of those residing at Matamata and Maungakawa have migrated either to Maungatautari or Hikurangi. The former is once again a large settlement, instead of the deserted village that it has been for several years. I do not observe any alteration in this tribe, except that many of them have adopted the Tariao prayers, but nearly all of these were Hau-Haus formerly, and semi-friendlics while any land remained for them to sell. Besides the above, Mohi Eahiri and other ex-rebels who had small compensation awards at Tauwhare, having sold their interest in the same to the Government, have moved across to Maungatautari. I do not see any difference in the disposition of these people since my last year's report. I shall be visiting them about the end of the month, when I will make a point of carefully observing their demeanour, conversation, &c, and report fully. I have, &c, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. E. S. Bush.

No. 10. Mr. E. S. Bush, Eaglan, to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sir, — Eesident Magistrate's Office, Eaglan, Ist June, 1877. I have the honor to report, for your information, that I left here on the morning of the 23rd ultimo, for the purpose of visiting the Ngatihaua tribe at their different settlements, but in consequence of the swollen state of the rivers I was much impeded in my progress, being only able to visit Maungatautari, Maungakawa, and Tamahere. There had been several days' rain previous to my starting from here, which caused an unusual fresh in the streams. I was overtaken by the rain on the ranges, and there was not a single day passed without heavy showers of rain and hail; consequently I had to abandon all idea of reaching Wharepapa, the Natives at which settlement were themselves blockaded in until last Tuesday. When they left there via Kihikihi for Hikurangi to attend the meeting, owing to there being some thirty of them they managed, by fording in a body, to cross the Puniu at the different places safely. The whole of the Wharepapa people have gone to Hikurangi, with the exception of Hote's and Tana's wives, who remained behind to nurse Hote's daughter, who is dangerously ill: she is his child by his first wife, a daughter of Kukutai's, chief of the Ngatitipa tribe, and is about fifteen years of age. The Ngatirauk-awa who live at Wharepapa have also gone to Hikurangi. At Maungatautari I found about 200 Natives, nearly the whole of whom appear to have adopted the Tariao karakia: many of these, especially those who have migrated from Matamata and Maungakawa, were friendly Natives so long as they had plenty of land to sell. Several of them, however, had participated in the late rebellion, therefore their return to the so-called King party is nothing more than what was likely to happen at no distant period. The sale of Maungatautari by the majority of the grantees appears to have hastened matters in this direction, and the consequence is that the land leased and sold to Europeans is now re-occupied by them. They speak favourably of their last year's crops, and talk of growing a large quantity of wheat this season. Tukere and other Natives requested me to search for a miller to take charge of their mill, which they had repaired last year at a cost of £100. They propose to allow the miller 100 acres of land to cultivate, assist him in ploughing it, &c, and give him a certain price per bushel for all wheat ground at the mill. They are anxious to procure the services of a miller at once; I have, therefore, communicated with the Civil Commissioner at Auckland, asking him to assist me in finding a suitable person. The principal Tariaos from these settlements, consisting of Tuhakaraina, Hemi Mohi, Hakunui, Wirihana, Tutere, and others, left Te Maire below Pukekura for Hikurangi on Sunday morning ; they were accompanied by some ten of the Ngaitcrangi from Tauranga, amongst whom were Natana, Tc Puru, and Parera. This party the local Natives said were Tariaos. I did not see them. At Maungakawa I found only some fifteen Natives. This settlement is nearly deserted, many who formerly resided there having established themselves at Maungatautari with Te Tawari. While at this settlement I learnt that many of the Matamata Natives had proceeded via Te Awa Waikato to Shorthand, to attend the Native Land Court to be held there on 30th ultimo, when titles to some of the Piako and Waitoa lands were to be investigated. This circumstance, together with the flooded state of the Waitoa and other rivers, determined me not to visit these settlements, the Natives at which live in small numbers, scattered over a radius of some eight miles on and 2—G. 1.