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I.—2b

515. Are you prepared to swear it> was not published ?—lf you have a letter there I could tell you whether I had written it. I know a resident of the East Coast wrote, but that letter wps not written by me. 516. The letters you wrote to the Evening Post were simply to the editor?—l wrote a letter to the Evening Post, not for publication, sending Rome extracts, 517. Did you receive a reply?—l received no -reply. 518. You have got a note in yo.ur diary, " Captain Bower arrived on 18th July by steamer "? —Yes. 519. Have you got any note of the date of departure of Captain Bower from Opotiki ?— There is a gap here [witness indicating in his diary] from the 26i.ii April to the 19th May. 520. How do you account for that gap ?—1 was out somewhere. 521; You do not know where ? —I w*e travelling somewhere. I was at Tauranga, because I find that on my return to Opotiki 1 commenced to write up. I had left my diary behind. 522. The dates were between the 26th April and the 19th May ?—Yes. 523. Do you always write your diaries in the evening of every day, or leave it for some days and then make a spurt? —My practice is to write it at night. Sometimes I let a day or two elapse. 524. If you left a day or two elapse you hod to rely upon your memory for the events of each day, as you write them altogether?— Yes, tf some extent. 525. How long would it take you to go from Opotiki to Auckland and back by steamer—l mean the actual time occupied in the trip ?—-About twenty-six hours one way. 526. How often did the steamers go ?—They had no regular time-table. 527. Once a week or twice a week ? —About once a fortnight—wind and weather permitting. 528. It is quite possible Captain Bower may have left Opotiki for Auckland before the end of July, and been back by the Bth ?—He may have been in Tauranga. As I said before, all these Opotiki people had come from Taurauga. Some of them had their homes in Tauranga. 529. What entry is there in your diary that made Captain Bower believe he was not there on that day, the 26th June ?—I do not know. 530. Is there any entry except the 18th August ? —That is all. 531. The absence of his name is what you go by. You have not chronicled his departure?— No. 532. I understood you to say to Mr. Hutchison it was usual in the camp to note the coming and departure of officers ?—Yes. 533. You have not noted the departure of Captain Bower?—He may have gone interval between April and May, because Captaiu Bower told-me himself he was not at Opotiki when Moore and Beggs were killed. 534. You are aware he also wrote and said he recollected the circumstance?—l am speaking of Moore and Beggs. 535. That was in May, was it not ?—lt was on the 21st May that Moore and Begg were killed. That makes me think he went away during the blank period in my diary. 536. There is nothing on which you can possibly fix the date of Captain Bower's departure from Opotiki?—No. 537. As far as you know, he may only have been going from Tauranga by steamer?— Yes. 538. Was he a man who was fond of riding?—He had been a cavalryman, but was not much of a horseman. 539. Probably if Captain Bower wanted to go to Tauranga he would take the boat rather than ride ?—-I cannot speak with certainty about that. 540. Now, in reference to the camp order, the words that you made use of to Mr. Hutchison, " Such an order may have been issued by Captain Gwynneth "?—Yes. 541. Do you suggest that that order was not issued by Captain Gwynneth? Are you prepared to even suggest that tliat order was not issued by Captain Gwynneth ?—No. 542. Is it not possible that though it might be irregular—is it not possible this irregularity may have occurred in a regular camp order issued by Captain Bower to those under him?—lt is quite possible. 543. Is there anything extraordinary that Captain Gwynneth, commanding this troop of cavalry — that he should issue direct instructions to his men to carry these despatches to Tauranga ?—lt is. 544. You mean to say he should not have sent the despatches—he had not the power conferred on him by authority ?—Yes. 545. You told us, I believe, that Major St. John left Opotiki in June. You were in command then ?—I read an extract showing he had gone out of the camp, leaving me in command. 546. Can you tell me whether Major St. John was in camp in June ?—Yes, he was in command there. 547. When you were at Maketu McDonald came with despatches to you ?—Yes. 548. At that time was Captain Goldsmith at Tauranga ?—I do not know. 549. You remember Captain Goldsmith ?—Yes. I do not remember whether he was there at that time. 550. He may have been there at that time ?—Yes. 551. Was Colonel Harington there?' —Yes, I believe so. 552. Was Colonel Harington in Tauranga the day you left it—between the 22nd and 30th? Can you show me any entry of your having spoken to Colonel Harington or seen him on those days?—No, there is no entry whatever. 553. Will yon contradict Mr. Wrigg, who swore that he handed the despatches to Captain Goldsmith, as Colonel Harington was absent ?-—No.