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302. About how many of them were there ?—I only saw about eight of them. 393. I thiuk I understood you to say that a party of scouts had gone out after the news had come in of the murder of Bennett "White ?—That was the next day. 394. A party of scouts had gone out to search for the murderers ?—I do not know whether they did or not. A day or two after they were round in the Waioeka Gorge. 395. You think they murdered this man and then cleared out?— Yes. 396. That was their usual practice ?—Yes. 397. Somebody went out to look for the bodies of these men murdered ?—Yes. 398. Do you know what troop went out?— No. 399. You know some one went out to look for the bodies ?—Yes. 400. You also said you were an honorary member of the Poverty Bay Mounted Troopers ?— No, of the Bay of Plenty Cavalry. 401. What did the Bay of Plenty Cavalry number about that time?— Forty-two or forty-five, I think. I know they have mustered forty-five. 402. You knew Trooper McDonald ?—Yes, well. 403. Was he regarded as a man of courage ?—Yes. a devil-may-care sort of fellow, who would go with anything. 404. I understood you also to say that at that time there were a number of other men camped there ?—Yes, a great number. 405. Several hundred?— Yes. One of the wings of the Waikato Eegiment was stationed there and settled on land granted for military services. 406. Who was in command at that time ?—Major St. John ; then, Major Mair. 407. Do you know who his junior was ?—There was Captain Skene, Captain Walker, Major Goring (I think the latter was a lieutenant then), and Lieutenants Hurrell, Boss, and Lawson. 408. Was Major Mair there then ?—He was Resident Magistrate there then. 409. How many officers were there there senior to Captain Gwynneth ?—They were all senior to Gwynneth that were there—all the captains. 410. Do you not think, in the case of sending despatches, they would be sent by one of the other officers, the commanding officer at the time being?—l presume the commanding officer instructed Gwynneth to get volunteers to go. That is the only way it could be done. 411. They would be sent him ?—Then Gwynneth would parade his men and ask for volunteers to go, and I always understood that Wrigg and McDonald set out to go. 412. Those despatches would be sent, as far as you know, to whom ?—To Colonel Harington ; he was the senior officer in the Bay of Plenty. 413. You knew Mr. Wrigg there at that time ?—Oh, yes. 414. Mr. Moore.] You say you were along the beach the day the murders were committed?— Yes. 415. And reported you had seen Natives on the route ?—Yes. 416. But did not know that a party was sent out the following day ?—I did not know they were sent out. 417. Supposing the statement is true that a party was sent out and scoured the country the following day, would you think it dangerous during the following day ?—Yes. 418. Is it the habit of the Natives to remain on the spot after a murder ?—I think not. 419. You consider, after a raid had been committed, and the country had been scoured by the farces ?—They could not scour the country ; they could only go along the beach. 420. Would you be surprised to learn that other witnesses have stated they could go inland and scour the country?—They could not scour the country, there were no tracks, and the scrub was too dense to scour the country. 421. Would it not be dangerous for a friendly Native to remain as ferryman, and take over the Europeans : his services would be given to the Europeans at the time ?—I suppose Major Mair, who had the power to make these arrangements,—l suppose he Succeeded in getting the Natives to send a man they would not interfere with in any way. There was always communication between a Eesident Magistrate and themselves. They were not all Hauhaus, although they committed other murders. Pitcairn was murdered by that tribe. 422. Would a Native that was unfriendly take instructions from Major Mair at a time like that ?—This man was paid to look after the ferry, but I do not think lie got anything for it from the tribe. He was placed there by the other Natives to make use of the terry for themselves a good deal. 423. Was the man a friendly Native to the Europeans ?—He was working in the interests of the friendly Natives. 424. If he was working for the Europeans he could not be considered as working in the interests of the hostile Natives?—l think he worked just as much in the interests of the Europeans. 425. Under these circumstances, if the country was in a dangerous state from the hostile Natives, would not his position be endangered?—Ho might know nothing about it. He only heard at the time he told me that the hostile Natives were in the vicinity when I went along there. 426. If it is true that the country had been scoured, would you consider it dangerous immediately afterwards?—Yes, I would. 427. Mr. Monk.] Was it a matter of common knowledge, Mr. -Kelly, that after the Natives had committed the depredation they would clear out, and that spot would be the safest?—-They did not always clear out. 428. Can you tell mo where a party going in search of the Natives had had a brush with them ? —At Whakatane. 429. That was quite a different affair—only a surprise ?—lf they had got a lot of people there that would have happened at the same time.

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