I.—2b

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13. Did the troop turn out ?—The troop turned out. 14. For what purpose ?—To recover the bodies of the mailman and Bennett White. 15. Where did the troop go ?—They went from Opotiki down to Ohiwa, where the murder took place. 16. You were there ?—1 did not go on that occasion. I was on other duty. 17. Do you remember the troop returning from that expedition ? —I do. I went the following day. 18. You went with the troop somewhere the following day ?—I did. 19. Where was that ? —To the beach, where the murder took place. 20. With what object was that expedition sent out? —Down to see if they could find the bodies, because the bodies were rrot recovered the same day. The first day the head was brought in. 21. Were you in Opotiki on that day the head was brought in ?—I went into the church to see the head. 22. Were you in regular attendance at the parades of the troop ? —Never missed a parade—only one. 23. Not about this time?—No, not at this time. 24. On the day you say the head was brought in you say you saw it in the church. Was there a parade at which volunteers were called for to carry despatches?— Not as far as my recollection serves me. 25. Is your recollection of the event about that time tolerably clear ?—Yes ; I remember it only too well. 26. Is it at all likely that there would have been a parade at which volunteers were called for at which you were not present, or of which you would not have heard if you had been absent ?—I feel quite satisfied I would have heard, because I was living so close to the parade-ground. 27. Do you know or did you hear of any despatches being carried ?—Yes. , 28. About that time, I mean. What was it you heard ?—That Trooper McDonald would go to Tauranga with despatches. Donald McDonald, I think, was his name. 29. Do you know of your own knowledge if ho went ?—I did not see him start. 30. Nor return? —And I did not see him return. 31. You remember an expedition to recover the bodies of two men who had previously been murdered? —Yes. There was a man called Wilkinson, now Native Land Purchaser, and a man called Livingstone, who came past my place, and running into camp. The alarm sounded to turn out. and I was on the parade-ground, and we heard that the Hauhaus had come down on Moore and Beggs. and Livingstone and Wilkinson, and had burned the whare down, and two escaped and got in, but the other two, they said, were missing. It was getting on towards evening, and I think there were ten or a dozen of us volunteered to go out. We found no trace of them, and had to come back. 32. Was that before the occurrence of the murder of Bennett White?—l think it was after. 33. Did the troop find the bodies?—No ; the bodies were not found—not on the first occasion. That, I believe, was a Saturday, and on the Sunday morning we went out and traced the footprints of these men (the rebels) for a considerable distance into the bush, but had to go back again. 34. Were the bodies eventually found ?—Some three weeks or a month after, we got word from the friendly Maoris that the bodies were to be found in the bush. A considerable number went, out. and we got up to this hill, that part near the old Maori pa. 35. I was coming to the point as to whether Mr. Wrigg was there when the bodies were found ? —Mr. Wrigg was there, and Mr. Gwynneth went part of the distance. 36. Why did he not go?—He said to Mr. Wrigg, " Wrigg, take my revolver; I am puffed." At that moment there was an alarm, and the word was passed along to look out—-that they expected a volley, and I heard Captain Gwynneth say, "Take my revolver; 1 am puffed." We mounted over the parapet, and found it was a tent that the dog had been barking at, which had been left by some rangers who had been looking for the bodies, and there was a false alarm on that occasion, and they ran and left the tent behind them. We found the bones of the bodies some distance behind, and brought them in. The clothes were all stripped off. 37. You heard that despatches had been carried from Opotiki to Tauranga and that Trooper McDonald had returned. Was it a matter of conversation in the camp that anything extraordinary had occurred ?—Not that I am aware of. 38. Would it have been a matter of Conversation if anything extraordinary had occurred: would the military settlers have talked about it ?—No; because it is so common for men to go out on despatch duty. 39. Did you hear of any act of bravery being performed at this particular time ?—Not a single word until I saw in the papers that a Cross had been given. In fact, there were a number of men wanting to get away to Tauranga. It is more of a pleasure trip; and after you pass this bluff at Ohrwa there is no further danger. 40. Is that at Ohiwa?—Yes, as far as Ohiwa. 41. Mr. Wilford.] Now, Mr. Ford, the last statement was that when you passed that bluff where the troops were, there was no particular danger. You told Mr. Hutchison that you did not see McDonald set out from the camp? —Yes. 42. Will you swear that McDonald was accompanied by any other members of the troop than Wrigg ?—I was hot there. 43. Are you prepared to swear that Wrigg and McDonald were accompanied by any members of the troop —any detachment of the corps—on that particular ride?— That I could not tell you. All I know is this place was kept open by a troop of cavalry riding up and down on the beach to keep it open for people passing over this particular part. 44. You are not prepared to state a detachment accompanied Wrigg and McDonald?—No; I cannot recall that to my mind.