73

I.—2b

333. Why did you not say so in your declaration, if that is so, and you have no doubt about it— why did you not say so?—I am no writing man myself, and Captain Mair came to mo and asked me to make the statement, and I did so. 334. Who wrote it down?— Captain Mair wrote it down. 335. Did you teil Captain Mair that McDonald and Wrigg were chosen to canry the despatches ? Did you say it was arranged that Wrigg and McDonald were to carry the despatches ?—Yes. 336. Take these words : " In my opiniou Mr. Wrigg was less entitled to special honour than any man in the whole Force." Were they your own words?—My own words. 337. And these words: "It was arranged that Trooper McDonald was to go"?—I think they were my own words.. You see, Captain Mair came and asked for mo at the pump. I told him as he was talking to me. He asked me if I remembered the affair, and I told him I did. I said I could not remember anything there. He asked me if I would write a statement, and I said, if he would come up any time I would be happy to tell him what I know about the affair, and he came to me one night when I was on night shift. I told him the statement as plainly as I could, and he wrote it down. 338. Did you tell him it was arranged that Cornet Wrigg and Trooper McDonald were to go to Tauranga with despatches ?—Yes. 340. Did you suggest he was to keep back the name of Wrigg and put the name of McDonald in your declaration?—Oh, no. I did not see them go. I said I did not know. 341. You said there was no danger in going on this trip?— No. 342. Did you not consider the bluff at Ohiwa was dangerous to pass ?—Not if it was not past half-tide. 343. You could not get out of range of a hostile Native's gun in ambush ?—There were; no Natives there. 344. You are not prepared to swear they were not there?—l was prepared to go down on the beach and not be afraid of Maoris. 345. It has been admitted that the bluff at Ohiwa was a dangerous part to pass, because there was no protection for a man passing, from ambush?— The only mischief that was done was at the bluff at Waiotahi. 346. All along there?-Yes. 347. It is a dangerous place from Natives hiding, is it not ?—No. 34b. Are there not plenty of places for ambush ? Is it not where Bennett White was killed ?— That was at the Waiotahi. 349. Is that considered a dangerous spot ?—Yes. 350. Very dangerous ?—Yes. 351. Then, what do you mean in stating that there was no honour attached, and no danger?— There was no danger then because the major and the men had followed these Maoris inland, and all the corps had gone to Ohiwa. 352. You have no proof that these Natives were driven inland. They may have been in hiding in the Waiotahi Valley or Ohiwa?—They may have been. 353. You remember the expedition to fetch in the bodies of Moore and Beggs?—l remember hearing tell of it when I came back. 354. What year was it in?—ln 1867. 355. Had the fact of Moore and Beggs being missing been reported a month, throo weeks, or how long, before the murder of Bennett White and the mailman ? How long do you think before Bennett White's murder was committed was it before the matter was notified?—l cannot say about the time. There were all kinds of rumours. 356. Moore and Beggs were missed ?—Yes. 357. How long previous to the fact of your knowing that Bennett White and the mailman were murdered was it that you heard that Moore and Beggs were missing?—lt was about three weeks. Prom the time they were missing we had men stationed in the Waioeka Eedoubt. 358. It has been generally said they were missing about three weeks ?—That is about it. 359. Would you think it waa a week or two previous to the fact of Bennett White and the mailman being murdered that they were missed ?—I could not be clear on that. 360. How many days do you think it was after Bennett White and the mailman were sought for that the bodies of Moore and Beggs were found ?—I should think it was over a week. I know we patrolled the beach a good bit. 361. Suppose we take the murder of Bennett White and the mailman to be in June. If the murder was on the 26th, the bodies of White and the mailman were found on the 29th, about two days after the fact was reported?—l think about two days afterwards we went down to the ferry, and the ferryman told us two bodies were picked up. Two orderlies came into Opotiki to see what was to be done with the bodies. We met these two orderlies coming back, and another trooper and myself returned back to Ohiwa, and told them the bodies were to be brought back to Opotiki. That was the time we thought it dangerous comiug round the bluff, because the tide was in. 362. The rivers were very high at that time of the year?— They were not, much in Hood at chat time. 363. Partly in flood, just a fresh in them ?—We were expecting a heavy flood, but it did not come. 364. Do you think the date upon which they went out to try and find the bodies of Moore and Boggs would be about a week from the time the bodies of Bennett White and the mailman were recovered ? Was it the day you came back that the two orderlies went out ?—The day that they brought the head in, in the evening was the time that the two orderlies loft. 365. Do you think that Messrs. Wrigg and McDonald had time from this 28th—that is, from the day the head was brought in—to have gone to Tauranga with those despatches ami come

10—I. 2b.