ENCLOSURE TO MESSAGE No.. 43. MKJIOEtA\UI'H FOB THE KE§IDE\T MAGISTRATE.

The late lamentable affray amongst the Puketapu natives took its rise from a quarrel between Rawiri Waiana and Topia (one of Katatore's party) about the right to cultivate a piece of land near the Bell block. Rawiri had sown it with wheat; and Topia destroyed the seed, ploughed up the land, and planted it with potatoes. Upon this, Rawiri determined to sell the land contained within the block paid for by Mr. M'Lean in Wellington, in January, 1854, and excluded from the Hua purchase at Katatore's request and by Rawiti's advice. The boundary of the land to the eastward is formed by producing the eastern boundary of the Bell block in a straight line, till it reaches the boundary between Ngatiawa and Ngatiruanui at the base of Mount Egmont; the western boundary being the Mangaraka River followed up to its source from the spot where it is cut by the line. A piece of 300 acres inland of the Bell block is also included in this. I accepted Rawiri's offer conditionally on his undertaking to cut the eastern boundary line as far inland as the Waiongana river. This, he assured me, he had no hesitation in undertaking, in spite of Katatore's opposition, as he said his own rank, and his close connexion with Katatore and the majority of his people, would be a sufficient guarantee against any extreme uneasiness on their part. It was accordingly arranged, after two days' discussion, that the line should be commenced on Thursday, the 3rd instant, on which day I was to meet them on the ground, accompanied by a Purveyor. On that day, at 7 a.m., a party of twenty-six, under the direction of Rawiri, Paora. Taituha, Ihaku, and Te Retiu, went out without fire-arms to commence their work, and were met by Katatore's party, armed with guns and other weapons, at the spot called Tarurutangi, where the unhappy collision took place which has deprived the Puketapu tribe of the whole of the abovenamed chiefs, except Te Retiu, and left the Settlement to deplore the loss of the most useful of the Native Assessors, and the best and the staunchest friends of the Europeans within the l'mits of this Province. A detail of the occurrences of the 3rd instant, as also nominal lists of both parties engaged in the affray, showing the casualties on each side, are furnished by the enclosed documents, G. S. Cooper, . Sub Land Commissioner, Taranaki, August 7, 1854.