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Auckland, December 19th 1854, Sir, On the eve of my return to New Plymouth I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's communication of the 24th of August, in reference to the Maori disturbances at Taranaki and containing an expression of your kind appreciation of those little services which I may have been able to render to all parties during that excitement. My purpose was to have made this acknowledgement personally when I called at the office with Mr, McLean, but as it is, I have to assure your Excellency that the utmost zeal and caution on my part shall be rendered not only in the management of these troubles whilst they last, but to bring them as speedily a3 may be to a safe termination, The difficulty would be a serious one, had it arisen in any other part of the country, but in this case we feel it to be much more intricate, from its having taken place in immediate connection with an undefended British settlement. One chief hope depends instrumentally, (as your Excellency intimates), on the extreme caution which shall be used by the settlers themselves, and though the strife may be of prolonged continuence, as we much fear it will be, and are perhaps very delicate of interference, yet we trust under the Divine Blessing that some means may shortly arise whereby a lasting reconciliation may be affected, and peace restored, and that this may be the case I shall, as an individual, be more than ordinarly anxious, from ihe circumstance of my having foregone a claim to an immediate return to England, solely on account of these disturbances, I have, &c., (Signed) H. Hanson Turton. To the Officer Administering the Government, Auckland.

Taranaki, July 15th 1855, Saturday evening. Sir, As I have just heard that a special messenger is to be sent off to-morrow morning, I beg to forward to you a few lines, in addition to the regular despatches which you will receive from the officers of Government. Perhaps it is my duty, as the resident Missionary of the district, to apprise your Excellency, in reference to our native disturbances, that they are now advancing to that point which we have foreseen from the commencement, and to provide against which, we have also from the very begining, earnestly requested that a protective force should be sent to this Province, for the defence of the European settlement. Owing to unexpected circumstances, and the power of various influences, this crisis has very fortunately been prolonged to the present time, not that the danger has been less, but that the opportunity of obtaining relief has been thus providentially lengthened. How much longer the reprieve may last, if is quite impossible to conjecture Even since your Excellency's departure from New Plymouth, William King and his tribe, have joined all thtir energies and resources to those of Katatore and the other murderers of Rawiri A'aiana, and have manifested a continued series ot hostile demonstrations against the survivers of that lamented chief, whose only fault was in wishing to place the Europeans in possession of their already purchased property. Arama Karaka, who is the recognised head of the whole Puketapu tribe, whether residing here or at the Southward, lias during the same period exercised a most beneficial influence over the movements of both parties, indeed, had it not been for his very opportune arrival from Kapiti, and his wise and cautious conduct throughout, our danger would have been greatly precipitated, and in all likelihood, our settlement destroyed. As to his erection ot a Pah at the •' Ninia" being made cause of complaint against him by Katatore and William King, it