E—No. 9 Sec. 111.

ngaroa. Takerei was also there waiting for us. A small Runanga was held composed of Honi Papita, Takerei, Tumuhuia, and a few others; as soon as they had heard the stories, Honi and one or two of the others expressed warm indignation and said that some one should go back with us to enquire into the case. Tumuhuia then suggested that it should be left for Rewi; and from what he said I gathered that Rewi had been displeased because tne king's Runanga had undertaken the previous cases instead of leaving them to the local authoritits. I said that Rewi was not at Kihikihi, but was away at Piako, and that soon the sheep would be all dispersed and lost. Tumuhuia said that if Rewi was not at Kihikihi, Wharetina was, and the whole of them decided that he was the person to whom application must be made. I saw that we had made a mistake in going to the superior tribunal before trying the inferior, but I was not aware that the Runanga of the Ngatimaniapotos had any jurisdiction over the Ngatiraukawa. There was a motion made at first to send us to Honi Tere, a N>atiraukawachief living up at Taupo; but it was over-ruled because some one had heard that Honi Tere had gone crazy, a report which I was glad to be able to corroborate. We just touched upon George Gage's affair, but I did not say much about it, except privately to Takerei, not having yet received instructions from the Government. Tumuhuia was himself telling the story about Gage declaring himself a European before Reihana's court. We had a friendly chat with Tumuhuia afterwards. He was reading the Maori Messenger of May Ist. He said he liked us well enough, because we couldn't make Assessors, and could do them no harm ; but that Mr. Armitage would not be left in peace much longer; and as for Mr. Law, if he were not afraid of the cold, he would go and drive him away from Taupo at once. He promised us copies of all the King's newspapers, and rummaged in a green box for them, but could only produce a letter of Tamati iSgapora's against drunkenness, and a Gazette appointing a man named Hapemana Resident Magistrate of the West: signed, "Na Kingi Matutaera Potatau." Monday, May 26th —I rode over with Mr. Clarke and young Chittam to Kihikihi, to make application about the sheep At our first visit we found that all the members of the Runanga were out looking for cattle ; in the evening we went again, and found Wharetini, Herewini, and Hape : these were the men who were concerned in carrying off George Gage. They were very sulky, and would scarcely speak to us at all. They said that Chittam knew the proper persons to apply to; if he came to them for a summons they would grant one, but we had nothing to do with the matter and had better not interfere in it. I said that the wrong was on the Maori side, and if they undertook to settle it I shouid leave them to do it entirely in their own way, and not trouble myself about it: I would, therefore, leave young Chittam to arrange matters with them, and he would only apply to me again in case they failed to do justice. After that I said a few words about the George Gage affair. They knew about his declaring himself to be a European before Reihana, and they acknowledged that by Maori custom a son belonged to his father's tribe, but they said that long ago he had consented to be a Maori and a subject of the King. Seeing that it was useless to talk to them, I shook hands and wished them good night. They told Mr. Clarke that the Otawhao School sheep would not be allowed to go on to the Punia estate, because the Governor's name is in the deed of gift. There is no likelihood of the Runanga stirring in the sheep case until Rewi returns from the Piako.

No. 5. .GENERAL KEPORT, BY J. E. GOEST, ESQ., ON THE STATE OF UPPER WAIKATO ; JUNE, 1862. Introduction. I. Of the individual Tribes allied under the Maori King. 1. Their Government. 2. Their Social State. 3. Their Disunion. 4. Their Union. II. Of the Government of the Maori King, 1. The King's Council. 2. The King's Dominions. 3. The King's Officers. 4. The King's Revenue. 5. Seceders from the King. III. Of the Chief Difficulty in Native Affairs. The object of this Report is to give a plain account of the present state of affairs in the Upper Waikato districts, and especially of what is popularly known as the " King movement." It is strictly to the present aspect of this movement that my remarks are limited: of what it has been in past time, I know nothing except from hearsay; and I have not been long enough an observer to pretend to give an opinion as to what it may grow to in the future. It is necessary to forewarn the reader against understanding the terms used in this description in any precise or literal signification. It would be a serious error to imagine the king, councils, judges, laws, and soldiers, of whom I shall have to treat, to be clothed with the attributes usually

UPPER WAIKATO.

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