E.—No. 3. SECTION I.

rank—Pioot. I said to him be quick and inform the Commander that the carts had been stopped. He asked me, " Are they actually stopped ? " I replied, " Yes, the young man tells me so, and the soldiers are coming back." I know nothing of the death of these persons. All I know was that three ambuscades were planted the week previous at Oao, at Wairau, and at Kaha-kaha. I am in the habit of giving information to the Native Department. I did give information of those three ambuscades to Mr. Parris and Mr. Bell. I gave that information to them on Monday week last. The reason for planting ambuscades is to commit murder. I knew nothing of the ambuscade planted on Monday last—that is the one where these white people were killed. In answer to my report to Mr. Bell and Mr. Parris, Mr. Bell said nothing and Mr. Parris said that is correct, be careful. I then said to Mr. Parris bo exceedingly cautious. Mr. Bell was not present when I told Mr. Parris to be exceedingly cautious. The natives that formed the ambuscades I gave notice of, to the best of my belief belonged to the Taranakis and Ngatiruanuis. There are no persons living at the place where the men were killed. A little beyond where the Europeans were killed there are two whares belonging to Taituha. I can't say whether any persons were living there on Monday last. To the best of my belief Taituha and others belonging to the whares before mentioned, were mixed up with the former ambuscade, and also with the latter one by which the men were killed. I do not know of my own knowledge the numbers that were in the first and latter ambuscades. Ropata Ngarongojiate. Josiaii Flight, Coroner. Charles Wilson Hursthouse, on his Oath, saith as follows: —I am Assistant Surveyor to the Provincial Government. Last Monday week I was engaged road-making at the site of the proposed German Settlement. Ihe party consisted entirely of natives, except myself and Nelson Carrington. I went there on the Monday previous. We returned on Monday week. Our return was occasioned by receiving a letter from Hone Wetere, addressed to the natives with me. I saw the letter and read it. The translation, as near as I can make out, was telling the natives to come in as soon as they received the letter, and that his heart was very dark for them, that the following Tuesday was proclaimed the day to commence the fighting, and stated that he did not know about Monday. The letter was written on Sunday. I believe the natives came in in consequence of that letter. I had authority over them. They said they did not like to stop lest mischief should happen to us, and they might be blamed for it, and I would not keep them for the same reasons. On my return I told the Superintendent my reason for ooming in. The natives appeared very anxious to get all the white people in who were working on the road. The natives under my direction were, I believe, from the north of the town. C. W. Huestiiouse. Josiaii Flight, Coroner. Wellington Carrington, on his Oath, saith as follows : —I am an Officer of the Native Department. 1 know nothing touching the death of those persons whoso names have been read to me, and on whom this inquiry is held. I have no knowledge of my own of the persons who caused the deaths of those persons. I do not believe there is one person who can give certain information, unless it be among the rebels themselves. I call them rebels because everyone calls them so, The reports I heard respecting the ambuscades on the 27th April I did not report either to Mr. Parris or Mr. Bell, as I did not consider them sufficiently reliable. I did not consider it my duty to do so. W. Caebington. Josiaii Flight, Coroner. George Yates Lethbridge, on his Oath, saith as follows : —I am a butcher. On the 4th of May (Monday) I rode to St. Patrick's Eedoubt. Before I left town, we heard a rumour of something having taken place between the Natives and the Troops, and of the escort having been attacked. When I arrived at Poutoko, the report was confirmed ; a lot of men were marched off. I borrowed a glass, through which I could see persons I believed to be Maoris, with seemingly a team of bullocks, four or six, with something like a cart behind them, going in the direction of the pa, and near to it, on the ranges, and many persons attending. I1 believe that was about 11 o'clock. Geo. Yates Lethbeidge. Jos iah Flight, Coroner. Charles Brown, on his Oath, saith as follows : —I am Superintendent of this Province. I have communicated with the General Government on the state of this Province with regard to danger from the Natives. Last Sunday week, on account of the reports I had heard, and which I believe to be well founded, I wrote to the Honble. the Colonial Secretary that reports were in circulation to the effect that the Natives intended to resume hostilities the following day; that as I had no means of ascertaining the truth of these reports, I felt it my duty to ask him to give me the earliest intimation when it would be necessary to warn the outlying settlers and road parties to come in. I received no answer since that communication beyond a general authority within the last two days to engage any accommodation that might be necessary for families coming into town. Prior to that, I rode out last Monday week to warn privately the Mangarei settlers that 1 did not believe it was safe for them to remain there ; that I had applied for an official intimation of when it might be unsafe for them, but the official reply might arrive too late to be of any service to them; at the same time the outlying road parties of Europeans and Natives at work on the site of the proposed German settlement some miles inland were warned in without my knowledge by a Native messenger, sent by the Natives, and were met on their way to town by Capt. Stapp, whom I sent to warn them ; that road parties started again last Monday and were again brought in. The parties were willing to go, and therefore they went, both Natives and Europeans ; they were permitted by me to go ; I did not order them. I had received no official communication warning me not to send them. I have received no official information that the Proclamation of Martial Law made in this Province in the month of February or March, 1860, has been revoked. I did receive a communication from the Government about six weeks ago, informing me that on the Provincial Government passing a certain law a Proclamation revoking Martial Law would be issued, a step which His Excellency considered highly desirable. Such a law has been passed, and transmitted to the General Government, about a fortnight ago, but no Proclamation revoking Martial Law has been issued. I believe the title of the Ordinance to be the •' Appropriation of Military Sites Ordinance." I can state that I have been for years on very good terms

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TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.