AGAINST THE REBEL NATIVES.

57

A.—No. Bb.

to-morrow, and I fear it may impede his progress, as in Mr. Witty's case. Should the expedition continue, and be impeded by the swollen creeks and rivers, I shall require more biscuits and groceries. I have, Ac, His Honor J. D. Ormond, Napier. W. Newland, Sub-Inspector, A.C.

Enclosure 3 in No. 82. Mr. J. W. Witty to His Honor J. D. Ormond. Sir,— Wairoa, 4th May, 1870. I have the honor to inform you that I have returned to this place with the Natives under my charge, having been away ten days. We tried first the road to Tikitiki by way of Buatahuna ; but a fresh coming on in the Waiau Biver (which has to be cosssed about forty times, and for miles the river bed is tho only track), compelled us to turn back. Wo then tried to get round the shores of the Wairau Lake, and after bridging some of the numerous creeks which run into the lake, succeeded in getting partially round it, but from here could see that it was impossible to cross the mouth of the Marau, which in summer time is merely a lagoon, but now is a fine sheet of water; aud failing in getting hold of a canoe, we were obliged to return to Putahi. In the bush at Putahi, or rather in a potato clearing in the bush, I should say, we captured Pataneana and his mother. Pataneana is the chief of Tikitiki, and the biggest chief of the Urewera, and ranks higher than Te Waru, being tho rangatira of all the different hapus. He was a strong powerful young man, about thirty-five years of age, and had he not been partially blind would have been a great fighting man. He told us that there were no men left at Tikitiki now, at least only old men and women, Te Kooti having taken them all away. The Mohaka Natives left me on Monday to return to their pa by way of Putere. With fifteen of the Wairoa Natives under Mariki, I struck across to Te Kiwi by the track at the foot of Panekiri, in order to join Mr. Hamlin. On approaching Te Kiwi we could see a large quantity of smoke ascending from the bush, but could not see a single man or flag, and being doubtful as to the movements of the Natives under Hamlin, I did not like to go direct to Te Kiwi with so few men as I had, so I struck off to Waihi, and then got on the track from Tukurangi to Te Kiwi. Hero we could see no footsteps going to Te Kiwi, so wc came to the conclusion they must bo Hauhaus, and, from the quantity of fires in the middle of the day, very numerous; we therefore turned back to Tukurangi, and stopped the night in the redoubt. Our flag was flying, and we fired shots, but could get no answering signal of any description. The next day we proceeded to Te Kapu by way of Te Ariki, and the Natives returned to Matiti and I came on here. lam still doubtful as to whether the fires at Te Kiwi were Hamlin's Natives or not, as he, if there, would surely have made some signal. We went within about 800 yards, but not seeing a soul, did not like risking tho chance of an unexpected volley with so small a force, and another reason, though purely selfish, was that all the fifteen Natives were mounted, and I was on foot. I am now waiting to hear from Hamlin, and if I see I can do him any good, as these men which came clown with me under Alariki and Tuku Kainga are all anxious to go and join him, I shall at -once start to wherever he is. When I started, the arrangement was for Hapimana and his Natives to go up the Waiau Biver to Te Ariki, thence to Tukurangi, from there to Te Kiwi, and wait there till joined either by my party or Mr. Hamlin's, who were to go round by way of Whataroa; but it appears this idea was abandoned, and all went up the Wairoa Eiver. This of course would account for the absence -of tracks from Tukurangi to Te Kiwi, which I looked for, and failing seeing them, did not like to go to Te Kiwi. I forgot to mention earlier, that at one of the settlements up the Waiau Eiver, called Pukematai, we found the tracks of three Hauhaus, quite recent, and on a whata was written, " that they came there on Tuesday, that they killed a pig, and it was a sow." We found the remains of the pig. With a party of ten men on foot I followed their tracks to Pa Puni, where they had made some nets and caught a lot offish. From there we followed them to Maraetotara; and when we decided on turning back, with tho ten foot-men I still continued to track them, but the horsemen had to go a much longer road. At Te Pohu we found they had been cutting flax. On the road we picked up a greenstone they had dropped, and at the hill overlooking the Putahi we found their three horses ; their tracks were so recent the Natives did not like to go down to the settlement, and wanted to wait until the horsemen arrived ; but I urged them and four volunteered to accompany mo ; I give their names in tho margin. At the bottom of tho hill we found a newly erected whare, with fresh fern in it, the remains of the flax which had been brought from Te Pohu, and the stones of the Kopa-maori red hot. Tho Natives had not been gone many minutes when we got there ; we tracked them into the bush leading to Waikare-Moana. Leaving Bopiana and Ahipene to keep a look out, Patrick, Penehamine, and myself followed tho tracks to a potato clearing in the bush, and here it was we found Pataneana aud his mother. She was grubbing potatoes, and he was leading a pig they were rearing to tether it out. We were within five yards of them before they saw us, and completely at our mercy as we had them covered, and we marched them out and took them to the whare and kept sentry over them until the arrival of the main body, about an hour afterwards. Both Pataneana and his mother denied all knowledge of the men whose tracks we had been following for four days, and said they had not seen them. This we knew must be false, and the Natives were very savage at it. The next day, with ray party of foot-men, I proceeded through the bush, following these tracks, which led us over Panekiri Bange down Waikare-Moana Lake ; but here again we were too late, for the three tracks were here joined by two more, one a woman's, and after leading us round one of the bays, abruptly stopped at the water's edge, where we found their canoo had been fastened. Paora Berepu forwarded me your despatch, and I beg to thank you for the very flattering terms in which you write. I found that it would take too long a time to communicate with Hamlin, and get some volunteers from him (as I only had a very limited supply of rations) ; and as the Natives were all willing to go, I determined to make a bold push for Tikitiki with my own lot of men, about forty men