P.—No. 6a.

BAT OF PLENTY. No. 1. Mr. Clarke to Mr. Halse. Sie, — Civil Commissioner's Office, Auckland, 26th October, 1870. I have the honor to transmit for the information of the Hon. the Native Minister, a report from Major Mair, giving an interesting account of his interview with Tamaikowha and party. I think we may now confideutly look forward to the establishment of a permanent peace at no very distant date. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary, Native Department, H. T. Clarke, "Wellington. Civil Commissioner.

Enclosure lin jN to. 1. Major Mair to Mr. Clarke. Sir,— Whakatane, 18th October, 1870. I have the honor to make the following report of an interview with Brueti Tamaikowha in the Waimana Valley. In former communications I have alluded to letters received from this chief, requesting me to meet him, I. was. at first uncertain whether the Government would approve of such a step, but upon the receipt of his last letter—more urgent than the former ones, —I decided upon meeting him. On the morning of the 16th instant, accompanied by Wepiha, Hori Kawakura, Hoani Ngamu, and other chiefs, with eighty men of Ngatiawa, Ngatipukeko, and the Arawa, I left Ohiwa, and during the afternoon, at a place called Te Koingo, met Tamaikowha with about thirty men, and the same number of women <and children, representing all the hapus on the Waimana River. The Hauhaus gave us a very cordial reception, killing two bullocks for our benefit. Tamaikowha spoke first. He said that he had called this meeting for the purpose of establishing the peace made with Major Kemp: that he would never strike another blow against either European or Queenite unless forced to do so. There were three things that would make him do so : first, the forcible taking of his land; second, the murder of any of his people by the Government side; and thirdly, the surrounding of his pa in the night. His animosity to the Government had ceased, and he wished to live in peace. Europeans and Queenites might come and go in twos, threes, fifties, hundreds, or thousands through his country, right up to Maungapowhatu, to look for relatives, to gratify curiosity, to trade, or to pursue Te Kooti; all he asked in return was, that in the latter case he should have warning, and that his kainga and plantations should be respected. He had never been a soldier of Te Kooti, as he had never seen his tika (i.e., the justice of his proceedings). A few of his people had joined him on their own responsibility—those who had returned he had detained, aud those who were still with Te Kooti I might chop in small pieces for all that he cared. Should ho hear any news of Te Kooti's movements, he would report it at once. The peace made with Kepa had been observed by him, and though broken with blood at Ohiwa, he had not retaliated. He should have liked to see the authors of that kohuru here to-day. Why had they not come? This peace applied to all the Ureweras, and they would not be the first to break it. Tapuae, Mahia, and other chief's followed in the same strain ; and tho chiefs of our party replied, all making conciliatory speeches, which met with marked approval from the Hauhaus. I then informed Tamaikowha that he had been one of the chief promoters of trouble in these parts, and but for the peace made by Major Kepa would still have been treated as an enemy; and I was very much pleased with the change that had taken place, and began to think that, after all, there was soma good in him. I also told him that no one would interfere with his land, nor was it likely that anv of his people would be killed. If any of them offended against the law they must be tried for it, but they would not be arrested for having been in arms against us. I said also that the death of Tepene was a blunder, and had been disapproved of by the Government, as well as by all right-thinking people, and that he must forget it and come out with us to Ohiwa. He answered, that what I had said was very good, but he would not come to Ohiwa yet, as it would be said that we had merely made peace with the land, and made him a slave, but it would be better to wait awhile, till the feeling of strangeness had worn off, and then, if I had any food to give him, he would come .and see whether I would put him on board a steamer or not; in the meantime he would live in the Waimana and plant potatoes. By the advice of the chiefs, I said: "We will drop the Ohiwa question at present, but I shall expect so see you there soon." I find Erueti Tamaikowha to be a shrewd, straightforward, bold man, evidently possessing, when he chooses to exert it, more influence than any other man on that side of the Urewera country. Wepiha, Hori Kawakura, and other chiefs, on whose judgment I can rely, are quite satisfied of his sincerity, and the friendly manne* of the whole party convinces me that, with careful management, we have nothing to fear from them. They are a lot of fine active young fellows, and very well armed.

FURTHER REPORTS FROM OFFICERS IN NATIVE DISTRICTS.