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while they are slowly but surely improving their condition, they must, at .the same time, see that it will be to their interest to maintain peaceful relations with the dominant race, while we too shall feel that, in a few years at the farthest, all risk of a collision will pass away. I have, &c, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. W. G. Mair.

No. 8. Mr. C. Marshall, Port Waikato, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir,— Port Waikato, 16th May, 1877. I have the honor, in compliance with your circular of the 23rd March last, to report, for the information of the Hon. the Native Minister, the state of the Natives in this district. They have improved considerably in health since my last report; the deaths confined principally to the aged. lam glad to be enabled to state that intemperance amongst the Natives generally has greatly decreased, which no doubt tends to the improvement in the health, the most numerous deaths occurring in localities where the Natives have easy access to and habituate themselves to the use of intoxicating drinks; the money that should be expended in substantial food is spent for the parents' gratification, leaving the children bare of sustenance, whereby disease is engendered, and the children sacrificed. The feeling generally expressed by the Natives at the murder of Mr. Samuel Morgan is that of condemnation; but they do not exhibit the abhorrence for the act that they would have done had the party murdered been one of themselves : evidently showing the want of amity towards the Europeans. Those who have been visiting in the " King " country do not hesitate in saying that had the murderer reached there he would have been protected, and not given up to the authorities. The Natives generally express a great desire for the education and improvement of their children by qualified and respectable European teachers, and would gladly contribute food and clothing for them ; but a difficulty arises, from the families being in many cases dispersed and widely separated. Meetings have been held by the Natives upon the subject, and the result of the proceedings forwarded to the Native Office. A Mr. Ogilvie has commenced a school at Huarau, near Waiuku, for Native children; but only the children within the immediate locality (about six), with one exception, attend it. The Natives speak very favourably of his success in teaching, and his treatment of the children. There has been considerable opposition by a section of the Ngatitipa tribe to the erection of stations for the carrying on of the trigonometrical survey over their land. The result is, the survey of that portion has been stopped. lam sorry to say that the Ngatitipa tribe have very much degenerated since the death of their chief Waata Kukutai. From the favourableness of the season, the crops have been abundant, so that the Natives are well provided, and consequently in a much better position than they were last year. I have, &c, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. C. Marshall.

No. 9. Mr. E. S. Bush, Eaglan, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — Eesident Magistrate's Office, Eaglan, Bth May, 1877. I have the honor, in compliance with your circular of March 23rd, 1877, to furnish the usual report on Native matters in the Eaglan and Kawhia Districts. Condition of the Natives. It affords me much pleasure to report so favourably of the Natives generally in these districts. Their conduct for the past year shows a slight improvement, this being the first of many years without a single Native being brought before the Court, either for theft or any other cause. They still maintain their good name for their sober habits, not a single case of drunkenness appearing on the records of the Court, against any member of the race, since my last year's report. They have been free from any epidemic, and the mortality consequently is less than in the two previous years. The form of registration to be kept by officers iv Native districts, being the only possible way, in my humble opinion, of acquiring a proper census of the Maori people, when completed and carefully kept cannot fail to be most useful records, although many omissions must necessarily occur of unknown Natives in the interior of the King country. Disposition. During the past year I have visited the different tribes resident here, at Aotea, and Kawhia, from time to time as occasion seemed to require, on all of which visits I was well received. The Hau-Hau Natives appear altogether to have laid aside that demeanour so marked a few years ago, plainly indicating a distrust for the European, especially for those in the Government service; but now chiefs and all always appear anxious to welcome an European, and enter into