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4. The old chief Riwai te Kiore, who, as a young man, was himself present at the battle, had always been until then a most violent opponent to the road, but he then gave way and became its warm supporter ; and as far as it passed through Native land it has been constructed almost exclusively by the Maoris themselves. Since the sth of January last, when the sanction of the Natives was obtained, the work has proceeded most rapidly ; and were it not for some bridges, the construction of which has been delayed in consequence of the difficulty in getting the necessary timber, which is caused by the dryness of the season, making it difficult to float the logs down the river, the road would now be open for vehicles for about sixteen miles. 5. Under these circumstances, it was thought desirable that some demonstration should be made, and I readily accepted the invitation to open the road. 6. On landing at the wharf at Grahamstown on the morning of the 21st, I was received by the Harbour Board, the Mayor, and Corporation; and I must not omit to mention that a guard of honor which received me was composed of a Native Volunteer Corps which had been formed in the district. The corps is a most creditable one —they are a fine-looking body of men, active, clean, and well dressed, and apparently very fairly drilled ; and the Hon. lloani Nahe, the Native Member of my Executive Council, was one of the privates in the ranks. 7. After hearing an address from the Harbour Board and the Corporation of Grahamstown, a procession was formed, and I proceeded in a carriage to open the road. 8. On passing the town boundary, I was received by the County Council. Numerous arches had been erected across the road, and on that portion of the road which passed through Maori land these arches, which were very tastefully decorated, had been erected entirely by the Natives themselves. The procession proceeded about three miles along the road to a place close to the scene of the battle, where the Natives had erected an arbour of ferns and boughs; and then, after hearing an address of welcome from them, I declared the road opened, and, after partaking of some fruit which had been provided by the Natives, we returned towards the town. Riwai te Kiore, who is now a very old man, was himself present, and expressed his satisfaction at the opening of the road. 9. On approaching the precincts of the town, I was entertained at a large luncheon by the County Council, and, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I inspected the whole of the Volunteer Corps of the district, which form a most creditable Eorce, amounting to over 500 men. The whole population is almost exclusively employed in quartz-mining, and I have seldom seen a much finer body of men. Unfortunately, time did not admit of my seeing them manoeuvre, but they marched past very creditably. 10. After attending a large public dinner given by the Reception Committee, I proceeded to a ball, which was perhaps the most marked feature of the whole reception, as it was a ball given by the Maoris in honor of the occasion; and it is, I believe, the first instance in which anything of the kind has ever been attempted by them. The ball was given in a large hall in the town, and the whole of the arrangements, which were very good indeed, were carried out by the Maoris themselves. Every one came by invitation, and a large number of the white inhabitants were invited. The Maori ladies were all well dressed in evening dress, and the men were all either in evening clothes or in the uniform of their corps to which many of them belonged; and the dancing was conducted in the most orderly and decorous manner, both races uniting in the most friendly way, and all evidently enjoying themselves to the utmost. 11. This closed the proceedings of the day, and I then embarked on board H.M.S. " Nymphe," and in the morning sailed for Auckland. 12. I have much pleasure in assuring your Lordship that the reception which was accorded me as Her Majesty's Representative was throughout of a most satisfactory character, and strongly evinced the feelings of sympathy and affection towards Her Majesty which are entertained by the inhabitants of the district. 13. The zealous manner in which the Natives joined in the construction of the road when once their consent had been obtained, together with their hearty participation in the demonstration which took place at the opening, will, I hope,