G.—2

1890. NEW ZEALAND.

REPORTS FROM OFFICERS IN NATIVE DISTRICTS. [In Continuation of G.-3, 1889.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Undeb-Secbetary, Native Department, to Opficebs in Native Distbicts. Sik,— Native Office, Wellington, 12th May, 1890. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Native Minister, to request you will be good enough to forward as early as convenient, but not later than the 12th proximo, the annual report upon the state of the Natives in your districts, for presentation to Parliament. I have, &c., T. W. Lewis, Under- Secretary.

No. 2. Mr. H. W. Bishop, R.M., Mangonui, to the Undeb-Secbetaby, Native Department. Sib, — .Resident Magistrate's Office, Mangouui, 12th June, 1890. In compliance with the request conveyed in your Circular No. 7, of the 13th ultimo, I have now the honour to report as follows upon the state of the Natives in my district: — During the past year the general health of the Natives has been very good indeed. There was a slight outbreak of typhoid some months ago at Matihetihe, a small settlement on the coast, between Hokianga Heads and Whangape, but steps were successfully taken to prevent its spread. At the present time a mild form of la grippe is prevalent throughout the district, but I have not heard of any fatal cases. In December last several deaths occurred at Rawhiti, near Russell, from eating poisonous honey. It appears to be established beyond doubt that in some localities honey, at certain times of the year, is highly poisonous. In the Rawhiti instances the honey partaken of was from boxes, and the same bees had been periodically robbed by the Natives and the honey eaten with impunity. Again, in April last four Natives living near here found a bee-tree in the bush well stocked with honey. They ate ravenously of the honey, and very shortly afterwards were taken seriously ill. They managed to crawl home, and their friends immediately sent for Dr. Trimnell, who attended without delay. By this time their convulsions were so acute that the doctor despaired of saving their lives. He, however, persevered in what he considered the right treatment, and they ultimately recovered. The Natives now throughout the North are so intensely scared that they will for the future leave honey alone, fond of it as they are. The fanatics at Upper Waihou still keep up their peculiar mode of living. They hold themselves entirely aloof from other Natives. They have gained no fresh adherents lately, and do not appear likely to give us much further trouble. There has been very little crime indeed in the district of late, and the Court records in this respect will compare favourably with those of any other Native district in the colony. This immunity from crime is owing to a great extent to- the wide spread of temperance amongst the Natives ; a few, of course, still give way to excess, but it is the exception and not the rule to see drunken Natives nowadays. I regret that there is no improvement to be noticed in their mode of life and in the extent of their cultivations. The ease with which they can earn money by gum-digging of course accounts for this, and the necessarily roying life is directly demoralising. The Native schools are still fairly well attended, and are of great value as a civilising agency. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary, H. W. Bishop, Native Department, Wellington. Resident Magistrate, I— G. 2.