146
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
as may be required, for the six months com-
mencing the 1st of May next. To be delivered
at the Public Offices. The rates per ton to
be specified for the usual size, and also for
such as may be required to be cut and split
to suit the fireplaces in the Public Offices.
W. GISBORNE,
Under Secretary.

TENDERS FOR COAL.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 2nd April 1864.
TENDERS will be received at this Office,
until noon of Friday, 15th April
for furnishing the Offices of the General
Government with Coal in such quantities as
may be required, for the six months commenc-
ing the 1st May next. The rates per ton to
be specified: For best English Coal screened
and delivered at the Public Offices, in 1 cwt.
bags; and for best Newcastle (N. S. W.)
Coal, screened and delivered at the Public
Offices, in 1 cwt. bags.

W. GISBORNE;
Under Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Native Department),
Auckland, April 2nd, 1864.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been
pleased to appoint
JOHN ROGAN, Esq., J.P.
to be a Resident Magistrate under "The
Native Circuit Courts Act, 1858."

WILLIAM FOX.

Colonial Defence Office,
Auckland, 26th March, 1864.
THE following Despatch from Lieutenant-
General Cameron, with its enclosures,
is published for general information.

T. RUSSELL.

Head Quarters,
Pukeremu, 24th March, 1864.

SIR, I have the honor to forward to your
Excellency a copy of a letter from Colonel
Warre, C.B., commanding the troops at New
Plymouth, and its enclosures, relative to a
reconnaissance made by Major Butler, com-
manding 57th Regt., of the rebel position at
Kaitake.

Major Butler executed the difficult task as-
signed to him with judgment and ability, and
the small force under his command behaved
with great steadiness and gallantry under
very trying circumstances.

Lieutenant Larcom, Royal Artillery, dis-
tinguished himself greatly by remaining with
his gun after he had received a severe wound,
and I shall have the pleasure of bringing the
services of this officer, and of the other officers
and men engaged on this occasion, to the
favourable notice of the authorities.

I beg to draw your Excellency's attention
to the very honourable mention made both by
Colonel Warre and Major Butler of Captain
Mace and the men of the Mounted Corps
under his command.
I have, &c.,
D. A. CAMERON,
Lieutenant-General.

His Excellency
Sir Geo. Grey, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.

New Plymouth, New Zealand,
March 12th, 1864.

SIR, Captain Stapp, Adjutant Taranaki
Militia, having reported to me at about 11
o'clock yesterday morning that rebel natives
had been seen near the spot where Mr. Pat-
terson was murdered on the 28th ult., I
determined to carry out a plan I had formed,
not only to cut off the retreat of the rebels,
but to destroy their stronghold at Kaitaki
should I find it feebly defended.

Acting on the supposition that the rebels
had sent out a marauding party from Kaitaki
of about the usual numbers (thirty or forty),
I despatched the Rifle Volunteers under Cap-
tain Atkinson (T.R.V.), direct to where the
natives had been seen.

I signalled to Omata to direct Captain
McKeller (T.M.) to take out thirty men and
place them in ambuscade at Burton's Hill, and
as I knew that Captain Carthew (T.M.) would
be on the alert, having a wood party of thirty
men at or near the Ford on Hurford's Road,
I requested Major Butler, who I sent at once
to Oakura, to tell Captain Corbett (T.M.), to
take some of his men from Parheteri and in-
tercept the rebels at the Upper Ford of the
Oakura River, should they have succeeded in
slipping by the other parties.

I instructed Major Butler, 57th Regt., to
proceed as quickly as possible to Oakura, to
take out the 24lb. howitzer with some rockets
under Lieut. Larcom, R.A., and all the avail-
able men of the 57th Regt. under Captain
Lloyd, 57th Regt., leaving the Redoubt in
charge of Captain Page, of the Taranaki
Militia (Melbourne Volunteers), until I could
send from town one hundred rank and file of
57th and 70th, under Captains Schomberg
(57th) and Wright (70th), to act as a rein-
forcement and support to any of the named
parties, who, the Lieutenant-General will be
good enough to understand, were all conver-
ging towards Kaitaki, on which place Major
Butler was to advance, to ascertain the num-
ber of rebel Maoris left to defend it, and to
act as circumstances might warrant. As
soon as the above arrangements were detailed,
I left the town in charge of Major Baddeley,
commanding Taranaki Militia, and rode to
Poutoko, from whence, seeing Major Butler
seriously engaged, I proceeded to Oakura, in-
structing Captains Schomberg and Wright to
bring on their men as rapidly as possible.

I have the honor to enclose Major Butler's
report of his proceedings, and can fully
corroborate his statement regarding the
conduct of the troops engaged, under
circumstances of no ordinary danger or diffi-