306
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

allegiance reached Wanganui about half-
past six p.m., when the wounded were sent
to the hospital, and the unwounded prisoners
handed over to the military authorities.

Late in the evening, Mr. White informed
me that the next day at 12 o'clock there was
to be a large meeting of the Taranaki, Nga-
tiruanui, and Ngarauru rebel chiefs at Paka-
raka, a pa within the recently purchased
Waitotara block, and about seventeen miles
from Wanganui. The chief Rio, who brought
the news, was anxious, knowing that I was
expected, to have waited to see me, but he
was advised to return to Pakaraka to be in
readiness to receive the expected visitors.

It appeared to me so degrading to the
Government, and so calculated to lessen its
influence with the loyal natives, besides being
dangerous to the settlement, to allow such a
meeting, not merely of rebels, many of whom
had been engaged at Moutoa, but of known
murderers, to take place on crown land and
in such immediate vicinity of the town of
Wanganui, where there were 350 troops in
the garrison, and 400 or 500 well-trained
militia out on actual service, that I deter-
mined to proceed myself to Pakaraka and
warn the rebels off the Queen's territory; and
in order to convince them that the Govern-
ment was in earnest, I requested Major
Rookes to accompany me with Captain
Cameron's troop of volunteers. Major
Rookes with the greatest readiness com-
plied with my request, and though he had
only that afternoon dismissed the troop,
telling them that their services would
not be required for some days,
the next morning he had the whole troop
ready at ten o'clock (Wednesday the 25th.)

We rode at a tolerably good pace, and came
within sight of the pa at about one o'clock.
When within three or four hundred yards of
it, I requested Major Rookes to halt the
troop and remain there till I returned. I
then rode off to the pa, accompanied by my
interpreter, Mr. Hamlin, Captain Noake (of
the Colonial Defence Force) and Mr. C.
Broughton. Instead, however of encounter-
ing the great gathering of rebels we had been
led to expect, we only found the friendly
chiefs Rio and Piripi, and a few of their
people, with a slight sprinkling of Kingites.
The meeting, it appeared, had been postponed.

I had therefore to content myself with request-
ing Rio to proceed to Waitotara, where the
rebels were, and tell them that they would
not be allowed either to hold meetings or to
remain on the Waitotara block, and that if
they did not obey my order they should be
driven off by force. Rio promised that he
would start at once, and deliver every word
of my message. We then returned to town.

On Saturday, the 28th, just before leaving
Wanganui, Rio sent in word that he had seen
the rebels; had told them every word I had
said; that they had held a runanga, and had
decided upon finally abandoning the Waito-
tara block and retiring to the north side of
the Waitotara River.

On my way down the coast, I held meetings
with the natives at several of their settle-
ments; but as you visited them a few days
afterwards, it is unnecessary that I should
report what took place at these interviews.
Suffice it to say, that the impression left on
my mind was that Kingism was doomed, and
that there never was so little prospect of the
peace of the West Coast being disturbed.

I. E. FEATHERSTON,
Superintendent.

Superintendent's Office,
Wellington.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Native Department),
Auckland, 14th July, 1864.

THE following half-yearly Reports of the
Officers in charge of the Maori Prisoners
on board the hulk 'Marion,' are published
for general information.

WILLIAM Fox.

HALF-YEARLY REPORT OF SICK AND
WOUNDED MAORI PRISONERS, HULK
'MARION,' COMMENCING 17TH DECEMBER,
1863, ENDING 17TH JUNE, 1864.

S. SAM,
Surgeon,
In medical charge Hulk 'Marion.'

REMARKS.

The diseases which came under my obser-
vation were, with few exceptions, trivial, and
readily yielded to treatment. "Psora" at
first prevailed to a great extent, and nearly
all on board were more or less affected with
it; but now, owing to the stringent measures
which were adopted, there is not even a
trace of it left. Some few cases of "Diarr-
hœa" were treated, and in every instance a
rapid cure established. "Chronic Dysentery"
has been the most fatal complaint, and at
one time seemed inclined to spread. The
victims to the ravages of this malady were