war. I say, don’t send your troops up this coast.

The Superintendent insisted upon seeing Matutaero’s letter. Wi Take said he would give him a copy; when Wi Hapi got up, and protested against its being shown to Dr. Featherston until he had perused it. (A copy, a few days’ afterwards was given to Captain Edwards, the Resident Magistrate, at Waikanae.) Before breaking up, the natives expressed a wish that the Superintendent should visit them frequently as long as the present disturbances lasted.

II. THE WAIRARAPA.

In giving an account of the Superintendent’s recent visit to the Natives in the Wairarapa, it is not pretended to give more than a meagre sketch of what took place at the six meetings he held with them in different parts of the valley, and most of which lasted three or four hours. Nor is this necessary, seeing that the addresses of the Superintendent to the Natives in the Wairarapa did not materially differ from those he delivered to the natives at Waikanae and Otaki. The Settlers have already been made aware that the Superintendent visited the district in consequence of a pressing invitation from certain chiefs to meet them in the lower part of the valley (Tuhitarata) on the 18th ult., an invitation only received by him on Saturday, the 15th.

The Superintendent, accompanied by Major Gorton (the Commandant of the Militia), left Wellington on Monday the 17th. Early that morning a special messenger had arrived bringing to the hon. Mr Mantell, a letter addressed to Mr Bidwell by Te Manihera of the Wairarapa, stating that the Natives intended that very day to attack the Hutt Militia. A note to that effect from Mr Bidwell to Mr Ludlam was left at Mr Ludlam’s residence at 5 o’clock in the morning. No time was lost in arousing the whole district and in calling out the militia; and as a necessary consequence, a complete and most absurd panic ensued. While many women and children were making their way to town, the whole male population of the Hutt were on the qui vive; every labouring man losing a day’s work. In consequence of certain escapades of Hutt Militia officers, positive and repeated instructions had been issued to them that they were not to allow their men to bring out their arms, except for the purposes of drill, without the authority of the Commandant. But the whole way up to the Taita, the Superintendent and Major Gorton met men carrying arms. Every one of these men Major Gorton accosted kindly, explaining that in carrying arms they were acting against his orders, but that he did not in the slightest degree blame them, inasmuch as they were obeying their own immediate officers.

Arrived at the Taita, Major Gorton found the Taita Militia company drilling in a field adjoining the road, and Major Gorton at once addressed them, saying, “Men, my orders were to request that you should not take your rifles away from your houses, except for the purpose of training and exercise; but I do not find fault with you, as you obeyed an order given by the Captain contrary to my instructions. You must now bear in mind that you are on no account to go about the country with your rifles unless you get an order from your Captain to do so, who will in the event of danger obtain an authority from the Magistrate pending approval of his Honor the Superintendent, who alone has power to call the Militia out for actual service.” The Major had no sooner finished addressing the men, than they were dismissed either by Capt. Cleland or Capt. Beetham, when they at once rushed to the road and insulted in the grossest possible manner; Major Gorton on account of the remarks he had made, and the Superintendent on account of his known friendliness to the natives.

In the Upper Hutt, the panic caused by these ill-judged proceedings was almost as great; but the men had so far cooled down, that they were asking who was to pay them for the day’s work they had lost. The Superintendent induced a few refugees to turn back to their homes. When the Superintendent arrived at Featherston he found so many families leaving the district, that instead of going to the lower part of the valley, the place of meeting, he pushed on to Greytown with a view to reassure the settlers. He ascertained, as he had surmised on his way up to the Hutt settlers, that Manihera’s letter to Mr Bidwell was written when he was drunk, if it was not written at the instigation of a drunken publican. Ngatuere and his people, the instant they heard of the Superintendent’s arrival (on Tuesday, the 18th inst.) galloped up to meet him, and almost threatened to prevent him proceeding to attend the meeting at the lower part of the valley, until he had heard their say. Ngatuere and his fol.