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friendly natives were some 30 or 40 Kingites, who have most of them since renounced Kingism and taken the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

The meeting last evening already alluded to as taking place in the runanga house lasted several hours, but the purport of the speeches was the same as at the great meeting held to-day at Ranana (London) it is needless to report them.

In the course of this morning (Friday, 20th,) Hori Kingi and his party, whom we had left behind at Otumairo, arrived, and after a tangi and some speechifying we proceeded to Ranana, where now nearly the whole of the loyal natives were assembled.

At the meeting held in the latter part of the day nearly all the chiefs spoke, so that it is impossible to give more than one or two.

Mete Kingi: "I was on my way to town to ask for instructions as to our course of proceeding for the future, to ask for assistance in the way of arms and ammunition, and to know what I am to do about the prisoners. Now you have come, our way is clear; it is a good thing you have done in coming here. You, the representative of the Governor. Our hearts are light through seeing this day."

Haimona: "We want guns; old fashioned muskets with caps for the older men, double barrelled guns and rifles for the younger men, with powder, lead, caps, and most of all we want soldiers to be stationed at each pa as they are on the Waikato. We also want big guns to protect our pas, and to be assisted in our commissariat, for most of these men have left homes and cultivations. We want military settlers the same as they have on the Waikato. We are prepared to give them land if they protect us; but above all things let us have roads made into this river to bring up supplies, and also that soldiers may be brought to our assistance."

Hoani Wiremu: "Let my road be made at once through the Kokoro to come out near Parikino, and let Pakeha and Maori work together at this road."

Hori Kingi and others chiefly referred to the prisoners, the purport of their speeches being: "We have fought for the Queen and for the protection of the Pakehas. We have killed in the battle of Moutoa many of our nearest relations and friends. We have taken others of them prisoners. Have we not done enough for the Queen and our Pakehas? Must we surrender these prisoners to be sent to Auckland or Wellington and there put in gaol. But if they must be surrendered, whatever you say shall be done. Cannot Te Raimona be given up to us? He is nearly related to every chief of this river, to all of us; but if you decide that they must be all given into your hands, we will do so." In replying I stated that I had come up on behalf of the Government and settlers to thank them for

the stand they had made against Matene and his fanatics, for having displayed such bravery, and for having achieved such a signal victory; that I sympathised deeply with all those who had lost their friends and relations in the fight; that I felt certain the Government would provide for the widows and orphans and also for the wounded; that with respect to assistance, I had already supplied them with ammunition and as many guns as I could procure at Wanganui, that more should be sent from Wellington; that I would supply them with provisions from time to time as long as they were kept away from their homes and cultivations; that with regard to the prisoners, they were rebels taken fighting against the Queen, and were therefore Queen's prisoners; that I was bound to insist upon their all being handed over to me; that the Governor alone had the power to pardon and liberate them. To all this they answered, "Good; it shall be as you say, we will go with you and take the prisoners."

Saturday, 21st.—This morning I proposed that I should go and see Pehi accompanied by my interpreter, and asked for a canoe. Hori Kingi at once got up into a state of great excitement, and while addressing the natives said, "Is Petatone mad, is he come here to bring confusion amongst us?" When I asked for an explanation, he replied, "Am not I responsible for your life; if you are killed and I kill Pehi, will that be sufficient utu for your death? When I left Wanganui I promised that if you were killed I would be killed also. I allowed you to go from Otumairo to Koroniti without me the other evening, because you were only pass friendly pas; but beyond this you are not safe unless protected by a sufficient force. Hori Kingi must and will go wherever Petatone goes. Wait till Monday, and we will all accompany you to the pa where Pehi at present is." There was no resisting such an appeal as this. In the afternoon, however, they sent me with a large force to Tawhitinui and Kauaeroa, two pas where there was a considerable number of wounded rebels, and where the majority of the prisoners were being kept under a sort of surveillance, for they could scarcely be said to be in custody. Dr. Fletcher having dressed their wounds we returned to Ranana. Late at night all the principal chiefs came into my tent, and again asked whether I could not let off the prisoners, especially Te Raimona; when I repeated that I had no power to comply with their request, they went away saying, "We will say no more about them, they will surrender all of them to you on Monday."

Monday, 23rd.—I started early this morning with a force of 130 armed men in six large canoes. There was evidently a gloom hanging over them—they paddled lustily enough, but there was no singing, no chaffing, none of that exuberant excitement