A.—No. 3

8

Tito ITunataua, Con inued.

58. The Chairman.] Do you know anything about the arms and accoutrements of a man of the Military Train, said to have been found in the village of Pokaikai, on the night of the attack?— Yes ; I do know that the man was shot by tho Natives during the time that hostilities were going on, and his arms and accoutrements were in the village.

Camp Matangaraea, Thtjesday, 19th Maech, 1868. Natanahira Ngahina having been duly sworn, was examined. 59.] The Chairman. What is your name, where do you reside, and to what tribe do you belong ?— My name is Natanahira Ngahina, and before the war I resided at Ohangai, but I now reside at Matangarara. lam a chief of the Tangahoe hapu of the Ngatiruanui Tribe. 60. What do you know about the attack upon Pokaikai ?—Whilst we were engaged in hostilities against the British Government, a number of Natives assembled from different villages at Otapawa. Some months before General Chute's Campaign, Mr. Parris came to Kauae, and he sent letters to Otapawa. The chiefs assembled at Kauae, and I was present. Notice was given to us all, that the Kauae Natives had agreed to make peace. The people of the Tangahoe hapu appointed Hone Pihama to represent them in their dealings with Mr. Parris, and . to watch his proceedings and the Governor's intentions with regard to our hapu. Hone Pihama went to Taranaki with Mr. Parris, and we chiefs returned to Otapawa, and the sword was resumed. The British Forces came, and Otapawa was attacked and taken. Te Ua, before Otapawa was taken, had been living there, but had left sometime previously and taken up his residence at Oco, which is Hone Pihama's village. The Kauae peace extended from Waingongoro to Matakaha, and Oeo is situated within those limits. Te Ua was taken by General Chute from Opunake to Wellington, and ho afterwards came back with instructions from the Governor to propose to the Ngatiruanui Tribe that they should make peace. Te Ua came to Pokaikai. All the people from tho neighbouring villages were assembled in that village. To Ua proposed peace, and all the people were willing to make jjeace. They appointed me to go with Te Ua to Taranaki, whence Mr Parris was to send me to the Governor. It was the twenty-seventh July, 1866, and we had not started, when Beupena Tahi came to Pokaikai bringing a white pocket handkerchief upon which were written the words Bongo Pai (Peace), a percussion cap, a cartridge, and a bottle of spirits. All these things were placed in the midst of the people. The people considered as to what these articles meant. They came to the conclusion that the cap and the cartridge meant tho destruction of man, that the bottle of spirits was made to cause man to be drunk, and that in the pocket handkerchief there was life. The pocket handkerchief was retained, and they returned the other articles by the hands of Beupena to Lieut.-Colonel McDonnelf, intending to convey to that officer their wish that peace should be made. Then Te Ua, I, and Hamiora, started for Taranaki, that Mr. Parris might send me to Wellington. On arriving at Waingongoro, we went to the quarters of Captain Dawson, and Te Ua wrote a letter to the Governor at Wellington, and I wrote a letter to Wirihana, Captain in the Native Contingent at Manawapau. Te Ua and myself gave the cartridge, the percussion cap, and the bottle of spirits, to Captain Dawson, who sent them by a Trooper to Lieut.Colonel McDonnell, at Manawapou. Wo then proceeded to Kauae and there slept. About midnight a letter arrived from Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell addressed to Te Ua, asking Te Ua to wait at Kauae till the Lieut.-Colonel should arrive. Hone Pihama was with us, and he went from Kauae to Waingongoro to meet Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell. He found Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, Aperaniko, a Wanganui Native, and the Troopers on the road, and he returned with them to Kauae. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell proposed to us and some wild men from other parts to make peace. I saluted Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell and Aperaniko, and I sang a song to the effect that I was willing to make peace, but that I did not wish to be hurried into so doing. The Lieut.-Colonel asked me to dine with him, a dinner having been prepared by the villagers for him. When we had finished dinner, Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell told me that he wished me to go with him to Patea, and then he would send his brother with me to Wanganui, and thence to Wellington where I should see the Governor. Hone Pihama objected, saying that this plan was not good. " You have already seen him (Natanahira) at this place, let him go with us to New Plymouth." Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell persisted in pressing me to go to Patea, and at length I replied —" Oh McDonnell your words are good, but I have not power in myself to go with you, because the people who sent me told me to go with Te Ua to Taranaki, whence Mr. Parris was to send me to Wellington." He still persisted in pressing me to go to Patea, and Wi Hukauui said to me, " friend ) rou must go with him." I replied to Wi Hukanui as I had before replied to Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell. At length after a deal of pressing I consented to go with him to Waingongoro with Hone Pihama, but to return from'that place to Kauae. Lieut'.-Colonel McDonnell then returned to Waingongoro. In the night we had a talk, and the people who were conveying me to Taranaki would not permit me to go to Waingongoro, and these people were Mohio, Bahui, Kohara, and Matiu of the Taranaki Tribe, and Wi Pakou of the Katiawa Tribe, Te Ua, and Hone Pihama. I wen); with them on the following morning towards Taranaki^and I sent back Hamiora, who is my wife's nephew, with Wi Hukanui, to Waingongoro, to Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, to tell him that the people with mo would not allow me to go to him at Waingongoro. 61. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell.] During the first part of our interview at Kauae, did you not say to mo that before peace could be made, I must return to Wanganui with my men, and that the survey of the confiscated land must be stopped at once?—l do not recollect using these words. 62. Did you not inquire about the conficated lands, and did you not ask me whether they would be restored. Did I not send you a letter couched in general terms promising that a certain portion of the confiscated lands would be restored ?—I do not recollect whether I asked about the lands. lam not clear about it. There was no talk about land at Kauae, but a letter from the the Government written in English, was translated viva voce by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell. The part of that letter which I remember related to peace and war. 63. Did you not promise me to come to me at Waingongoro the next day and make peace, and then proceed to Wellington to see the Governor about the land ?—Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell's word

jStatancrftira NgaJiinu. 19th March, 1868.