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 218 Saturday, 3rd May.—Mr. Norcott, lieutenant of mounted police, came here to-day to say that he had seen the natives, and that they had desired him to tell all the white men that they were friendly and would take no revenge on us for what had occurred. He had not long gone when Nat Shaw came galloping to tell us to look out for ourselves and our stock, for the natives had just speared one of the soldiers. He galloped off for the Doctor. I have not heard since whether the man is dead or not. The soldier was standing alone at the Barracks, when a shower of spears was thrown in at the door; one entered his abdomen. I went to shoot a duck to-day on the river; and just as I had fired, while standing in the boat, the boy gave a pull with his oars. I fell on my back, and the gun fell overboard into the very middle of the river. Here was a predicament! I immediately stripped and dived, and, after a quarter of an hour's plunging and groping, I fortunately touched it with my foot and got it up.

Wednesday.—The poor soldier died yesterday (May 6). It appears that Weeip was the chief contriver of the murder, which was perpetrated in the most treacherous manner, after eating bread from the soldiers and shaking hands with them, to throw them off their guard. There were three soldiers there at the time, and a woman and child; both of the latter had a narrow escape for their lives, the spears having touched the woman's arm and grazed the skin of the child's temple. The natives disappeared immediately before a shot could be fired. The spear which killed the man went right through his body, struck the wall against which he was sitting, and in some extraordinary way rebounded so as to fall out of his body. It was an armed spear, serrated near the point with pieces of quartz. We are all in indecision as to what is the best course to pursue. Our Government seems so nervous as not to know what to do, but I am sure no settler will now feel any compunction in putting Weeip or his associates to death if they could be found. They have all vanished now,