E—No. 9 Sec. IV.

recommend that the request of the Tarawera Runanga, contained in the enclosed letter on this subject, receive the favorable consideration of the Government. The proposed road would form part of the present mail route between Tarawera and Opotiki. The mailman has now to cross the lake, which can be done only with a fair wind or in comparatively calm weather: so that without a road overland frequent delays will occur. The distance is about ten miles. A good bridle-path might be made at a very moderate expense. It would communicate with the road between Tarawera and Rotorua, and by that with the Rotorua and Maketu road, now about to be improved at the Government expense. Hearing that the inland road between Tarawera and Te Awa-a-te-Atua was in a bad state, I decided to visit the Ngatiawa residing there and at Whakatane, by way of the coast. I therefore prepared to return to Maketu, intending to go on from that place to Tauranga, where I hoped to find letters, not having received any communication from the Government since I left Auckland. While still at Tarawera, I received an intimation from Ohinemutu, that the Tutanekai had been deliberating on the subject of my communications with them, and were anxious that I should visit them again; which I accordingly did, and after a little further discussion received their assent to the arrangements proposed by me. They wished, however, to reserve the points previously discussed for reference to His Excellency when he should pay Rotorua his promised visit, but ceased to insist upon them as conditions upon which they were willing to accept the new system. They agreed to have one Runanga for Rotorua, in which all the tribes resident there should be represented; and promised to name a certain number of their tribe as members after communicating with the Maketu section of the tribe, whom they blamed for entering into a new arrangement without first bringing the matter before their own Runanga, now to be superseded. Before leaving Rotorua, I purposed visiting the Ngatirangiwewehi, a section of which, the Ngatikereru, are favorably disposed. I was, however, anxious to prevent, if possible, any division of the tribe; and proposed to go to Puhirua, the residence of Kaingarara (who brought the Waikato flag into the district), for the puipose of inviting the whole tribe to join with their neighbours in accepting the new system. Circumstances had, however, arisen during my absence at Tarawera which led me to consider it more prudent to defer my visit for a time; and news having just arrived that- Wi King, their Assessor, and another Chief, were then at Taupo on their way home after a long absence in the South, I decided to postpone my visit until my return from Whakatane. I accordingly wrote to Wi Kingi, also to Kaingarara and to the whole tribe, intimating my wish to visit them; forwa ding copies of the printed document containing the proposed plan of government, and requesting that a time and place might be appointed for me to meet them and explain matters more fully. Leaving final arrangements until my return, I left Rotorua on the 17th, and arrived at this place on the 18th instant. At Maketu, I learnt that the Awa-a-te-Atua and Whakatane Natives had assembled, and wailed for me some time; but were then dispersing, in consequence of being obliged to attend to the wheat harvest. A large party of them have just arrived here, where they have wheat cultivations; among them several of their principal chiefs. I shall lose no time in communicating with the latter, and endeavour to appoint a time for meeting their people at their own places; but I fear it will be impossible to assemble them until after the harvest is over, in which case a journev down the coast al.the pr. sent time would be useless. From what I have been able to gather, I have every reason to believe that these people (the Ngatiawa) will readily accept the new system. It will be necessary for me to visit Rotorua again before returning to Auckland, for the purpose of completing arrangements, in which I hope to include the Ngatirangiwewehi. This brief sketch of my visit to the Arawa tribes will, I trust, enable the Government to form some opinion as to the state of the Native mind in a very important district, and to judge how fat a suitable field is to be formed here for a trial of the new system of Native government. With reference to the Tauranga people, I find it hopeless to think of getting any business done until after harvest, as they cannot be got together. I have, however, communicated with most of the principal men, excepting Hone Tupaea, who has just returned from Hauraki, and whom I shall make a point of seeing befoie leaving this. I learn itom them that there is small probability of getting any unanimous reply to the proposal of the Government. At the same time, almost all the men of any rank or importance in the Ngaiterangi tribe profess to be with the Government, and are desirous that the new system should be introduced at once. The Ngaiterangi living on the East side of the haibour are for the most part well affected; so also the Mangatapu people, These would together form a respectable party, and their acceptance of the Government institutions would, I think, be a sufficient warrant for including Tauranga in a district to be worked under the new system. By placing the boundary at Te Wairoa; the most disaffected portion of the Tauranga people —those connected with the Ngatihaua—would he excluded, but might at some future time be associated with the Thames tribes in a separate district Mr. Clarke concurs in the opinion that, taking all circumstances into consideration, it will be advisable to include Tauranga in any Native district which may be now constituted in this part of the Bay of Plenty. I enclose herewith a description of boundaries of a district which Mr. Clarke and I think might be proclaimed at once, should the Government consider it expedient to do so. We are of opinion that the tribes occupying the coast between Ohiwa and the newly constituted Waiapu district, will be more conveniently provided for by the constitution of a separate district for them than by including all in one. Those tribes who will be included in the proposed district—viz., the Ngaiterangi, the Arawas, and the Ngatiawa—may, it is hoped, be willing to work together; but it is questionable whether those south of Ohiwa would do so, if included in the same district. As I hope shortly to communicate personally with the Government on the subject of the arrangements for bringing the new system into operation, it will not be necessary for me to do more

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