E—No. 9 Sec. VI.

very angry and left Mr. Chambers' late at night, giving me to understand that I need not call at his Pah the next day, as he should leave it, and should take such steps about the laud in question as he thought fit. I called at his Pah next day in passing notwithstanding, and found he was not there. During the next fortnight I visited every place of importance South of Napier, and have requested the Resident Magistrate of the District to do so monthly. I then returned to Napier, where I met His Excellency the Governor and also Mr. Donald McLean. Having when commencing my journey heard that Mr. McLean was in the Province for the purpose of settling any outstanding land purchase disputes, I wrote offering to meet and co-operate with him in their adjustment We did not however meet until my return to Napier, when we proceeded to take such steps as he will no doubt have made you acquainted with. Other claims await his return, and I feel assured I shall best meet the wishes of the Government by doing all in my power to assist, him in settling them. As soon as circumstances permitted, I started again to visit the Native settlement lying North of Napier, as far as the boundary of the Province near Table Cape. I found this District little known and much neglected. Its population is said to be more than equal to that of the two other Districts together. At Waikari (but one long day's journey from Napier) the Natives told me they had never seen a Clergyman for four years. The conduct of some of the Europeans who have located themselves in the Mohaka and Wairoa Districts, would almost lead one to suppose that they were the barbarous, and the Maoris the more civilized, people— scenes of drunkenness and outrage are described in which men have taken part whose education and position should have led to a very different line of conduct, and which bring the moderation and forboarance of the Natives into very strong contrast. Those evils have now been greatly lessened by the Natives, who have interdicted the introduction of spirits to their own side of the Mohaka where there is no European land, whilst on the Wairoa which is altogether Native land thejr have excluded spirits altogether, and have even had recourse to the strong measure of suppressing a public-house licensed by the Provincial Government, upon the plea that as it stood upon Native land they were justified in so doing. They told me they are aware that spirits are still smuggled into the river by Europeans, but so long as it is confined to themselves and not made an annoyance to the Natives, they shut their eyes to the breach of Maori law. Several Europeans are located upon the banks of the Mohaka, on laud purchased from Government, who take no part in the excesses of which I have spoken, but are anxious they should cease. I have addressed letters to the two Magistrates who live there, begging their co-operation in bringing about a better state of things, and I have desired the Magistrate who visits the district this month (pending the appointment of a Resident Magistrate) to report to me upon the subject. There are also about thirty adult Europeaus living on the banks of the Wairoa ; they generally occupy three or four acres of Native land each, upon which they have built their houses, paying a ground rent of £1 an acre ; many of them have formed Maori connexions, and have half-caste families ; they employ themselves in trading with the Natives, with whom they seem to live on good terms, in sawing timber, splitting posts and rails, &c, and many of them appear very decent men, and pay a good deal of attention to the bringing up of their children. There are two schoolmasters here, to whom I will allude in a separate paper. There is a large amount of good agricultural land on the Wairoa, and a considerable amount of grain might be raised there; but it is generally in a very neglected state, but partially cultivated by the Natives, who are said to have patches of such cultivation for thirty miles up the river. They seem, however, determined to retain it in their own hands, and as the number of children here is in much larger proportion than I have generally met with in New Zealand, I think it not improbable that in a few years they may require it all. I found no Europeans living north of the Wairoa, until I reached Waikokopu, near the rock of the Mahia Peninsula, though there is a fair extent of cultivable land lying between the coast and the nearest range of hills. From Waikokopu, however, a few Europeans occupy the small bays of the peninsula, where whaling stations of some importance once existed but have now nearly all died out. The principal Native kaiugas are at Wakaki, Nuhaka, Mahia, Wangawaio and Nukutaurua, but there are some others both inland and on the peninsula which I did not see. It will be an essential part of the Resident Magistrate's duty to make himself acquainted with the more remote parts of his district, and if ho he fitted for his office I conceive his influence and example will be of great value to both Natives and Europeans. The political aspect of the northern division of the Province appeared to me more satisfactory than that of the southern; the Natives more loyal, straightforward, and anxious to receive European law, though it will deprive them of power which they have hitherto used without control, but not without discretion. Their interference with the Europeaus living amongst them has been sometimes beneficial, occasionally vexatious, but rarely oppressive. Thus their suppression of the grog nuisance has been beneficial, whilst their occasionally extorting 3s. or 4s. for ferrying a traveller across a stream has boan vexatious. An instance also was mentioned to me by a sheep fanner who occupies Native land, where they stopped him for travelling on a Sunday, and detained him till the next day, but fed and lodged him well, and charged him nothing but 5s. for his horse's corn; but being told by some one in authority that they had done wrong, they followed him 20 miles to return him the 5s. The only acts of oppression named to me were two, in one of which, a woman under exclusion from the kainga having taken refuge in the house of a settler on European land, they looted his house, but subsequently

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