A.—No. 16,

RETURN OF LAND CONFISCATED IN WAITOTARA AND NEW PLYMOUTH.

Description of the Boundaries of that portion of the Confiscated Lands lying between the Waitotaea and New Plymouth. All that area being portions of the Provinces of T.aranaki and Wellington,- containing by admeasurement seven hundred and twenty thousand (720,000) acres, more or less, being bounded as follows: —Commencing at the mouth of the Waitotara Eiver, thence by that river to Porter's Line at Karewarewa, thence by a line bearing N. 22 ° 30' E. until it meets a straight line drawn between Parakino, on the Wanganui Eiver and the summit of Mount Egmont, thence by the last-mentioned line to the summit of the said Mount, thence by a straight line to the source of the Mangoraka Eiver, thence by the said river to the south-eastern boundary of the Omata Block, thence following the southeastern and south-western boundaries of that block to the sea, and thence by the seacoast to the mouth of the Waitotara Eiver aforesaid. Excepting all lands within the said boundaries held by or under the Crown, prior to the dates of proclamation of confiscation. To secure the peace of the district between the Waitotara Eiver and the Town of New Plymouth there are at present between Patea and Waingongoro 154 officers and men in garrison. There are, also, 113 men in the district who are liable to serve in the Militia, who have been called out for " actual service," and who, though not on pay, are available for service whenever required, and from these a Mounted Volunteer Corps of thirty-nine men has recently been organized. Land has been alloted at Waingongoro to 200 of the Native Contingent on certain conditions of military service, and about fifty of these arc in actual occupation of their land. There is also a detachment of one officer and twenty-five men of the Military Settlers doing duty at Warca ; and fifty stand of arms have been issued to Arama Karaka and AViremu Kingi Matakatea, for the use of friendly Natives at Opunake and Umaeea. Liberal grants of land have been made for returned rebels, and the Officers of the Native Department are constantly engaged in attempting to restore confidence and to reconcile the Native mind to British Law. lGth August, 18G7. T. M. Haultaix. A Eesident Magistrate has also been placed in the district. J. C. BICHHOND.