3

G—3.

claim in this block." Afterwards he says, "I am the only person of the three hapus I have mentioned (Ngatiruru, Ngatikoura, and Te AVerokoko), the rest are among the King Natives. They have heard of the survey: it has been done two years. They have said that ' I should carry the case through the Court.' Their word is ' Mau tau mahi,' (you may do your own work)" —a very ambiguous phrase. " I sent them word of the investigation, and they agreed that I should carry the case into the Court.' Waata Tahi, another Ngatihaua claimant, says : —■' I have heard Te Reweti's statement; it is correct. The whole of the hapu mentioned by Te Eeweti own this land. The absent claimants are away with the King; they have consented to the investigation of this land; they have made this statement themselves to us. There are a hundred men in all who have claims to this land. The King's party have given the land over to us. Hoani Pakura, one of the Ngatiapakura claimants, says—" Most of Ngatiapakura are here (about thirty), the rest are with the King (about twenty). We have informed them of our intention to have the land investigated, and they made no objection." AVinikerei, of Ngatiapakura, also says —" Some of our hapu are with the King ; they have come to us and we have spoken to them about the land ; their word was ' Mau atu tau ' (yours is for you). This is an assent on their part (query). They intend to remain inland, and have left the land in our possession." Penetana, another of Ngatiapakura, says—" I have come from the King's party; I arrived here on the 25th October : I have lived with the King Natives, and have just returned ; their word was, ' Haere hei whakatika ito ratou korero' (go to confirm their evidence—Queen Natives). I have now come into Court; I assent to what has been said by the former witnesses. The King Natives do not wish to have anything to do with this land ; they have sent me to ' whakatika' (put straight or confirm) the land for the claimants in Court. I shall stay here and then go backwards and forwards to the King Natives." Aperahama Tuterangipouri, of Ngatihaua, says —" Some of the claimants are with the Hauhaus; lam a Queen Native, 'He aha maku te Hauhau' (what are the Hauhaus to me). I have heard that the Hauhaus are unwilling that we should lease land all over the island. There are a great number of owners to this land amongst tha Hauhaus ; they are more numerous than we are." Tarika te Hura confirms Eewiti AVaikato's statement. Hori Puao says —" There are persons among the King Natives who could dispute the lease, but they have sent word to Te Eeweti, ' Mau ano tau mahi' (It is for you to do your work). This is an assent (very doubtful). I have heard what Eeweti has said —it is correct." AViniata says—" 1 did not hear of any objections made by Ngatiapakura, on the King's side ; I have heard what Te Eeweti has said—it is correct." Wi Huka says—" Ngatihaua, and all the hapus mentioned, have a claim on this land; I do not recognise any other claim." Parakaia te Ponepa, of Ngatiraukawa, on the 7th November, 1868, (vide Enclosure C.) iv withdrawing the claims of Ngatiraukawa to Pukekura and Maungatautari in favor of the resident claimants (Ngatihaua), said that "he wished the investigation of Puahue should be closed, as some of the owners were King Natives, and he wished to ascertain their opinion towards Ngatiraukawa." I do not see that the Native Land Court could, according to the strict rules of law and evidence, have decided otherwise than was done in these cases, as it was not to be expected that the Judges could ascertain the names of all the absentee Hauhaus ; but tho difficulty might, perhaps, have been overcome by the issue of tribal certificates. The only practical way to solve the difficulty, as the law at present stands, appears to be, for the grantees to apply to the Native Laud Court to sub-divide the property, thus cancel the Crown Grants issued for the blocks and have new grants made out in the names of the right persons. Soon after the Native Land Court gave its decision, Captain Wilson obtained leases of the Pukekura and Puahue blocks from the grantees, which he, on the 12th December, 1868, transferred to Messrs. Walker and Douglas. Those gentlemen shortly afterwards placed stock on the land, which were not at first molested by the Natives. On the 6th September, 1870, three head of cattle belonging to the lessees were shot at Maungatautari. On the 20th July, 1871, a hut situated near to Pukekura (but within the confiscated boundary), was burnt. On the 22nd, a bullock owned by the lessees was killed and carried away, and ten sheep were killed. The Natives drove about seventy head of cattle off the Puahue block on the 22nd July, 1871, and three were drowned in consequence. Two horses were stolen from a paddock at Maungatautaii on the 27th December, 1871. After this the Hauhau Natives under Mohi Purukutu, contented themselves with driving the cattle about on the run. A meeting of King Natives was held at Maungatautari on the 24th and 25th January, 1873, at which Hunia te Ngakau, the King's messenger, is reported to have told Major Mair "to have the cattle removed from the Pukekura, Puahue, and Maungatautari blocks."* At that meeting the so called law of the Maori King, that " the sale and lease of lands to Europeans should be stopped," was discussed, and confirmed. Mohi Purukutu had previously to this taken on himself the charge of the Aukati between Wharepapa and Otcwa, (a fact which came personally under my observation at AVharepapa, when I went to see Tawhiao in October last). He appears to have considered that the meeting at Maungatautari strengthened his hands in resisting Mr. Walker's occupation of the Pukekura block, for he immediately after associated with himself Hori te Tumu, Hone Waiti Paekauri, Pere Kapereira Poutururu, Paora Tuhua, AVira Tarawhati, Whina, Herewini Ngamuka, Parata te Ahuru, and Hohepa Motuiti. On the 25th February, 1873, James Laney and others were engaged in cutting a ditch near Eotorangi, on Mr. AValker's freehold land, inside the confiscated line, when Paora Tuhua and Pere Kapereira Poutururu, walked past them, and Paora Tuhua struck Laney on the head with a taiaha, inflicting a very severe wound. Laney and his companions seized the assailant, and although there were several of the " Armed Constabulary " cutting fascines in the neighbourhood, he was released and allowed to depart to his settlement. The success of the attack on Laney seems to have emboldened Mohi Purukutu and his band, for shortly afterwards they gave notice that three Europeans were to be killed, one as utu (payment or revenge) for tho Turangamoana (Firth's) lease ; one for the bridge at Te Niho ote Kiore, Waikato Eiver; and one for the Manukatutahi survey. At the same time they * Hunia Te Ngakau gave no such warning to Major Mair, nor to any other Government officer present at Maungatautari meeting.