18

G—3

when they came from Hauraki they settled at Horotiu and took possession of our land, and we went to the Maungakawa hills ; we fought with them with various success until we were joined by Te AVaharoa and Waikato tribes, and my talk is the same as that of Te AVaata; we conquered Ngatipaoa at Taumatawiwi, and sent them back to Hauraki; we then took possession of the whole country, and are in possession now. Aperahama Tv Te Rangipouri, sworn —I am a Ngatihaua; I live at Taupo; I know the land at Maungatautari; the land belongs to Ngatihaua, Ngatikoroki, and Ngatikaukura; we claim it from conquest; there are no other parties to whom the land belongs; Ngatiraukawa owned the land formerly. Te Hakiriwhi Te Pourewa, sworn —I am a Ngatihaua; we claim the land from conquest; we did not take it from Ngatiraukawa, but from N gatimaru; we obtained the land from fighting with N gatimaru; they came here to Horotiu, they were driven from Hauraki by Ngapuhi: they took our food away, also our cultivations, and we fought them then, each side lost a man; we then went to live at Maungakawa; Ngatimaru followed us to Maungakawa, and took away our food that was in the ground, also our land that we had cleared; about this time an armed body of Waikato men arrived at Maungatautari, they were on their way to Ahuriri; Ngatipaoa killed some of them, Waikato sought payment for this; we fought Ngatipaoa, and 1,000 men were killed at Maungakawa; they then went to Maungatautari, and obtained possession of the whole district; they attacked a pa of ours, and we defeated them ; we fought them afterwards at Tamahere, and defeated them; Te Waharoa heard of this and came back from Tauranga, and we fought them at Te Tiki o Hingaroa, i.e., Taumatawiwi, and killed a thousand of them; this defeat entirely broke the Hauraki tribes, and the remnant were led back to Hauraki; we thus became repossessed of our own land, and also of Maungatautari, which we divided amongst us; I was there at the time; the hapus who now own the land are Ngatihaua, Ngatikoroki, Ngatikaukura, Ngatihourua, Ngatihura, and Ngatipari, also Te Euarangi; we thus obtained this land from conquest and from no other source. Reone, sworn —I live at Tamahere; I have a claim to Maungatautari from conquest; I have heard what Te Hakariwhi has stated ; we fought with Marutuahu with various success, until we conquered him at Taumatawiwi, when we took possession of the whole district. Aramete Te Waharoa, sworn—l am a Ngatihaua; I live at Tamahere ; I have a claim to this land ; we fought with Ngatiraukawa in former times ; in Koroki and Te Oro's time, Te Oro killed a number of Ngatiraukawa, and was killed himself by them afterwards; Ngatimaru fought with Ngatiraukawa, and took possession of their land; Ngatihaua fought Ngatimaru, and took the land from them ; Ngatimaru were led back to Hauraki; after that, they returned and fought me, at Matamata, and that was the cause of my obtaining Te Aroha ; no one has driven us off the land. Rereama Tuwhare —I am a Ngatihaua; I claim the land in the same way as that mentioned by the former witnesses ; w 7e own the whole of Maungatautari round to Te Aroha ;my father was killed at Maungatautari, by Ngatimaru. Rehia Te Kauae, sworn —I live at Maungakawa ;lam a Ngatihaua ; I claim this land in the same way as has been stated by the former witnesses, by conquest. R. E. M. Campbell, sworn —I am a licensed surveyor; I surveyed this land; I produce this map ; Mr. Hamlin employed me to make the survey ; Honi AVirihana, Tamiti Turoa, and Tapeta, accompanied me on the survey, and told me the names of the various places ; all the Ngatihaua knew that I was surveying the land; I did not meet with any obstruction; I have no claim for survey ; the map has been passed by the Inspector of Surveys, and I have conformed with all the rules; the block contains 5491 acres ; the boundaries are, commencing at the junction of the Hanoira Creek with Waikato Eiver, and following that creek, which constitutes one of the boundaries of the Pukekura block on the South, by surveyed line to Hora Hora block, on the East by Hora Hora block, and on the North by AVaikato river to the point of commencement. Piripi Whanatangi, sworn—l am a Ngatikokori; I know this land ; I reside at Maungatautari; I have done so continually since the time I took it by conquest, up to the present time ; I have heard the names of the parties mentioned as claimants; there are no other owners ; I state the same as that which has been said by former witnesses ; I am the principal owner, from my continual occupation of the land, from my cultivations ; I have made my mill that is on the land, and my " AVhare Karakia" (church) which I have built, this is the reason I consider that I am the principal claimant. Hami Kokako, of Ngatihaua—l live at Maungatautari; I claim this land; lam a continual resident; my claim is the same as that made by the others. Hakiriwhi stated that all the witnesses they had to bring would speak to the same effect. The Court adjourned to next day. sth Novembee, It was found that the claim made by Hakiriwhi to Te Karaka and other placeß, was the same land as that under investigation. MAUNGATAUTAEI—Continued. Parakaia Te Pouepa, sworn—l am a Ngatiraukawa; I live at Otaki; I knorr this land, Maungatautari; I claim it with the whole of my tribe ; the names of the claimants are, Parakaia Te Pouepa, Te Eei, Tonihi, Karanamu, Te Euanganga, Watene, Wi Bete Te Eai, Eikiana Te Wairoa, Tamehana Noho, Kotahi, Tamehana, Te Hoia, Enoka Te Whanga Kerekeha, and many others; this land belongs to us; my forefathers took this land in former times from Ngatikare, and Ngatimaru; the names of my ancestors who took the land were Koperu, and Hape; the cause of Hape's having killed these people was a murder which they committed : the name of the man who was killed was Kanamoroa; he lived amongst Ngatimaru, and they burnt him, that they might have the land for themselves; this deed was kept secret, but they quarrelled amongst themselves, and the affair was told ;