I.—2a

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1331. "Within a few days of this arrangement being made with Paora ? —Yes. Mr. Coleman's partner, Mr. Fountain, was aware of the agreement for the reserve within about an hour after it was made—probably within half an hour. 1332. Tou are quite sure that Mr. AVorgan translated and explained fully to the Natives in the whare the whole transaction ? —Yes; very fully. Eora spoke to me about the reserve of 350 acres on a dozen or twenty different occasions after. 1333. I believe you say that it was pretty generally known that the reserve was promised to Paora. You made no secret of it yourself?-—1 made no secret of it at all. 1331. When you made this agreement to give Paora the 350 acres, why did you not make some stipulation with Mr. Coleman that something should appear on the register, so as to defend Paora's title ? —Mr. Coleman took the thing as it stood, and to hold me harmless. He paid my expenses iv the Supreme Court action that was brought against me by you. 1335. Having got Paora's signature, you did not further trouble yourself to see whether his title to the reserve was defended by any record being placed upon the registry ?—No, I did not. It was decided by so high an authority as the Trust Commissioner that it was not necessary. 133 G. How long was it after the signature of Paora was obtained that you assigned to Mr. Coleman '? —1 cannot say. 1337. Hare you any idea ?—No. I think it was about 1872 or 1873. 1338. Two or three years afterwards ? —Yes. It should have been transferred to Mr. Coleman long before that. My connection with the thing had been equitably settled many months before. As a matter of fact, I believe I executed the transfer to Mr. Coleman after he had sold to Watt. So I ascertained afterwards. At all events he had agreed to the sale to "Watt before I conveyed. 1339. You do not remember what lights were in the whare ?—No. 1 do not think that there was any gas. I think there were just the usual lights. 1310. Do you recollect if there was any light near Paora when you allege that lie signed the deed ? —I do not know how many lights there were. There were just the usual lights in a Maori whare, sufficient for the reading and execution of the deed. 1311. You say that you saw Paora take the pen in his own hand and make a cross ? —Yes. I saw him do that. Paora Nonoi could not write. AVorgan has stated in his evidence that Paora Nonoi could write. He also stated to you another trip we took. AYe went on that occasion to see a Native named Paora Pahi, who wrote a very good hand. So far as lam aware Paora Nonoi never wrote his name—l never saw his signature ; but Paora Pahi wrote a very good hand. 13-12. Could you state whether the £250 was ever paid to Paora ? —I can state that the considera-tion-money agreed upon was paid to Paora and Eora. 1313. AVas the £250 ever paid to Paora ?—lt was. Paora used to send Eora in for things, and Eora got them and money also. 1311. Have you ever rendered Eora an account? —I think so. lam not certain. 1345. Can you state when ? —I cannot. In all probability she never asked for it. I have, I remember, given her invoices on one or more occasions. I think I did so on that particular occasion when she went to Poverty Bay. She received from me at that lime £20 or £30 in money aud goods. It was a very unusual thing for Natives to ask for invoices for goods. 1310. Colonel Trimble.] You were asked by Mr. Eees whether you had been sued by Natives, and the accounts upon which you had been sued still remained unreudered? —The reason the accounts were not rendered was, that I won the case in Court. I was prepared to hand in the accounts upon payment of costs ordered by Court. The costs have not been paid yet, nor the accounts rendered. 1317. When did you begin business with Mr. Hamlin ? —1 am not certain. I think shortly after he came to Napier. I have never done very much business with him, because I went out of business shortly after he came to Napier. 1318. In what year?—l think in IS7I ; hut lam not quite certain. 1349. Do you remember when you began to do business with Mr. Hamlin as interpreter?—l should think about the year 1873 or 1874. 1350. AVere you doing business with Mr. Hamlin at the time you wrote that document? —No; certainly not. Ido not think that he was then in Napier. I think he arrived in Hawke's Bay about 1872. 1351. Sir G. Grey.] AVho was at Mr. Coleman's when you returned from Paora's pa? —Mr. Fountain, Mr. AVorgan, Mr. Morrison, and myself. Fountain was Coleman's partner. AYe had a late tea there. My impression is, that we had tea some time about nine o'clock. AYe had nothing from the time we left town until we got back to Mr. Coleman's. 1352. Is Mr. Fountain now in England ? —I believe so. He was in England a few months ago. I have not heard from him since. He sold his interest in the property to Mr. Coleman a few months after we went to Paora's pa—l fancy some six or eight months afterwards. He went Home, aud Ido not think he has been out since. 1353. Is Mr. Morrison now in Sydney ?—I believe so. He passed through in the " Wakatipu " last trip. I did not see him. I heard that he had passed through Wellington. Perhaps 1 ought to say that, when I was served with this writ, I wrote to Mr. Morrison immediately afterwards. He was in Dunedin at the time. I asked what his recollection was as to what transpired on the night when AVorgan and myself came back from the pa. I believe I said something of this sort: "We agreed to give Paora a reserve. Do you remember the conversation that took place at Coleman's that evening." He wrote back and said that there was a conversation, and that an argument as to what Coleman would say about giving Paora the fifty acres more than was expected. 135-1. Mr. Ormond.] AVas that letter from Mr. Morrison r—Yes. AYe had had some conversation in consequence of what Eora had said. It was necessary to make a reserve, I believe, aud 300 acres was the extent originally proposed. Paora insisted on getting fifty acres more. 1355. Sir George Grey.] Have you got Mr. Morrison's letter ? —No ; I have not got it here. 135(5. Can you produce it ? —I am not certain whether I have it now or not. When the action was over I thought the matter settled, and it is quite possible that the letter is not now in existence.

Mr. Sutton,

25th Nov., 1879,