G.—±

Heads. When Henry Barkley was saved from the " Orpheus " lie wrote to the Government m reference to our services, and Sir Dillon Bell told me of his having done so. 437. The Commissioners : We shall carry this word to the Government. 438. Mori Kokako, of Waitara, said : I wish to refer to what Mr. Parris said in his evidence yesterday. He named four tribes —Pukerangiora, Manukorihi, Otaraoa, and Ngatirahiri —respecting land at Rimutauteka. I desire that this land should be divided among the above-named tribes.

At Waitaea, Monday, Bth Maech, 1880. 439. Perere Nikorima, of the Ngatirahiri Tribe, said: I wish to speak about the block from Titirangi to Eau-o-te-Huia. I asked Sir Donald McLean, on two or three occasions, to restore this land to me ; but he said, "Wait until I inquire into the matter." I now apply to the Commissioners to have this land returned to me, and that the Europeans who are now living upon the land should leave it. Now that Sir Donald McLean is dead, the matter still remains open ; and I apply to the Commission to have the land restored. 440. The Commissioners requested Mr. Parris be good enough to explain the particulars of this land. 441. Mr. Parris said: The block is known as the Tikorangi Block. It contains, I believe, from 2,000 to 3,000 acres. Half of it is for the Ngatirahiri and half for the Otaraoa. It is all included within the confiscated boundary. The Ngatirahiri Tribe, during our difficulties, were always loyal. They were with us on various expeditions against the enemy. The land in question is situated on the war-paih taken by the Northern Maoris as they came down to the South. They used to strike inland from the beach to get to Pukerangiora and come south. I was requested by the Government to induce the Ngatirahiri to move off the land, in case of mischief happening : and they went down near to the coastline, between Titirangi and Bau-o-te-Huia. During the war, this Tikorangi Block was taken for two companies of Volunteers. In making that arrangement, Mr. Monro, who was in New Plymouth, went with me to Materikoriko to meet some of those people, and explain what wfas going to be done. I allude to the portion of the Ngatirahiri who had settled at Materikoriko, which place was once a military post. When w re abandoned it they went there to live. We explained that the Government were going to take a block of land for the two companies. The surveyor had been requested to give information as to the extent of frontage he would require to supply land sufficient for the two companies, and he said that three miles running east from Waitara in a direct line would be sufficient. Some time after that, it was recommended that the matter should be settled out of Court between the Government and the Natives. Mr. Turton was acting as Crown Agent in Waikato at the time, and the Government appointed him and myself to see if we could get the matter settled. Mr. Turton was ordered down, and came to this district. While he was here "No. 2 Company went and occupied the land outside the block, and extended the line down so as to reach the Onaero Biver. Without consulting me or making me acquainted with his intentions, Mr. Turton came away from New Plymouth and went to the Ngatirahiri and the two companies of Volunteers, and he took the line down into Onaero Eiver. The Natives became very much excited aud disturbed about it, and sent me word that they would have their lives taken before they would give the land up. I wrote to Mr. Turton and asked him how it was that he was taking this step without consulting me, as he had been appointed to act with me in the matter. In reply to my letter, he said that he did not know it was at all necessary for him to put himself in communication with the Civil Commissioner. I wrote him another short note, telling him I could not understand him, and stating that he had been appointed to act with me, and I therefore could not understand his letter. He sent me back another very short and curt reply ; and I then sent him a note stating that there would be no further correspondence from me, and that I would submit the whole matter to the Government. I sent copies of the correspondence to the Government: and Colonel Haultain, then Defence Minister, came down almost immediately, when Mr. Turton was ordered to return to Auckland. The first thing Colonel Haultain did was to remove No. 2 Company of Volunteers from part of the land. I explained to him that I had been instructed to point out that the furthest point they w rere to go to was three miles from Waitara Eiver. The Ngatirahiri have never given this question up, though they never resorted to violence. They were living in their settlements there, and their peach-gardens and everything they had were there, when, to accommodate the Government, they moved dow rn the coast. The Natives were constantly referring to the matter and urging me to have the Volunteers moved off the land. The answer I gave them was that the Europeans had become as a large rock very deeply embedded, and that it was not in my power to remove them. Nothing was done until Sir Donald McLean, on one occasion, came here with Wi Parata, who was a member of the Ministry at the time. The whole question was gone into at Waitara, where a very large meeting was held, just below Mr. Halse's house. Sir Donald McLean, after hearing the statement the Natives made, said he considered they had been unfairly treated; and was prepared to pay them a very large sum of money, which they refused to take. They always said that Te Whiti would restore the land to them. Settlers going north had ahvays been in the habit of using the road running along the coast close to the cliff north of Titirangi. There was for a long time great agitation to bave a road taken through the block from the Waitara township, passing through Titirangi, going north to Eau-o-te-Huia. I had a great deal of trouble in negotiating for the road, but at last I succeeded, and recommended that the Natives should be paid for the land, or that fencing should be put up by the Government on both sides of the road. I got instructions from Sir Donald McLean to offer them £500 to settle the question. I called a meeting at their place, Turangi, aud explained the matter to them. The half-caste here now, Hori Tukimana, was present. A portion of them were in favour of taking the money, and a portion refused. The question has been in that position ever since. 442. The Commissioners.] You spoke of No. 2 Company of Volunteers having advanced their boundary up to the river, and being afterwards moved back by Colonel Haultain. By what authority did they do that, originally ? —Mr. Turton agreed to move the line down to the Onaero Biver.

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