G.—2.

825. Then that piece is not a Native reserve now ? —No. There is another reserve of 5 acres for Tutere and his sister. There is also a reserve of 1,200 acres to be made in the Otoia Block for Moanaroa and his people, which reserve has not yet been defined or surveyed. 826. How does that reserve of 1,200 acres come to be made ? —Moanaroa went to Wellington with Captain Blake, and obtained Sir Donald McLean's consent to his having 1,200 acres there for himself and his people. Moanaroa said that his former claims were not in the Mokoia Block, where he was supposed to go with his people; and the 1,200 acres were therefore to be taken off the Mokoia Block, in order that he might have that quantity at Otoia. I may mention that the 5 acres which I have just mentioned for Tutere are not finally settled: that area may have to be exceeded. 827. What reserves did you make in the Opaku Block? —In that block I made reserves containing about 53 acres, which have been surveyed, and another larger reserve, called Kawaiti, containing about 50 acres, wbich has not yet been surveyed. 828. What reserves did you make in the Moumahaki Block? —I do not know what reserves have been made in that block, but I instructed the surveyor to reserve the cultivations in occupation, and also where there were any whares and burial-places. I have not yet complete information as to what reserves are to be made. They are on the maps, and the Surveyor of the Wellington District could supply the particulars. There is also a reserve for Tokakaikura's people, a section of the Ngarauru, which has been surveyed, and which contains about 300 acres. There is, besides, a piece of land of 1,503 acres, situated on the Waitotara Biver, which I told the Natives I should not take. It adjoins tbe block of sections which was individualized by Mr. Worgan, and which is to be left for Te Bakawharekoreto and his people. In the Opaku-Waingongoro Block I only made one reserve, of 10,000 acres, which w ras the subject of investigation by the Commission at Hawera. There is another reserve which was made by me as a fishing-station at Whitikau, on the coast, containing about 15 acres. There is also one which I made for Ngahina, situated in the middle of Mr, Thomas Bayly's farm, and which I gave Ngahina leave to sell: he received it on the understanding that he might sell it, and it has been sold by him for £50. I should add that there are one or twro small burial-ground reserves in the Okahutiria Block. 529. That concludes the list of reserves which you have made ? —Tes. I hand in to the Commission a copy of a printed notice which Mr. Sheehan, when he was Native Minister, directed to be issued in Bebruaiy, 1878, and which was circulated at Moumahaki, and afterwards iu the Waimate Plains, warning Natives not to interfere with the survey, and giving notice that any one taking up survey pegs or interfering with the survey in any way would be prosecuted. 830. On the other side of Patea Biver, and enclosed between the Ahuroa, Manganui, and Wai-puku-Patea Blocks, there is a block called Wbakaahurangi: what has been done about it ? —Until Hone Pihama asked the question at Hawera for the first time, I was not aware that it had been dealt with previously, or I should have included it in what I did from Opaku to Waingongoro. It is confiscated land, and has been dealt with as such. I told Mr. Humphries, Chief Surveyor, that he could deal with it. I was under that impression ; but, even without that, I should have told him to deal with it. Being confiscated land, I always maintained to the Natives that we could deal with it how and when we liked. 831. But is it understood that takoha will have to be paid for it?—Tes. 832. And that payment is suspended for the present, as Hone Pihama requested? —Tes. 833. But it does not affect the disposal of the land by the Government in the meantime ?—No. 834. Is it not there that the Midhirst Special Settlement was formed, as mentioned in the letter of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, dated 28th July, 1877? —Tes. 835. There is a piece of land, containing, as far we can estimate it, about 13,000 acres, enclosed within the inland boundary of the Okato settlement on one side, Stoney Biver Block on the othey, and Omata and Moa Blocks on the north. Has nothing been done about that ? —No ; nothing has been done. It is confiscated land, at the disposal of the Government. 836. There is also a piece of land, containing about 6,000 acres, situated between the eastern boundary of Ahuroa Block and the western and southern boundaries of the Mangaotuku Block. In what state is that? —It is the balance of the confiscated land, which has never been operated on.

At New Plymouth, Tuesday, 16th Maech, 1880. Major Beown further examined. 837. The Commissioners.] We wish to ask you with regard to the block of land within tbe confiscated boundary north of the Onaero-Urenui Block. It is within that territory, is it not, that Wiremu Kingi te Bangitake is settled? —Tes; his settlement is Maungatangihia, on the Waitara Biver, inland of the Onaero-Urenui Block. 838. Have you been to his settlement ? —No. 839. Do you know the number of his people who are settled there ? —No. 840. Can you form any estimate of their number?—l should say they would not exceed 30; men, women, and children. 841. So far as you know, are any other Natives living in the inland part of the confiscated line at Ngatimaru ? —Tes; there are some Natives residing in the Ngatimaru country. 812. How many of them do you think there are?—Under 50, in the district. There are some living outside who have claims in other blocks ; what they call " half-castes." 843. Have you had any communication with any Natives about carrying out the confiscation in that part ? —They came and offered the land for sale, and I told them that the portion seaward of the confiscated line could only bo dealt with by takoha. I also told them tbat, under the circumstances, Wiremu Kingi and his people should not be disturbed from the land that was necessary for them. I may say that some of the Natives objected to that. They wished to get takoha for the land, even if Wiremu Kingi and his people were turned off. 844. Has Wiremu Kingi, being a chief of the Ngatiawa, any territorial possession there by right ? —He may have a slight tribal hold there, but not sufficient to enable him to sell. His having been allowed to live there has given him a right. 815. It cannot be considered to be his ancestral territory ?—No.

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