a.—s,

35

Te Pokiha Takanui examined. Is interested in the Te Puke, Otawa, and Kaikokopu Blocks. Voucher 38,686, Lll 18s., 25th of November, 1878 (part of L5O paid to E. Robertson).—Supposes payment is correct. Voucher 38,684, L 25, 20th of October, 1878. —Payment is correct. Received amount in notes in Warbiick's presence. Voucher 68,4 L 9, L 2 95., 11th of March, 1879 (part of L 52 paid to Chaytor for 1 case of biscuits and 10 pounds of sugar).—Payment is correct. Voucher 70,520, L 3 65., 12th of February, 1879 (part of L5O paid Home and Reid).-—Admits payment. Voucher 67,879, LI, 10th of February, 1879 (paid to Castaing for ferries). —Admitted. Voucher, Ll2, 18th of December, 1879. —Received the amount by cheque in presence of Warbrick. Voucher 41,786, LlO, 23rd September, 1879 (part of L4O paid to Menzies). —Received spirits to the amount of L 6, and L-i in cash. Voucher 41,790, L 5, 23rd of September, 1879 (part of cheque 751, refund J. C. Young).— Knows nothing of this payment. Voucher, L 5, lSih of December, 1879. —Admits this payment. Voucher 74,967, Ll6, Ist May, 1879 (part of cheque 7,668, for L5O). —Admits payment of the L5O. Does not know how it was apportioned. Is not interested either in Pukeroa, Tahunaroa, or Waitahanui. Voucher, L 22 (paid to Castaing for ferries). —Believes the amount is correct. Voucher, L 3 2; voucher, LlO. —Admits the receipt of L 42 on account of Whakarewa. Admits the receipt of one ton flour and one hundredweight sugar from Brennan and Smith. Admits the item L 23 15s. in Chaytor's account.

Wednesday, 18th Febettaey, 1880. Matitj tb: Tikao examined. Is interested in Waitahanui; not in Te Puke, Kaikotopu, Otawa, or Tahunaroa. Voucher 51,591, Lls, Gth January, 1879. —Received cheque for Lls from Warbrick—cheque on Bank of New Zealand, cashed by himself. Did not sign the abstract —cannot write a single letter. On the day on which he received the amount he was accompanied by Tiere, by Tohe, and by Makarita Kangaro. The latter died about four weeks after she was with him in Tauranga, about six weeks after the death of Te Hira (the latter died in June or July, 1878). Voucher 68,409, LlO 3s. (charged jointly to Matui and Nutona, sth of March, 1879—appears to ' have been paid to Wrigley). —He got from. Asher a plough and a harrow ; the plough was obtained by Asherfrom Wrigley, and the harrow from the blacksmith. The price of the plough was L 8 ; the price of the harrow was L2or L 2 10s. These implements were obtained for Nutona Waihi and himself jointly. Did not return to the office after getting the plough. Knows nothing as to the signature to the voucher. Did not authorize any one to sign for him. Had no harness with the plough ; Nutona had obtained harness previously. Voucher 68,410, Ll3 55., 10th of March, 1879 (appears to have been paid to Asher for a " plough, harrow, skeith, cap, and freight to Maketu"). —Had only one plough and one harrow. [Young, in a telegram to Wrigley, of Maketu, dated sth of March, 1879, asks to whom was the plough issued on his order of October last, to which Wrigley replied that he had no debit for a plough against the Government.] Tohe Wiiak"abebe examined. Is interested in Waitahanui and Otawa, but no other blocks. Has received Lls on account of Waitahanui. Went to Tauranga in harvest-time (January). Accompanied Matiu Tiere, a girl named Te Ngaro, and Tiraoti. {See voucher 51.-694, Lls, 6th of January, 1879.) [The girl Te Ngaro seems to have personated Makarita Kangaro, for the purpose of receiving the Lls due to the latter (see evidence of Matiu Tikao, which is certainly untrue as to the girl).] They all received cheques, and went to the bank with Young and Warbrick to get them cashed. Each man signed his own voucher. He himself made a mark ; cannot write his name. The abstract is signed in full; but the writing is not his. Te Ngaeo examined. Says she is successor to Makarita Kangaro. Eemembers going to Tauranga with Tiere, Matiu, and others. Eeceived Lls on that occasion. Cannot write her name. Did not sign the abstract. Was only asked to touch the pen while AVarbrick wrote. The Natives told Warbrick she was Makarita's daughter. She says that Warbrick said, "Where is Makarita?" Tiere and the rest replied that Makarita was dead long ago. Warbrick then gave her (Ngaro) the money. The time was about harvest-time. Hohai Tabakawa examined. Has authority to act for his father. [Will of his father produced.] Mr. Young, in a letter dated 3rd of December, 1878 [produced], informed him that at 3 o'clock on that day the money allocated to him for Te Puke (LSO) would be paid to him. He refused to accept it. Was in Tauranga, but would not go to the office for the money. He received, on account of Te Puke—first, L 3 from Mitchell, years ago ; after that he received L2O from Mitchell and Davis in 1874; after that (in 1878), he got L 2 from Young, in an order from Young on Home and Reid for clothing. Got nothing more till after the Court. Then rations for his tribe, supplied by Brennan and Smith, Tauranga, were charged to. him. Does not know amount. Asked Mr. Young for an account, but could not get it. Mr. Young asked him, a long time after, to sign an abstract, which he did; but does not know for