C.—l.

Courts, &a, and who are land-sellers. On beginning the trig, work I got letters from Rewi Maniapoto, Wahanui, Taonui, and Hitere te Paerata to their people. Tho first case of obstruction occurred at Kakapuku, close to Kihikihi, whore the trig, station was destroyed by Pahe and his people, a small hapu of the Ngatimaniapoto's called Ngatingawairoa. Their object was partly to assert their claim to the land and partly to uphold Tawhiao's authority. This station was twice pulled down by the same hapu, though not by the same men; but finally they gave way and allowed the station to remain there. I saw that we would probably meet with frequent interruptions in this neighbourhood and. in the Wharepapa district, where it was said the Ngatihauas and Ngatiraukaua would show determined opposition. There was also a rumour that twenty armed men of the Ngatiraukaua were waiting at the Rangitoto Ranges to stop us. In consequence of these rumours, and in order to avoid the probability of having recourse to law to punish the obstructionists, which, by rendering the action of the chiefs unpopular, might weaken their influence and lead to further delays, I took the liberty of suggesting that we should begin the work at Taupo, and, by working northwards, have the greater part of the country surveyed when we reached the part where the opposition was strongest. We therefore removed to Taupo, with your concurrence, arriving there on the 21st March. I mot Te Heuhou, Matuahu, and about thirty others— Ngatituwharetoas—at Waihi on my arrival; they refused to allow the work to go on because they said they had not been communicated with by the Government beforehand. Unfortunately they had not received the letters which the Hon. Mr. Bryce had written to them, and which were lying at the post office at Tapuaeharuru under cover to me. Neither had your letter to Te Heuheu and the others como to hand. However, when Te Heuheu and his people received these letters they were quite satisfied and allowed us to go on with the survey. There were a few other men in the South Taupo districts who were objecting, but Te Heuheu and Matuahu used their influence with these and they waived their objections. On reaching the Tuhua district we were met with a more serious and troublesome opposition. The Natives said they were told Government would take large areas of land from them to pay for the trig, survey; that the maps would be used to investigate the titles to the land ; taxation would follow, and Government would " lock up " their lands until they could secure it all for themselves; that tho big chiefs were managing everything. A Committee was formed in Tuhua to manage local matters. They decided to prevent us from putting any more stations on their land ; they would allow none of their people to accompany me or assist in any way, and no information, such as names of rivers, hills, &c, was to be afforded us. Kingi te Herekeikei, of the Ngatituwharetoas, was with the Tuhua Natives, and advised this course. He and Te Hiahia, who was chairman of the Committee, had just returned from Kihikihi. I wrote to Wahanui and Taonui, informing them of the state of affairs. Wahanui came himself to Tuhua and met the Natives. He succeeded in arranging matters, and the wg_rk was allowed to go on again, after a fortnight's delay. The next place we met with any serious obstruction was at Wharepuhanga, in the Wharepapa district, about thirty miles from Kihikihi. I sent a party to put up a station there, and they were met by sixteen of the Ngatiraukaua, who were camped on the ground to obstruct the survey : they ordered my party off at once. I then went on to Wharepuhanga with sixteen men, including five Natives who were interested in the land. We were accompanied by Te Paihua and Kapu te Kohika, from Taupo. I met the Natives at Wharepuhanga on the 3rd of June. They said they were sent there by Whiti Patato to stop us; if we refused to go off they were to tear up our tents and bring us off the ground. I refused to leave, and after some talking they asked me to wait for two days to give them time to telegraph to the Government. I consented to do so, lest there might be trouble between my party and the Natives. The Maoris who were with me were prepared to resist if the obstructionists attempted to take our tents. The Natives informed me that Rewi and Hitire had written to the tribes telling them to stop the survey. I got two of these letters, which I forwarded to you. I met the Ngatiraukaua subsequently at Kihikihi: Kewi and Hitire were present. Rewi denied all knowledge of the letter bearing his name, and stated at the meeting that " tlie survey was his work : he had given his consent to Mr. Bryce, and he would see that the work went on." Hitire admitted having signed Rewi's name without his knowledge, and that he had got the letter written entirely on his own responsibility, his reason being that, " as the Government intended to lock up their land under the pre-emption right, he wished all surveys to cease until the intentions of the Government were made known to the Maoris." He used Rewi's name to secure the cooperation of his people in stopping us. The result of the meeting was that the opposition was removed and the survey is now going on again, some of those who obstructed assisting in the work. Wahanui and Taonui have consistently helped on the work throughout. Taonui himself accompanied me to To Kuiti, and there appointed men to take us over the Tuhua country. He told Eie to send for him at any time he could be of service to us. I might also mention that Mr. Robert Ormsby, brother to Mr. John Ormsby, of the Native Committee, who was attached to my survey part}-, has rendered me a good deal of assistance with the Natives. Native Population. —Taking all the settlements which I have seen in the King country—and I believe this would include nearly all of any importance within the boundaries under survey, viz., from Maungatautari by the Waikato River to Taupo, by the west side of Taupo Lake to Takaawe, by the Tongariro Ranges to Ruapehu, thence by the Wanganui River to Taumaranui, from there in a direct line to Tautoro, on the Mokau, and thence by the broken, wooded country lying between the Pirongia Ranges and Tautoro, including an area of nearly three million acres —I do not think, in all, I met five hundred Maoris. Natives travel about so much—attending meetings, Native Land Courts, &c.—that it would not be safe to estimate tho population by the numbers to be met with in travelling about* trie district; but^.from what I have learned from various' sources—the statements of the Natives" themselves, the opinions of others who have been through tho country, &c.—l should say that the present population in the King country does not exceed four thousand. One is struck, in travelling through the country, with the evidence everywhere to be met with of a once large Native population. The remains of extensive settlements and cultivations going to

30