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1244. What have been the improvements made since 1884 ?—He ploughed it up, and put in oats and turnips. 1245. Had it been ploughed previous to 1884 ? —Some of it was ploughed for the first time in 1884. 1246. Was it early in the year 1884, or late in that year ? —Early in the year. 1247. Can you save us generally how many other lessees there are in this Hamua Block?— Yes. 1248. Will you give us the names?— There are five other lessees in the Hamua Block. 1249. Is there any marked difference in the state of the land since it was leased ? —lt is in the same state. 1250. Who leased Hapotiki?—Mr. Lysaght is lessee at the present time. 1251. How many acres? —A very large quantity; we have only a very small piece left for ourselves. 1252. Is it 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 acres ?—I believe myself it is more than 5,000 acres. 1252 a. When you say 5,000 acres, do you mean the lands of Hapotiki and Omoteoia together? —Yes ; I include both. 1253. What rent did you lease this land for : was it a small or a large rental?—l think it was a large rental. 1254. How much per acre was it, do you know ?—I cannot tell you. I could do so if I saw the deed of lease. 1255. Did you and your people take into consideration the improvements when you leased this land ?—Yes. 1256. Do you expect to get those improvements back? —Yes. 1257. Do you know that the rent has been considerably increased by the Arbitration Court in this case of Lysaght ?—No ; I did not hear that. 1258. What was the state of the large piece of land leased by Lysaght at the time of its being leased? —It was a piece of land that we cultivated ourselves. 1259. Was it chiefly in grass or was it rough ?—The greater part of it was in grass. 1260. What improvements has Lysaght made since he had it ?—He has never ploughed it. He has built houses on it. 1261. When did he build a house on it—before or after 1884?— Prior to 1884. 1262. You are interested in the Pukekohatua land: did yon. agree to grant the lease to Caverhill ?—No. 1263. It is stated in the final clause (section 9) of the Act of 1887 that the Natives consented to a lease being granted to Caverhill? —No; the Natives never agreed to to let it. 1264. Can you say that the grantees never agreed to let it to Caverhill ?—No; they never agreed. 1265. If they had agreed to do so, would you have known it ?—They never said anything to me about it; therefore I never knew who let the land to Lysaght. 1266. I am now referring to the Act of 1887? —That is not correct, for my relatives are inserted in the deed of lease. 1267. Hone Pihania —is he in it ?—He is brother to my father. 1268. What tribe does it belong to ? —The Pukekohatua Tribe. 1269. Hon. the Chairman.] When did you become first aware of this Act of 1887 ?—lt was Mr. Rennell told me : it was then I first heard that the land had been leased. 1270. Mr. Sinclair.] Did not Mr. Rennell send you a copy of the Act ?■—l do not know. 1271. Did you know anything about this 9th section of the Act until it became law?— No. 1272. Did any of your people speak to you about it ?—No ; I never heard anything of it. 1273. Are you one of the delegates of your tribe appointed to come down here and speak on this matter? —Yes. 1274. As such you would know if the Natives had been consulted, or if your people had been consulted about this Act of 1887 ?—Yes. 1275. Are you satisfied with the definition of the shares of the various hapus in which you are interested? —The shares that Mr. Rennell has defined—no. 1276. Were you present when the shares were ascertained?— No. 1277. Were you consulted ?—No. 1278. Which of your hapus was consulted ?—I do not know who were present before Mr. Rennell. 1279. But you were not present ?—No. 1280. Were you purposely or accidentally out of the way?—l never heard that it was going to take place. 1281. Mr. Rennell] Are you not aware that when I was dividing the interest of the Ngatitanewha Block I sent notice of it to the Natives ?—No. 1282. That I gazetted it as well ?—No ; I never received any Gazette from you. 1283. Did I not notify it in the Kahitil —l did not see the Gazette. 1284. Did you know Awakari when he was alive ?—Yes. 1285. Do you consider him chief man of the tribe?—-Yes. 1286. Rangihiramai—do you know him ?—Yes; he is also an important man. 1287. Whareaitu ?—Yes : he belongs to the tribe, but he did not agree. 1288. You say you were not present ?—I was not present, but they told me about it after the meeting was over. 1289. You say you were not informed, and were not asked to agree to Caverhill's lease: why should you if you are not an owner of the land let to Caverhill ? —I did not agree. 1289 a. Was it because you were an owner?—l am a part-owner. 7—l. 12.