I.—3a

4

41. Where was it that you decided to take the amount agreed upon, and under what circumstances ?—lt was fixed finally by Mr. Lundon and myself in the hotel on the following day that I was to receive £130 10s. That was the day after my arrival. 42. After that was fixed, were you told by Mr. Lundon that it was necessary to go with an interpreter to a Justice of the Peace?— Yes; he did explain that. 43. Before you signed the deed, did you see the interpreter with Mr. Lundon at all?— Yes, I did. Mr. Lundon and the interpreter were always together. 44. Did you have a conversation with the interpreter, or he with you, before you signed the deed ?—The interpreter never spoke to me, nor did I speak to him. I was simply asked to sign the deed. 45. Was it told to you that that document represented the arrangement that you had arrived at in reference to the purchase of your share ? —I know nothing about any such explanation. The proceedings in the post-office were very short, and did not occupy five minutes, in my opinion; and that shows that there could have been no conversation about the matter. 46. Hon. Mr. Gachnan.] I want to ask the witness another question : Did you sign this deed without knowing anything of its contents?—l thought that I was signing for the £130 10s. which had already been explained to me by Cochrane, when he showed me the list. 47. Mr. Kapa.] Were you quite satisfied in your own mind when you received the £130 10s. ? ■ —Yes; I was quite satisfied in my own mind when I received the money. 48. And your dissatisfaction arose subsequently, and was caused by having heard that Eaiha Tamaho had received a larger sum?—On the arrival of the document, it showed that we ought to have received £217 10s. 49. As Eaiha's name does not appear in the deed of sale, why was that money paid?—l have now been made made aware for the first time that this person was not an owner. 50. Did you know that it was for Hekiera Tamaho's share ?—I heard formerly that she had an interest in that share. 51. What money was paid to Hekiera on his signing?—£l3o 10s. I know that he received that oh account of the list that Cochrane showed me. I heard that they did not sign altogether, but at different times. 52. Hon. Mr. Gadman.] You were mentioning something about some woman, Eaiha, who told you that she had signed the document ?—lt was Mr. Lundon who told me that Eaiha Tamaho had received an extra sum of money at Opanaki. 53. Was it before or after ?—lt was after Mr. Lundon told me this that I had to sign. 54. It seems then that she received her money and signed before you did ?—All Mr. Lundon told me was that Eaiha Tamaho had received this extra money. 55. I understood you to say that Mr. Cochrane had shown you a list of the Natives already agreeable to sign the deed, and that is why you signed it; and that this woman had signed the deed before you signed it ?—I was not informed that Eaiha Tamaho was one of those who had signed. It was after I had signed that Mr. Lundon told me about her getting money. 56. I understood you to say that Cochrane had shown you a list of those who had signed, and then you signed ?—I signed because I was anxious to get the money. 57. Well, did Mr. Cochrane show you a list of names of those who had signed, before you signed? —Mr. Cochrane showed me, in his own house, a list of the people who had signed, before I signed the deed. 58. And it was on the strength of their signing that you signed ?—They had not all signed it at the time. Puhipi had not signed. 59. Did not Cochrane show you a list of the Natives who had signed?—Eobert Cochrane showed me a list of those who had signed for the £130 10s. ; and Mr. Lundon was there when he did so. 60. Well, was this woman's name on the list then shown to you ?—No; it was not. 61. Mr. Houston.] Are you not aware that it is necessary for a licensed interpreter to read over a deed of sale before you sign it ?—I am not aware that it is necessary for a licensed interpreter to read over a deed of sale prior to its being signed. 62. Had you ever any transaction with regard to land, apart from this, when the deed was interpreted to you before you signed ?—I have been engaged in land transactions before this, but I cannot now remember whether the deeds were interpreted to me by a licensed interpreter or not. It is now a very long time since I was engaged in similar matters.

Wednesday, 24th August, 1892. Wi Eikihana further examined. 63. The CJiairman.] In giving your evidence yesterday, you stated that when you got the four cheques you placed one for £110 in the bank?— Yes, the Post-Office Bank at Auckland. Mr. Millar, the Postmaster, told me that the money would be placed in the Savings-Bank in Auckland. He said he had the receipt in his box. 64. Hon. Mr. Mitchelson.] Did you give the money to Mr. Millar? —Yes, I gave the money to Mr. Miller to send to the Sayings-Bank. 65. The Chairman.] You mean you gave a cheque for £110 to Mr. Millar?—l gave Mr. Millar a cheque for £110. 66. Was it the Auckland Savings-Bank?—l do not know which bank; I believe it was the Post-Office Sayings-Bank. 67. Mr. J. Lundon.] Are the allegations contained in your petition true?— They are true; all the statements are true,