preclude any direct statement on Mr. Chilman's counter claim. Witana told a straight-forward tale of the land in dispute not being his in the first instance, (as everyone knows); and of your having given it to him years afterwards as a piece of waste land, only of use to him for the raupo toi-toi growing there. He says he came to the Land Office one day, (in 1849 or 1850 he thinks), when there was a Land Meeting, during my agency of the New Zealand Company; and left his plan of the Reserve with you, to get me to have the swamp included; and as the map is still in the office, the statement is no doubt true, though I cannot charge my memory with it. The grand argument against the counter-claim is that Mr. Chilman is about the last white man in New Plymouth who would allow a claim of this kind to remain over 7 years. I understand there has been a regular row in the Council, as little Tommy King, (one of the supporters for Mr. Flight's removal) moring a vote of censure on you for your dealing with this land. Parris held out nobly for you, as I believe he always does, for right. The result I