A FORTUNATE VISIT

Kumara Times, Issue 1114, 26 April 1880, Page 4

A FORTUNATE VISIT

A somewhat extraordinary story is current in Wellington, in reference to a singular piece of good fortune said to have befallen a member of the Civil Service recently. The facts are said to be as follow ;—A short time ago Mr , a clerk in the Audit Office, proceeded to Tauranga, for the purpose of investigating some defalcations alleged to have been committed by a public officer in that district. While there his attention was attracted to an exceptionally fine block of land, which is said to have long been an object of desire to Europeans visiting the neighbourhood, but which was tenaciously held by the Maories in spite of the tempting offers made for it. Mr happened to meet one of the tribe in possession of the land, and asked to whom it belonged. To his surprise the reply was, " We are keeping it for old ." Struck with the identity of the name mentioned with his owd, Mr—made further inquiries, which satisfied him that the land was being kept by the Natives for his father, in return for some great service he had rendered them on one occasion when living in the district. Mr -——, it may be imagined, lost no time in letting the Natives know who he was, at the same time informing them that his father had been dead for Beveral yeare. Upon this the Maoris at once professed their readiness to complete the title aod hand over the property to the heirs of the friend of their tribe, to whoae memory they had been so faithful. Steps were at once taken with that view, and only one man of the tribe, it is stated,refused to sign the deed, while it is not anticipated that any very great difficulty will be experienced on account of his refusal. The chief of the tribe then informed Mr ——that there was one circumstance that weighed heavily on his mind. Finding that the rightful owner did not turn up, and as there appeared to be no prospect of his doing so, he had been on one oscasion induced to sell 1000 acres of the land. He could not, of course, get that back again, bnt he offered to give a thousand acres of his own adjoining in exchange. The whole property, as we have said, is a verf valuable one, and is stated to be worth LIS, 000 at present prices. It is said that for 100 acres of «he pick of the block, Mr was offered L2O an acre immediately after the news of what had happened had become known.