EVIDENCE RELATIVE TO THE ORIGIN

25. Do you know anything about any investigation of their claims ?—I hare been positively assured that no investigation whatever had been made at Waikanae. 20. Do you think that any of these claimants would now refuse to sell their interest in the block of land under dispute ?—I think that some would now refuse to sell their claims; my reason for thinking so is, that one of them, Hohepa Ngapaki, a nephew of ihe lnfe chief Te Hawe told me so. He further stated that when the Chief Commissioner was in Cook's Straits he appeared to express surprise at his having , a claim, and said that the Government would compensate him for it. He (Hohepa) replied that he was not prepared to ta'<e compensation —or be forcibly driven from the land, which he had inherited from his father. 27. Can you say what proportion of the disputed land belonged to those who have agreed to the sale of it ?—I understand the question to mean the proportion of the individual rights as distinct from the tribal rights. I believe that those individuals who sold the land owned about one-fifth of the block, and that four-fifths were the actual property of those who refused to sell, or whose claims wcro never investigated. 28. What do you conceive would be the effect on the native mind of commencing the survey of a block of disputed land ?—I have no difficulty in answering this question —such an attempt to survey the land in dispute was a taking possession of the land according to the native view, it being quite analagous to a custom of their own, when they want to take possession of disputed land they go and set up a post upon it; this is often done when they want to force on a collision between tribes. 29. Had the survey of the block of land at Waitara alleged to have been sold by Teira to tho Government, been delayed for six or twelve months, is it your opinion that these claimants might have been then more favourably disposed to part with their interests in the block?—My only reason for not giving a distinct answer in the affirmative to this question is my knowledge of the existence of the promise given by William King to his father that he would not alienate any portion of Waitara. With the exception of that, I have no reason to suppose that any other claimant, if proper time for investigation had been given, and the feelings of discontent which had been caused by the manner in which Taylor had persevered in his endeavour to dispose of the land had been allowed to subside, would have objected to the sale or that the consent of the whole tribe would have been withheld. When I was at New Plymouth, at the request of Mr. Parris I had a conversation with William King. He came into the town where he had not been for two years before, and spent the night at the inn with me. He then stated that he really had no objection to the Pakehas getting land; if they would only allow them (the natives) to settle their own differences and define their own boundaries, he would be prepared to negotiate with them for the sale of the land. I stated the result in the morning to Mr. Parris witli the understanding that it was William King's wish that this intention of sale should not be made publicly known, I have however no doubt that had six or twelve months been allowed to elapse without molestation a sale might have been fffected with general consent. '60. Here is a letter signed "Riwai Te Abu," do you know the handwriting?—l do know the handwriting. Otaki, Hune 23rd, 18G0. X te HtJPERITENETE, —■ Tena ra koe, tenei taku korero ki a rongo koe, he roa noa atu, tena pea koe c hoha kite korero. i tuhituhia ai c an ki a roa, he rongo tonu noku i te rere ke o nga korero mo taua whenua i Waitara, mo Wiremu Kingi. a, kei whakaaro iho koe, he whakatakariri noku ki a le Teira i kumea ai aku korero kia roa, a he tangata ke ranei a te Teira ki a au, ko Wiremu Kingi pea te mea i tata ki a au. Kao, he tvhakataki ano naku i tikanga o tera whenua, rue nga hapu, me nga tangata nona taua whenua ki a moliio ai koutou, no te mea kua nui haere te he. Ko te Teira te mea i tata ki a au, ko Wirenni Kingi ia c matara atu ana i au. Na, ki ta matou nei whakaaro, ekore c rere ke nga whakaaro o tenei Kawana i o era Kawana o Miua i a ia. He muremurenga tpra whenua na ratou, Katalii te whakaaro ka pohelie ake, E ! lie tikanga hou ano enema to tatou Kuini, otira, c whakaaro ana matou, na te Teira pea ratou ko ona hoa, me ana kai hoko whenua o Taranaki ate Kawana i tinihanga, na reira, ka hohoro tana unga atu i »na lioia ki Waitara liei whakawehiwehi i nga tangata kaioa me nga wahine i pana atu ra i ana kai ruri i runga i o ratou whenua tupu me o matou. kia tangohia noatia atu. Ino hoki tetalii o nga kupu a C. W, Richmond, Taranaki, Maehe 1, 1860, kua rangpna nei c te katoa, "Kua ata kimihia mariretia to te Teira take ekenga ki taua waki, be tika tonu, kahore kau te tangata hei whakahe i tona take." Ac, c tika ana, ki ana niara ano tono ekenga i roto i taua wlienua, E rua taupa, c toru, he penei tahi ano hoki te tika o matou ko era kua pana atu ra i runga i taua wlienua, c rua taupa, kolahi, c torn c wha, a lena t.uiga'a. a tena tangata i roto i taua whenua, He penei ano hoki la Wiremu Kingi kupu i kawea ketia ra c te kai hoko whenua o Taranaki ' ; I whak ac ano a Wiremu Kin;i no te Teira anake taua whenua" na tona ngakau tohe kite tango maori ite whenua, me tona kuare ki le red maori, i kawe ke ai ite kupu a Wiremu Kin«;i. Xi ta matou nei whakaaro ki tenei ktipu a ie C. W. Richmond, ko te taha anake ki a tc Teira ma i kimihia, i whakarangona lioki nga korcio c «ua kai hoko whenuao Taranaki, a whiti atu ki Arapawa c kimi ana. Ko te taha ki a Witemu Kingi ma, kahore i kimihra, kahore hoki i whakarangona atu a ratou korero. Ina hoki te kupu ote reta a Wirerrfu Kingi eki nei "Ko tetehi kupu hoki ana, kahore ratou nga pakeha c whakarongo mai ki aku kupu" na te kai hoko whenua o Taranaki taua kupu ki a ia, (tenei ano taua reta te takoto nei), Otira, kihai au i whakapono ki ana kupu katoa i tulii mai ai i tera tau, I mahara hoki au, ekore c pena rawa tc mahi a te Kawanatanga. Kahore hoki i tae mai le kimi kia matou, mci kimihia tahitia, mci whakarangona atu a ratou korero, a tae noa mai ki a matou c kimi ana, na, kua kitea te he o tale Teira ma, E ! c takoto

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