COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS

C—No. 1

74

I think it my duty, however, to report that on assembling at Victoria, all the principal chiefs being present, Karaka made his offer publicly, which was immediately opposed by all those who had before been consenting parties. Ou enquiry, I found that Karaka had given great offence to the principal chiefs in offering Victoria for sale without consulting them. It appears that on recovering from an attack of fever, he remembered some words which I had used, when he alone opposed the sale, " that he would die without deriving any advantage from the sale." (It was then I made him the offer of £50.) He thought on recovering he had nothing to do but to come to me and the sale would be completed. But I then told him I would fix a distant date for a general meeting and recommended that he should inform all the chiefs, and get all to consent as he was not the only proprietor. He promised he would attend to my suggestion, but instead of doing so he went home satisfied that as he had always been urged by the others to consent, and accused of standing in the way of others selling, that his visit to me was all sufficient to complete the sale. This offended the dignity of the Chiefs, who opposed the sale to show that Karaka could not do as he pleased, and I fear also with a desire to extract a bonus for themselves. They assured me privately that the valley was virtually sold. I am glad to report that independently of this valley, that arrangements were made for the purchase of a Block of land adjacent to, indeed including a part of the Victoria Valley aud overlapping all the land formerly purchased between Mangatete and Kaitaia. This will make a very compact boundary, and the price agreed upon is by no means extravagant, lid. per acre, aud a Block at the same price called the Maungataniwha block has been arranged for, which will also include a portion of the upper part of Victoria Valley. After these surveys are completed, the Government will then be in a better position to offer a lump sum for the intervening block. There is a great deal of valuable laud iu these two blocks, and they will be found most valuable for immediate location. I have, &c., W. B. White. Resident Magistrate. The Honorable the Native Minister, Auckland.

No. 7. DISTRICT COMMISSIONER TO CHIEF COMMISSIONER. District Commissioner's Office, Bay of Islands, sth May, 1862. IB,— I have the honor to report for the information of the Government that the surveys and plans of the following blocks of land in the District of Mangonui from whence I have returned, have just been completed by Messrs. Campbell and Richardson. The quantities are Mangatete 11,125 acres Maungataniwha 8,469 do. 19,594 In addition to the above, negotiations have been entered into for the purchase of a further block of land estimated to contain about ten thousand acres, connecting the former with the Victoria, and includes a portion of the upper part of the valley itself. The survey of this has already been commenced. The price for the three blocks has been fixed at eleven pence per acre, and in each case the price has been agreed upon prior to the survey being made. I trust that these arrangements made in concurrence with Mr. White will meet with approval. I beg to enclose a requisition for the money for the two Blocks above mentioned, also for the amount due for the survey. The plans have been forwarded direct to Mr. Sinclair for the purpose of undergoing the usual examination. I shall be obliged by your sending the wdiole of the money by the " Kiwi" direct to the care of the Resident Magistrate, Mangonui, as the roads between the two settlements are in many parts now almost impassable. I have, &c, H. T. Kemp, The Chief Commissioner, District Commissioner. Native Land Purchase Office, Auckland.

Enclosure in No. 7. Required the sum of eight hundred and ninety-five pounds one shillings and two-pence in payment for tho following blocks of land in the District of Mangonui, viz. :—