A.—No. 4.

12

REPORTS ON THE STATE OE THE NATIVES AT

are said to have come to this island. There is no people in New Zealand who have so thoroughly identified themselves with us in the occurrences of the last few years as the Arawa. A small section of them, however (the Ngaterangiwewehi), have been as active on the side of the Maori King as the great majority have been on the side of the Government; the murderer, Kereopa, is a chief of that hapu. They first introduced kingism into Eotorua, and at that time it was as much as I could do to restrain the Arawa from driving them out of the district. H. T. CiABKE, Tauranga, 7th March, 1868. Civil Commissioner.

11. T. Clarke, &q, continued.

No. 7. MAKETU. Eeport from W. K. Nesbitt, Esq., Eesident Magistrate, Maketu. In compliance witli the circular No. 71-2, 15th February, 1868, requesting a general report on the present state of the Natives in this district, I have the honor to state that my connection "with the district commenced in 1863, my experience therefore is not sufficiently extensive to render the information I can give of much value, but this deficiency will, I think, be of less consequence owing to the report of the Civil Commissioner who has been so long and so intimately acquainted with all the districts in the Bay of Plenty. It is matter of public notoriety that the Arawa have from the commencement taken their stand on the side of the Government. The first occasion on which they took an active part in the war was in 1864, when they at Eotoiti and Maketu drove back a body of Ngatiporou and other East Coast tribes who attempted to force their way through their territory to join the rebel Natives threatening Tauranga. Since then they have been more or less employed by the Grovernment, and it was almost entirely through their means that the murderers of Mr. Eulloon and Mr. Voikner were brought to justice, and the boundary between this and Opotiki cleared of disaffected Natives. They have also been employed in assisting the Europeans in protecting Tauranga and Opotiki. In these services they have lost many valuable lives, and although they have occasionally complained that they were not sufficiently remunerated by the Government, especially when they suffered from scarcity of food, this feelinghas not been sufficient to damp their ardour in the cause of law and order, and they have always been ready to come forward when called on. A portion of the Arawas (Ngatirangiwewehi) residing on the west side of Botorua Lake, have for a long time held out against the Government, but through the influence of Mr. Clarke, aided by the representatives of their loyal relatives, these people have lately given in their allegiance, and at the present moment their leader, Te Katene, with a considerable body of his people, is fighting, on the side of the Government, against the Hauhaus, at Opotiki. At present I can assert that there is not a professed Hauhau in the district, and when we add to the foregoing the fact that this loyalty is based on perhaps the best of all securities —self-interest, inasmuch as their connection with the Government has compromised them with all the disaffected tribes, I think there cannot "be much difficulty in belie Ting that they will continue loyal. The population of the district over which I preside as Eesident Magistrate is about 2,000. On my arrival in Maketu an epidemic fever was raging on the East Coast, and decimating the inhabitants. There was a recurrence of this epidemic in the following year. These incursions of fever must have considerably diminished the number of inhabitants. Fortunately we have been free from it for the last two years and a half. This exemption I attribute in a great measure to a more abundant supply of food. In consequence of the employment of the people by the Government, at present Ido not think the population is decreasing. One great cause of mortality, especially amongst the children, hasbeen the small huts called " whare puni." These, I am happy to say, are gradually disappearing, and houses with doors and windows are taking their place. The sanitary condition of the district is at present very good, the chief disease being scrofula in its various forms. I am in hopes that the gradual advance of civilization, by supplying a large supply of food and necessitating the building of better houses, will in time, moderate the effects of this disease. Just now it exists to a large extent, and has become hereditary in numerous families. With regard to the moral condition of the Natives I may state that drunkenness is not prevalent, crime of a serious character almost unknown. The number of criminal cases brought before the different Courts does not average more than ten a year. The obedience of the Natives to the English law is remarkable. No instance Has occurred of refusal to attend on a summons, or of opposition to the1 execution of a warrant. I must say that the Natives do not seem to feel that the want of chastity is attended with any great amount of moral degradation, and matrimonial ties are very lax; they have no idea of religion in the higher sense of the word, but a few attend, regularly, places of public worship. There exists a great anxiety for the establishment of schools, and within the last two years three have been established, which are well attended. The Native Lands Court is looked upon with favour, and there exists a great desire to have the titles to land individualized, but the want of means to survey the land is a great obstacle to this very desirable object. The Natives have applied to the Government to lend money for the purpose, but unfortunately it was not considered advisable to comply with their request. Ido not think that the Eepresentation Act is looked upon with much interest; it appears to me that the benefits to be derived are too remote for the Natives to see the advantages of the measure, and at present they have no idea of uniting for the general welfare. If each tribe could send its own representative it would be different. I have, I think, very slightly touched upon most of the subjects mentioned in the circular. I have, &c, W. K. Nesbitt, Eesident Magistrate. Maketu, 14th March, 1868. Maketu.

W. K. Neshitt, Esq.