THE TIME OE SIR G. E. BOWEN'S ARRIVAL.

33

A.—No. 4t.

piers of the Kaipara have decreased one hundred in number, whose places have boon supplied by members of the Barawa tribe. The Natives who occupied the Wairoa district twenty years ago have almost entirely disappeared, in consequence, principally, of the timber trade, which was carried on very extensively at that time, rendering it necessary for them to leave their homes and live in low damp places on the banks of the river during the winter months, to fell and haul out spars. The great decrease of the tribes occupying the northern portion of this district is, I believe correctly, attributed by the Natives to this mode of life. The normal decrease of the Natives generally may be attributed to many causes apart from war since Europeans have visited this country. Formerly the state of New Zealand society was such that each tribe was at war with its neighbour, and every member was constantby occupied either at war or building fortifications offensive, and defensive, in obtaining food, in fishing, and their wearing apparel, obtained from the flax or Ti, alone caused some trouble and labour. Notwithstanding, the Natives were then a hardy race, undergoing the greatest privations, travelling on the war path, swimming rivers, and living upon what they could catch. Their mode of life has been completely changed within the last generation. They cultivate patches of land without interruption. The blanket is worn by them day and night. The immoderate use of tobacco and spirits, their uncleanly habits, and, perhaps more than all, indolence, is amongst other things the great cause of the gradual but certain decay of the Natives in Kaipara in particular, and New Zealand generally. It should be stated that few deaths or births have occurred within my knowledge throughout Kaipara since 1866, when the census was taken, and stood as follows : —Men, 269, women, 171; boys, 88, girls, 71. The spirit of Hauhauism has made its appearance here about two years ago by a Waikato Native, who distributed some jargon in writing, which came into my possession, and I succeeded in causing the priest to be turned out of the district. lam happy to state that that doctrine has not gained any adherents in this part of the country, as the Native chiefs hold it in abhorrence since the Opotiki murder. At the time the Waikato prisoners escaped from the Kawau, a small party of Natives, who formerly belonged to Ngapuhi and have settled in Kaipara, became disaffected to the Government since the time of the Ruarangi murder, and a new form of religion was attempted to be introduced by them, the principal feature in which was for the chief of the ceremony to sprinkle a kettle of hot water over his congregation. This was so ridiculed by their neighbours that the practice was soon discontinued. With the exception of the Natives above alluded to, I may say that I believe there are no Natives in New Zealand more loyal to the Government than the Ngatiwhatua and Uriohau. To prove this statement, it may only be necessary for me to say that for the last ten years they have endeavoured by the only means in their power —that is, by the sale of their land —to induce the settlement of Europeans amongst them. The old chiefs Kawau and Hckena w rere those who agreed to the settlement of Auckland being formed, in opposition to the Ngapuhi and. Waikato chiefs, at the time the seat of Government was at Russell. I am not in a position to venture an opinion as to the effect and ultimate tendency of Hauhauism, as it does not exist amongst the Natives with whom I have been in communication. The Natives of this district have long since ceased to discuss the subject of the war. The removal of the troops and occasional skirmishing with the Hauhaus on the East Coast are uninteresting matters to them after the battles of Rangiriri and other places, especially the capture of such a large number of Natives near Napier, and their immediate transportation to the Chatham Islands. The Native Lands Act was received by the people in Kaipara as a great boon. They are in the receipt of considerable sums of money yearly from settlers who have established sheep and cattle runs in the district. The Natives are so satisfied with the benefits which this Act has conferred on them, that their time is chiefly occupied in settling the boundaries of their land and arranging their surveys to enable them to pass through the Court. lam of opinion that in the space of two years nearly the whole of the lands in the Kaipara district will be held under titles from the Crown. I regret that I am not able to report favourably of the effect produced as yet on the minds of the Natives by the recent Education and Representation Acts. Those who have children are anxious to have them educated, but will not themselves come forward to take the part required of them by Act. I believe, however, it will be possible to form a school in Otamatea, where the Natives live at one settlement in considerable numbers. As regards the Maori Representation Act, the Natives were disappointed because an election did not take place in the district, and they have not since taken any interest whatever in the matter. The Native assessor Winiata Tomairangi and his people have gone to Hokianga in consequence of the recent disturbance which has taken place in that district, to advise with his relatives on the desirability of making peace with their neighbours, the Ngapuhi. I am assured by a letter received from him that he will return to Kaipara and leave his friends to their fate if they persist in war. I believe his visit to Hokianga will have little or no effect, as he is not a chief of much importance in his country, and he has undertaken the journey on his own account, and rather against the wish of his relatives at Hokianga, who requested him to remain at Kaipara. As regards the resident Natives at Kaipara, who are in a degree connected with some of the tribes in the North, on whom they depend for support in the event of a quarrel between themselves and the Parawhau, inland of To Wairoa and on the East Coast, and from all the information I have obtained from the Native assessors recently, I am enabled to state that they have resolved to take no part whatever in the question now at issue between the Rarawa and Ngapuhi, giving as a reason that the difficulties of Kaipara are sufficient in themselves, in determining the boundaries of their claims to land in order that they may obtain separate grants, and that it would not be right to import the troubles of Hokianga into Kaipara. Resident Magistrate's Office, J. Rogan, Kaipara, 20th June, 1868. Resident Magistrate. 9 _ __

J. Bogan, Esq. — continued.