7

A.-6

mitted the offence of running away. I do not remember that they assigned any reason for doing so. Thirteen deaths have occurred on the plantation—3 men, 9 women, and 1 child : — Men : 1, dysentery; 1, throat disease and asthma; 1, cause not known. Women :5, dysentery (of whom one never did a day's work); 3, general debility (died within two weeks of arrival); 1, fever. Children : 1, dysentery. No one is compelled to work on Sunday. At first I allowed the people to go to church on Sunday, but afterwards as I had trouble with the Samoans I stopped the practice. Kilokilo ran away to Saleailua, taking her child with her. Charlie Tv told me of it. I sent a boy to tell her to come back. She said it was better to be at Charlie's house as there was plenty to eat and no work, and she desired the boy to stay too. Next day I went for her myself. I brought her back with the help of two Samoans. When within two hundred yards of the plantation I tied her to a stick and carried her in, in order that the people might think that I had carried her thus a long distance, and be frightened to run away. The same night I called all the people together and gave her a flogging with a whip. I put medicine on her back to heal the wounds. The only work she did on her return was making thatch. No watch was kept over her. Her child was sick. She neglected her child. I have often heard the child crying at a distance from the house, while she herself was eating her dinner or supper. I have on these occasions given her a smart blow with my hand, and sent her for her child. She stopped here about three weeks, then she ran away again. When I sent for her a message was brought back that she was sick. I sent two men to carry her. They made a chair and brought her back quite comfortably. I doctored her for dysentery for two or three weeks without any hope of her recovery. She ran away the third time, taking her child with her; it was very sick. I looked for her in the bush, as I did not suppose she had strength to reach Saleailua. However, I sent there, and had her brought back in a chair. Her child did not return with her, and I discovered afterward that the Samoans had found it in the bush. She returned on Saturday, and died on the following Sunday. Every care was taken of her. The woman gave manyreasons for running away. All of them Ido not remember. One was that she wanted taro. I offered the Samoans ,$o as a reward for any runaway labourers they might catch. Taukaro, the man spoken of by the Native minister, was so ill that I did not think it possible that he could go away without help. He had not worked for several weeks. I thought he had been enticed away by the Samoans for the sake of the reward. I did not go to see the man when he was at Saleailua. The men going to church on Sunday saw him in the taro patch, but told me that he was in the missionary's house, as they did not wish to bring him back. Next day I heard of his death. I sent for the body the same day ; but he was already buried. The next day I received a bill from the teacher, asking payment for tapa, cloth, &c, amounting to two or three dollars. I told Charlie Tv to pay the bill, and believe he did so. I invited the teacher (minister) to come up and see the food, &c. He did so, and went away apparently satisfied. There have always been enough houses to accommodate the labourers. The sick people from Magia were sent here suffering from rheumatism, fever, &c. About four or five of them came. One of them died about three days after her arrival. All the labourers were in a debilitated condition when they arrived. The supercargo had protested against the captain bringing such people. I have kept the mothers from work in order to look after the sick children. I have cured all tumours. One man and one boy are continually employed carrying cocoanuts to the people. I have offered prizes for the completion of the houses. Beef of good quality has been served out once or twice a week. I have made the task-work the same as that given by the Germans. When doing task-work the men have often finished by 2.30 p.m. The reason I could not go to see the labourers who ran away to Saleailua was because the people from Saja robbed the plantation; so I dare not leave. The houses were completed two days after arrival; the weather was fine. I have bought taro enough to give one taro each to all the people nearly every Sunday. Breadfruit in good condition was not to be got. On Sunday the labourers have permission to cut as many cocoanuts as they please. The men often suffer from fits. I have bought bananas for the labourers, but, as the Samoans gave me trouble, I would not buy any more from them.

Charlie Tv states: — The first time Kilokilo aud her child ran away she went to a Samoan's house. Next day I brought her to my house. She stopped there two nights. She asked for food, and I gave her four biscuits. I gave her some breadfruit the next morning, and she wanted to stay. I said, "No; go back." She said she got nothing to eat. I have bought 200 taro for Mr. Moors at one time, and another time I bought 210 breadfruit. Mr. Moors wanted me to buy taro at one dollar the hundred. The natives wanted one dollar for forty. He then wrote to me to buy 1,000 pounds of yams. I bought about four to five hundred pounds. I could not buy any more taro at the price offered. Kilokilo was very sick when I saw her in the teacher's house, the second time she ran away. Joane states, "When the woman Kilokilo left my house she walked away, but she was tied to a stick in the bush, and carried. Naia was one of the men who carried Kilokilo thus."