G.— 2.

marae was dealt with, but everything is in abeyance since the instructions of the Minister of Lands to stop all dealings for the acquisition of land." Mr. Thomas S. Humphries, Chief Surveyor at Taranaki, examined. 887. The Commissioners.] Please to look at the plan of the Stratford Beserve. Tou have heard the evidence of the Commissioner of Crown Lands with respect to the proceedings of the Land Board on that matter. What proceedings took place in your office on the subject: and at what time were you first acquainted with the fact that there was a reserve there ? —We had a map in the Brovincial Government office with the reserve, and I remember that the Provincial Government were anxious to make the Town of Stratford at the Patea Biver, just where the reserve was marked ; and I think some arrangement was entered into to see whether an arrangement could not be made with the Natives about it. . 888. Tou knew that the reserve was marked there ?—Tes. 889. Was that before or after the Proclamation of October, 1875 ?—lt was just before the provinces were taken over by the General Government. 890. Were you Chief Surveyor at the time ?—Tes ; but I was only Provincial Government Surveyor; gradually, other survey staffs were placed tinder my control. At that time the Native Office had a survey department of its own. 891. How long before the transfer of tbe provincial offices to the General Government were you personally aware of that reserve having been made in that corner? —My attention was not called to that particular thing until about the time of the transfer of the provinces to the General Government. 892. How long was it after the transfer of the provinces to the Government that the Land Board fixed the site of the Town of Stratford ?—lt was about six months. 893. During that time, had your attention been called to the existence of this plan and the reserve marked upon it ? —Tes. 894. When the Land Board were considering the matter, did you make any communication to them in reference to that plan and the reserve ? —1 do not remember doing it by letter, but there is no doubt that at several meetings of the Board I talked it over with them. 895. What was the nature of the discussion that took place ? —lt was about the proposed alteration of the site by Major Brown, Civil Commissioner. 896. Have you a plan which shows the relative position of the reserve and the new reserve that was after-wards made ? —Tes; I put it in.

At New Plymouth, Thuesday, 4th March, 1880. Mr. Chaeles Wilson Huesthouse examined. 897. The Commissioners.] Tou are at present in charge of the Government road works on the coast ? —Fes. 89S. And for some time you acted as surveyor attached to the Civil Commissioner's Office ? —Tes. 899. Do you remember the block called the Waipuku-Patea Block? —Tes. 900. Had you anything to do wdth the marking-out of a Native reserve of 700 acres in that block ? —In March, 1874, I was sent to Ketemarae by Mr. Parris to undertake tbe survey of this WaipukuPatea Block. Before leaving New Plymouth to go on to the land, I was told by Mr. Parris that there might be something more to settle in the way of talking about the purchase of it. At Ngarongo we (the Maoris and myself) had a long talk, which lasted during nearly two clays, and which ended in a promise being made of a reserve. This was at the particular instigation of a woman named Te Mira, sister of Pepe Heke. I concluded the meeting by saying that we would make a reserve wherever the Natives would point it out. The day after that, we proceeded on to the land, and surveyed the Patea Biver from tho crossing of the Mountain Boad to its source at Mount Egmont. We then returned to the Mountain Boad crossing; and the Natives instructed me to go one mile down the Patea Biver from the Mountain Boad, and then to cut a straight lino to strike the crossing of the Mountain Boad at Waipuku; they told me also that the reserve.was to be at the corner where the straight line left the Patea Biver. They wanted it at that time to extend as far as the Kahouri Stream. I told them I did not know if it could extend as far as that, but that we would make it a reasonable shape for them. There was nothing settled then, that I remember, as to the area of the reserve: that was a subsequent arrangement with Mr. Barris, I believe. Some time after this Mr. Parris instructed me to mark on the plan a 700-acre reserve at this corner, and I laid it off on a tracing that we used to have in the Native Office at that time. I believe the map now on the table is a copy of it. I have no personal knowledge that it is an absolutely correct copy, but no doubt it is taken from the record that I left in the office. 901. But, practically, you recognize the reserve marked on this map as being the one at the place which was intended, when the Natives were with you on the ground?—Decidedly. Nearly all the Natives who were with me were participators in the survey and sale of the land. 902. Could you mention from memory the number of Natives who were with you on the ground ? —I had a working party of about nine, and about five or six more came up during the progress of the work. Pepe Heke was there himself on one or two occasions ; Wharerata was there, and a man named Kopekope ; Bangitiaiho and Tukarangatai were also there; and there was a man called Hone, but I do not think he was a claimant; he was a Waikato, but may have some claim through his relations. 903. How long after that did you remain in the Native Office, in the Civil Commissioner's Department ? —This occurred in March and April, 1874, and I left the department in the following August. 904. And you are not aware of any other circumstances connected with this reserve up to that time?—No, not up to that time. I began the survey of the block ou the 30th March, 1874, and finished towards the end of April. The reserve would be marked off about a couple of months after the commencement of the survey. It was not marked on the ground further than that it was decided that the corner peg, which we put on the bank of the Patea Biver where the straight line diverged to go

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