G.—2.

to Waipuku, was to be one corner of the reserve ; so that two sides were delineated on the ground, but the length of those two sides was undetermined.

At New Plymouth, Friday, 12th Maech, 1880. Mr. Thomas S. Humphries, Chief Surveyor, further examined. 905. The Commissioners.] Tou are the Chief Surveyor of the Provincial District of Taranaki ? —Tes. 906. How far do your boundaries extend ?—Prom Mokau down to the boundary of the provincial district between Wellington and Taranaki. 907. Tou have heard the evidence given by Mr. Parris and Major Brown with respect to the blocks and reserves in the confiscated territory, have' you not ? —Tes. 908. Do you know the character of the country generally in those blocks ?—Tes ; generally. My knowledge with regard to them has been obtained to a great extent from surveyors' reports. I cannot speak so accurately with regard to the blocks within the confiscated boundary, which were surveyed under the direction of the Native Office. 909. What, in your opinion, is the character of the large block of land north of the Onaero-Urenui Block ?—lt is exceedingly rough. 910. Is it all forest land ? —Tes; with the exception of 2,000 or 3,000 acres between Urenui and the valley of the Mimi. 911. And are all the blocks which have been acquired within the confiscated territory between Mimi and the Patea Eiver to its source in the mountain, also forest ? —Tes. 912. Can you give us a general idea of the saleable value of the land in those blocks, at a distance of say three miles back from the Mountain Eoad and railway ? —The character of the land, of course, varies. Some portions would fetch £1 an acre, while others are quite useless. The average could not be expected to exceed 7s. 6d. an acre. 9t3. We should like to have a rough estimate of the quantity within the part of the district we are now speaking of, which would be saleable at £1 per acre. Would there be as much as 10,000 acres, for instance ? —I should sa} r from 10,000 to 15,000 acres. Tlie remaining portion of the landpurchase blocks in this locality, abutting on the Mountain Bead, I estimate at a much higher value. I should say SOs. an acre. 914. Let us begin with the Bimutauteka Block. That is better country, is it not ?—Tes; in fact, it is the best. 915. What do you consider to be its value?—Taking it altogether, I should estimate it at 15s. an acre. 916. What do you think the land is worth from Stoney Eiver and the Omata boundary, and round by Mount Egmont, the Forest Beserve, and the Patua Eange ?—I should think the average of that would not exceed 7s. 6d. an acre. 917. And the block between the Opaku and the Waingongoro ?—I should think it would bo worth, on an average, Bs. an acre, taking the distance three miles back from the Mountain Eoad. 918. What proportion of the Opaku-Waingongoro Block do you think would be saleable at £1 per acre? —About 1,000 acres, at the outside. 919. What is your estimate with respect to the Moumahaki Block ? —I am not acquainted with that block. 920. Taking the distance we have been speaking of, say from two to three miles back from the Mountain Eoad, what do you think is the value of the unsold land between Ketemarae and Stratford ? —I should value that at 30s. an acre. 921. We will now go on to the land on the coast. There was a reserve made originally by the Provincial Government, encircling Mount Egmout, and called the " Forest Beserve," was there not ? —Tes. 922. What was the radius of that reserve round the mountain?—Six miles. 923. Does that radius include all the main ridges of the mountain, which are not suitable for settlement ?—Tes, and something more. 924. How much more ? —About a mile. 925. What do you consider to be the value per acre of the open land between Stoney Eiver and Opunake? —I would rather take the land in divisions. Tho first division, containing about 6,000 acres, and extending between Stoney Eiver and Waiweranui, is worth, I think, about £4 an acre. 926. And the bush land in the Waiweranui Block, up as far as a radius of nine miles from the mountain ? —I think the value is SOs. an acre. 927. And the same in the bush to a radius of six miles ? —los. an acre. . 928. What do you value the open laud at in the Parihaka Block, between Waiweranui and Moutoti ? —£3 an acre ; there are 14,000 acres. 929. And the bush land where the Parihaka Settlement is, up to the nine miles radius?—2ss. an acre ; the area is 28,000 acres. 930. And the same bush land up to tbe six miles radius ?—4os. an acre. The area is 9,000 acres. 931. What do you value the open land at between Moutoti and Taungatara, known as Matakatea's block, excluding tbe Opunake Block? —I value that at £4 an acre; there are 8,000 acres. 932. And the bush land up to the nine miles radius ? —3os. an acre; the area is 21,000 acres. 933. And up to the six miles radius ? —lss. an acre; the area is 9,000 acres. 934. What do you value the open land at between Taungatara and Oeo? —£6 an acre; its area is 6,000 acres. 935. And the bush land up to the nine miles radius ? —3os. an acre ; there are 13,000 acres. 936. And up to the six miles radius ? —£l an acre; there are 3,000 acres. 937. What do you estimate to be the value of the bush land in the block between Oeo and the Waingongoro, up to the nine miles radius, excluding the open land ? —£2 an acre ; the area is 78,000 acres.

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