G.—l2

6

Auckland (within Eden County) .. .. .. .. 449 Great Barrier Island, 36 ; Bittle Barrier Island, 17; = .. .. 53 Waiuku and Waikato (within the Counties of Manukau, Waikato, and possihly parts of Thames, Raglan, Waipa, and Waikato Counties) 1,876 Raglan and Aotea (which would include part of Raglan and part of Kawhia County) .. .. .. .. .. 743 Thames (which would include Coromandel, Thames, and Ohinemuru Counties, and for which the gumfields return was very small in comparison to that of the present census) .. .. .. 1,582 Upper Waikato (which would include the whole of the Kawhia County, and perhaps a portion of West Taupo) .. .. 4,250 Making a total of .. .. . . 8,953 Those returns, however, do not include the Natives at Mokau Heads, which is within the Kawhia County. On the other hand the settlements at Patetere, Tirau, Te Waotti, Aotearoa, and other Ngatiraukawa settlements are included in those returns, which being, according to the present arrangement of boundaries, in the West Taupo County, are not included in my return (the population of Aotearoa and some of the settlements near the dividing-line between Kawhia and West Taupo Counties are, however, shown by me as an addenda to my return, as before referred to). The settlements at Waiharakeke and Okauia (on the Waihou River), Te Au-o-Waikato (near Morrinsville), and some others which appear in my census books as within the Piako County, do not appear to be shown in the 1881 return. The total for the ten counties, including islands returned by me for the census of this year, is 8,218, made up as follows : — County of Eden .. .. .. .. .. 141 Great Barrier, Little Barrier, and Waiheke Islands .. .. 112 Manukau .. .. .. .. .. . . .. 658 Waikato .. .. .. . . .. .. 446 Waipa .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 Raglan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,333 Kawhia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,685 Piako .. .. .. .. .. \. ..518 Ohinemuri.. .. .. .. ~ .. .. 484 Thames .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,222 Coromandel .. .. .. .. .. .. 590 Making a total of .. .. .. 8,218 Which with the addition of 546 for part of West Taupo County taken by me .. .. .. .. . . .. 546 Makes a grand total of .. .. . . 8,764 The Sub-enumerator for the Thames County acknowledges in his report the assistance he received from the friendly chiefs W. H. Taipari and Hoani Nahe, of Thames, without which he would have had great difficulty in compiling his returns, as a number of Natives throughout the district had signed Tawhiao's " petition," and therefore refused to give any information. With the exception of three cases of fever at the Okauia settlement, within the Piako County—and which were reported by me to you at the time—there have been no cases of epidemic sickness within the counties over which I have taken the census, and the Sub-enume-rators report the Natives in their respective districts as being in a fairly good state of health, the King Native settlement at Whatiwhatihoe being the least healthy of them all. I would suggest that, when the time arrives for taking the next Maori census, the Government should take the Natives more into their confidence in the matter, by informing them, by means of the Maori Kahiti or by circular in the Maori language before the work is commenced, what is proposed to be done, and explain to them the reasons for doinj; it, and at the same time solict the co-operation of the chiefs and intelligent Natives in the different districts on behalf of the Sub-enumerators. By so doing I am of opinion that the Natives will look with less suspicion upon the undertaking than they do at present and have done in the past. The appearance of the Sub-enumerators suddenly amongst them, without any previous notice of their intended visit having been given, naturally excites wonder, and in some cases suspicion and alarm. G. T. Wilkinson, Government Native Agent, Waikato, Thames, and Auckland. Alexandra, 30th April, 1886.