G.—2

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attended the Court. I can remember the names of some of those at Parihaka. Waata Muruahi and Noa Tame were there. lam clear about this. I cannot remember the others. Ihaia Taueki was at Palmerston at the time of the Partition Court. When we arrived at Palmerston we considered the subdivisions of the block, and discussed them among ourselves outside the Court —I mean the Horowhenua Block. Our discussions took place at Palmerson's place, Palmerston North—in a barn belonging to Mr. Palmerson. All those who went to Palmerston were present at the discussions, including Ihaia Taueki. At times Kemp was present, sometimes he was not. Mr. McDonald was also present at times, sometimes not. I was present at all the discussions. There were a great many of them. They began before the Court sat, and continued during the sitting of the Court. The first discussion was about those who were put up into the mountains. We wished Kemp to know our thoughts about these. Kemp consented to our proposal to put the Ngatikahungunu up on the mountains. The names were selected from the certificate. It was proposed also to put the Ngatiapa up on the mountains. This was settled. Kemp agreed to it. Then the Eaugitane were considered. They were also to be put into the mountains. Kemp was consulted about Eangitane. He agreed, and it was settled. Kemp was referred to with regard to all those objected to by Muaupoko. After this the matter was taken to the Court—l mean the arrangement for putting certain people on to the mountains. This was, I believe, the first question referred to the Court. It was one of the objects the Muaupoko had in view. Eemember when Court opened. Cannot remember date. Hamiora Mangakahia was the Assessor. There were a number of us present. McDonald was present when the Court opened. So was Kemp. When the Court opened the proceedings were not interpreted to us. We were outside the Court and Major Kemp inside. I mean that we were inside the Court, but Major Kemp was our spokesman. We heard what Kemp said. He said just what the tribe had previously arranged for him to say. Kemp made an application to have Eangitane, Ngatikahungunu and Ngatiapa placed on the mountains, in accordance with our wish. So far as I remember, it was decided that these tribes should be put on the hills. I cannot remember everything that took place. It is so long ago. I remember about some of the divisions of the land when Mangakahia was present. I know of three proposed divisions in Mangakahia's time. The first was for the line of railway. Cannot remember the acreage. Ido not know whether an order was made. McDonald asked that an order should be made. The next was the 4,000 acres sold to the Government. It was explained to the Court by Kemp. McDonald applied for an order for this block. Both these divisions had been discussed and agreed to by us outside the Court. I think the third division proposed was for the descendants of Whatanui. We discussed this and all the other divisions at the meeting-house before we came to the Court. The tribe discussed them, and came to an agreement about them. We discussed this land, the third proposed division, at the instance of Kemp. It was to be 1,200 acres. It was first proposed that it should be near Ohau, beside Te Wera-o-Whanga. The tribe wished this, and Kemp approved. This is on the south side of block. Ido not know the present name of it. I know it is in the Horowhenua Block, at the Ohau. One of the Ngatiraukawa, who was also a Ngapuhi, named Pomare, and Heni Kipa objected to the locality proposed because it was stony. This part had been talked about by Kemp in Court as for them. Kemp offered it in Court to them. I do not know exactly to whom it was offered, because I do not know for certain who the descendants of Whatanui are. It was offered to the descendants of Whatanui to comply with the word of Taueki. I heard of the promise of Taueki to the Ngatiraukawa, who were living at the time under the name of Muaupoko at Horowhenua, near the Horowhenua Stream. I saw Taueki myself. He and Whatanui lived together, and on that account, and as they were friends, the descendants of Whatanui asked Muaupoko for some land. Taueki's promise was discussed at our meetings before we went into Court. I remember that an agreement between Kemp and Sir Donald McLean was mentioned at the meetings. We all heard what the nature of the agreement was. The arrangement of the laud was afterwards. The agreement was that the descendants of Whatanui should have a piece of land. It was made long ago. The location of the land was not decided when the agreement was made. The objection by Pomare and Heni Kipa to the laud offered them at Ohau by Kemp was made in Court—the Court that Mangakahia was present at. Kemp first mentioned the matter in Court. I was present in Court, and listening. Kemp said in Court that he had offered the land at Ohau to the descendants of Whatanui. Pomare and Heni Kipa then stood up and said they objected to the position of the land, because it was stony. They asked that the land for them should be at Hokio, where the 100 acres was. A Ngatiraukawa woman called Hitau also stood up in Court and said she objected to Hokio, because it was sandy. It was mentioned then that the sandy part was at the burial-ground called Ohenga. Kemp said he would bring the boundaries further inland. I think the locality of the land was not definitely fixed at that time, as the Assessor, Mangakahia, left for the north, and the Court stopped. We waited for another Assessor. Kahui Kararehe arrived to act as Assessor. After the first Assessor left, and before the second arrived, we had a discussion about the land for Te Whatanui's descendants. We agreed to their having the land at either of the localities proposed. It was finally decided that the descendants of Whatanui should have the land at the second place offered, as they had refused the piece offered first. They were to have it near Eaumatangi, where it is now. Every one agreed to this. There were no objectors, as it had been discussed outside. No one offered any opposition to it afterwards. It was settled. There is no one occupying the land now. I understand that it belongs to Whatanui's descendants, three of whom are living on our portion. I heard that the matter was not finally settled at Mangakahia's Court. At any rate, it came before the second Court. I was present in Court every day. It was, I think, brought on after dinner in Kahui's Court, but lam not sure as to the hour, it is so long ago. The Court awarded the land to the descendants of Whatanui, and it was settled. I refer to the 1,200 acres at Eaumatangi. I did not hear of any boundaries at the time. I heard of the land only. Ido not remember seeing it on the