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8. Was he one of the owners? —Yes, and the third is dead. 9. How many acres did you fell? —Between 35 and 40. Then one of us got ill, and we decided to give it our man Iriwaata Punipi to complete the clearing. 10. How long was he to have it for?—l do not know. We did not make any agreement or any stipulation as to time. 11. Did you hear Iriwaata say that he undertook to fell the bush? —Yes. 12. Why did you let Iriwaata have the place instead of keeping it yourself? —My mate was ill, and I thought by letting Iriwaata have the land he would knock the bush down sooner. 13. Had you got any money at that time?— No. 14. Have jou got the land back now? —Yes. We are working it, and when we get money we will work it further. We have cattle running on it, and the other man is milking. 15. Are you cultivating the place at all? —Yes. 16. Are there any stumps still on the place?— Yes, plenty, but I am working on them and ploughing. 17. Do you still hold the whole of that 202 acres ?—There is another man who has been put on 20 acres of it by other Natives, and it has been divided by the Public Trustee. Some Maoris put him on with the Public Trustee's consent. 18. Did you agree to lease to this other Maori?—No, I did not consent. 19. Is this other Maori in the grant of this land?— No. 20. What is his name? —Matangi. 21. In what condition was this 20 acres when this Native was put on? —It had been improved. 22. Were there any stumps on it?—On a portion of it, but I had stumped and ploughed portion of it. 23. Did you get any compensation for your improvements on these 20 acres?— No. Mr. Welsh: No questions. Mr. Zachariah: In fairness to myself, I should like to explain the position in connection with the Maori put on this land. One of those in the subdivision is an absentee —a blind man, living in Auckland. He was not using the land, and there is a very deserving Maori who is in the grant to whom I gave 20 out of the 32 acres, which he is occupying. Wi Kaapa, of Auckland, sanctioned it. Witness: Did you receive the consent of Wi Kaapa? Mr. Zachariah: He has given me permission to give him the balance of the land, provided Matangi pays the rent. Witness: That is satisfactory, if you have received authority. Nga Rewarewa sworn and examined. (No. 47.) 1. Mr. Bell.] You live at Fraser Koad? —Yes. 2. And you have 53 acres under occupation license? —Yes. 3. Did you take that land up?— Mr. Fisher allotted it to me. 4. Who lived on it after you took it up?— Myself and my husband, and our children. 5. In v.hat condition was the land when you started on it?—lt was fern land, but it is all cleared and improved now. My husband and myself cleared it. 6. 1 think your husband is dead? —Yes. 7". Are you still living on the land?— Yes, I have cows on the land, and I am dairying. I have fifty-nine cows. 8. You do not keep them all on the 53 acres—you have some other land, have you not?— Yes. 9. How many acres?—l do not know how many acres, because the Public Trustee has cut the back part off. 10. How many acres were there? —127, which belonged to my father, mother, and brother. They had it under occupation license. 11. I think your brother and father are dead? —-Yes. 12. And your mother is still alive? —Yes. 13. Do you support your mother? —Yes, and my children. 14. Is it some years ago that the Public Trustee took some of the land?— Yes. ' 15. How much of this land was cleared when part of it was taken?— There were portions of it that had been improved by our elders before the taking, but there was some bush on it also. 16. Was half of it cleared?— There was about as much bush as there was improved land. There was a clump of bush here and there, and then a clear part, and then more bush. 17. When did you first know that it was going to be taken? —I saw the survey line. Ido not know how much was taken. 18. Who was it given to? —To Europeans—to Jock O'Donnell. 19. Were you living on the place at the time?—No but I had a house on it. 20. They did not take your house, did they?— No. I also had an orchard of apples and plums, and that was taken by the Public Trustee. 21. At the time it was taken were you doing anything towards improving the land? Yes. 22. Were you working at the bush?— Yes. 23. If you had been left alone, would you have cleared the bush?— Yes. 24. Did you make any protest about the land being taken ?—Yes, I sent a man to Wellington —Ngawini, a relation of mine. 25. But the land was taken all the same? —Yes. 26. As to the land which was left, in what condition is that now? Is there any bush on it?— There are small portions of bush that I left on purpose for firewood, but the other bush has been cut down and the land grassed. . 2.7. How did you get the bush down?—l paid a Maori named Ngatere to do it. 28. Are there any fences on it?— Yes.