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C—No. 3

a wooded pass leading into the former valley, and other 10 miles brought us to the valley itself. Where we struck it, the breadth is not more than half a mile ; but there is a gradual increase in width towards the sea, for 38 J miles, when it suddenly expands into a plain 18 miles long by 7§ miles broad. Messrs. Cooper and Morse have established a sheep station at the head of the valley, and have about 1000 sheep there. The lower part of the Wairau near the sea is subject to floods in the winter, and will require extensive draining ; but the plain is in general well adapted for agriculture. The upper valley and hills afford the most abundant pasture, and are better suited for that purpose than for agriculture. The limits of the Wairau District, as described by the New Zealand Company's Agent, are the same as given by the Natives ; but it was not intended to use the great mass of mountains included within these boundaries. The quantity of level land available for agriculture and pasture is 128,000 acres ; made up of the following items :— Great Plain 80,000 acres—available for agriculture ; requiring some draining near the sea. Wairau Valley 28,000 acres—chiefly valuable for pasture. Kaip'aratehau . .20,000 acres—ditto, ditto. 128,000 acres. In addition to this quantity, there are 240,000 acres of hill pasture, beside an equal area occupied by mountain ranges. Throughout the district, with the exception of the head of the valley and the vicinity of the sea coast there is a great deficiency of wood for fuel or other purposes. The means of communication between Nelson and the Wairau, by land, at present consist of a good cart road for 17 miles, and a horse-track for the remainder of the distance, 33 miles. The horsetrack crosses four considerable streams, two steep ridges of hills, and passes through 10 miles of forest. It could not be made passable for carts without much expense ; and would most probably require to be changed for some miles of its course, if an undertaking of the kind were contemplated. This route strikes the valley of the Wairau at 56 miles from the sea, and at 50 miles from Nelson. Horses have been lately taken by it into Cloudy Bay down the Wairau, by keeping on the eastern side of the valley. There is another approach to the Wairau, which leaves the town of Nelson and follows the Maitai river to the eastward, passes through the valleys of the Pelorus and Kaituna, meeting the great plain at 11 miles from the sea. The length of this track is 50 miles. Up to the present time, only two persons on foot, accompanied by a Native guide, have penetrated it, and they reported it to be very difficult. It is very probable that another line, midway between these two may be discovered through the mountains at 16 miles south of Nelson ; which would shorten the distance to the Wairau from 50 to 30 miles, and at the same time enter the valley at a convenient point for every purpose. During my journey in the Wairau District, both in the valley and plain, I saw no traces of Natives, or of their cultivations. There were no indications whatever of their having occupied the land, except near the sea coast ; and I could not discover the place they have recently cultivated. This I might have been able to effect if I had not been disappointed in obtaining a guide from Port Underwood, —my own Natives were strangers. The journey from Nelson to Cloudy Bay, and returning, occupied 10| days, but with horses it might be accomplished in 7. The sketch of the route which I have made, connecting Nelson and Cloudy Bay, shewing the whole length of the Wairau Valley, I will forward to your Excellency in a few days, as I have not had time to copy it since my return on the 6th instant ; I have, &c, (Signed) Cn. W. Ligar, Surveyor-General. His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor, &c, &c, &c.

Wellington, January 30th, 1849. Sic,— I do myself the honor to transmit to you, for the information of His Excellency the LieutenantGovernor, the following Report of my mission to New Muaster as Commissioner for extinguishing the Native Claims in the block of land there purchased by Mr. Commissioner Kemp. Having left Akaroa on the 15th August, u1t0.,1 proceeded down the Peninsula to the northern part of the plain, and reached the boundary, Kaiapoi, on the Ist September. The Natives (Kaituhauriri) who had accompanied me, had mean time, retarded and embarrassed me to the utmost of their power. At the old Pa of Kaiapoi I listened to many speeches from the Natives, principally on the subject of the Ngatitoa boundary, which, they said, should be north of Kaikoura; and from the Natives actually residing on the plain, complaints that they had received no portion of the last payment. They also continued to assert obstinately, as they had previously done at Akaroa, that the land between Waimakariri and Kaiapoi had not been sold by them, and that they were resolved to retain it. On the afternoon of the 2nd September, the meantime having been spent in discussion, I commenced laying out the Tuahiwi Reserve. All the Natives present agreeing to the limits as I