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oppose the settlement of Europeans near them. Korako, the principal man, is now too aged to exert himself much; and Haereroa behaved with a gloomy civility, not often interfering actively in the proceedings. The principal leaders, therefore, wore Horomona Pohio and Kahuti; the latter an exciteable mercurial man, scarcely «ble to view anything seriously; the former one of the most sullen evildisposed Natives I have met with, reminding me much of John Tikao, though, from his youth, less audaciously insolent. I must own, however, that throughout the transactions they seemed to be advocating not. so much their own views as those of some person by whom they were influenced. So unnecessary to them is the piece of land reserved for His Excellency's decision, that I must earnestly recommend that it be omitted from the Reserve. Huruhuru, a fine old man whom I met at Waikowaiti, deputed Horomona Pohio to receive the Waitangi payment; the latter not wishing to go to Akaroa, Kahuti and Rawiri to Mamaru were appointed by him and the other Waikowaiti Natives to accompany me. At Purakaunui I had no difficulty: in company with Noa Paka, the principal young man there, we laid off the reserves in the accompanying map,—a plan of which was given to him; and reached Otago on the 9th December, where I remained until the 21st. On the 12th, John Topi and John Kihau arrived from Ruapuke in a fine sealing boat. I gave them, on behalf of the Government, some provisions and sent them on to the Maori kaika at the heads. A few days afterwards I visited that place to hear and adjust a land dispute between Taiaroa and the Southern Natives, and to make out the list of those who should accompany me to Hakaroa. After waiting there two or three hours Taiaroa, Kaikoariri and Potiki arrived perfectly drunk, the former threatening to kill me, unless I at once left the kaika. On my return to Port Chalmers I wrote on the subject to the Sub-Inspector of Police, requesting him to endeavour to ascertain and prosecute the person who had supplied the spirits to the Natives. On the 21st December, having arranged with the agents of the schooner " Dolphin" for passages for myself and fourteen Natives, (of whose names, I enclose a list,) I embarked for Akaroa, and reached that place on the 23rd. On enquiring of the Resident Magistrate, I was informed that the money for the second instalment, payable on the 12th December, had not arrived: accordingly on the 26th I permitted the Natives to disperse to the various settlements on the peninsula to await the daily expected arrival of the funds for distribution. I here received from the Resident Magistrate a communication from His Excellency the LieutenantGovernor dated October Gth, 1848, altering in some points the instructions on which I had been acting. As the time wore on, the Natives tired of waiting so long away from their homes, repeatedly urged me to dismiss them: lat length agreed that, should the money not reach me before the 12th January, I would, if they wished it, let them leave on that day, and request the Lieutenant-Governor to suspend the payment of this instalment till June, 1849, or even until December following,—so that the sum might be larger; and further ask His Excellency to allow the portion due to the proprietors of the Southern part of the block to be distributed at Otago,—a place more central to the whole than Akaroa. The schooner " Harlequin" arriving on the 13th January rendered it unnecessary to carry out the first part of the above arrangement, as I learned from the master that the money was to have been brought by him. On the 17th I had the honor to receive your letters, numbered and dated as per margin, announcing the issue of £500 (Five hundred pounds) to the Sub-Treasurer at Akaroa, and I was informed by him of its safe arrival. I immediately sent off an express to summon the Natives; and on the 20th sufficient were assembled to discuss and settle sundry disputed claims to land in the Southern portion of the block. Having fixed Monday the 22nd for hearing what the Kaiapoi Natives might wish to say, and the evening of the same day for the payment, I early on that day re-opened the business. The Ngaituhauriri (Kaiapoi) headed by John Tikao behaved with their usual insolence. At this I was not surprised, having always found it the case with Natives among whom there is any considerable proportion of returned slaves. I took an early opportunity of informing them that in justice to the other claimants, and in obedience to my instructions to make what I might deem a fair and just division of the money, I could not allot to them so disproportionately large a share as they, taking advantage of the Commissioner's ignorance of the comparative extent ©f their claims, had secured at the last distribution. On their requesting the information, I told them I had fixed the amount for them at £70 (Seventy pounds) and that for Te Taumutu at £60 (Sixty pounds). On this they indulged in a series of most excited speeches, urged on by their ringleader, John Tikao, aided by a war speech from Taiaroa in which he called on them not to mind Queen or Governor, but, like the Northern Natives, to fight for the land: immediately after, he came to me in private, and begged me to attach no importance to what he had said; and offered, if I would add £40 to the £60 for Taumutu to make the whole affair run smoothly. I should state here that I had, immediately on my arrival, secured the cordial assistance of the Resident Magistrate to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors to the Natives. I have been credibly informed that after the last distribution there were at one public house two men constantly employed from morning till night in serving the Natives with spirits. Had the Natives now had the free use of ardent liquor, the consequences might have been deplorable, Finding that the Kaiapoi Natives insisted on claiming the same amount as they had received from Mr. Kemp (£250) I proposed to distribute the payment to the representatives of other places, but was