13

C.--No. 3

I am therefore to add, that you will be employed on the service alluded to in the first part of this Jetter about the middle of August next; and that if arrangements cannot be made for sending you to the Southward in the Government Brig, His Excellency will endeavour to charter for that purpose the whaling schooner, which is at present attached to the " Acheron." » I have, Bsc., (Signed) Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. Walter Mantell, Esq., &c, &c, &c. Aparima, Jacob's Eiver, January 3rd, 1852. Sir,— An opportunity offering itself of forwarding a letter to Otago, Ido myself the honor of transmitting to you, for the information of His Excellency the Governor-in Chief, a sketch of my proceedings since leaving that place. I reached Tuturau on the Mataura on December 14th ult., having been delayed some days on the road by the weather. An old Native, whom I took with me as a guide, proved perfectly ignorant of the way ; but the Country, after passing the ranges which bound the Molyneux was so open as not to prevent my maintaining a course due West by compass, which brought us to the Mataura, a few miles above Tuturau. I left the Molyneux valley by the Kaihiku stream, which I followed to its source. By this route, two days' good walking would take a traveller from Moa Hill to Tuturau. Having set out a reserve at Tuturau, I crossed to the " New River" where I set out two reserves for the Natives. I reached this place on the 27th ult., and have not yet succeeded in reducing the demands of the Natives for a reserve ot extravagant dimensions sufficiently to justify me in assenting to them. The Country bordering the Mataura, and westward on my route hither, appears excellent, and plentifully wooded, but the climate seems to be wet, stormy, and very changeable. I have, &c., (Signed) Walter Mantell. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Otago, February 24th, 1852. Sir,— Finding that considerable excitement among the Natives of this and the neighbouring settlements has been caused by a letter lately received by them from Pigeon Bay, informing them that the Government has concluded a purchase of the Murihiku district from Wahapiro and others, I do myself the honor of enclosing a copy of that letter ; and, with the view of removing erroneous ideas which threaten to present serious obstacles to the speedy conclusion of my negotiations for the purchase of that district, would request to be favoured with such a contradiction of this foolish report as His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief may deem sufficient. I have, &c, (Signed) Walter. Mantell. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

[Translation.] Pigeon Bay, 12th January, 1852. Speed this my letter to all the Natives of Otakau and Euapuke. This is my address to you. The payment for the district of Tuturau, and from thence to Nelson, including the whole line of Coast between the two places, has been given. The Governor did not consent to pay the money until the second time the matter was discussed ; and then the Governor and Mr. McLean agreed to pay for the land where Te Puoho (a chief of the Ngatitoa) was killed. The boundary commences at Tuturau, and finishes at Arahura. The Natives of the Ngatitoa, Ngatitama, and. Ngatiraukawa have all received the payment. Not only is the whole of the land on the West Coast included in this sale, but it includes also the land on this, or the East Coast, including and Kaikoura. We, who are living here, are living upon land the substance of which has been clandestinely bought by (or sold to) the Governor. Nothing has yet equalled the desire of the Europeans for the land, no matter whether it is bought honestly or not. The blame, however, does not rest with Te Wahapiro, (alias Paramatta) neither with Eawiri Puaha ; it rests with Taiaroa, who authorised the payment for the district of Tuturau (probably near Euapuke) to be by them received ; they were the more earnest in seeking the payment in consequence of a letter addressed to them by Taiaroa to that effect. O ! the blindness of you people, to aliow other Natives to receive the payment for the Land which you occupy ! We had thought that Kaiapoi alone was to be sacrificed in this way ; but it seems that all the lands in this Islands are to share the like fate. This finishes my address to you; but not mine only,—it is from us all. (Signed) Nα Ihala,