17

C—No. 3

Their Children,— EoitiPi/ 15 Taitu 10 Tomiti * 11 Tβ Hira 6 Te Oromene ... ... 3 Bethrothed to the two elder boys, — Te Rakiamoa/., 16, daughter of Karuwai. Tumutu, /', 8, daughter of Te Kihi. One adult son Ihaia absent at Sydney. A reserve of 150 acres at the mouth of Te Hakaturamea will suffice for himself and family ; and I will, on my next visit, mark out and make a sketch survey of that amount. In the meantime, as the Country in his immediate neighbourhood (North Bank) offers little inducement for settlers, even with stock, I have not prohibited the continuance of his cultivation of patches of fertile soil here and there on the low flats and Islands of the river :—these gardens are mostly in places which no European would think of cultivating at present; and since the southern bank must soon be occupied, I am desirous that the settlers should have at the outset, as large a supply of food as the scantiness, and (with the honourable exception of Te Warekorari,) the laziness of the Native population will permit them to raise. Te Warekorari's attachment to Europeans and their customs has acquired for him among the Natives the name of "Te Pakeha," by which he is now generally addressed. His conduct since the sale of the country has been in such favorable contrast to that of Huruhuru and the Punaomanu Natives that I would suggest that some trifling present or other mark of His Excellency's approbation would be well bestowed upon him; it would also operate advantageously as a tacit but intelligible censure of the conduct of the latter Natives ; whom nothing but the distance and the smallness of the police force has preserved from the consequences of their wanton destruction of the little woods in their neighbourhood. They (especially Huruhuru and Rakitawine) have devoted days to felling trees which they leave to rot upon the ground, —being only actuated by a wish to injure the Government; which, prompted, by the Waikowaiti Natives, they blame for an alleged dishonesty of Te Marama. A recurrence of such conduct I shall feel it my duty to punish, however disadvantageous the circumstances under which the prosecution must be conducted. I think it more probable, however, that they will next be heard of in the Middle District ; William Harpur (in whose favour a grant, which I find he little merits, is probably now ready for issue) having incited them to migrate to the Waimatemate wood on the Waihau, whither he is to accompany them. I have marked my approbation of Te Warekorari's conduct, but what he would most prize would be some proof of that of His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief. (Signed) Waltek Mantell, Crown Land Commissioner, (Late Commissioner Extinguishing Native Claims.) REPORT ON THE LOWER WAITANGI COUNTRY, FROM CAPE WANHOtI (MAKOTUKUTUKU) TO PUKBWHINAU, DECEMBER AND JANUARY, 1852-53. 1. Pasture. 4. Inland Transport. 2. Fuel. 5. Shipment. 3. Timber. 6. Miscellaneous. 1. The Pasture is good throughout ; and a large extent, especially inland to Fire Beacon (Rakai* kuruwheo), indeed wherever the porous tertiary limestone occurs, bears natural growth at least equal to any which I have seen on unstocked land in New Zealand. Messrs. Suisted, Nairn, D. Scott and Cormack will (so far as they have seen) corroborate this opinion. The only drawback is Tumatakuru, of which there is a great deal in some parts of the plains ; but this I believe disappears before stoekand burning. 2. Fuel. In the Eastern portion very scarce ; but probably, or rather almost certainly, lignite will be discovered in the Waiareka or Kakaunui country. The woods at present known are as follows :— Acres Scrub. Acres Copse. Acres Forest. 1. Wanhou Cliff 0 1 0 2. Cliff wood 0 2 0 3. Copse on the Hemans (Oamaru) 0 10 4. On the Landon (Awakokomuka) 1 0 0 5. Papakaio 0 4 0 6. Crusoe Copse, &c. ...... 0 5 0 7. Keatsbourne (Waikouva) half belonging to Natives) ... 0 3 0 8. The Chatterton (Awaamoko)... 0 8 0 9. Maerewhenua (near the source) 0 8 (?) 0 10. Blackwood, and foot of Domett 0 0 50,100 II & 12. Otekaikeke, Oteaki, Kohurau, Awawakamau 25 O 0 26 27| 50,100