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Colonial Treasury, Auckland, March 10th, 1857. Sik, — I am directed by the Colonial Treasurer to authorize you to pay to the Native Chief " Paora" and the other Chiefs who assisted in obtaining the cession of land at Banks' Peninsula, a sum not exceeding ten pounds, (£10) which should, if possible, be expended in the purchase of useful agricultural implements. I have, &c, (Signed W. Gisborne, Under Secretary. The Sub-Treasurer, Lyttleton. Land Commissioner's Office, Auckland, March 10th, 1857. SiE,— With reference to your letter of 10th January last, stating your intention of applying the sum of £150 which you were authorized as Sub-Treasurer to advance to Mr. Johnson for the settlement of the Kaiapoi Land question, I have the honor to inform you that the Sub-Treasurer at Lyttleton has been instructed to adrance the above mentioned sum to you, to be expended in the manner proposed by you, and to be charged to the temporary Loan of £100,000. I have, &c, (Signed) Donald McLean, Chief Commissioner* W. Hamilton, Esq., Lyttleton. Colonial Treasury, Auckland, March 10th, 1857. Sib,With reference to the letter addressed to you by the Colonial Secretary on 31st May 1856, No. 77, I am directed by the Colonial Treasurer to inform you that you are authorized to advance to Mr. Hamilton the sum of One Hundred and fifty pounds therein referred to, for the settlement of the Kaiapoi Native Land question. This expense is to be charged against the temporary Loan of £100,000. I have, &c, (Signed) W. Gisbohne, Under Secretary. The Sub-Treasurer, Lyttleton, Canterbury. Kaiapoi, Feb. sth, 1857. Sib,— I have the honor to report for His Excellency's information, that the Maories of Port Levy, (Kokorarata) Eapaki and Kaiapoi, have this day by deed, surrendered to the Crown the irremaining lands nothward of Kaiapoi for the sum of £200. The tract ceded comprises about 1,140,000 acres. It extends from Kaiapoi old Pah, and the Northern . boundary of Messrs. Kemp and Mantell's purchase, made in 1848 and 1849, to the Waiau-ua, a distance of about 50 miles North and South; and from the Coast back to the sources of the Ashley, (Rakahauri) I the Hurunui, and the Waiau-ua, where the waters of the East and West Coasts are divided, —being a distance of about 60 miles East and West. About 480,000 acres are situated in the Nelson Province ; being North, and on the Nelson side of the River Hurunui, which forms the Northern boundary line of Canterbury. The remaining 660,000 acres are situated in this Province, between the river Hurunui and the boundary line of Messrs Kemp's and Mantell's purchase, above referred to. I have previously stated my inability to obtain iv this Province, the Deed of sale by which I could distinctly learn how the Kaiapoi boundary line runs. The Natives did not seem at all clear about it, when stating that it runs from old Kaiapoi Pah, to H Mt. Thomas." This line would probably cross the Ashley far to the Northward of its sources. To prevent any future doubts, and to ensure including all the ramaining land of the Maories within the purchase just completed, I had the sources of the Ashley named as the commencement of the inland boundary. Thus, part of a former purchase may appear to be over-lapped by the present one. But the vendors are not thereby to be charged with fraud in twice selling the same land. The vendors claimed no right over the land to the Westward of the watershed of this portion of Middle Island. They stated that the Arahura, or Putini, Natives own it. Consequently no reference to the West Coast country appears in the Deed enclosed. Had I been able to communicate with the Arahura people, I should have endeavoured to include them in a negotiation for one general transfer of the lands between both Coasts. ~ V