D—No. 16

she had joined herself to a whiteinan and let him be her friend ; after about four months, we commenced the journey overland to go to Auckland, we went on until we came to Whangaroa, on the West Coast, where I went to work for a Mr. Stewart, where I remained until about March, 1859, when we again started towards Auckland ; when we arrived there, I saw there was very little employment, and they did not like a Maori woman to live in their houses there ; I went on towards the Bay of Islands; on the road at the river Wade, my third child, a little girl, was born; as soon as my wife was able to travel we went on until we came to Whangarei, where I fell in with a relation of my wife, who persuaded her and me to stop there ; he begged a woman's hat and several pieces of babies clothing of my wife and me, and said that he had a pig, if I staid there, he would give in payment for the things ; I hired to split some fencing tor Mr. Henry, at the Roukaka ; he was a constant visitor at my place ; shortly after, another man joined with me in the job ; I then went and got the pig, which was weighed, it did not belong to Pake, my wife's relation, but he said he would give his in place of it, the weight was 12S lbs ; just after, the man that was with me went away, and my wife worked with me ; about that time a native left a piece of calico at my hut for me to make him a pair of trousers; the stuff was worth 3s. 9d., for the two yards and a half; shortly after my wife cut her hand, hurt bad, and I gave up the job; we staid until her hand got better, when she told me that Pake had said she had better leave me, I would be the death of her; there was plenty other men would be glad to take her ; she said, if you are a relation of mine I will not leave the father of my children for you ; about this time my eldest child brought something in the house rolled up in a piece of calidb, and when we started on from there to Bay of Islands it was put in among the other things without knowing what it was ; on the road, I made up the trousers of the stuff which I had fetched with me, and in searching for some thread we undid the piece of calico and found it to be three pieces of green stone, two looked like refuse stuff, one was perfect; on the road we stopped at several places; I gave at Wananaki one of the pieces of stone and the trousers ; we went on until we came Waikare where I gave away the other two pieces of stone ; we went on until we came to the Keri Keri to Mr. Duncan's, the Native Interpreter's residence ; I was slightly acquainted with him, having staid at his place a few years back waiting for a chance in a whaler. When he saw me he made me welcome and persuaded me to stop there as there was a new township going to be settled upon that river ; I intended . going on to Mongonui;. after a while I consented; after a few months he made preparations to join with a Mr. McGregor, and form a fishing station on the river; he proposed that me and McGregor was to fish and cure; he find salt and casks. We started, things went contrary, I was kept knocking back and forward to the Bay with a drunken mate. I told Duncan that me and Mr. McGregor had fell out, we would not agree together. He then told me I and Mr McGregor will give you some provisions and you find another man; I took a man that was stopping with him, he got us some sugar, tea, one barrel of biscuit; we went to work fishing; we did not agree long, I saw that game would not pay. The man went away; I took the salt fish up to Mr. Duncan. He said, Jim, take th^m with you and do the best you can with them for yourself. I took them, he got them whenever he wanted any fur eating I went to work at Mr. Clarke's survey about two months. I came back to the house that I had put up for the purpose of fishing, on a piece of Government land. I went to work, cleared a piece and planted it with potatoes and other things. On my receiving the mouev for my work at the survey, I offered payment for the things I had received of Mr. Duncan. He said, I do not want any payment; I think tint is little enough for your knocking about, and all I want is your good wishes; I only stated this that it might give you a bit of a start. Things went on, there was nothing particular occurred until Mr. Duncan's son, who had been at sea returned, bringing me a bill for the pig, the bill came from aman that neither me nor my wife had seen. 1 informed Mr. Duncan of the particulars, and wished him to write an answer or see the Natives when he went on the circuit. I heard no more until about the 20th April, 1861, when Mr. Duncan's son and another man name Jacob, came back from a journey to Kaipara. They told me that some of the Natives from Whananaki were coming to demand paym nt for a pig and some other things I had stole on the morning of the 25th April. I saw a whaleboat of Maoris go up the Kerikeri at the same time a canoe came in to my place. They told me the boat was going to Mr. Duncan's and when they came back they were coming to me for payment. The Natives in the canoe landed a woman a friend of my wife's, then went up the river; in the evening they came back to take her in. When they were about going away at about half past five, I saw the boat coming, there was four men, one woman, and Mr. Duncan's son. They landed shook hands and sat down, they eat. supper it being all ready when they came. I spoke to George Duncan and asked why his father did not send down for me when he knew what these Natives wanted. He said they have a note from my father. I then asked the Native to give me the note. He did. Mr. Duncan said I had better settle with him or come to some arrangement. I told them, He then said, Are you going to pay me for these things? 1 said, Ido not know you; 1 have never seen you before. The green stones lam accused of stealing, I did not; the trousers, I did fetch away with me; the pig, I consider that is a wrong debt. He, Henry Ngakapa, then said, Are you going to pay me for these things? I made reply that I had no money; all I had was that whaleboat and that most likely Mr. Duncan thought he had a right to a share. I said that to try and put them off, so as I might as I thought get them to go up the river to Mr Clendon where the case might be properly seen into. He said, If you give me the boat that will he all right. I said, If you take the boat you take the only means I have of getting anything lor my children. We had better go up to Mr. Clendou's or Duncan's. The Native said, I want no European law, lam tired of that; I will take the Maori law for it. Keep your boat, I will take the woman Woman get into the boat, woman get into the boat; those children that like him leave with him. that like you take with ) ou.

5

OF JAMES HOLDEN.