9 A.—No. 17.

McLeod and party, and on the 13th May entered into an agreement with Eopata Ngatai and the resident Natives of the Ngatiporou Tribe for leasing to the Crown all their lands there for gold-mining purposes, with the exception of a town site, and a small piece leased by them to Mr. James Smart, a very small piece leased to Mr. Alexander Hogg, and a reserve for their own residence and cultivation. Te Moananui, Eiria Karepe, and the Ngatitarnatera owning the adjacent lands, and who had originally given the above-mentioned block to the Ngatiporou, were present, and witnessed all the arrangements. There are other Natives residing at Waiapu who have claims on these lands ; but theEeverend Eariera Kawhia, who is the principal man among the non-resident claimants, wrote to me on the 23rd May, 1868, approving of the arrangements entered into by Eopata Ngatai and others on behalf of the tribe. The terms of the agreement were similar to those made in that with the Ngatimaru and Ngatiwhanunga, on the 9th March, 1868. On the 18th May, 1868, His Honor the Superintendent proclaimed the Kennedy Bay, Cape Colville, and Coromandel Blocks, to be a gold field. A considerable number of miners then visited the former place ; some of them were partially successful, but the majority soon left, dissatisfied with the prospects obtained. A few remain there to the present time, who have managed to make a living, and little more. There is no doubt there are rich reefs in the neighbourhood, as very fine specimens have been procured from creek washings. On the 19th May I proceeded to Waikato, to be present at the meeting of Natives with His Excellency the Governor, at Ngaruawahia. Subsequent to this, I was instructed to proceed to Hokianga to apprehend a half-caste, named Te Wake, who had shot a Native there, had been arrested there, and effected his escape. This occupied some time, and I did not return to Shortland until the 23rd June, 186 S. Early in July I was engaged in arranging the dispute between the Tawera and Ngatimaru Tribes about the dividing boundary of their lands at Manaia, and I succeeded in settling this vexed question. Afterwards I was employed in other business of my department at Auckland, and Waikato, until the 11th August, when I again landed at Shortland. During my journey through Waikato, I had, among other duties, visited and inspected what was reported to be a gold field at Eangiriri. Prom this I procured a number of samples of stone, which, on being forwarded to Dr. Hector, the Government Geologist, were pronounced to be non-auriferous. Previous to this several circumstances had arisen, which caused me, on the sth August, to tender my resignation of the appointments which I then held under the General Government: some of these will be alluded to in the concluding portion of this Eeport. In September I paid a visit to Ohinemuri, as the miners had again become excited about the opening of the country. I then managed to make some little advance in the question. On the 26th September there were some rather riotous demonstrations on the part of the miners, at the Court House, which were put down. On the sth October, 1868, I again went to Ohinemuri, and on this occasion, during a public meeting, a quarrel arose between the Hauhaus and friendly Natives, which resulted in two of the latter (Periniki and Wikiriwhi) coming forward and offering the whole of their lands for gold mining. This was seconded by the loyal chief Eopata te Arakai and his people, to the great dismay of the Hauhau party, who left the meeting in anger and disgust at these proceedings. On the 13th October, having heard of the discovery of gold at Whangapoua (opposite to Coromandel, on the East Coast), and being invited by the Natives to proceed there to inspect the district, I went, and on the 18th October made an arrangement with Mohi Mangakahia and Makoare, the principal owners, to permit prospecting for gold on their lands in that neighbourhood ; and in the event of its being discovered in payable quantities, they further agreed to make similar arrangements to those concluded for lauds at Hauraki. I also entered into an agreement with the Tawera and N«atimaru of Manaia, to lease their lands at that place for gold-mining purposes. The disputed boundary between the holdings of the two tribes was then fixed as follows :—Commencing at the mouth of ihe Eiver Manaia, thence by that river to Te Tumutumu; thence to the Eakau-o-Whiti Stream ; thence by that stream to Tikohunui; thence to the Manaia Eiver ; thence by that river to a point opposite Puketotara; thence to Puketotara—the lands to the north of this boundary belonging the Ngatimaru, and to the south to the Tawera Tribe. The terms of the agreement were similar to those of the 9th March and 13th May, entered into with the Ngatimaru, Ngatiwhanaunga, and Ngatiporou respectively. About this time, aud also on previous occasions, deputations of miners had visited Ohinemuri, and endeavoured to obtain permission from the Natives to be allowed to mine there ; other persons had also gone there to secure land, and the result of their injudicious interference was to complicate matters, and effectually upset all the proceedings which had been taken by me for their benefit. There was at this time a great amount of excitement among the unemployed portion of the miners about the opening up of the Upper Thames country, and His Honor the Superintendent had considered it to be his duty to visit Ohinemuri also, and use his influence in the matter; and I must say that his proceedings there in no way assisted my efforts to arrange this very difficult question. In consequence of the unsettled state of Native affairs on the East Coast, and the absence from Tauranga of Mr. Commissioner Clarke through sickness, I received instructions from the Honorable Dr. Pollen, on the 14th November, to proceed to that district, and take any steps which appeared necessary for the defence of it. Afterwards I was engaged in the other business of my department at Waikato and Auckland, until the Bth December, 18G8, when I left for Ohinemuri, via Shortland, taking with me the whole of the Ngatihura hapu of Ngatipaoa, who had a joint interest in the lands claimed by Te Hira, in the hope that their presence would aid in the negotiation. Several days were spent in the preliminary arrangements for the meeting, which fairly commenced on the 16th December, and lasted the whole of that day and the two following days. The opposing party at Ohinemuri were ably supported by all the Hauhaus who could be mustered from Piako and the adjacent districts; but in despite of all their efforts, Eopata tc Arakai, Wikiriwhi, and their people, would not be put down, and they continued firm in their determination to lease their own lands for gold-mining purposes. On the 19th December, sixty-three Natives interested in the lands at Ohinemuri signed a preliminary agreement to hand over all their lands to the Governor for gold-mining purposes, on the same terms as the Hauraki Gold Fields. The boundaries were not described, that being left for future arrangement. As 3

Enclosure Ja,

Enclosure K.

Enclosure L.

Enclosure M.

THE THAMES GOLD FIELDS.