THE THAMES GOLD FIELDS.

21

A.—No. 17,

thence along the sea coast to Moehau (Cape Colvillc), thence by the sea coast to Whitianga (Mercury Bay), thence along the boundary of the lands belonging to Ngatihe and Ngatimaru to the point of commencement at Te Mamaku. The whole of the said pieces of land are given over for gold-mining purposes for the Governor and his assigns ; lhat is, all lands belonging to iis within the said boundaries are open for gold mining, excepting the pieces of land owned by other tribes, aud places occupied for residence or used for cultivation by us, or for burial-grounds. The following are the terms and conditions under which the said lands are given over, viz.: — 1. No person will be permitted to mine for gold on the said lands unless ho be the holder of a miner's right. The payment for such miner's right shall be one pound. Any person being the holder of a miner's right, shall be entitled to do all works or acts which are termed gold-mining operations. 2. The Governor shall give (or pay) to us one pound for each miner's right which shall be issued to any person for mining on our piece of land. The days for the payment of such money to us shall be—the 31st day of March, the 30th day of June, the 30th day of September, and the 31st day of December, in each year of the continuance of this agreement. Provided that if any person being the holder of a miner's right shall remove on to the land of another tribe, and mine for gold, before completing the year specified in his miner's right, there shall then be paid to us such money as shall be equivalent to the period for which such person shall have remained on our land ; and if any person being the holder of a miner's right to mine on land belonging to another tribe shall remove on to our land, the same conditions shall be complied with, the money shall be divided between us and them (the other tribe). 3. Any person being the holder of a miner's right will be entitled to cut timber for firewood or for gold-mining purposes, excepting that kauri timber shall be paid for. The payment for each tree required shall be one pound five shillings. 4. The Governor shall pay to us now the sum of five hundred pounds as a deposit on this agreement, but the said money shall be refunded to the Governor out of the money arising from miners' rights, when the same is paid to us. 5. The Governor shall pay the surveyors for surveying the pieces of land which are excepted, and also the boundaries of the lands owned by other tribes. In witness of our consent on behalf of ourselves and our heirs to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, and the giving over of all our pieces of land within the boundaries above described to the Governor to perform all works (or acts) which are termed goldmining operations, we have hereunto signed our names ; and in witness of the consent of the Governor the name of James Mackay, junior, Civil Commissioner, is hereunto subscribed. Meha te Moananui, Paora Tupaea, Honana Potiki Wahataiki, Kahukura, Eiria Karepe, her x mark, Eapana Pahono, his x mark, Hata Paka, Arama Tarakawa, his x mark, Nepihana, Karaitiana, Keremenita, his x mark, Pita te Hiangi, Hirawa, Matene Eutuhau, Paratene, Te Tira, Te Tahana, Poroa, Pehimana, Eriatera, his x mark, Bakena, Herata, her x mark, Karauria, Himaera, Paora Matutaera, his x mark, Piniha, his x mark. Hera Putea, her x mark, James Mackay, junior, Civil Commissionei", N.Z. Witness to the signatures of Meha to Moananui, Honana Potiki tc Wahataiki, Eiria Karepe, Hata Paka, Nepihana, Keremenita, Hirawa, Paratene, Te Tahana, Eakena, Karauria, Paora Matutaera, Hera Putea, Haora Tupaea, Kahukura, Eapana Pahono, Arama Tarakawa, Karaitiana, Pita te Hiangi, Matene Eutuhau, Te Tira, Poroa, Eriatera, Herata, Hiimaera, Piniha, and James Mackay, junior— Hoori Paraono. James C. Boyd, Miner, Shortland. Alexander Gillan, Miner, Shortland. Witnesses to the signature of Hoori Paraone — James C. Boyd, Miner, Shortland. Alexander Gillan, Miner, Shortland. Ko texei Pukapfka i tuhituhia i tenei te iwa o nga ra o Nowema, i te tau o to tatou Ariki kotahi mano c waru rave ono te kau ma whitu (1867). He pukapuka whakaae na matou na nga rangatira me nga tangata o Ngatitamatera mo matou me o matou uri kia tukua atu Id a Ta Hori Kerei, Kawana o Bui Tireni, me nga Kawana i muri i a ia o matou piihi whenua katoa, ka timata i te Mamaku, haere tonu i te taha o te moana ki Moehau, haere tonu i te taha o te moana ki Whitianga, haere tonu i te roho o nga whenua o Ngatihe, me Ngatimaru ma kite Mamaku, kite wahi i timata ai ko enei whenua katoa, he whenua mahinga koura mo te Kawana, me ana i whakaritc ai ara ko o matou wahi katoa, ki roto ki ana rohe kua puare he whenua mahinga koura, heoi nga piihi i kape ki waho ko nga whenua o etahi atu iwi me nga kainga nohoanga ngakinga kai ma matou me nga wahi tapu. Na ko nga tikanga enei i roto i taua tukunga, ara: — 1. Ekore c tika kia haere noa iho te tangata kite keri koura i runga i aua whenua, engari kia matua whiwhi ia kite niaina raiti katahi ka tika, ko te utu ote mama raiti kotahi pauna (£1), kua riro 6