G.—7

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ventures with a full sense of the humourous side of the affair, and no small power of satire. Once, it seems, he coyly took refuge in the branches of a willow-tree from the importunate advances of Tanner and Hainlin. There he remained concealed perhaps two hours, looking down on his pursuers. As he must weigh fully twenty stone, such a feat of agility would seem to iudicate the pressure of some motive of extraordinary power. At another time he ran off to a house where the native chaplain of the pa was residing. The minister was occupying the ground floor ; above was a room used as a powder magazine. In this upper chamber Manaena hid himself. Presently Tanner and Hamlin coming to the door, and asking if Manaena is not up-stairs, are assured by the clergyman that there is nothing there but powder. I report these matters trivial as they seem, because they appear to me to throw some light on the relations of the parties and the character of the transaction. At last Mr. Tanner, foiled for once, handed over the business of dealing with Manaena to Mr. Sutton, a genial creditor to whom he owed about £000. Mr. Sutton's prospects of getting this money paid depended on the sale of Heretaunga. Accompanied by Mr. F. E. Hamlin he went out to Pakowhai, and was fortunate enough to secure an interview. Sutton had informed Mr. Tanner that in his opiniou what Manaena really wanted was some additional provision, such as Karaitiana and Henare were understood to have secured ; and he went armed with power to promise £50 per annum for ten years. This proved at once effectual, though some minor difficulties occurred about the cheque for £100. Manaena signed the deed, and a perfectly amicable meeting was closed —Manaena says it was opened —'by the party drinking a bottle of champagne provided by the vendor. It seems to have been generally understood, that the purpose of Karaitiana's visit to Auckland was to lay before the Government the grievances of the natives of Hawke's Bay in respect to their land, and to obtain if possible money to pay the debts of himself and Henare, and their people. He states that he had an interview with Mr. M'Lean, at Auckland, when it was arranged that Major Ileaphy should be sent down to Napier. But with respect to an advance of money by Government, Karaitiana got no definite reply from the Native Minister; nor, as it appears from Mr. Ormond's evidence, was any communication made to him, as the local agent of the General Government, about such an advance. When Karaitiana got back to Hawke's Bay he retired to Pakowhai where he remained, not visiting the town, in a state which the natives call " pouri " and the settlers " sulky." On public grounds it was thought desirable that Mr. Ormond should pay him a visit. That gentleman accordingly went out to Pakowhai, taking with him Mr. F. E. Hamlin as interpreter. Karaitiana, in the course of conversation, told Mr. Ormond that he had asked Mr. M'Lean to let him have money on Heretaunga, and inquired if Mr. Ormond had no funds for that purpose. Mr. Ormond answered, that he had heard nothing whatever on the subject from Mr. M'Lean, and that he did not think the Government would advance money ia the way indicated, that is as a loan upon laud. This was the only occasion, Mr. Ormond declares, on which Heretaunga was ever mentioned between himself and Karaitiana. The end of the conversation was that Karaitiana said he would come into Napier again. Having taken legal advice as to his position, Mr. Tanner now determined on making a last effort to obtain Karaitiana's signature to a conveyance ; failing which he decided to sue him for specific performance of the contract of the Gth December, 1869. Mr. Cuff, accompanied by Mr. Martyn Hamlin, was despatched to Pakowhai. They took out the deed of conveyance, a large sum of money, the amount of which is not stated but which must have exceeded £1,000, and a Supreme Court writ. There was a long conversation, which resulted in Karaitiana agreeing to come into town in a few days, and there accept payment of the purchase money and sign the deed. The writ was served, but in no offensive way. The service of this writ, which named Mr. Ormond as one of the plaintiffs, may be the foundation of a statement made by Karaitiana that he ultimately consented to part with Heretaunga inconsequence of a letter from Mr. Ormond. The supposed letter said, that if Karaitiana did not come into Napier, Pakowhai and all the houses, and the whole leainga, would be taken. Karaitianga said he had not been able to find this letter. The sending of any such document was absolutely denied on the part of Mr. Ormond and the respondents, and this charge was properly abandoned by the counsel for the complainants. Six grantees, namely, Noa, Paramena and Pahoro, Manaena, Henare, and Karaitiana, a few days after Mr. Cuff's interview with the latter, met at Mr. Cuff's office in Napier, to receive the balance of the purchase money, and to execute a fresh conveyance which had been prepared —the deed which had been already signed by Henare and others being objected to on some technical ground by Mr. Wilson, as one of Arihi's trustees. The business occupied portions of either two or three days. Orders in favour of various storekeepers, to whom the grantees were indebted, were produced. Mr. Tanner's account current with Henare Tomoana was also gone into. According to the arrangement made at Pakowhai, the six grantees would collectively receive, or have credit for, the sum of £7,000. Against this were to be set their orders to storekeepers and others, and their debts to Mr. Tanner on account current. Altogether these amounted to £6,245 3s. 3d., which would leave a balance to be paid in cash of only £754 16s. 9d. Through some miscalculation, which Mr. Tanner was unable to explain, the actual cash paid was £2,387 7s. 3d., being an error of £1,632 10s. 6d. against the purchasers. The entire sum of £2.387 7s. 3d. was received by Karaitiana. None of the other six received anything in cash. The cheque for the balance was written out by Mr. James Williams, and laid on the table after the deed was signed. There was a pause ; dead silence for a minute or two. Karaitiana then eaid, addressing the other natives, yon have had your debts paid out of the money of Heretaunga. I shall take this, and pay mine! He then took up the cheque in the presence of them all. Mr. Tanner says that he expected Karaitiana would do so, because he had stated the day before that whatever the balance of the purchase money was, the purchasers must leave it to him to deal with. The subjoined account exhibits the settlement with the six grantees. Included in the sum of £407 Bs. charged against Karaitiana, is a sum of £100, cash received by him a few days before.