E.—9a

15

land. When I really made up my mind not to stop three or four months must have elapsed. I was sometimes working two, sometimes three, and sometimes four days per week during this time, but I was never knocked off altogether. All the time I was there I lived in the Government building. When Macfarlane told me to go on the section I refused. ISo one showed me the ground. I took the next ground to my neighbour. Macfarlane told me to go .and select land; I went up then and took it. I told Mr. Macfarlane I would take this section, but there was no house on it. When I first came there and looked at the ground I selected it, and I intended to take it up, but afterwards it flooded. It was about three or four months after I selected the land that the house was mentioned. When the ground was selected the houses were built one after the other for the settlers. Before I arranged anything about my house I wanted to see the first house. Mr. Macfarlane ordered a house to be built close by. I went and asked Mr. Macfarlane if it was for £26. I said I did not want a house —I would get a house built for myself, and he must not keep the money. Mr. Macfarlane said, " You build your own house." But Mr. Macfarlane told Porter to build the house. I told Mr. Macfarlane it was too much mouey. He said, " Build one for yourself." Then he kept my money every month. I was working meantime for the Government. The houses were being built one after the other, and this one was the third. There was no particular time for balancing the account with Mr. Macfarlane. The balance used to be paid me by cheque. I gave the book to Mr. Macfarlane for him to balance it off, and he did so. He detained money, and told me I must have a house to live in, and he kept it for this purpose. I was always asking for the money, and saying I would pay for the house myself. I knew Porter was building the house. I did not then go to Mr. Macfarlane and tell him not to go on with it. I meant to take the house if it was well built. After it was finished I got a mau who understoood building, and took him up to see if the house was fit to be lived in—a man named Crawford. He said it was very badly built. He said when the bush was cleared the wind would blow it down. Mr. Macfarlane had some cross-pieces pub to hold it up. Crawford got from Mr. Macfarlane the specification under which the house was built. I told Mr. Macfarlane, and he told Crawford to put the cross-pieces referred to before. The house was no good. My objection was that the house was not fit to live in. I never offered to take the house at a reduced price because it was so badly built. After the house was built the flood came. If the house had been well built I would have stopped there. My mind was always doubtful, but when I saw the house was badly built I made up my mind not to stop. I was always looking out for a good opportunity of selecting. Ido not know whether Porter had many contracts for house-building. I never went into the house. When I told Mr. Macfarlane I would not take the house he stopped the stores : this was in December. Then I owed £15 19s. 4d. When Mr. Macfarlane found I meant to go he sent me a notice to pay £6. I did not work any more afterwards. Ido not know how much was due at this time. I always trusted to Mr. Macfarlane to make up the book. I cannot read and write. What was owing by him for work I always knew by memory. Setting aside the house, about £29 18s. was due to me for wages. The notice contains the amount owing for stores, £6. This £6 I paid in cash, because Mr. Macfarlane would not let me go in the steamer unless I did so. I have been in Hokitika about two years. I arranged for my passage with the captain, and went to fetch my family, and Mr. Macfarlane told the captain he would not let me go until I had paid my store account. I paid £11 10s. for my passage by the steamer. After my arrangement with the captain, Mr. Macfarlane asked him not to send a boat, but when my store account w ras paid he said he would send me off in a boat to the steamer. The name of the steamer was the "Beautiful Star." My book was never squared up before I went away. When Mr. Macfarlane stopped the stores I had to get them as I could. I did not get any stores from the store after that time. I cut down trees on my own land, and cleared one acre of stumps for cultivation. When I had no work from Mr. Macfarlane I worked upon my own ground. The money I paid for stores before leaving, and passage-money, I had saved outof my wages. I had £12 saved after paying these amounts, and bought a house. I did not complain, but sometimes the potatoes were not good, nor the butter, and dirt was in the flour in the bags. I was sometimes obliged to be satisfied with what I could get. I never, however, mentioned it. I have sent some potatoes back and got better ones instead. Sometimes the provisions were good and sometimes bad. I may say I was afraid to send my wife to the store, because there was a case where another woman was beaten at the store by Mr. Macfarlane and three other men. My girl saw it. She is in Hokitika. Her name is Annie. Sometimes we got 50-lb. bags of flour, sometimes 100-lb. or 200-lb. bags. I could not say how much was bad. It might be a few pounds more or less. I have nothing to do with Lipinsky. I never said anything to him about the house which -was built on my section. I have heard that Lipinsky has the house. I never transferred the section nor the house in any way whatever. I hand in the store account I received when going away, which I paid in cash. I never took anything after this was paid. I thought that was the receipt. Mr. Macfarlane said he would give me a receipt on board the steamer. He never did give it. I left before the new year. After I received the notice I never could get any goods, because Mr. Macfarlane would not give me auy. I received the notice on the Ist of November. I received the book before I received the notice. I thought the book only contained Government business. I never paid the first year's rent of my land; i.e., I do not know whether the first year's rent was charged against me in Mr. Maefarlane's book or not. I never heard anything about rent. I was never told the conditions of settlement. I never thought to ask for the regulations, aud Mr. Macfarlane never told me them. I remember Mr. Macfarlane coming and asking me about building houses. He said he would call for tenders for building the house. I did not know the price from Mr. Macfarlane, but I heard it from others. I had no objection to the price of the house if it was properly built. I agreed to it, but I wanted a good house. I would have taken the house if it had been built as it should be. I said that to Crawford. When the ground was cleared the house was built. I said, Build the house where it is clear land. Mr. Macfarlane said the house was in the wrong place when it was finished. Mr. Porter never said anything to me about the position of the house. Mr. Porter's son never said the house was in the wrong place. Neither my son nor myself ever slept in the house. (Beport 26th September, 1876, read to witness.) The statement is not correct, inasmuch as I did not object to going out, but only to the house. AVhen we landed I do not remember Mr. Macfarlane telling me to go to Okuru instead of where the house.