G.—2

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made, that no one objected to the road. Afterwards we sold the land at Waipuku-Patea to Mr. Parris. The quantity was 21,500 acres, and the price 2s. 6d. per acre. The 700 acres was not land given to us by the Government; it was a piece which properly belonged to us, and was set aside, and for which we had not received 2s. 6d. per acre, as it was excluded from the acreage paid for (21,500 acres). I did not agree to the 700 acres being set aside, like some of my people. What they ■wished was that they should be paid 2s. 6d. per acre for (he whole block. Mr. Parris said that the request made that Pepe's sisters were to have a reserve was the same as the one agreed to, and we agreed. The land which remained in our possession is on this side of Patea, and extends twelve miles on this side of Patea to Ngaruru. The land between Patea River and Waingongoro River, this side of Stratford, the distance being twelve miles, was not to be sold. After this Major Brown succeeded Mr. Parris. Major Brown told us Puketu, Puketarata, and Araukuku, containing 10,000 acres, together with £500, would be given, and asked us what we thought of it. I answered him that I did not agree to the 10,000 acres ; that I would rather agree to the offer made by Mr. Parris. If Patoe and Tukarangatai were to receive a portion as compensation for services rendered by them in forming the road, then I would not agree to the £500; rather let it be' fifty times £500. Only then would I agree to it. We did not agree to the reserve of 10,000 acres being made. After this I went with Major Brown and others to Ohawe, and while there Major Brown told us we should have 15 acres at Ohawe, but that we should have to pay £15G 13s. 4d. for it. I did not agree to that. I said to him, "You should give us this without payment." I afterwards asked Captain Blake as to whether there was such a reserve at Ohawe, and he said there was not. 154. Mr. Parris: With reference to what Kopekopo has said about selling land on the other side of the Patea River, and the land on this side of the Patea between Stratford and Normanby, there never was any arrangement or understanding that they were to keep the whole of it. I had agreed to make a 1,500-acre reserve out of it. It is correct that they said they would not part with that reserve; but I told them that it was part of the confiscation, and would have to be dealt with as such.

At Haweea, Wednesday, 25th Febexiaet, 1880. 155. Patoe said: My land has all been stolen from me. It has all been taken by Major Brown and Te Waero. 15G. Major Brown ; The land he is now referring to will come before the Native Land Court; it is outside the confiscated boundary. 157. Patoe : The land I wish to speak about is Te Ngaere. It is within the confiscated boundary. Major Brown and Te Waero took this land I did not know of their purchasing it. That is all I have to say about that. With respect to Toko, it was taken by Major Brown, Te Mango, and Te Waero, and I know nothing about its purchase. 158. Major Brown : A. small part of Te Ngaere is inside the confiscated line. The lines were cut on the ground, because the Natives said they did not know where the boundaries were. The money paid to Te Waero was for the part of Te Ngaere outside the confiscated line. That matter will be heard, by the Native Laud Court on the 7th July nest, at Patea, when, if Patoe satisfies the Court that his claims are the strongest, he w rill get the land. The reason for its being heard by the Native Laud Court is that the Government have advanced money on the block, and the Court will inquire into Patoe's claim, or any other claim to it. That is all about Te Ngaere. With regard to Toko, a small portion of that land is inside the confiscated boundary. The money paid to Te Mango and To Waero on account of Toko is for the part outside the confiscated land. lam not sure that the survey is completed, and therefore I cannot say when the land will come before the Court, because the Court will not hear any claim until the survey has been completed. 159. Hone Pihama requested permission to put the following questions to Major Brown: — IGO. Did I not say to you that, if any persons wished to sell land there, outside of the confiscated boundary, you were not to buy it from them ? —Yes. 161. Then why did you pay Te Mango and Te Waero money for those lands at Te Ngaere and Toko ?—Because I was satisfied, from inquiries I made, that they had claims there. 162. Hone Pihama: I said in the time of Mr. Parris that these two blocks of land, Ngaere and Toko, should be reserved. 163. Major Brown : There is always somebody who tells me not to deal with some particular block, and if I listened to every one I should not attempt to purchase any block. The final determination is with the Land Court, and not with me. 164. Hone Pihama : I wish now to refer to a piece of land within the confiscated boundary called Whakahurangi, and which is shown on the map I now produce, which also indicates the boundary of the Township of Stratford. We told Mr. Parris that we did not wish to take any money for this land, as the principal part of our people were at Parihaka. 165. Mr. Parris : With reference to what Hone has said about the district known as the Whakahurangi, when I commenced to deal with the confiscated lands in that part, he made a special request that I would not interfere with that land until I could see the hapu called Ngatitupaea, who were all living at Parihaka. I consented to leave the land for a time, to see if they would return to the district, when there would be provision made for them either on this land or somewhere about Keteonetea. That is the position in which I left Whakahurangi when I retired from the service. Since that, Major Brown has made provision for the Ngatitupaea in the 10,000-acre block which was discussed before the Commission yesterday. 106. Major Brown : Since the time I have been Civil Commissioner 1 have not dealt with the land to the north of the Patea Eiver, and therefore 1 have made no arrangement about the takoha for the Whakahurangi Block. 167. Pene Tutorakina: I. wish to mention some things that passed between Mr. Parris and myself some time ago. I spoke to him about two reserves included in Huiroa. They contained 200 acres each. I wish to have those two blocks given to me now. I wish to have the Crown grants for them.