9

I.—2a.

191. From the time you left the bant ? —From the time I left the bank I ceased to know anything about it. It was left with Mr. Sheehan as a trustee. I will state how I got to know about the money afterwards. A year after this there was a heavy flood in our part of the district, and I said to the boy Wi Apo, " We have sustained very great loss through the floods, and you should write asking for some of your money to be given to you for flour and provisions." The boy said, " Yes," and wrote a letter. The letter was written to Mr. Nelson, asking him to advance a sum of money; and if he and Mr. Sheehan could not advance the money from the bank, to advance some of their own money, and they could take it out of the money in the bank. That letter was not answered ; no reply was sent back. But about a month and a half afterwards the letter itself was sent back, but no word accompanying it as to whether there was any money, or any money was to be advanced. "When I got back Mr. Grittos asked me why I went to Auckland. He also asked me whether the money had been paid, and how much. I said, " Four hundred pounds. It has gone into the bank." 192. "When you came back from where —back from the sale ?—"When I went back after the sale of Pakiri. Then Mr. dittos asked whether it was a fair transaction. I said I did not know whether it was or not; that if I had the bank-slip in my pocket then I would consider it fair. That is all I knew about this matter until the time after the flood that I have mentioned. Mr. Gittos then came to me. He said, " Would you not like that a letter should be written on account of the children, asking that money be given them from the bank?" I said, "I do not know what to do." He replied, " You are one of the trustees with Mr. Sheehan in this matter, and you had better sign a cheque for £20." I said, " All right," and signed the cheque, which was brought away by Mr. Grittos. That is the end of my story. There is nothing further that I can speak about. 193. The Chairman.] You say there was a sum of £900 to be distributed: are you quite sure of that ? —Yes; I am certain that there was £450 of that coming to Hori te More, and £450 to Wi Apo. 191-. What was due to Adam Clark ? —I got separately £50 on account of the survey that I had paid for, and I got £25 on the previous night, and there were £25 given to Te Hemara. This made up the £100, which I took to be the full payment of the amount I had paid for the survey. 195. Then that left you £350 still remaining for Wi Apo ?—No; I think £400. Fifty pounds was given to me, I had received £25 on the previous night, and another sum of £25 had been given to Te Hemara ; which made up the £100 which I had paid for the survey. 196. But when you got this £100 out, that left £35,0 in addition for Wi Apo's children ?—I consider it was £400, because when I went back north I told them £400 had been lodged in the bank on account of Wi Apo's children. 197. Was that in addition to the £100 for the survey ?—The £400 was separate from the £100. 198. Did you count the £400 ? —lt was counted out on the table. I did not count it myself, but I took it to the bank. It was counted out before me, and I saw it was £400. It was counted by the bank-man. 199. Did you count it yourself ?—No. ' 200. When you took it to the bank did you count it ?—I understood the amount to be £400. It was counted out before I went to the bank. The man counted it. Mr. Nelson was present. I fully understood it to be £400. 201. Did anybody touch the money between the time you got it and the time it was lodged in the hank? Was it in your possession all the time ? —I had possession of the money right up to the time I took it to the bank, and the man in the bank took the money from me. 202. Did you sign a lodgment-note ?—I was away from the counter. Mr. Nelson was alongside the counter. 203. Did you sign a cheque the day after you made that lodgment ?—No. 204. Do you know what a cheque is ?—Yes, I understand what it means. 205. Did you sign one the next day ? —No. 206. Do you remember signing a cheque at all on account of this, besides the £20 you have already spoken of ? —No, I do not remember. 207. Did you ever hear of a cheque for £200 on account of it ?—When Mr. Grittos and I went to Auckland the matter of this £200 was told to us., It was told to us by the Commissioner. Mr. Grittos asked me, "Is that your cheque?" and I said " No." That was why Mr. Grittos was so careful in going to the bank and having the thing looked into. Mr. Grittos can explain that. 208. After you lodged this money in the bank did you receive any money from anybody ?—No ; I returned home the day after the money was lodged in the bank. 209. Did you see Mr. Brissenden after you lodged that money ? —No, I did not. The last time I saw Mr. Brissenden was when the money was on the table. 210. Did Mr. Brissenden give you any money at any time ?—No, he did not. 211. Never ?—No, he never gave me any money. That was the last time I saw him—when he was present, and the money was on the table. The only thing I know about was that Mr. Grittos asked me to sign a cheque for £20, and I did so. 212. Did you give Mr. Sheehan £50 on ttie day after this lodgment in the bank ?—No! 213. Did you ever tell Mr. Sheehan to pay a man named Jones any money ?—I do not know. 214. Do you remember that the land was let for timber purposes to anybody before the sale ?—I heard something of that, but I did not see the money. 215. Did you pay any compensation to those people that had the right of cutting the timber?— All I know is, that a European went there to negotiate about the right of that land, and it was agreed to, the sum of £200 being paid to Te Kiri and Hori te More. 216. Mr. Sheehan.'] By whom?—By Mr. Nelson. Then it was told to me that there was £100 in the bank for me. I said, "Leave it there. I will not go for it." I never went for it; it was left there. 217. The Chairman.] What do you mean by that £100 ? What was it left for ?—lt was £100 on account of the timber ; it was part of the timber money. I said I would not touch it, I would leave it there; and I did so. If I had been one who was concerned in the transaction, and had a voice in 2—l. 2a.

Arama Karaka. Aug. 2,1880.