G.—l.

tribes, including a number of Hauhaus. The greater portion of the time of the Court being taken up in the settlement of the title to the long-disputed Rangipo block, a small number of other blocks, however, passing through. While the Court was sitting, considering the number of natives of different tribes collected, the proceedings were marked by the absence of all disturbance or obstruction, and the behaviour of the natives outside the Court was orderly in the extreme. While on this subject I may state that, in my opinion, were the natives residing round the Lake, —and especially the Hauhau portion of them, living at the southern end,—more fully aware of the benefits likely to accrue from bringing their lands before the Native Land Court, they would show considerably less reluctance to so doing, and obtaining Crown titles; and their state of dependence on the King party and isolation from Europeans would gradually die away. Mr. Lawrence Cussen, District Surveyor, being directed to connect the Auckland and Wellington triangulations, commenced work in the spring, and, with the exception of some trifling disputes between rival hapus, experienced no obstruction until he arrived at the Hauhau boundary,—the Tauranga River, on the Taupo Lake. Several large native meetings have been held in the district, notably, at Te Hatepe, in October last," attended principally by friendly natives, at which it was unanimously agreed to allow Mr. Cussen to proceed with his survey as far as the Hauhau boundary, on the above-mentioned Tauranga River, and at Waipapa, in December, afterwards adjourned from thence to Waihi, and again to the Tauranga River, at which all the principal natives of the district, both friendly aud Hauhau, attended, the object of the meeting being to determine the boimdaries between the King country and that under the control of the Government. It was then decided that, as far as the Taupo District was concerned, the boundary line should run from Waipapa to the mouth of the Whangamata River, on Lake Taupo, thence across the lake to the mouth of the Tauranga River, and following the course of that river to the Kaimanawa Range. No serious crime has occurred amongst the natives during the year : a few trivial cases, mostly of assault, being the only Maori business brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court. The commonest Maori crime—larceny—being conspicuous by its absence; and drunkenness, especially since the enforcement of the clauses of " The Licensing Act, 1881," relating to Maori Licensing Districts, has almost entirely disappeared. The health of the natives in the district has been generally good, there having been very few deaths during the year ; and no illness has been prevalent until lately, when measles in a mild form made its appearance, but no deaths, as far as I can learn, have occurred from it. In February of this year, Poihipi Tukairangi, for many years a loyal subject, and a staunch friend to the Europeans, died of pulmonary consumption at Tapuaeharuru, and a large number of natives from all parts of the district, and from Rotorua, assembled to do honour to his remains. By permission of the Hon. the Native Minister, I furnished a firing party of the Armed Constabulary at his funeral, which appeared to give great satisfaction to his friends. The district has remained undisturbed during the year. During the advance on Parihaka, the natives refrained from expressing sympathy with either Te Whiti, or with the Government; but since its destruction and the capture of Te Whiti, from the few remarks that have come to my knowledge, I gather that they would have been glad if the result had been different. At present very few Maoris remain in the district, a large number of them having left for the meeting called by Tawhiao at Whatiwhatihoe—the result of which, however, as regards the Taupo District, it is impossible to foresee. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary, Native Department, Weliington. D. Scannell, R.M.

No. 10. E. Paeris, Esq., to the Under-Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — New Plymouth, 15th May, 1882. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th ult., conveying instructions to " furnish a report on the state of native affairs on the "West Coast and Taranaki." It will be necessary for me to go back a long period to explain, as briefly as I can, what has been the condition of the district, and the difficulties which have arisen under the growth of the influence of Te Whiti. For fifteen years past this district has been the centre of attraction to the native race in consequence of natives of a prophetic turn of mind having been more plentiful therein than in any other part of the country. This tendency culminated in Te Whiti, who succeeded Te Ua as a prophetical leader of the people, and dictator in all matters affecting them. The old custom of chiefs having authority over the respective Hapus and tribal interests was completely abolished, as was forcibly exemplified to the Hon. the late Premier, Mr. Hall, on the occasion of his passing through the district with me last year, when we met on the road an old chief, with whom we had a conversation about the state of things in general, in the course of which the old man said: "Formerly chiefs had a potent voice in everything, but now they are nonentities; all authority is now vested in Te Whiti, you must talk to him." For many years large numbers of natives from distant parts were in the habit of attending half-yearly meetings at Parihaka to listen to Te Whiti's expositions and counsel. After the meeting terminated they returned to their own homes. Very large supplies of food were consumed and wasted, and to maintain such a state of things was a heavy tax upon the Parihaka residents ; but Te Whiti was equal to the occasion, and met the difficulty with a proposal that all who intended to put themselves under his protection should cultivate land at Parihaka, to raise food for themselves when visiting there. This proposal was cheerfully

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