G.—s

16

estimated by the Chief Surveyor of Taranaki as £7792, and the Government has actually received already for the sale of a small portion of the town sections, included in the original reserve, £1842 7s. 6d., while the value of the entire substituted reserve, which is heavy bush land, removed from the main road of the country, was certainly not more than £2 an acre, or £1400. The natives had, however, previously to the subject being brought before the West Coast Commissioners, leased the substituted block for a term of twenty-one years, and received, as commuted rent in advance for the first seven years, the sum of £500, which somewhat complicated the transaction. But for the difficulty arising out of this circumstance the present West Coast Commissioner would have considered it only just that the title of the natives to the portion of the site of Stratford included in the original reserve, not yet sold, should have been maintained ; and that they should have received the proceeds of the purchase money paid for the sections sold by the Government —the Government taking over the substituted reserve with the responsibilities of the lease. Under all the circumstances it was thought best to compromise the matter ; and a long negociation, ably conducted by Major Parris, ended in the natives agreeing to retain the substituted section and to have 300 acres more. The natives concerned appear perfectly satisfied with the conclusion arrived at, which, it must be acknowledged, is one extremely favorable to the Government. William Fox, West Coast Commission Office, West Coast Commissioner. New Plymouth, 25th March, 1882.

No. 3. RESEEVES FOE TAURUA AND THE PAKAKOHI TRIBE. Hon. Sir W. Fox to Hon. Native Minister. West Coast Commission Office, New Plymouth, 25th February, 1882. Sir, —I have the honor to enclose a report upon the reserves proposed for Taurua and the Pakakohi Tribe, and to request that you will lay the same before His Excellency the Governor for his information. I have, &c, William Fox, The Hon. J. Bryce, M.H.R., Native Minister. West Coast Commissioner.

Enclosure. Report of the Commissioner appointed under "The West Coast Settlement {North Island) Act, 1880,"' on the Reserves for Taurua and the Pakakohi Tribe. The adjustment of the reserves for the Pakakohi or Ngatihine Tribe has involved a great deal of consideration and labor, particularly as regards those in the neighbourhood of Patea allotted to Taurua, Komene, and their hapus. The latter part of the subject was very fully enquired into by the Commissioners of 1880, who took extensive evidence upon it [G.-2., 1880 : Evidence, Q. 524-536J, and made especial mention of it in their Third Eeport [page lv.] as a case meriting special consideration. It had also, as stated at that time by Sir Dillon Bell, formed the subject of discussion between himself and the late Sir Donald McLean, Native Minister, when they both concurred in the opinion that more liberal treatment should be extended to Taurua. It appears also that Mr. Sheehan, when Native Minister,"had expressed an intention that additional land " should be given specially to Taurua in consideration of services rendered by him." The Commissioners of 1880 distinctly told Taurua that " They would recommend that some additional portion of the land between Patea and Whenuakura should be given to him." It has become the duty of the present Commissioner to recommend to His Excellency, the manner in which the intention above recorded should be carried out, and also how the reserves, on which the tribe had been somewhat promiscuously put in 1873, but the boundaries of which had never been definitely fixed or surveyed, should be apportioned among the several chiefs and hapus interested. Many days at various periods during the past year, have been spent by the Commissioner in personal discussions with the whole of the natives concerned, in their pas on various parts of the ground, and at Hawera and Patea, and he trusts that the course which he now recommends will be found consistent with justice and liberality without profusion. A few words may be said of the antecedents of Taurua and his people in reference to the wars which led to the confiscation of their land. The Pakakohi tribe before the war of 1805 resided on and owned a very large territory, extending from the Tangahoe to the Whenuakura Biver, and far into the interior, up the winding course of the Patea towards Mount Egmont. Most of this country is of excellent quality, though somewhat broken, and to a great extent covered with forest. There is no doubt that the tribe took a more or less active part in the war of 1863-65. But that their conduct had not been of a very irreconcileable character, seems evident from the fact that at the end of that war they were reinstated on their territory, on terms little less favorable than those extended to the tribes on the Stoney Eiver and Opunake blocks, which had not been in rebellion. Ample reserves were allotted at that time to those between the Patea Eiver and the Tangahoe; while between the Patea and the "Whenuakura only the insignificant quantity of one and a half miles from the sea inwards of the block, and much of that pure sandhill, was taken by the Government, and all the rest practically returned to the tribe. When Titokowaru renewed the fighting in 1868, Taurua did his best to restrain his people from joining the war party, but was not entirely successful in doing so. He remained himself with his family at Hukatere (where he still resides), and frequently visited Mr. Booth, the local Commissioner, at Patea, whither he made arrangements to remove till the fighting might be over. Mr. Booth at this time took him to Wellington, where he offered to stay, if the Government wished it, but the Government was convinced of his fidelity, and he returned with Mr.