29

a.—4c

before the Court for exhibition. The Survey Department had at that time definitely given up the idea of running a line due south from a spring at Totoro, our reason being, in the first place, that the terminal of such a line would not strike the Mohakatino by some miles ; and secondly, because a line taken from either of the springs would, according to the topographical map, which was all the information we then had, appear to cross and recross the Mokau River. It has now been ascertained by actual survey that the sketch-maps on which we were going at that time showed the river about a quarter of a mile oat of position at that point. At the time the order of Court was made the country was unknown further than a sketch which had been made by Mr. Began of the Mokau River. The line as at present cut from the mineral spring southward is about fifteen miles, and strikes a little over three miles from the source of the Mohakatino River. The country was very rough, and it would be most difficult in those days, without an actual survey, to determine how near a line running due south would go to the source of the Mohakatino. If that line was guessed, and came within three miles of the source of the Mohakatino River, I should say it was a good guess for a person not a surveyor. The only maps which the Native Land Court has had from the Survey Department have had the eastern boundary-line marked from the Motukaramu spring. I observe that Mr. Skeet says in his evidence that he had some trouble with the Natives about connecting the two mineral springs. Ido not know whether in so doing he considered it necessary to cross to the north side of the river. If he had crossed to the north side of the river it might probably excite some suspicion amongst the Natives. The springs are on opposite banks of the river. So far as lam aware, the Survey Department never looked for a punga peg on the Mohakatino River. My attention was never called to the fact that Jones's original agreement purports to include a point called Motukaramu. I never knew there was any agreement between him and the Natives prior to the lease in 1882. I have before seen the deed now produced. [Deed produced, dated in 1876.] I saw it my office in Jones's hand :it may have been two years ago. I think he showed it to me in connection with some discussion we were having about the springs. I believe it was in support of his contention that the spring intended was Motukaramu. I did look at the map on the deed, but I was under the impression that it was his lease of 1882, the boundary of which had been Cut back'to the line at Mangapohue, which line was shown on the map in question. I did not read the deed, nor look at the date of it, nor any name mentioned in it. With regard to the deed produced by Jones, I have always thought that the eastern boundary, as shown in the map on that deed, was a matter that concerned only the Natives, and not Jones. "With reference to the assertion by him that I assisted Mr. Skinner in preparing a plan for the original deed, all the assistance I gave him was to allow him to take a copy of a sketch of the Mokau River made by Mr. Rogan I should think as long ago as 1830. Habby May Skeet, having been duly sworn, gave evidence as follows: — I am Assistant -Survey or in the Survey Department, New Plymouth. About the 11th September, 1885, by instructions from the Chief Surveyor, New 7 Plymouth, I proceeded to Auckland to confer with the Assistant-Surveyor-General, Mr. Percy Smith, as to the eastern boundary-line of the Mokau-Mohakatino Block No. 1. The reason was that it had been found necessary, for the purpose of defining the line of the King Country Block, to ascertain the boundaries of the land described as the Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1 Block, so as to exclude the same from the King Country. After conferring with Mr. Smith, and a reference of the matter to the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, it was decided to start a line from the mineral-spring at Totoro. I returned to New Plymouth, and in December following I went up to Totoro. My instructions were to confer with the Maoris, and to endeavour to define on the ground a boundary that they would agree to. On my way up, at Mokau Heads, I saw Rangi, one of the principal Mokau Natives, who referred me to Wharo, an up-river Native, who would show me the different points. I suggested to Rangi that I should commence at the mineral-spring at Totoro, and from thence eastward to the Tawhiti-Raupeka Range, and to follow that range to the source of the Mohakatino. This would be considerably to the eastward of the boundary fixed by the Court. My reason for taking it by that line was that a line due south from Totoro, as expressed in the order of the Court, would cross the Mokau River in several places, and would not agree with the natural boundaries given in the order. The next day Wetere arrived. I remained at Mokau Heads that night. I.informed him what had been done, and explained to him the way the line would run, if cut from Totoro, crossing the river, and he said, " Turn when you come to the river." I did not agree to this, because the order of the Court was for a straight line. He then proposed going straight from Totoro to the end of the confiscation-line. This, I told him, would include part of the country owned by the Ohura Natives. He then said, " Turn when you get to their country." At last he referred me to Wharo, and said he would give me a note to take me on to Wharo. Wetere never offered to go with me himself to Totoro. Ido not remember whether I asked him to do so. This was all the information I could get from him. Mokau Heads is about fifty miles from Totoro by the river. I went with Pahiri to Wharo, whom I found about seventeen miles beyond Totoro, at a place called Miroahuiao. I was referred to Wharo by Wetere as being one of the principal Natives of the district. I explained to him that the object of the survey w Tas to cut out the Mokau-Mohakatino No. 1 Block from the King Country Block, and that I thought there was a Native boundary along the TawhitiRaupeka Range, and thence along that range to the head of the Mohakatino River from Totoro, as I before mentioned. Wharo agreed that there was a boundary there, but wanted to know what Natives they were who brought the boundary up to Totoro, and what was their object in doing so, and that until he knew who the Natives were he would give no assistance. I did not know the names of the Natives, so could not tell him. Wahanui was present at the time he happened to be