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dry land. The Government have sold this land to the settlers. No title was issued to the Natives to the strip of land alluded to. Do not know that the Natives have sold any of this land. Heard of the sale of the Puata and Te Taheke to the Government; this land is situated on the land raised by the earthquake. The boundary of the ilood-line can be seen by the drift left by the water. There is a distinction between the high-water mark of the lake and the flood marks. There is good land between the old and new margin of the lake, hence the reason why the Europeans are anxious to have the lake kept open. The reason why the sale of the land was .confined to highwater mark was because the fishing-places belonging to the Natives were situated on this part. There is a large extent of good land between the high-water and low-water mark. All the lagoons and creeks, &c, were reserved, by the Natives. I know the names of the reserves that were made : Hinakitaka is one ; Kiriwai was another place, but that was reserved by us ; Te Patungaamatangi was another, but it has not been made; Matarua to Pakaiahi was another place reserved for us ; Waiorongoinai was another; Owhanga to Otaiuira was another reserve. Do not know of any reserves in the Tauherenikau Block. Think there was a reserve in Kahutara, but am not certain. All the reserves in the Turanganui Block have been made. Raniera te Iho's reserve was made in the Turanganui Block. The land, when granted to Raniera, was by the old high-water mark ; there is 900 acres probably outside, between the river and the present margin of the lake. I was at the Court in 1882, when the title to the lake was before it; I was a witness on that occasion. Our application was that all the land up to the old high-water mark should be granted to us. The Court, in issuing our title, did not grant the part we claimed. I was asked by the Judge to point out the boundary of the high-water mark, and all that he remarked was that the place I indicated was at a distance from the boundary of the lake on the high ground. Was not aware that the strip of land along the margin of the lake was left out of our certificate until some time afterwards. Am not aware that there is a Proclamation over the lake forbidding any disposition of it excepting lo the Government. Heard of Hiko and sixteen others selling their interests to the Government. We were not asked to join in the sale to the Government, because at that time I and others were members of a Committee who were averse to selling. Do not recognize the right of the Government. Have not received any compensation from the Government for parts sold to Europeans. Have been annoyed by people going to open the lake. The Road Board has opened it on several occasions down at the mouth. Peter Hume, one of the settlers, used to open the lake of his own accord without our permission. We notified in the newspapers that people were not to open the lake without our permission. Government asked us not to resist the River Board in opening up the lake. We asked in our petition that we bo compensated for the loss sustained. By the Commissioner : I did not take an active part in the Turakirae sale ; was a young man at that time. I heard that the reserves in the Turakirae Block had been sold to the Government by Raniera te Iho and others. The Turakirae Block was sold in 1853. The reserves were made for all the people, but were afterwards sold by one or two persons. Cannot explain, if we retained our eel-fisheries below high-water mark, why a condition was inserted in the deed giving us a right to catch eels on all laud not drained by the Europeans. Am not aware that part of the land comprised in the Taheke Block was the only land on the margin of the lake that was raised by the earthquake ; other parts were raised as well. There are two boundaries to the lake ; the margin of it is one and the high-water line is the other. If Manihera stated that the sale of the blocks were bounded by the margin of the lake, he was a deceitful person, because he always maintained to the contrary in the presence of the Natives. By Mr. Pownall; The high-water mark caused by the flooding of the lake is different from the flood-mark made by the flooding of a river. I do not recognise the right of one or two persons to sell the reserve in the Turakirae Block. The banks of the lake on both sides were affected by the earthquake ; part of the reclaimed land was afterwards sold to the Government. Logs and other drift matter were lodged on the land by the flood-waters of the lake. The earthquake upheaved the land along the lake and reclaimed a large strip on its margin. The Taheke Block was part of the land upheaved by the earthquake in 1853. Commission adjourned till 10 a.m. of the 23rd instant.

Thursday, 23bd April, 1891. Commission resumed at 10 a.m. John Alfred Jury (sworn): I live in Greytown. Have been acquainted with the Wairarapa Lake since I was a youngster—probably about eight years old. Lived first at Te Kohai, Mangatete, and Te Akamangu. These places were in close proximity to the lake ; the most distant of these places would be about three-quarters of a mile off. Pukepukeonetea was another place that I lived at, also Te Tirohanga ; lived at the latter place with Eawiri my uncle. Was living at Kaupekaliinga and Ngapuke when the Turakirae and Turanganui sales took place. Was at a place called Jury's Island in 1855, when the earthquake took place. When the lake was closed in the summer season we used to live at Te Kohai and other places near the lake for the purpose of fishing before the earthquake, and also afterwards. The earthquake of 1855 was the heaviest one that 1 have ever experienced or heard of. It was the cause of drying up one of the lakes. The Kohai Stream was a deep one at that time. To the westward of Tainoku and on to Te Akamangu was all covered by water before 1855, but after the earthquake these places became dry land. Pukepukeonetia was a place that was under water before the earthquake. Kahutara was a part that was also covered with water, 'but a great deal of land has since been reclaimed. Tawhitikahu was the place the water used to reach. From Makakahi to Oporua was another part that fixed the high-water mark. Mapunatea was another place that was covered before 1855. Ido not know what the part about Taheke was like before 1885, but have been told that this locality was upheaved by the earthquake. All the other places that I have named I know personally of the