G.—2

34

245. Have not others lodged caveats against Block 6 ? —Perhaps they have ; I do not know. 246. You have held No. 14 under Crown grant for nearly fifteen years ?—Yes. 247. Has any caveat been lodged against your title in respect to that?—No ; I never heard of anything of the kind ; they know I do not sell land. 248. Has any one, since you have held the Crown grant, set up any counter claim, and said, " We ought to be there ?"—Never. 249. Have any of the persons you have named asked to be let into this land ?—Never. 250. During the whole fifteen years you have held the Crown grant, has any one questioned your title to that particular block?—No; only McDonald and Donald Fraser. 251. No member of the Muaupoko tribe has questioned your actual individual title to that piece of land ?—No; no one has questioned my ownership of that block. 252. Did you not execute a lease in my favour in 1892, or thereabouts?—l had consented to give you a lease of this land ; but you went away to England, and in your absence many Europeans came and asked me to lease the land, but I would not do so. I said, " Already I have consented to lease it to Sir W. Buller " ; and I carried out my word. I promised you should have it, and when you came back I gave it to you. 253. Did any of the Muaupoko object to this lease ?—No one ever raised any objection to it. Who could have objected ? They could not have opened their mouths about it. 253 a. You afterwards sold two small portions to me cut off from this block ?—Yes, 8 acres and 2 acres, for £10 an acre. 253b. Did any member of the Muaupoko object to the transaction?— No. 254. The Chairman.] Did any of the tribe claim any of the money ?—No. Eaniera te Whata was the only one who would have had a right to ask me about it; but he never did. 255. Sir W. Buller.] When the proceedings of which you have told us commenced in the Supreme Court at Wanganui Mr. Edwards was acting for you with me, was he not ? —Yes. 256. Was it not necessary for the tribe to find funds for Mr. Edwards ?—Yes; I had a mortgage on No. 14 to raise £500 and further advances. 257. Was not that mortgage read out in Court by Judge Ward in the Native Land Court in the hearing of the Muaupoko ?—Yes. 258. Did any member of the tribe come forward and object to what you were doing ?—No. 259. During the whole of the negotiations with me did you ever tell me that this was land held by you in trust ? Did you not represent it as your own?— Yes, I said it was my own, and for any one else I chose to let in.

Wednesday, 11th March, 1896. Waeena te Hakeke examined. 1. Mr. J. Stevens.] To what tribe do you belong?— The Ngatiapa and Muaupoko are my tribes. 2. What was your father's name ?—Kawana Hunia. 3. What was your grandfather's name on the father's side?—Kawana te Haheke. 4. Your grandmother's name ?—Kaewa. 5. To what tribe did she belong ?—Muaupoko. 6. To what tribe does Kemp belong ?—Wanganui and Muaupoko. 7. Was Kemp's father Muaupoko or Wanganui?—His father was Muaupoko, his mother Wanganui. 8. What was the difference in status as chief and chieftainess between Kemp's father and your grandmother ? —I have heard that my grandmother was a chieftainess in her own family tribe, and that Kemp's father was a chief of his family tribe, Muaupoko. 9. Was there any chief at the time greater in importance, or who held higher rank, than your grandmother and Kemp's father ?—There were no greater chiefs than Kemp's father and my grandmother. 10. Therefore, their respective mana was equal ? —I have heard that my grandmother was a chieftainess at her time, and that Kemp's father was a chief in his time. 11. But have you heard whether their rank was equal or whether there was a difference?—l have heard from my father that my grandmother was of the greater rank' of the two. 12. Can you say where Kemp resided, and where he was born ?—No, I cannot state where he was born. 13. Do you know whether he was born on the Horowhenua Block— i.e., No. 11 ?—-I do not know for certain. 14. Do you remember a sitting of the Native Land Court at Foxton in 1873 ?—Yes; I remember being there. 15. Who provided the Natives assembled there with the necessary food to maintain them during the sitting of that Court ?—The Muaupoko, and Ngatiapa, and Eangietane Tribes. 16. The Chairman.] How old are you?— Thirty-seven. 17. Mr. Stevens.] Did your father expend any money in providing food ? And can you give any idea of the amount he spent?—l cannot state what money he spent, but it was a good deal. 18. Do you think it was £200 ?—I know he gave £200 that came from Aorangi; they got the money from Mr. Booth, at Foxton. Aorangi is near Palmerston. 19. Do you remember any other sum ?—There was more money than that. 20. Did your father lease some land to Mr. James Bull ?—Yes ; he leased Pakapakatea. 21. Was any of the money derived from that expended by your father in providing food ?—Yes; some of the rents were so used. And some were used to pay the solicitors engaged in the Horowhenua case.