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670. Tauteka was a sister of Caroline's?— Yes. 671. She also, in her younger days, lived on this land with Hitau and the old Whatanui? —I do not recollect her; I only remember seeing her with Matene te Whiwhi. 672. She used to come back on to this land eel-catching and so on? —I used to see them with Te Whatanui; they have often met at our place. 673. Do you happen to know where the original Hitau was buried ?—I have been told ; there are a lot of them buried on the 100 acres; I heard she was with the rest. 674. You say Tauteka was the principal one who was encroaching; why did you use the word "encroaching"?— Well, it was suggested to me ; one of the sisters was there: she and Te Hitai were half-sisters, and they both took an active part in it. 675. The second Te Hitau lived there with Te Whatanui; she was married, was she not ?— Not at all. Whatanui lived alone ; but now and again she came down from the Manawatu. 676. Te Whatanui used to go to the Manawatu sometimes and stay there ? —I could not call it to memory. 677. As a matter of fact, did he not die on the Otoroa Block ?—Yes. 678. So that the last thing he did was to be on this block ?—He was moved there; I do not know whether with his consent. 679. As a matter of fact, was not Taratini a permanent resident on this land? — Yes ; he resided there a long time. 680. Was he not a permanent resident on the land immediately south of the Hokio ?—He had a place of residence near the lake, and he used to reside between the two. 681. But south of the Hokio was his permanent residence? —Yes; near Te Whatanui. 682. When was the first time you remember seeing Watene te Waewae ? —I could hardly call to memory ; but sometime more or less a year or two after the death of Te Whatanui. 683. Did you not see him staying there before the war in 1865, before he went to fight in Hawke's Bay ?—I do not remember. 684. Do you not remember his wife Maria?—l was quite young when she died. 685. Watene lived on this block you believe when you were quite young?— Yes; he resided on the block I believe, and some time after that he went on to the East Coast and lived there for some years, and in later years he returned again. 686. Do you not know that when the Maori war broke out he went away, and was one of the friendly Natives fighting for the Queen ? —I know he went away. 687. And returned to this land immediately after Whatanui's death?— Yes. 688. And asserted himself at once ? —Yes. 689. Is it not generally known that he came down with the first Whatanui, and was one of his right hand men?—l have heard it as a matter of common knowledge. 690. Did your father ever pay any rent to Watene ?—I will not be responsible for that. 691. What is your belief ? Do you not believe from what you know that he received rent from your father after his return from the East Coast?—l could not tell you; I know nothing about my father's dealings with him. But when he returned—l think it was a little before the Court of 1873 —there was some little noise amongst Te Whatanui's people regarding the trespass of my father's cattle, when he left the run after the death of Te Whatanui and shifted on to the northern part of the stream. They used to make a noise about the cattle, and after a little my father recognised their demand in the way of giving him two or three head of cattle. 692. This had taken place, had it not? After Te Whatanui died his nearest relatives asserted themselves —Caroline and Tauteka and Hitau ? —Yes. 693. And they drove your father's sheep north of the Hokio and kept them there?— No. 694. Is it not a fact that Caroline drove your father's sheep from the south of the Hokio ?— Not that I recollect. 695. —You told us a great many things that happened in 1869. You told us the details of an interview between your father and Nicholson ?—One side of the Natives say they were the better men of the two as to driving my father's sheep, and the others say that we got the best of the matter; but the truth was the place got infested with wild dogs, and we were compelled to leave it. They used to kill about six hundred sheep a night; so we had to remove the sheep from the south side of the Horowhenua Stream. 696. Did not Caroline drive your father's sheep from the south side of the Hokio ?—I cannot call it to mind. 697. —This is alleged to have taken place after Te Whatanui's death; can you forget it?—l have heard it stated, but I do not remember the circumstances. 698. You told us a good deal that has been said : that one set of Natives said they were instrumental in keeping your father's flock on one side, and another set were driving them off; what set are you referring to as having driven the sheep from the south to the north side ?—That referred to the disputes between the Ngatiraukawa and Muaupoko. 699. To whom do you refer as Ngatiraukaw T a ? —The descendants of Te Whatanui. 700. Then, Caroline and the others were driving your father's sheep back, and the Muaupoko were endeavouring to force your father's position on the south side ?—Yes. 701. To whom did you pay rent between 1869 and the judgment of the Court in 1873 ?—I know little or nothing about it. 702. You do not know of any occupation of it ? —-No ; after my father removed his sheep on account of the wild dogs, the Natives occupied it themselves. 703. As a matter of fact, did not Caroline and her people put sheep on this block shortly after that, and have they not been running there to this day ?—Yes; but not they alone; there are sheep belonging to everybody there. I wish to make it clear that they are not the only people running sheep there. The Natives in general use the whole of that run.

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