41
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the Court. We went first to Te Awapuni. The Muaupoko Tribe were then at Horowhenua. Wiki Keepa came for them, and they went to the Court at Palmerston. All the resident Muaupoko went to Palmerston except those who had gone to Parihaka. Waata Muruahi, Hori te Pa, Noa Tawhati, Winara te Eaorao, and others were at Parihaka. Te Matahi, wife of Waata Muruahi, was also there, and some others whom I cannot remember. Eora and I returned to Wanganui to get food for the people while they attended the Court at Palmerston. We found the Muaupoko living in Palmerson's barn at Palmerston when we arrived there with the food. Kemp, being an invalid, was living in Palmerson's house. The Muaupoko Tribe assembled in Palmerson's barn to discuss matters in connection with the Horowhenua Block. At the first meeting McDonald and Kemp went in to the barn. The first matter discussed was the railway-line. After that was settled the 4,000-acre block was talked about. Then the piece for the descendants of Whatanui was considered by the meeting. This was at Ohau. When Pomare and Heni heard about the piece proposed for them they came into the barn. Pomare stood up and told us—the tribe, Kemp, and McDonald—that they objected to their land being at Ohau because it was stony. He said also, " Let us be placed at Te Eaumatangi, where the 100 acres is ; then the whole of the 1,300 acres will all be there together. So the descendants of Whatanui agreed to their land being placed at Eaumatangi. When these three blocks were settled we heard that Mangakahia had arrived. I also heard that Lewis had arrived, and had gone to Kemp's house, but I had not seen him at that time. Then these three parcels were taken into Mangakahia's Court, and McDonald first brought the railway-line before the Court. The Court challenged objectors. I and my tribe replied that there were no objectors. The Court asked who was to be put into the block, and we, the tribe, said, "Let Kemp be put in as trustee." After the railway block was dealt with McDonald brought the 4,000 acres before the Court. The Court asked what it was for, and we said that we wanted to sell it for a township for us. Then the Court asked if any of us objected, and we replied that none of us objected. In reply to a question by the Court we said that Kemp should be put into the title. We said also that we wished the land sold. After this the block for the descendants of Whatanui was applied for by McDonald. Nicholson stood up and asked the Court to let him look at the plan, so that he might see the part that was to be given to the descendants of Whatanui at Hokio. The Court said, " You are not in the certificate." Nicholson persisted in his demand to be shown the position of the land, and was told by the Court to sit down. Nicholson sat down, and Lewis rose up. This was the first I had seen of him. Lewis explained that the certificate was in Wellington, and he was speaking from memory, but he knew that it provided for the land being near Horowhenua. At this time Mangakahia received a wire informing him that his wife was ill, and nothing further was done. We returned to our barn, and stayed there. Mangakahia went home, and the Court adjourned. As there was no Assessor, we went on discussing the other divisions of the block. Lewis wired to Kahui Kararehe, asking him to relieve Mangakahia. We arranged outside the Court about the big block for the tribe—for our shares. Then we discussed the parcel for the rerewaho, the people who were omitted from the certificate of 1873. During the discussion Kemp asked that the rerewaho should be left to him. This was done, and Kemp settled the block for them. The block for Hamua was next taken. After it was settled the block for Ngatiapa was discussed. Then we discussed the land for Eangitane. Kahui had not yet arrived. After the Eangitane Block was settled Kemp told us of his mate, and said, " O people, I am going to place my burden on the shoulders of the tribe." He told us that his trouble was in connection with Murimotu, and amounted to £2,000 odd. Te Eangimairehau asked Kemp how many acres would be required. Kemp replied that the surveyor would calculate the area required. He mentioned that his debt was to Siovwright and Stout. We settled this, and the next morning, Kahui having arrived, we went to the Court. McDonald again applied before Kahui's Court for the railway-line. Objectors were called for. We replied, " There are none," just as we did at Mangakahia's Court. We asked that the order should be to Kemp. Then McDonald applied for the 4,000 acres again. The Court asked what the block was for. We said it was to be sold. In reply to the Court, we said that it had been arranged that the order should be to Kemp. The land for the descendants of Whatanui was then mentioned. It was announced that it was to be at Eaumatangi. McDonald was present. Hitau objected to it because it was sandy. Kemp said if it was left to him he would adjust the boundaries so as to exclude the sandy part. The order was not made for the block at that time. The next was the block for us, the Muaupoko. We brought this before the Court; also all the other blocks we had agreed to. After the Muaupoko Block was disposed of the Hamua Block was dealt with. Then the Ngatiapa Block and the Eangitane Block were disposed of. After these blocks were dealt with the block to defray Kemp's debts was brought on and ordered. Then the Eerewaho Block was settled, and the Court adjourned for lunch. When the Court resumed McDonald applied for the square foot of land, and it was ordered. After this the block of land for the descendants of Whatanui was brought on again, and an order made for it, after the Court had called for and been informed there were no objectors. There were no objectors to any of the divisions applied for, because we had arranged and agreed to them all. I will now speak about No. 11. We wished Kemp to hold this in trust for us. Kemp was on one side of the table and McDonald on the other. We saw McDonald hand a piece of paper across the table to Kemp. Te Kiri asked what it was about. Kemp replied that the paper contained Warena's name, and beckoned us into another room. Kemp, Wirihana, Eaniera Te Whata, Te Eangimairehau, Makere te Eangimairehau, Ngataahi, Ihaia Taueki, Te Kiri, and Kerehi Tomo went into the room. Some of the people did not enter the room. Kemp said : "Listen, people of Muaupoko. I will hand this block over to Ihaia Taueki to administer for the people." We objected to Ihaia Taueki being put into the title. Wirihana Hunia then proposed that Warena Hunia's name should be put in, but we disapproved of this also, as we wanted Kemp to hold the land as our trustee. Kemp then said it would be as well to put Warena's name in the title with his own, as Warena was a trustworthy young man. We were very angry
6—G. 2.