18
A.—3
I do not think that the methods pursued by the navy, or the material (gun-cotton) used by them, will be suitable to the work we have to do, and Captain Wilkin, I gather is of the same opinion. Where there is a crack, in the reef gun-cotton will widen it quickly; but at Mangaia and Atiu we have no such help, and the work must be done by drilling and dynamite. This we shall have to do ourselves, and it is fortunate that I had imported from New Zealand tools and material to this end, and to the value of £37. The " Clio " may be useful to us in blowing part of the sea face of the reef down, but the real work will devolve upon the shore parties under Mr. Laree l have> &c '' 6 W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister administering the Islands, Wellington.
No. 34. g _ Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 3rd August, 1904. I have already reported to you my visit to Mangaia on the 25th July last, and that we were unable to do anything towards blasting passages through the reef. I have now the.honour 0 Inform you that during* the three days I remained on the island I was fully employed in he Land Titles Court and High Court. In the former Court I succeeded in defining the title of the Lorido,i Mission to their hinds at Oneroa, Tamarua, and Ivirua, though -t withotit oppositmn from the young people, who attempted to dispute the very clear grants made by their grandaTerrVlSll/and subsequent confirmation of those grants, which were really *n«Badabte. Finally I succeeded in satisfying all parties by awarding the land to the mission, subject rio-ht of the Natives to keep their canoes and build shelter-sheds on the sea.slope of this land, this being a right that the Natives had exercised for hundreds of years, and had never surrendered though it had been opposed by the Rev. Mr. Cullen, and hence the present opposition. 1 fiha that Miringitangi and his small following are still obstructive, and have lately opposed the new election of the Council, and also have tried to stop the surveys. At a large> meeting, m the Courthouse I commented strongly on this, and Pointed out that, under the provisions of The Au Empower L Act, 1899," a new Council had to be elected every two years, and therefore there was rZ nTcounci and I pointed out the absurdity of their allowing themselves to be led by a man who made such mistakes, and knew so little of the law that they themselves had made. A tor stopping a survey ordered by the Land Titles Court, I pointed out to them that it was well hat Sefhfd not persisted in this absurd action, for I could not have allowed that to pass, even holS I had come to the island resolved not to punish actions that were more the result of ignorance and excesdv?vanity than of opposition to constituted authority. Finally, I asked them why they XL of all toe Cook Group attempted to stop the march of civilisation, and indicated clearly in them that they were merely destroying the native mana of Mangaia. Tanian K nro airDanieliTangitoru, with others, admitted that they had been m the wrong, nnd told mf that there would be no trouble in the future. Miringitangi was stubborn but the result willTbe that he people will no longer listen to him, and he will gradually lose all influence { that matters will improve daily, for Mr. Large has the interests of the people very much at heart and they will shortly recognise this fact. . * By the enclS plan you will see that I have taken a landing-place under the Order in Council n„rl also a small piece of land in a suitable position as a site tor a residence. This last was vied hv arr m-ement w th the Rev. Mr. James, who objected to the landing-reserve being xtendedl U £noXon to Section 3, and suggested that we should take Section 1 in lieu thereof 1 have asked Mr. Hutchin, as head of the Mission, to fix the compensation tor Section 1, but he has refused to accept anything, as he considers that the Mission has ample lands The Government quarter! are now in course of erection under the hands of the best Native t„, ,'r tl,o Islarils and Mr Large will see that a good job is made ot it. CarP6 l hay told he peopl of Mangaia that I will nex" year recommend for your approval that a sum ofllOO shall be voted towards the erection of a coral breakwater, to be constructed on the reef on ht south side of the boat-channel that we are about to make, so as to break the rush of water out of the said passage, and that we will also, as soon as the funds permit, build a goodsTed and cut a road through, the Makatea cliff into the fertile lands of the interior. ' I have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister administering Islands, Wellington.
No. 33,
No. 35. __ Cook and other Islands Administration Wellington, 4thl August, 1904 ""?','. \SZ bete tto«o?efteyou V"L a. Ordinance passed a, you s»gg«t. »d Hno and it will be better, tnereiore,s y rpar i, es me I will have ii submitted to His Excellency better arrangement has to ma ke provision for the points pTevToriy referred Sf leper-stations, isolation of patients thereon, and punishment of those who conceal the disease.
No. 18.