Schedule.

No. 1.
Mr. Alexander Mackay to Mr. Donald McLean.

Sir,—

I have the honor to address you, at the request of His Honor the Superintendent of Marlborough, respecting the extent of a Native Reserve, situated at White's Bay, in the Marlborough Province.

It would appear that this reserve was not laid off until March, 1862, when it was marked out at the request of the Marlborough Government, by Mr. James Mackay, jun., who was guided in the matter by the statement contained in your report of the 7th April, 1856, namely, that the reserves for the use of the Wairau Natives consisted of 770 acres on the left bank of the Wairau River, a small bay named White's Bay, and about 200 acres adjacent thereto. The boundaries of the reserve were accordingly laid off so as to include the area above mentioned. The Natives were apparently satisfied with the reserve as laid off, until the arrival of Hohepa Tamahengia from Wellington, on a visit, who, on being told of the boundaries of the White's Bay Reserve as laid off by Mr. James Mackay, informed them that the survey was incorrect, as it differed from the agreement between himself and Mr. McLean. Hohepa's statement is partly borne out by your memorandum, dated 24th April, 1856, describing the boundaries of the Native Reserves to be laid off, in which I find the following instructions for laying off the Native Reserve at White's Bay as fishing station for the Natives of the Wairau:—

"White's Bay, or te Pukatea, the fishing reserve for the Natives, is bounded to the North by te Akiroa on to the range above the bay, and descends at a red cliff called Tekaraka, where there is a small stream of water; the boundary is to be run back until it reaches the Pukaka Stream, where they desire to fish eels and plant potatoes."

In justice to Mr. James Mackay, I beg to state that he had never seen these instructions; and it was only on my searching through the papers in the department of the late Commissioner of Native Reserves that the aforesaid memorandum was brought to light.

Owing to the dissatisfaction expressed by the Native of the Wairau at the reserve as marked off by Mr. James Mackay, I had a resurvey made in April last, in conformity with the description contained in the said memorandum, and it is now found to contain over 2,000 acres.

The Marlborough Government are now desirous to know whether it was ever contemplated to give the Natives a reserve of so great a magnitude at White's Bay, as the one included in the present survey, as it places them in rather an awkward position, as a great portion of the country now included within the boundaries of the reserve has been held under lease for several years from the Government, by Mr. Samuel Bowler, as a sheep run.

I herewith enclose, for your information, a tracing of the survey made in accordance with the description contained in your memorandum.

Trusting you will excuse me for troubling you with a matter that ought to have been settled long since, and waiting the favour of as early a reply as you can conveniently give.

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No. 2.
Mr. Donald McLean to Mr. Alexander Mackay.

Sir,—

In reply to your letter of the 11th of July, 1865, respecting a reserve set apart for the Natives at White's Bay, near the Wairau, a plan of which you enclosed, I have to state that the boundaries of the reserve as delineated on that plan corresponds, as nearly as I can recollect, with the arrangements concluded with the Natives at the Wairau respecting this reserve.

l have taken the opportunity of expressing my opinion on this subject to His Honor the Superintendent of Marlborough, who is at present in Wellington.

I regret that your letter should have remained so long unanswered.

No. 5.
The Under Secretary, Native Department, to Mr. Alexander Mackay.

Sir,—

I have the honor, by direction of Colonel Haultain, to inform you that an advance of £50 has been authorized to enable you to pay the Natives for two acres at White's Bay required for the Telegraph Station.

Instructions have been sent to the Sub-Treasurer at Nelson to pay you the above amount, and I am to request you to obtain receipts from the Natives.

No. 6.
Mr. Alexander Mackay to the Under Secretary, Native Department.

Sir,—

In reference to your letter No. 676, of 9th December, 1867, informing me that an advance of £50 had been authorized to enable me to pay the Natives for two acres at White's Bay required for the Telegraph Station, I have the honor to inform you that the matter has been completed, and beg to enclose herewith, in support of the payment, a copy of the receipt given by the Natives for the amount in question, the original of which has been forwarded to the Treasury.

Owing to my being absent at the time your letter was received, I was unable to complete the transaction at that date; and on my return to Nelson in March last, finding that I would not visit the Wairau in person, owing to my services being required at Christchurch at an early date, I considered it advisable, in order to effect a final settlement of the matter without further delay, to remit the amount to the Resident Magistrate at Blenheim for payment to the Natives, as they were getting impatient at the money not being forthcoming before.