Mr. Mantell to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

Sir,—

I do myself the honor to transmit to you, for the information of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, the following report of my mission to New Munster as Commissioner for extinguishing the Native claims on the block of land there purchased by Mr. Commissioner Kemp.

Having left Akaroa on the 15th August ultimo, I proceeded down the Peninsula to the northern part of the plain, and reached the boundary, Kaiapoi, on the 1st September. The Natives (Kaituhauriri) who had accompanied me had meantime retarded and embarrassed me to the utmost of their power. At the old pa of Kaiapoi, I listened to many speeches from the Natives actually residing on the plain, complaints that they had received no portion of the last payment. They also continued to assert obstinately, as they had previously done at Akaroa, that the land between Waimakariri and Kaiapoi had not been sold by them, and that they were resolved to retain it.

On the afternoon of the 2nd September, the meantime having been spent in this mission, I commenced laying out the Tuahiwi Reserve, all the Natives present agreeing to the limits as I described them. On Monday the survey was continued, but closed early, in consequence of the miscouduct of a young man named Metehau,—who afterwards returned to the camp, set fire to our hut, and was about to attack me with a tomahawk when he was stopped by the Natives. At daybreak the next morning he left for the Peninsula, and the survey concluded on the 7th. Having left a rough plan with Aperahama Te Aika, at Rua Taniwha, we returned to Waimakariri, and set out a reserve (No. 2) of about five acres, a plan of which we gave to Tainui.

I further promised the Natives that the old pa, Kaiapoi, should be reserved by the Government, so that neither Native nor European might dwell there. It is about four acres in extent, and unsurveyed.

Leaving plans of the reserves (copies of which I enclose) 1 and 2 at Port Levy, with Horomona Iwikau, to be delivered to Paora Tau on his return from Wellington, I reached Akaroa on the 15th of September.

Kaiapoi, prior to the destruction by the Ngatitoa and their allies, having been the head-quarters of the Ngaitahu, and the source from which issued successively the war parties which, proceeding throughout the Island, virtually exterminated the Ngatimamoe, the land around it has been densely populated, and the proprietorship is more minutely divided than in any other place which came within the sphere of my operations. Now, however, there are, including the Kaikanui census, not more than forty resident Natives between Kaiapoi and the Waikirikiri. Most of the Natives resident at Port Levy and other places on the Peninsula belong to but do not occupy the district. These, and (at their request) those living at Moeraki and Murihiku, I considered in making the Tuahiwi Reserve. The principal men appear to be Paora Tau, of Port Levy, and John Tikao, of Akaroa; the latter, however, page 217of questionable rank, but raised into notice by a little knowledge of the English language, and a great amount of audacity towards Europeans.

Having completed my preparations, I set out southward, and reached the small wretched settlement of Te Taumutu on the 23rd September, passing Wairewa, a small kaika within the French claim. Here I had very little difficulty, Taiaroa and Maopo, the principal men of the place, having secured a share of the payment at the last distribution. Accordingly, after taking the census, I set apart the reserves (6 and 4) in the accompanying map; one or two gardens behind the limits to be abandoned. I cannot here omit to mention that Maopo's house, court-yard, and gardens were distinguished by great cleanliness and neatness, and that he conducted himself extremely well. Tiaki Tai, another leading man, was with his family absent on a visit to the South.

On the 30th September we left Te Taumutu, and on the 5th October reached the settlement of Waiteruati on the Rakipawa, having travelled with Tarawata, the principal man among the resident Natives. At the last payment Tarawata and his father Te Rehe received £20 between them, and this appears to have been the only sum received by the resident Natives here. He complained much of Horomona Pohio, whom he accused of having appropriated an undue share of the payment for this place. During the progress of the surveys of the three reserves at this place (of which I enclose a plan), Tarawata's influence appeared unquestionably predominant. He is a man of great determination, and, when roused, of ungovernable temper, but conducted himself throughout my intercourse with him in the best manner.

He much wished me to reserve for him a spots inland of Timaru, where, he said, was a cliff of coal; but as he refused to accompany me to the place, I was compelled to confirm my already expressed refusal to do so.

Hence, in company with Tarawata and Taiaroa, who overtook us at Waiteruati, we went on to Timaru, and, after a day's detention by bad weather, surveyed the reserve at Caroline Bay. As there is no water here in summer save in a hole called Ponuihine,^* I guaranteed to the Natives the right to fetch water thence in common with Europeans.

The plans of this and the Umukaha Reserves are lodged with Tarawata. The boundaries claimed by the Umukaha people are from Hakatire to Makikihi, south of Timaru. The former is undisputed, but the southern part to the lagoon Puarau (near to Umukaha) is claimed by Horomona Pohio and John Topi. I have myself, after carefully weighing the conflicting evidence, placed Tarawata's boundary at, that is to include, Motumetu whaling station, leaving the waste lands beyond to be included in the Waitaki payment.

On the 20th October we took leave of Tarawata, and with Taiaroa resumed our journey South, and on the 23rd reached Te Kapa's kaika, Tauhinea, near the north bank of the Waitaki; this kaika consisted of two huts, a wata, and a grave. The Natives were all absent, not having returned from Waikouaiti, whither they had gone with a hakiri. We had depended on replenishing here our stock of food, but found none. I therefore next morning sent the party inland to make Mokihi's, opposite to a kaika, about six miles distant, which some men sent to explore had discovered overnight, and remained while Mr. Wills set out a small reserve round Tauhinu, including the huts and cultivations. This I did to avoid, if possible, the necessity of recrossing the river. Rejoining the party, we safely passed the stream on a mokehi, found the opposite kaika deserted, and no provisions but two baskets of potatoes. As Huruhuru, the chief of Waitaki, was expected daily, I remained here a day, and then proceeded about thirty miles south, to Mr. Suistead's station at Otepopo, where, having sent an express to the Natives, I remained till the 3rd November, when Horomona Pohio came as representative of Huruhuru, detained at Waikouaiti by influenza. With him and several Natives, some belonging to Waitaki, I returned thither, and reached Te Punaomaru on the 7th. The next day we set out the reserve at that place, of which I enclose the plan; and on the next I also reserved for the Natives the wood on the west bank of the Waikoura, on a precipitous gully, of which I did not deem a survey necessary. To Te Waikorari and Ranitawine, who, with their families, live thirty-six miles inland, at Te Hakataramea, I promised that a reserve should hereafter be made there for them; cautioning them gradually to concentrate their gardens round their kaika, and permitting them for the present to continue to use those maras which they stated they had on the way thither.

The plans of the above reserves I gave to Huruhuru at Waikouaiti.

So far as I could learn, the Natives living on the Waitangi received no share of the last payment, Horomona Pohio having taken what little was allotted to that place.

On the 10th we reached Kakanui, where I reserved the land mapped in the accompanying plan. The head man here, Rawiri Te Mamaru, who has the Native plan is a quiet and well-conducted Native.

On the 14th November we reached Moeraki, and found there Paitu, one of the owners of the place, who had come in consequence of my letter. He expressed himself much hurt at having received no acknowledgment for his land, none of the last payment having reached the right owners at Moeraki. He further wished the reserve to include all the valuable part of the beach, and all the Europeans' houses and cultivations. As, however, he is a quiet and rather well-disposed Native, with much of the chief about him, I succeeded in bringing him round to my views; and on the 21st Mr. Wills finished the survey of the reserve (No. 12) of which I enclose the plan. As this reserve contains no timber fit for sawing, I went the next day to a wood called Te Kuri, a few miles north of Moeraki, where we set off ten acres of timber for the Natives—the land to remain the property of the Government.

Very few of the Natives occupying Moeraki belong to this place, the major part having come from Kaiapoi and the Waipara country. They appear to be dying off very fast, which may perhaps be attributable to the stagnant pool which in winter collects in their pa, and to the want of fresh water, there being none within a mile or two of the kaika. From one of them, the Wesleyan teacher and principal man of the place, Matiaha Tiramorehu, I received the greatest support and assistance. Their cultivations are very extensive and very well managed. On my offering them their choice, whether to remain or go to the Kaiapoi Reserve, they preferred to stay, as they had buried many of their relations at Moeraki.

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The plan of this and of Kuri timber reserve are with Matiaha. My own copy I enclose.

Leaving Mr. Wills at Moeraki to complete the maps, I set out on the 23rd for Otago, to endeavour to procure Colonel Godfrey's reports; but failing to obtain them, I returned to Waikouaiti, which I reached on the 28th, having, while at Otago, despatched a boat to Ruapuke for John Topi and Kihau.

The next day I took the census, which I enclose; and the following day visited the cultivations, which were as inferior to those of Moeraki as the houses to those of the same place. The next day I set out with the Natives to arrange such a line round the Europeans' houses and gardens as might if possible include them all, without interfering with the Native cultivations. Finding them in some places so intermixed that this was impracticable, I resolved to omit some, if I could thereby obtain a more regular boundary. The Natives, however, declared that nothing but Mr. J. Jones's house and garden should be excluded from the reserve, and that all the rest must be left for them.

I tried an experimental line with flax stalks, leaving out many white men's cultivations, but not in the slightest degree interfering with those of the Natives. On its reaching a rise above Mr. Jones's paddock, Kahuti became furious, and Horomona and Haereroa (Tommy Roundhead) sullenly silent. As they would not listen to reason, I adjourned the affair till the next day, begging them to consider well in the meantime. The next day at daybreak the whole population went off to cultivate, and would not attend to business. This was a plan of Horomona to prevent me from completing my arrangements with them. At the Mission Station is close to the pa, I asked the missionary, Mr. Creed, whether he would prefer that it should be included in or left out of the Native Reserve; he begged me, if possible, to include it in the reserve.

On Monday, the 4th, we commenced by running a line across the neck of "Island Point," and then, with the Natives, proceeded to mark off that part of the river frontage uncolourad in the accompanying plan. This done, I led the Natives to the spot where our Friday's conference ended, and asked them if they were or were not prepared to consent to my boundary there. They replied that their wish to expel the Europeans was unchanged. I then told them that, as I could not be a party to what appeared to me so unjust, I should leave the question of the extent of land to be at this place cut out of the reserve to be decided by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, and that I would now point out the extreme limits of the reserve. These had been sketched on the maps by Mr. Wills; and after I had carefully explained them we set out for Green Point (Te Awakaihaia) with Kahuti and Rawiri To Mamaru, whom the Natives deputed to attend us. Here we marked distinctly and firmly the beginning and direction of the boundary line.

The next morning we went inland and laid out the inner line. Solomon Pohio and the rest pretended to be much excited at the direction of this; but as I was aware that their dissatisfaction was merely feigned, and well knew that the slightest concession would only increase their demands, I adhered to the line I had proposed.

On the next day, Wednesday, 6th December, Mr. John Jones made his selection of 2,560 acres in three blocks. Having approved of his selections, they were marked and certified to by Mr. Wills on Mr. Jones's plan, which I signed and returned to him. A copy of this I enclose.

On the morning of the 7th I explained to the Natives the reserve map, and delivered it to Haereroa; and the same afternoon reached Purakaunui by sea, and took the census.

The Waikouaiti Natives, throughout my negotiations with them, showed a sullen determination to oppose the settlement of Europeans near them. Korako, the principal man, is now too aged to exert himself much; and Haereroa behaved with a gloomy civility, not often interfering actively in the proceedings. The principal leaders, therefore, were Horomora Pohio and Kahuti: the latter an excitable mercurial man, scarcely able to view anything seriously; the former one of the most sullen evil-disposed Natives I have met with, reminding me much of John Tikao, though, from his youth, less audaciously insolent. I must own, however, that throughout the transactions they seemed to be advocating not so much their own views as those of some person by whom they were influenced.

So unnecessary to them is the piece of land reserved for His Excellency's decision, that I must earnestly recommend that it be omitted from the Reserve.

Huruhuru, a fine old man whom I met at Waikouaiti, deputed Horomona Pohio to receive the Waitangi payment; the latter not wishing to go to Akaroa, Kahuti and Rawhi Te Mamaru were appointed by him and the other Waikouaiti Natives to accompany me.

At Purakaunui I had no difficulty. In company with Noa Paka, the principal young man there, we laid off the reserves in the accompanying map, a plan of which was given to him; and reached Otago on the 9th December, where I remained until the 21st. On the 12th, John Topi and John Kihau arrived from Ruapuke in a fine sealing boat. I gave them, on behalf of the Government, some provisions, and sent them on to the Maori kaika at the Heads. A few days afterwards I visited that place to hear and adjust a land dispute between Taiaroa and the Southern Natives, and to make out the list of those who should accompany me to Akaroa. After waiting there two or three hours, Taiaroa, Kaikoariri, and Potiki arrived perfectly drunk, the former threatening to kill me unless I at once left the kaika. On my return to Port Chalmers I wrote on the subject to the Sub-Inspector of Police, requesting him to endeavour to ascertain and prosecute the person who had supplied the spirits to the Natives.

On the 21st December, having arranged with the agents of the schooner "Dolphin" for passages for myself and fourteen Natives, I embarked for Akaroa, and reached that place on the 23rd. On inquiring of the Resident Magistrate, I was informed that the money for the second instalment, payable on the 12th December, had not arrived; accordingly on the 26th I permitted the Natives to disperse to the various settlements on the Peninsula, to await the daily expected arrival of the funds for distribution.

I here received from the Resident Magistrate a communication from His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, dated October 6th, 1848, altering in some points the instructions on which I had been acting.

As the time wore on, the Natives, tired of waiting so long away from their homes, repeatedly urged me to dismiss them. I at length agreed that, should the money not reach me before the 12th January, I would, if they wished it, let them leave on that day, and request the Lieutenant-Governor to suspend the payment of this instalment till June, 1849, or even until December following, so that the sum page 219might be larger; and further ask His Excellency to allow the portion due to the proprietors of the southern part of the block to be distributed at Otago, a place more central to the whole than Akaroa.

The schooner "Harlequin" arriving on the 13th January rendered it unnecessary to carry out the first part of the above arrangement, as I learned from the master that the money was to have been brought by him. On the 17th I had the honor to receive your letters announcing the issue of £500 to the Sub-Treasurer at Akaroa, and I was informed by him of its safe arrival.

I immediately sent off an express to summon the Natives; and on the 20th sufficient were assembled to discuss and settle sundry disputed claims to land in the southern portion of the block. Having fixed Monday, the 22nd, for hearing what the Kaiapoi Natives might wish to say, and the evening of the same day for the payment, I early on that day reopened the business.

The Ngaituhauriri (Kaiapoi), headed by John Tikao, behaved with their usual insolence. At this I was not surprised, having always found it the case with Natives among whom there is any considerable proportion of returned slaves.

I took an early opportunity of informing them that, in justice to the other claimants and in obedience to my instructions to make what I might deem a fair and just division of the money, I could not allot to them so disproportionately large a share as they, taking advantage of the Commissioner's ignorance of the comparative extent of their claims, had secured at the last distribution. On their requesting the information, I told them I had fixed the amount for them at £70, and that for Te Taumutu at £60.

On this they indulged in a series of most excited speeches, urged on by their ringleader, John Tikao aided by a war speech from Taiaroa, in which he called on them not to mind Queen or Governor, but, like the Northern Natives, to fight for the land. Immediately after he came to me in private, and begged me to attach no importance to what he had said, and offered, if I would add £40 to the £60 for Taumutu, to make the whole affair run smoothly.

I should state here that I had, immediately on my arrival, secured the cordial assistance of the Resident Magistrate to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors to the Natives. I have been credibly informed that after the last distribution there were at one public-house two men constantly employed from morning till night in serving the Natives with spirits. Had the Natives now had the free use of ardent liquor, the consequences might have been deplorable.

Finding that the Kaiapoi Natives insisted on claiming the same amount as they had received from Mr. Kemp (£250), I proposed to distribute the payment to the representatives of other places, but was immediately told by Tikao, Te Uki, Kaokao and the rest, that if I did so they would attack the Southern Natives. The next day the latter, one after another, came forward and requested me to give them the amount due to them; but as the turbulent part remained in the same resolve as the day before, and it was very clear that a disturbance must ensue if I persisted in making a partial payment, I abandoned the idea, and in the afternoon arranged with the well-disposed men that they should remain at Akaroa until the Lieutenant-Governor's decision on the question should be known, while I, taking with me John Topi of the Southern, and Matiaha Tiramorehu of the Northern Natives, would at once set out for Wellington.

Before leaving, I requested the Resident Magistrate to supply provisions to the Natives who had accompanied me from Otago; pointing out the necessity of a second supply should an unexpected long interval occur before the receipt of His Excellency's decision.

The next morning (24th January) I left Akaroa and reached Pigeon Bay: here a north-east gale detained us during the rest of the day, as my intention was, if possible, to overtake the cutter "Fly," which I could not hope to do by land. A southerly gale having sprung up in the night, we embarked next morning in a whaleboat, and after a rapid though dangerous run, came up with the "Fly" at the heads of Port Cooper, underweigh for Wellington.

Mr. Fox, the Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company, having politely consented to receive us on board, we embarked, and reached Wellington on Saturday morning, 27th January, ultimo, when I had the honor, through the Private Secretary, of reporting my return.

Had I awaited at Akaroa the opportunity of returning, I might have been detained more than two months.

I enclose for more easy reference a tabular arrangement of the population, reserves, and payments, which I hope will be found sufficiently clear.

I must, in accordance with my promise to the Natives, prefer their request that the June and December instalments be paid together in December next. According to the present arrangement, the sum for division is so small that no individual can hope by fair means to obtain sufficient to invest in any way likely to be of permanent use to him. I would also strongly recommend that Mr. Commissioner Kemp's proposition to pay part of each instalment in Otago and part in Akaroa be carried out; from Timaru northward at the latter, and from the same place southward at the former.

My confidence in the justice of my proposed partition of the instalments is unshaken by the dishonest clamour of Tikao and the Ngaituhauriri, and I cannot conscientiously recommend any deviation from it; nay more, I am convinced that such deviation would tend to render inevitable those disturbances, which, should my decision appear just to His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, a firm support of it would render impossible.

I transmit herewith certain letters intrusted to me, and belonging to the department of the Private Secretary. I would request you to do me the honor of returning them to the proper office.

My mission is now ended; but in submitting to the Lieutenant-Governor this account of my fulfilment of the duty intrusted to me, I would beg you to express to His Excellency my thanks for the honor conferred upon me by the appointment, and my high sense of the confidence reposed in me; and I cannot conclude without adverting to the untiring zeal and unwearied energy of the Surveyor who accompanied the expedition, my late fellow-traveler, Mr. Wills; and I would beg to be permitted to record here my thanks to that gentleman for the cordial support and valuable assistance which I have invariably received from him through all the difficulties and privations which we encountered.