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Prefix.

Crown Grant.

A copy of the original grant of the lands of Otago to the New Zealand Company will no doubt afford most of our readers some information of which they are not now possessed, and will also show the changes which have taken place in the spelling of the native names of localities and also the boundaries of the settlement.

Whereas, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, and so forth; to all to whom these presents shall come. Greeting.

Whereas it hath been made to appear to us, that the New Zealand Company hath, by virtue of the license and authority to it given, acquired from certain aboriginal natives in New Munster entitled in that behalf a full and valid cession of all the rights of such aboriginal natives in the lands hereinafter particularly described, subject to the reservation herein-after made for the benefit of the said aboriginal natives. Now know ye that we, of our special grace, for us our heirs and successors do hereby grant unto the said New Zealand Company, their successors and assigns, all that piece or parcel of land situate on the East Coast of New Munster and comprising the lands known as Otakau, Kaikarae, Taieri, Mataau, and Te Karoro, and which piece or parcel of land is bounded on the north by the sea coast from a point at Purehurehu having a mile distant from the western head of the harbour of Otakau to Otupa and then to the Poatiri; on the east by the sea shore from Poatiri aforesaid to Tokata; on the south and south-west by the ridge of hills known as Taukohu to Pohuarua; on the west by a line running along the summit of the Kaihiku Range; then by a right line drawn from the northern extremity of the said line along the Kaihiku Range known as Maunga Atua; thence by a line running north north-easterly along the summit of the said Maunga Atua Range to Wakari; thence by a line running along the summit of the hills to the mountain known as Mihiwaka, and thence by a line along the summit of the hills till it joins the said northern boundary at Purehurehu; the piece or parcel of land is estimated to contain 400,000 acres or thereabouts, and is with the boundaries thereof, more particularly delineated in the plan thereof endorsed upon these presents; together with all islands minerals and forests next adjoining thereto or thereupon being, and together with all appurtenances to the said piece of land or any part thereof belonging, or in any wise appertaining excepting and always reserved out of this present grant by us, our heirs and successors, a certain piece of land on the western head of the said harbour of Otakau containing 120 acres or thereabouts, and a certain other piece of land situate on the eastern head of the said harbour containing 250 acres or thereabouts, and the islands of Kakariri and Kaumautaurua, and which last-mentioned reserves are coloured blue upon the said plan; and also excepting and page ii always reserved out of the said grant for the sole and exclusive benefit of the said aboriginal natives and their heirs for ever: All that piece of land called Omata, situate on the eastern shore of the harbour of Otakou, bounded on the west by the said harbour, on the south by a line drawn rom Mauparika on the shores of the said harbour to Purehurehu, thence along the coast to Waiwakahereke, thence round to Putukura, and thence along the side of the harbour to Moupariki, on the east and north by the sea, and which piece of ground comprises the whole of the land on the eastern shores of the said harbour lying to the northward of the said line from Mouparika to Poatiri Poutiri, excepting the said reserve on the eastern head of said harbour hereinbefore made for ourselves, our heirs, and successors; and also excepting that piece of land situate at the Taieri aforesaid, bounded on the north by a line drawn on the seashore in a west north-west direction till it strikes the Taieri River at Maitapapa, on the west and south by the Taieri River, and on the east by the seashore; and also excepting all that piece of land at Karoro, bounded on the south by the River Karoro, on the east by the sea shore, on the north by a line drawn so as to include the kainga or village at that place, and prolonged westerly one mile inland, and on the west by a line drawn due south from the termination of such last-mentioned line till it meets the said Karoro River, and which last-mentioned line till it meets the said,.:8(, of Karoro; and all which reserves are for benefit of the said aboriginal natives with their boundaries and abuttals are more particularly delineated and described in the plan endorsed hereon and coloured yellow; to hold the said piece or parcel of ground and islands and premises as aforesaid with them and every of their appurtenances, except as aforesaid, unto the said New Zealand Company their successors and assigns forever.

In witness whereof we have caused this our grant to be sealed with the seal of our territory.

Witness our trusty and well-beloved George Grey, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said territory and its dependencies at Wellington, in New Zealand aforesaid, this 13th day of April, in the ninth year of our reign, and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-six.

G. Grey

, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

(From a series of articles in the Witness, contributed by me in 1882.)

According to the original terms of purchase of land in the settlement ballots for the priority of choice of the different allotments of land in a manner arrainged by the court of directors in London, took place in the company's house there, and the choice of allotments according to the right of priority so determined, was to take place in the settlement as soon as possible after the arrival of the settlers, and under such regulations as should be prescribed by the company's agent or other officer duly authorised. Neglect or refusal to comply with such regulations in regard to any allotment, to occasion a forfeiture of the purchaser's right of choice, and to vest in the agent on behalf of such purchaser. The parties to the first ballot were allowed to select out of the whole town allotments, and the first having been held, 50 properties were to be placed at the disposal of the agent page iii for sale in the colony at increased prices, each kind of allotment to he sold separately, if so desired, by the purchaser. The prices fixed for town land being £40 per quarter acre, suburban £40 for 10 acres, and rural £100 for 50 acres. Subsequently the terms of purchase were altered. If selected at Home the price was fixed at £40 per acre, or 6120 10s if the property were purchased entire; but if separately then town land was to be £12 10s per quarter, suburban £30 for 10 acres, and rural £50 for 50 acres. Ballots for priority were discontinued, and assignments of land were made in order of application, and in accordance with choice. Simultaneous application to be decided by lot or arbitration, at the option of the applicants. Enhanced prices were still maintained for selectors in the colony, being £40 each for town and suburban, and £50 for 25 acres rural.

Friday, the 21st day of April, was fixed by Captain Cargill as the day of selection for town lands only. Sections either in Dunedin or Port Chalmers could be selected. Those having the privilege went over the lands in both places, so as to make the best choice they could. The selectors numbered about 20, and they were at great loss how to do, whether to choose for the present advantage or the future.

Choice No. 1 fell to the lot of Mr Garrick, solicitor, and he took the section—the present site of the Bank of New Zealand—at the corner of Princes and Rattray streets. This was the first piece of ground sold in Otago, and the price at which it was sold was ten shillings one quarter of an acre—at the rate of two pounds per acre. Could the fortunate selector have dreamt that his lot would in the short space of thirty-five years have increased in value from ten shillings to ten thousand pounds, he would have been very chary in disposing of it.

The next choice was the right of Mr James Williamson, the father of Mr Williamson, of the Kaikorai, and he exercised it by selecting the corner of Manse and Princes streets, now the warehouses of Messrs Brown, Ewing and Co., and Wain's Hotel.

Mr Andrew Mercer made his selection in Forth street, where it is crossed by the Water of Leith—apparently an out-of-the-way spot—but the intention was to establish a sawmill business or other trade requiring water power, and an agreement existed between Mr Williamson and he that the sections should be mutually divided.

In choosing his section Mr Williamson had the advice of Mr Anderson, who was a great cattle dealer, a general merchant, and very well-to-do. By the judgment of the surveyor page iv and residents it was considered one of the best, if not the best, site in the town, having a frontage to Princes street—the principal street—of over a hundred feet, and fronting another street, of which he forgot the name, of about a hundred feet—a spacious place for building. The original price was ten shillings, and he believed if he would then sell it he would get a hundred pounds. This was turning money; so wrote the happy purchaser.

Captain Cargill selected in Princes street south, now occupied by Messrs Cargill and Co.

Mr Burns, as representing an absentee, at the comer of Walker and Princes streets, now occupied by Mr Wyper, ironmonger.

Mr McDermid, in Moray Place. A few others might also be enumerated, but those given will show the foresight and judgment exercised in making the selections.

The municipal sections and those for religious and educational uses were selected by Mr Kettle and the resident agent.

The suburban selections were not made for some weeks later, and a great diversity of opinion existed as to their relative positions and values. Halfwaly Bush, Kaikorai, Green Island, Town district, Peninsula, and North-East Valley each and all had their fancies, but the section most coveted was one below Port Chalmers, Oweite, which was considered of exceptional value and importance on account of the deep water frontage it possessed. The holder of the priority of choice for the suburban section was Mr John Buchanan, and he was importuned and tempted by a good many of his fellow settlers to sell his right of choice—indeed, as much as the full value of the section, and perhaps more was offered him to give up his first place; but he persistently declined to sell, and acting on the principal that everything everybody thought and said must be true, selected the prized section, J but up to this day it has not attained the prominent value predicted—it has not realised the promise of good things to come.

Several of the selectors chose their sections in Port Chalmers in preference to Dunedin. A considerable amount of doubt existed in their minds whether, in acting as agents for absentees, the immediate prospects of the Port were not superior to those of the inland town, and gave the Port the benefit. Two weeks after the town selection one agent wrote:—"The town section measures a quarter of an acre, and costs in London ten shillings. Its present value since the selection is estimated at £40, and it brings a rent of £4 per annum. I yesterday let a section at Port Chalmers for three years at £8 page v per year; but this is a prime section with frontage to the harbour. At the end of the lease it should be worth a great deal more. I have chosen two suburban sections together, in a situation that has taken my fancy for its romantic beauty; they form the point of a beautifully wooded promontory, nearly a hundred acres in extent, that projects into the harbour at Sawyers Bay, near Port Chalmers. I hesitated long before choosing till I learned that it would be the most likely place for landing cattle brought from Australia. There is deep water at the very point, where a large vessel could ride with its side almost touching the bank, and were the twenty acres enclosed, it would form a paddock where the cattle could remain till they have recovered from the effects of the voyage.

The selection of the rural lands was still further delayed so that the weather should be more settled and favourable for a personal inspection by the settlers. Parties were formed for this purpose, and the whole of the available lands were explored. Several selections were made in the Molyneux district, as the appearance of the land, with the bush and surrounding country was very tempting, overcoming the sixty miles distance from town. Others chose the east side of the Taieri plain; and others again the far richer and more fertile district towards the base of Maungatua; whilst others (including the minister and his son), who represented several absentees—earnest and sanguine promoters of the scheme—spotted in and around the five hundred acres in the centre of the Taieri. This selection was looked upon by the majority as not a prudent one, the superabundance of water lying on it being considered objectionable; but the result has proved the wisdom of the choice Mr Burns, having a good many choices to make—some of them early, and others far down the list—agreed with Mr Kettle that if allowed to select contiguous sections, all the other selectors should have precedence. He tried hard to get a complete block, so as to lessen the cost of fencing, but in this he was frustrated by Mr Kettle picking one or two out for municipal reserves.

No selections were made in the Waihola or Tokomairiro districts.