No. 47
Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Commissioner.

With reference to the subject of the purchase of the Kaiawa Block of One thousand three hundred and seventy-two acres, and the payment of the money to the Chief Tirarau, about which I had the honor to address you on the 30th September last, I have to report that I had a long conference with that Chief on the 6th instant; and as he promises to procure the signatures of the other claimants to the Deed, and pay them a share of the money for the land, I handed him over the money, taking, in the meantime, a Deed of Conveyance from him, which I have the honor to enclose herewith.

I had observed lately that the opposition of Pohe's party to Tirarau's receiving the money had much diminished; and I told Edward Pohe a few days since that Tirarau had been paid, at which he did not express any marked dissatisfaction.

It would have been more agreeable to me to have received your instructions officially notified before taking this step; but Tirarau was so impatient of any delay, and so bent on an immediate compliance with his wishes, and, I being apprehensive of his quarrelling with the other claimants who had opposed him, and still further complicating the question, that I felt satisfied the course I took was the best for the public welfare.

I told him that I was awaiting the further instructions of the Government on this matter, and he agreed that the money was to remain untouched in his possession until the final decision of the Government is obtained and communicated through me to him.