No. 6.
Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Commissioner.

With reference to my letter of the 10th instant, covering the proposals of certain Natives therein mentioned, to sell a block in this District to the Government; for the sum of Twelve hundred pounds (£1,200), I have the honor to inform you that there is embodied in that offer, under one head, two adjoining tracts of land known as the Kourawhero and the Ahuroa. The former is estimated at Nineteen thousand acres, and the latter at Twelve thousand acres, for the sums of Eight hundred pounds (£800) and Four hundred pounds (£400) respectively; and, as you will perceive by reference to the margin of my communication of the 10th instant, belonging to the parties therein named under the above-mentioned separate heads.

I have also to report for your information that I have returned from exploring the Kourawhero or Kaipara Flat, and have embodied the result of my observations of this part of the country, hitherto untraversed by Europeans, in the accompanying sketch, on the scale of one mile to an inch. I think that the Government will have every reason to be satisfied with this Block, and as every information on a new tract of country is grateful to new settlers, I would trespass on your time for a few moments by recounting a short narrative of my journey.

On the 13th instant I pitched my camp on the back line of the old Mahurangi purchase, about two miles westward of the mill, and on the fork between the two rivers, which is the spot marked by the Natives as the boundary of the Government land. I thence proceeded westward through a plain about two miles wide, consisting of undulating open land, well adapted for sheep walks. After proceeding for about a mile, an opening in the hills is visible to the South-west through which the small stream of Kourawhero flows. This valley is from a half-mile to a mile in width, and is composed of alluvial lands of the richest description. About four miles further inland the main valley terminates in an amphitheatre surrounded by hills, containing several thousand acres of the richest fiats, interspersed with belts of the most valuable timber. I penetrated to the extreme North-west angle of this valley, and ascended an open hill, from which I was enabled to take the compass bearings of the North and West boundary of the block. From this point, stretching away in a South-easterly direction, another valley could be seen, which appeared to join the Western portion of the Ahuroa; and from the fact that I was unable to see the termination of this valley from the elevated situation I occupied, I should say it was of very considerable extent. Throughout every part of this country the ranges are covered with the heaviest timber, mostly kauri, and when once opened out by the proposed Northern road, many capabilities which are not at present apparent, will be developed by the energy of the settlers.

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I returned to this place on the. 16th instant, where I am waiting to hear the result of my communications of the 3rd and 10th instant, to yourself. The party of Natives whom I arranged with to transport me on the Kaipara being in town, it would be equally convenient for me to summon the rest of the Natives to Auckland, and have the instalments paid at that place, as I do not know but what I may be necessitated to repair thither and take a fresh start to the North, either by sea, or down the waters of the Kiapara.

The Ahuroa is bounded by a very inaccessible range on this side, and is very heavily timbered. The available land will be found in the back or western end of it, but I am afraid it will not be accessible from the east side, as the ranges all run North and South. On this account, the price demanded has only been one half that of the other blocks.