Mr. Mantell to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

Sir,—

I do myself the honor of transmitting a letter written by Rawiri Te Mamaru, in his own name and those of the other Natives in whose behalf the now abandoned Reserve No. —at Kakaunui was made, begging me to convey to the Governor-in-Chief their request to be allowed to exchange that reserve for an extension of the Moeraki Reserve in a southerly direction to Okahau Point; or, should that proposal not meet His Excellency's approbation, to an extent equal to that (75 acres) which they wish to give up.

The enclosed tracing shows approximately the land wished by them.

The Kakaunui Reserve has no wood, but, including a boat landing-place, its surrender would place in the hands of Government a useful village site.

The land desired in exchange has a little wood in a deep gully at the north-east angle; the rest is open, undulating land, more or less steep, with excellent soil, but a southern aspect.

Although the surplus (27 acres) which would be included by the line to Okahau Point are of little value save to the occupants of the adjoining land, I consider that it would be more advisable that this exchange, if sanctioned by His Excellency, should be one of strictly equal quantities. It is probable that eventually the land between the reserve and Waimataitai will become the property of the Natives; but this is unnecessary at present; and the acquisition of it by individual Natives by purchase, at a reasonable rate, would be more beneficial to them than a free grant. It is not included in any run, and they have verbal permission from me to allow their cattle to graze there; which permission I would gladly see exchanged for a license at a rent proportioned to the small extent of the land, should His Excellency the Governor concur in the propriety of thus gradually initiating them into the practice of renting land for stock, and sanction the issue of such special license as the case would require.

Enclosure in No. 1.

Tenei taku korero kia puta taku whakaaro hapai mai i Kawanui kia tutakina ki te rohe o Moeraki kia nui ai te wahi mo matou i te mea kua noho heihei matou ko taku whakaaro kei Okahau te rohe haere tonu ki te Tutakitaka o te rohe o te awa o te wai o raro kei Okahau te rohe mai o waho tutaki atu ki te pou tawito o raro o te awa o te wai.

E hoa e Matara ka nui taku whakaaro kia tutakina Kakaunui ki Moeraki. Otira ko taku korero tenei ki a koe, kia rongo mai koe kei Okahau te rohe kei te wahi i korero ai matou ko Kitara ko te wahi tera i tu ai matou. E hoa, kia rongo mai koe kei Okahau te rohe ko te wahi tera i tu ai te pou a Kitara. Heoi ano takatahi ano katahi ano ka nui te rohe mo matou, nakonei au i korero ai ki a Kapitinia Kakaunui ki Moeraki.

Kia rongo mai koe. Ko taku whakaaro tenei. Koia tonu tenei te korero ki a koe. Mahau e korero atu ki a Kawana, te korero pai tenei korero aku ki a koe. Mahau ano e whakaaro kua nui taku whakaaro ki Kakaunui ki nuia ki tenei rohe. Mahau tuhituhi kia Kawana me tuhituhi aku korero ekore hoki au e mea ki Kakaunui kia kawea ketia ko taku korero, me hono tonu ki Moeraki kua noho tohi tonu matou ko ka tangata o Kakaunui kua noho ki Moeraki nei. Ka mutu te korero.

Otira kei a koe te korero me whakaarite ano Kakaunui.