The Hon. the Colonial Secretary to the Superintendent, Canterbury.

Sir,—

I have the honor to enclose a translation of a letter from a Native chief, on behalf of the Runanga of Kaiapoi, complaining of the drainage by the Provincial Government of Lake Ellesmere as injurious to their private property.

It would appear from the original deed of purchase from the Natives that the lake in question is within the boundaries of the land sold to the Crown by the Natives, without any reservation as to right of fishery. The land therefore covered by the water of the lake would be Crown land.

As under these circumstances there may be some technical difficulty which it may be desirable to remove in the way of the Provincial Government legally dealing with the land in question, and as it is important that the Native rights, whatever they may be, should be strictly defined by law, I should feel obliged if your Honor would furnish me with a full report on the subject, showing the nature of the work now in progress, and the authority of law under which it is done.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

E hoa tena koe. Kua roko matou kua tu koe he upoko mo te Runaka i Akarana.

E hoa e Pititera tenei ta matau kupu ki a koe mo to matou whenua, mo Waihora; kua kite ano koe i taua moana e takoto i tua o ka mauka o Poti Kupa taua moana e mahia e ka Maori ki te tuna; inaianei kua hiahia matou kia utua taua whenua no te mea e ki ana te wai ka whakatakototia e te Kepa raua ko Matara ta raua utu, no reira raua i mahara ai kauaka he utu mo reira, inaianei kai te pakarutia tonutia te wai e ka Pakeha otira e te Kawanataka ko taua whenua kia teihana hipitia e ka pakeha kua kore te wai e waiho kia rua kia toru ranei fau ka pakaru ai kia ai ai he tuna ma matou: kaore kai te pakarutia tonutia e te Kawanataka hei utu moni mana. Koia matou ka mea nei me whakarite tetahi utu ki a matou ekore hoki e pai ki takohia kuaretia te whenua o tetahi takata e tetahi; ekari me whakatika te riteka mo aua whenua inaianei. Koia matou ka mea nei mau tenei korero e hoatu ki roto ki te Runaka Nui whakakite ai; no te mea kaore rawa tetahi pene, heipene, patene i takoto i a te Kepa raua ko Matara ki taua whenua [gap — reason: damage] rawa kore rawa. Koia matou ka mea nei me whakarite mai e koe tetahi utu mo taua whenua Ki te pai koe ki te korero a Natanahira ratou ko te Runaka Nui i Kaiapoi tuhituhia mai. Ki te kore e pai tuhia mai ano. E hoa e Pititera ekore e mutu te mahi n[gap — reason: damage]kia rite ano ka mutu ai.

[Translation.]

Friend—salutations. We have heard that you have been appointed as a head of the Runanga in Auckland.

Friend Mr. FitzGerald. Here is one word to you about our land about Waihora; you yourself have seen that sheet of water which lies behind the mountains of Port Cooper; the Maoris catch eels there, and now we wish to sell that land (P water), because during the time that the lake was full of water, Mr. Kemp and Mr. Mantell laid down their money (in payment for the surrounding land); therefore they thought it not necessary to make any further payment for that land, and now the water is being let off by the Pakehas, that is to say by the Government, so as that land may be made a sheep station by the Europeans, and now there is very little (or no) water, it has be left for two or three years before there is sufficient water to overflow so as to enable us to catch eels; but no, it is being drained off by the Government, so as to be a source of emolument for them. Because of this we wish that payment be arranged to be given to us, for it is not well to take the land of any man away without a proper understanding, but rather let the arrangement be made straight at the present time. Therefore do we say, do you express this word of ours in the General Assembly, and make it clear to them; for we neither received a penny, halfpenny, nor a farthing from Mr. Kemp and Mr. Mantell in payment for that land. We received nothing at all on that account. Therefore we say, do you arrange about the payment to be given us for that land. If you look favourably on the word of Natanahira Waruwarutu and the great Runanga of Kaiapoi write to us; if not, write.

O friend FitzGerald, this work will not cease until it has been arranged. That is all.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Ngaitahu Purchase.

Whakarongo mai e nga Iwi katoa—ko matou ko nga Rangatira, ko nga Tangata o Ngaitahu kua tuhi nei i o matou ingoa, i o matou tohu ki tenei pukapuka i tenei ra i te 12 o Hune, i te tau tahi mano, waru rau, wha tekau ma waru, ka whakaae kia tukua rawatia atu kia Wairaweke (William Wakefield) te atarangi o te Whakaminenga o Nui Tireni e noho ana ki Ranana, ara ki o ratou Kaiwhakarite, o matou whenua o matou oneone katoa e takoto haere ana i te tahatika o tenei moana, timata mai i Kaiapoi i te tukunga a Ngatitoa i te rohe hoki o Whakatu, haere tonu, tae tonu ki Otakou, hono tonu atu ki te rohe o te tukunga a Haimona, haere atu i tenei tai a, te mounga o Kaihiku, a, puta atu ki tera tai ki Whakatipu-Waitai (Milford Haven) otira kei te pukapuka ruri te tino tohu, te tino ahua o te whenua. Ko o matou kaainga nohoanga, ko a matou mahinga kai, me waiho marie mo matou, mo a matou tamariki, mo muri iho ia matou, a ma te Kawana e whakarite mai hoki tetehi wahi mo matou a mua ake nei, a te wahi e ata ruritia te whenua e nga kai ruri—ko te nui ia o te whenua ka tukua whakareretia mo nga Pakeha oti tonu atu.

Ko te utu kua tukua mai mo matou e rua mano pauna moni (£2,000) e tuawhatia mai te utunga mai o enei moni Kia matou, utua mai kia matou inaianei, e Rima rau pauna £500, kei tera utunga e £500, kei tera atu e £500, kei tera rawa atu £500, huihuia katoatia e £2,000.

Koia tenei tuhituhinga i o matou ingoa, i o matou tohu, he whakaaetanga nuitanga no matou, i tuhia ki konei ki Akaroa, i te 12 o Hune, 1848.

John Tekao. John Pere. Tiaki. Ko Te Hau. Matiaha. Ihaia. Waruwarutu. Topi. Ko Rirawa. Korehe. Ko Te Poriohua. Wiremu. Ko Hape. Pukana Pukunui. Tuauau Manahe. Tuahuru. Te Hau. Ko Te Uki. Ko te tohu tenei o Taiaroa. O Maopo. Paora Tau. Tainui. Koti. Karetai. Pohau. Wiremu. Te Raki. Solomon Pohio. Te Whaikai Pokere. Rangiuhakana. Potiki. Tiari Weteri. Ko Tare Te Haruru. Haereroa. Tiraki. Te Matahara.

By proxy—Taiaroa and Solomon for Topi Kihau, son of Tuhawaiki Te Korako.

Nga ingoa o te kai-titiro—

Witnesses—

N. A. Oliver, Commander, H.M.S. "Fly."
T. Bull, Lieutenant.
John Watson, Resident Magistrate.
Charles W. Kettle, J.P., Provincial Surveyor, New Zealand Company.
H. Tacy Kemp, J.P., Commissioner.
James Bruce, Settler.

page 239 Hakaroa,

Pepuere 22, 1849.

No tenei ra i tukuna ai ki a matou te tuarua o nga utunga mo a matou whenua e mau nei te ahua. £500 e rima rau pauna moni i tukuna nei ki a matou. Na Mr. Mantell, Commissioner for extinguishing Native claims, i tuha kia matou.

Ko te te tohu tenei a Taiaroa x. Pohau. John Kihau x. John Tekao. Paora Tau. Tarawhata x. Rawiri Te Mamaru. Noa Paka. John Rere. Te One Tuki. Rawiri Te Mamaru. Mahuruhuru. Kahuti. Ko Karetai. John Topi. Paitu. Matthias Tiramorehu.

Nga ingoa o te kai-titiro.

J. Lort Stokes, Captain, H.M.S. "Acheron."
D. Lyall, Surgeon, H.M.S. "Acheron."
John Watson, Resident Magistrate.
J. W. Hamilton.
H. S. Cudland, Architect and Surveyor.
Walter Mantell Commissioner.

[Translation.]

Harken all ye tribes. We the chiefs and people of Ngaitahu who have here signed our names and appended our marks to this document on this day, the twelfth day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, consent finally to surrender to William Wakefield, the agent of the New Zealand Company, London, or to their representatives, the whole of our lands which lie along the sea cost, commencing at Kaiapoi, the block sold by Ngatitya, the boundary of the Nelson (Province) right along to Otago, joining on to the boundary, that (land) sold by Haimona, commencing from this sea and going across to Kaihiku, thence right over to the other coast, Whakatipu Waitai (Milford Haven),—but the exact delineation is on the plan; but our places of residence and cultivations must still be left to us, for ourselves and our children after us. And the Governor must appoint a quantity of land for us hereafter, when the land has been surveyed; but the whole of the land excepting this is altogether and finally handed over to to the Europeans for ever.

The purchase money delivered to us is two thousand pounds (£2,000). The payment of this money to us is to be done on four several occasions. Paid to us this day, five hundred pounds (£500), at the next payment of five hundred pounds (500) at the next five hundred pounds (£500), and on the last occasion five hundred pounds (£500); in all, two thousand pounds (£2,000).

Hence this signature of our names and signs as a general consent given of ours. Written here as Akaroa, this twelfth day of June, 1848. (Here follow the signatures.)

On the back of the Deed:—Akaroa, 22nd February, 1849.—On this day has the second payment for our lands herein delineated been made, in amount five hundred pounds (£500). Mr. Mantell, Commissioner for extinguishing Native Claims, divided the same amongst us.