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A compendium of official documents relative to native affairs in the South Island, Volume One.

No. 7. — Mr. J. J. Symonds to the Superintendent of the Southern Division

No. 7.
Mr. J. J. Symonds to the Superintendent of the Southern Division.

Wellington, 2nd September, 1844.

Sir,—

In accordance with the instructions of His Excellency the Governor, I proceeded to New Munster, or the Middle Island, where, having ascertained the names of all the chiefs who laid claim to the district in the vicinity of Otakou, I requested them to assemble at that place, in order to afford me an opportunity of judging of the merit [gap — reason: damage]heir respective claims, and of carrying on my negotiations in the districts proposed to be acquir[gap — reason: damage] I found that the tract of country between Otakou and Taieri was claimed jointly by the Native [gap — reason: damage]hiefs Tuhawaiki, Taiaroa, and Karetai, on behalf of their page 103several families and dependants, and that the Mataau district, from Taieri to Tokato, belonged to Tuhawaiki and his immediate connections, as marked in the sketch of the boundaries which I have the honor to transmit.

In order to remove all grounds of dissension hereafter between the European settlers and the aborigines on the subject of the purchase, I deemed it expedient that the boundaries should be clearly defined and formally pointed out. Knowing from previous observations how much importance the Natives attach to this form, in all transactions of the kind amongst themselves, and having mentioned my views to the principal claimants, they readily admitted the expediency of adopting such a course, and accordingly deputed four of the younger chiefs to accompany the Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company and myself to carry my suggestions into effect.

In order to facilitate the purchase, and to include 150,000 acres of the most available land, also to obtain natural boundaries, I sanctioned the extension of the limits on the express condition that the Agent of the New Zealand; Company should confine himself to the selection of such land, as the Crown's right of pre-emption had been waived in favour of the said Company, receiving at the same time an acknowledgment to that effect from Colonel Wakefield, which is annexed to the deed.

The Natives having expressed their anxiety to make some special provision for the future benefit, of themselves and children, by reserving certain portions of land within the limits of the purchase which they now pa[gap — reason: damage]ally occupy, the management of which, to a certain extent, they were desirous of retaining in their own hands, I approved of their selections, four in number, three of which, viz., Omate, Pukekura, and Taiari, I personally inspected, accompanied by Colonel Wakefield, Mr. Clarke, and the most influential chiefs, and saw the boundaries pointed out and marked off. With regard to the fourth, at Karoro, I suggested to Tuhawaiki that he should retain a portion of land on that river, where some of his family resided, the precise limits of which should be hereafter defined by an agent appointed by His Excellency the Governor for that purpose, as I found it impracticable to visit that part of the purchaseWithout materially delaying the proceedings, and exhausting the patience of the Natives.

I pursued this course as regards Native reserves from the conviction that the system heretofore adopted in other purchases of large tracts was beyond the comprehension of the aborigines, and at the suggestion of Colonel Wakefield I left the further choice of reserves—namely, the tenth part of all land sold by the New Zealand Company—to be decided by His Excellency the Governor, without making any express stipulation with the Natives on the subject.

I have the honor to enclose the duplicate of the document (Deed of Sale, 31st July, 1844) by which the Natives have conveyed all their right, title, and interest in the districts of Otakou, Taieri, and Mataura to the New Zealand Company, accompanied by a certified translation.

I also beg leave to observe that before this deed was formally read over and signed by the Natives I requested Mr. Clark to explain to them the nature of the conveyance, to the effect that in disposing of their land they for ever surrendered their interest and title to such land; that their consent to sell it was binding on their children as well as themselves; that they should remove from any portion then occupied by them, and confine themselves exclusively to their reserves, and never expect to receive further compensation; that they should not alienate or let any portion of their reserves without having previously obtained the sanction of His Excellency the Governor; to all which stipulations they unanimously consented.

The boundaries were at the same time frequently explained to them by Mr. Clarke in my presence, and repeated by them to each other, and they stated that they fully understood all the terms and conditions of the purchase, as specified in the deed.

After the documents had been formally read over in Native and in English, and signed by the most influential chiefs and proprietors, the purchase money, to the amount of £2,400, was amicably divided among the different families, and they all expressed themselves fully satisfied with the whole transaction.

As the site of the township had not been decided upon previous to my leaving Otakou, I was unable to comply with your instructions regarding the reserves for the purposes of Government, but confined myself to the selections of such points as I deemed proper for the purposes of fortifications, signal stations, &c., which are marked red in the accompanying sketch (No. 2). I proposed reserving both the islands in the harbour; but as Colonel Wakefield appeared disinclined to cede the larger of the two, I considered it more prudent to refer the matter for your consideration, and would strongly recommend that it be reserved, as from its commanding position and proximity to the intended depot it will become most eligible for the purposes of Government.

I beg to enclose, for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor, the accompanying documents transmitted to me by certain settlers named at the foot,* the just[gap — reason: damage] of whose claims the Natives allowed before myself and Mr. Clark. The first named, George Willsher, is settled at Karoro, and is anxious to obtain a title to the land (20 acres) which he has brought into cultivation; the four next claim small portions situated in the Native reserve at Otakou, none of which exceed two acres; the last named claims a portion of land at Waikouaiti (about two acres), and bears an excellent character.

In conclusion, I feel it incumbent upon me to call the attention of His Excellency the Governor to the present position and state of the aboriginal population at the different settlements I have visited in prosecution of the duties intrusted to me. From their intercourse with Europeans, chiefly whalers, they have habituated themselves to their customs, and I regret to say that intemperance is the moat predominant vice to which they are addicted, added to which, from the introduction of measles and other foreign diseases, owing to the absence of the simplest remedies, they are rapidly disappearing, and I fear that unless some vigorous measures are taken to allay the progress of the virulent epidemics so prevalent among them, the whole aboriginal race, from Port Cooper to Ruapuke, will shortly become extinct. I am the more confirmed in this opinion, not only from personal observation, but by the melancholy forebodings of the chiefs themselves.

I have, &c.,

John Jermyn Symonds, P.M.

The Superintendent of the Southern Division.

* George [gap — reason: damage]Willeher, [gap — reason: damage]Octavius Harwood, James Bowler, James Brown, John Murray, Stephen Smith.