No. 22.
J. W. Hamilton, to the Hon. Colonial Secretary.

Sir,—

Referring to your letter of the 4th November last, authorizing the payment of an Interpreter in the settlement of the Akaroa and Kaiapoi land question, I have the honour to state, that, as I could find no competent Maori scholar in the Province, the Rev. J. Aldred, of the Wesleyan Missions, has been kind enough to undertake the office for the Government. By the 6th February, when I shall hope to have concluded the Kaiapoi purchase, he will have been occupied some 12 or 14 days specially for Government; besides having had to submit to the inconvenience of incessant interruptions, such as all persons engaged with the Maoris are so much subjected to. Mr. Aldred would not receive pecuniary remuneration; but I venture to suggest that a testimonial from Government would doubtless be acceptable to him. Probably some standard work of repute presented in the name of His Excellency, and the Admiralty Charts of New Zealand, together with the published map of this Province, would be a suitable acknowledgement of his services. A regular Interpreter's charge would have been perhaps £1 per diem.