Copy of Memorandum by Mr. Alexander Mackay, to the Hon. the Native Minister.

The County Government of Westland, in consequence of the roadway fronting Sections 38, 39, and 40, Native reserve, Arahura, having been washed away, propose now to make a road at a cost of £400, between Sections 34 and 38, and along the rear of the Native reserve, for the purpose of giving access to the Native reserve land abutting the proposed line of road, and also to Greak's and German Gullies, in aid Of which they ask from the Government a contribution from the Native Reserve Fund to the extent of one-half the estimated cost. Although the amount asked for appears out of proportion to the benefit likely to be conferred on the property by the proposed line of road, but seeing that the estate has derived considerable benefit from the trunk road already passing through the reserve, a work done entirely at the expense of the local Government, I beg to recommend, under the circumstances, that a contribution of £200 should be made to the County Government out of the fund in aid of the work, under certain conditions, viz:—

First. That the County Government pay the sum of £100 demanded by Mr. Cassius in compensation for the line recently constructed through his leasehold at the Arahura instead of looking to the Native Trust to meet it.

Second. That in the event of its being found necessary by the Government to construct other lines of road through the property, at some future date, the Trust shall not be called on to defray any proportion of the requisite expenditure, of whatever nature, neither for the expense of forming such lines, nor for compensation demanded by the occupant of any land through which the lines of road may pass.

Third. That the local Government take back the 560 acres included in the reserve for road purposes, less the quantity already absorbed by roads (170 acres) off the upper end of the reserve, so that the beneficiaries may enjoy the full benefit of the land to which they are entitled, without fear of encroachment for the future.

Mr. Hoos, the County Chairman, has had these conditions explained to him, and he makes no objection.

If the last condition is carried out, the Native Trust will have to purchase 390 acres to keep the reserve its present size, the price of which, at 10s. an acre, as arranged, (see memorandum attached), will necessitate an outlay of £195.

Enclosure No. 1 in No. 9.
Copy of Memorandum by Mr. James Mackay, Junr.

The question of the reserve at Arahura or Brunner River, was the great stumbling block in completing the purchase of the West Coast district. Natives wished for a reserve which would have contained about 8000 acres. I objected to this, but agreed that they could have 2000 acres and the whole of the river bed, and entered into a verbal agreement that they should be allowed to purchase at 10s. peracre, any land lying between the eastern extremity of the 2000 acres and Mount Tuhua.

In my report of the 21st September, 1861, it is thus alluded to:—

"It was specially stipulated that a very large reserve should be made at the River Arahura or Brunner, and that this reserve should be taken in a strip up each side of the river, with a view to giving them a right to its bed, from which is obtained the highly prized Pounamu, or greenstone, which gives the name of Wahi Pounamu (place of greenstone) to the middle Island."

On the map furnished to the Natives on 21st May, 1860. the following memorandum was made:—

"If the land indicated on this map does not extend to the mountain (Mount Tuhua) it had better be surveyed to there, as the Natives are allowed to purchase it."

The maps furnished are merely sketches; where practicable, one or more boundaries of each reserve were roughly measured. In the case of the Arahura reserve the beach frontage alone was marked off, but even this was in excess of my instructions which were:—

"All these reserves shall be defined with as much precision as may be found practicable without actual survey and cutting the lines on the ground."

I have previously, in transmitting a copy of the sketch plan of the Arahura reserve, informed the Provincial Government of Canterbury, that no accurate survey had been made, and that certain marks had been made showing the boundaries of some of the reserves, and that, if, on actual survey, the land so defined was found to be either in excess of, or less than the approximate area given by me, if possible, the first arrangement should be adhered to.

I think, as a vast territory was acquired by the Government for a very small sum of money, and it has since become very valuable, and the reserves, though much enhanced in value, are very small in comparison with the whole block ceded, that the Provincial Government would be justified in giving to the Natives the land at Arahura which forms the subject of Mr. Bealey's letter.