No. 30.

I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 13th ult.

"I am gratified to learn you are engaged in the manner you state, and I feel convinced that a history of the kind you mention, if compiled with ability, judgment, and care; would be alike interesting and valuable.

"In reply to the request contained in your letter I beg to say that all documents and information of any kind; the property of the Native Land Court relating to cases at which page 82 I have presided are at the office of the Native Land Court at Auckland, having been removed there by direction of the Chief Judge.

"I may state, however, that nothing of an historical value has transpired in my Court in connection with the said cases, but this need not deter you from looking into the evidence and judging for yourself.

"I would not imply by the foregoing that I am not in possession of a considerable mass of information regarding the history of the Maori tribes from their arrival in New Zealand.

"As a matter of fact I have, since I published the story of Te "Waharoa 13 years ago, which story was the first step taken in this direction, made it a recreation and a study to collect first-hand from the best native sources the histories we are anxious to preserve, and some day when I consider my labors complete I hope to publish their result.