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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 63

Mr. Commissioner Searancke to the Chief Commissioner

Mr. Commissioner Searancke to the Chief Commissioner.

Wellington, 15th November, 1858.

"Sir,—

"I have the honor to report for the information of His Excellency the Governor, on the present state of the negotiations for the purchase of the Awahou Block, offered for sale by Ihakara and the Ngatiwakakore tribe.

The Awahou Block is situated at the mouth of the Manawatu river, extends about thirty miles up that river, comprises an area of about Thirty-seven thousand (37,000) acres, and contains the only available site for a township in the District. At the former meeting that took place in our presence at the Awahou in March last, when the Block was first offered for sale by Ihakara, the opposition offered by Nepia Taratoa and his friends, without any feasible grounds, was very strong, and we then, while acknowledging the right of Ihakara to sell the land, deemed it politic at the time to I postpone any further discussion till September (last), Nepia promising in the meantime to think over it. I arrived at Manawatu in August last, and while taking every means to pacify Ihakara and his party, who were still very I urgent and anxious that the negotiation should be carried out, took every opportunity of associating Nepia Taratoa with myself in all the disputes and negotiations pending in the District; this gave me opportunities of frequent private couversations with him. When I informed him of my intention to page lxii fulfil the pledges given to Ihakara at the meeting in March, his answers, though dubious, I considered on the whole to be favorable.

Immediately on my return from Raukawa, Ihakara assembled all his friends (who were very much increased in numbers since the meeting in March), and requested that the promises made to him might be fulfilled. In the meanwhile Nepia had, unknown to the natives generally, left Te Awahou, and was visiting all the settlements lying between the Manawatu and Otaki, a week elapsed before I succeeded in persuading him to return. I arrived at Awahou on Tuesday.

On the following day the meeting took place; about one hundred and fifty (150) natives were present, when Nepia, not offering any opposition to the sale of the whole block, not only all the natives present, but myself fully believed in his consent to the sale. Nepia demanded that we should at once discuss the price to be paid for the block; this was done, Nepia taking no part in the discussion, but, after some time, finding that the demands made by the Natives were likely to be acceded to by me, quietly slipped away, and the first thing I heard on the following morning, was, that Nepia was sending Natives over the whole block, marking out his own and friends claims, which are, with one exception, very small and the worst parts of the block, the whole not amounting to one-third of the whole block. Ihakara and his friends again assembled, and demanded that the sale should be proceeded with. I, with some difficulty, pacified them, and in the meantime sent for Nepia, and found that, notwithstanding all his promises made both to me and the Natives, he was determined, whilst preserving an apparently friendly appearance to the Government, to resist the sale of any lands over which he had a claim. This determination on his part, I believe, to have some connection with his evident wish to proceed to Auckland to see the Maori King.

I clearly explained to Nepia his present position, how utterly impossible it was for him to resist the general wish of the Natives to sell their waste lands, a wish daily gaining strength; that in the case of Ihakara's sale, his conduct would have the effect of creating a distrust in the minds of the Natives generally towards him, and also, if any further difficulty took place, that I should feel it my duty to make the Government aware of his conduct in the matter, and that it was my intention at once to purchase the Block.

I was compelled by the circumstances I was placed in, and the very deceitful way in which Nepia has acted, to speak plainly to him, and I did so the more, that I believe that he and some others, always steady opponents of land sales to the Government, have had too much notice taken of them. Nepia then left, declining to make any reply to my remarks.

The arrangements come to between the Natives and myself for the pur- page lxiii chase of the Block, was that a sum of Two thousand five hundred pounds (£2500) should be paid to them in instalments. Immediately after Nepia left me, I paid Ihakara and his friends the sum of Four hundred pounds (£400) on account; this instalment may appear to be large, but I feel that the result will be that many, now wavering between selling and holding the had, will consider that any further opposition to the sale of the Manawatu district will be useless. I should mention that it is in my power at any time to complete the purchase of those portions of the Block belonging to Ikahara and his friends, but, before taking such a step, I should like to have your opinion.

Taking into consideration the number of years, and the many difficulties that the Manawatu question has been involved in, I have taken a step which I believe will lead to its solution at an early period, for this is not a question of the purchase of a few acres, but of the whole district.

"I have &c.,

"W. N. Searancke,

"District Commissioner.

"D. McLean

, Esq., J.P., "Chief Commissioner, "Auckland."