Title: An Epitome of Official Documents Relatives to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

Author: H. Hanson Turton

Publication details: George Didsbury, 1883, Wellington

Part of: He reo nō ngā whakaritenga me ngā pukapuka here / Language of agreement and obligation

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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These blocks are those the purchase of which was first negotiated for by Colonel McDonnell.

The price originally arranged for was at 2s. 6d. per acre, and afterwards reduced to 2s. for such portion of the land as was kauri forest, and 1s. 3d. for the balance of the land, excepting that the moneys which up to that time had been paid as a deposit (which included a sum of £250 which had been advanced by a Mr. Wright, at Whangarei, on the orders of Colonel McDonnell, purporting to be given on behalf of the Government), amounting in all to £545 on the two blocks above named. I was not previously aware of the fact of there having been three prices agreed on. However, from the evidence of Mr. Nelson, Mr. Clendon, and Mr. Wright, who were present at the arrangement, together with the statement of the Natives, there is no doubt the agreement was as Te Wharepapa stated, although Colonel McDonnell only informed me of the two prices, 2s. 6d. and 1s. 3d. per acre; so I carried out the agreement as stated by the parties present.

Not being able to ascertain the actual acreage of the kauri forest contained in these blocks, I obtained information from reliable parties, and, with the concurrence of the owners, rated them as follows:—