No. 19.
Mr. Brissenden to the Under Secretary, Native Office.

In reply to your telegram No. 588, dated 29th instant, I have the honor to forward, as directed by you, deeds and agreements, by Native and other owners, of the blocks of land specified.

In regard to the Pakiri Block, I desire to point out that it contains over 31,000 acres. The agreement is signed by Arama Karaka, and Mr. John Sheehan as trustee for Wi Apo, an infant, and by Hori te More, claimant, to succeed his son Panapa, deceased.

There is one grantee who has not yet come into the negotiations. I have good reason, however, to believe that I shall succeed in obtaining her consent as well; but in the meantime the present agreement gives the Government two-thirds of the block, containing all the best land, and comprising that portion of it through which the main road from Mahurangi to Port Albert is now being constructed by the Public Works Department.

The usual "runangas" have been held on the block, and all parties have agreed that the land shall be equally divided, and that Hori te More shall succeed to Panapa. This secures to the Government two-thirds of the block, as above mentioned; and as soon as Judge Rogan, now in Auckland, makes the necessary order of succession, the title will be legally complete.

To return to the portion of the Pakiri Block purchased, I may state it is the best portion of it, as it contains several thousand acres of fine alluvial soil, watered by the Hoteo River, and offers the best site that could be found north of Auckland for a special settlement, the distance from steamer at Mahurangi being only eight or nine miles from the centre of the block.

The price paid is £1,650, a low rate when we take into consideration that the land is surveyed, and through the Court.

I found it impossible to deal with the Natives at first, on account of the demand that the whole of the purchase-money should be paid in full at once. However, it was ultimately settled in this way: £850 was paid into the hands of the Natives, and the balance, £800, was lodged in the Bank of New Zealand by me, in their presence, to a special account—namely, the Pakiri purchase account—as per enclosed agreement, so that I hold the sum of £800 in trust till the title is made complete by the action of the Native Land Court.

The £50 additional to that mentioned in the agreement was for the purchase of outside claims. The receipt (voucher) I have sent to the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer.

I also enclose the deed of the Ara Kiore Block, 470 acres, which has passed through the Native Land Court under an interlocutory order, which I think quite sufficient for Government purposes.

I have sent Mr. C. E. Nelson north with £400 to pay deposits on Muriwhenua, and other blocks of Native land under negotiations. I hope to be able to follow him in a few days on the receipt of necessary means.

You will notice that I have not been able to confine my transactions to the blocks of land only for the purchase of which I sent in requisitions for money owing to delays in getting the Native owners together when I required them; so I have used the moneys on the purchase of other blocks. It would, greatly assist my negotiations if I could have a sum of money on hand for general purchase advances on lands that are likely to come under my notice from day to day.

I therefore enclose a requisition for £1,000 for general advances on account of land purchase.

The Taungako Block of about 5,000 acres, now under survey will be finished in a few days. I hope to send you particulars by next mail.