No. 35.
W. Donelly, Esq., Native Counsel, to the Native Secretary.

I have the honor to inform you that, upon the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, I lost no time on time in endeavoring to elucidate the real position of Tamati Waka with respect to the different owners of land upon the Barrier Island. After the completion of my own separate labours upon the subject I had recourse to Mr. Grahame, who, with the utmost frankness, and without solicitation on my part, produced all the papers upon the subject in his possession. After having, with Mr. Grahame's valuable assistance, fully mastered these papers, I consider myself to be in a proper position to report to you, for the information of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor that not only is there no reason whatever to suppose that Tamati Waka's land, or any portion of it, is included in the Crown Grant held by Mr. Grahame's principal, but that, on the contrary, there is every reason to believe that, by the express instructions of the Commissioner of Land Claims, who adjudicated upon the case, the land in question was carefully excluded from those lands for which Crown grants were issued. Further, I have not been able to ascertain that Tamati Waka is at present in any way involved with any of the European holders of land upon the Island. In one direction, indeed, his land joins that of Mr. Whitaker; but, if any dispute between him and his neighbour, Mr. Whitaker, should occur during the absence of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, may I pray you to assure His Excellency that I shall give instantaneous and undivided attention to the interests of the Native chief.