No. 66.
Mr. John P. Stewart to Mr. S. Deighton.

For your information in connection with the Waitotara Block of land, I subjoin the following:—

The Native reserves retained on the bank of the Waitotara River are four, viz.:—

		A.	R.	P.
	1. At Ihupuku	29	0	0
	2. At Ihaipo	201	1	0
	3. At Perekamu (the river frontage of which has not been surveyed) about	925	0	0
	4. At Auroa	137	0	0
The other reserves are—
	5. At Manene	58	1	0
	6. At Nukumaru	1,223	0	0
	7. At Piripi's reserve and the adjoining reserve at Pakaraku	4,348	0	0
	8. At the Okehu Stream	380	0	0
	Total	7,301	2	0

The land in these reserves is mostly of a valuable quality.

The whole of the land upon the Whanganui side of the Okehu Stream being also retained, there are left in the portion now offered for sale 24,900 acres, of which, however, 7,500 acres consist of sandhills of little value, they being nearly barren, with patches of scrub and toetoe, &c., only here and there.

page 35

This leaves 17,400 acres, whose value is much lessened by the occurrence of the aforegoing reserves in different portions of the block, destroying in a great measure its unity. Of this quantity more than one-half is open fern land of a good description, the remainder being bush land, the timber upon which is not of much value, there being little of it fit for sawing. The soil of both the open and the bush land is of a very superior description in general, but the portion of the open land adjoining the sandhills and the coast-line, having a light sandy soil, is better adapted for grazing purposes than for cultivation.