(No. 4.)
The Rev. "W. Williams to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

I lately received from the Rev. H. "Williams a draft of a treaty between Her Majesty Queen Victoria and the chiefs of New Zealand, for the approval and signatures of the chiefs living between, the East Cape and Ahuriri, together with a bale of blankets for distribution among the said chiefs. I am happy to inform you that the leading men in this bay have signed the treaty, and there is no doubt but all the rest will follow their example. In about a week I expect to proceed to the East Cape, but it will be the latter end of July or August before I shall again see the Natives of Wairoa, which is to the south of Table Cape.'" Supposing that it is of importance to obtain the general approval of the. Natives, I shall not transmit the paper until it is complete, but you may in the meantime rely upon prompt attention being paid to it. The blankets have been given at the rate of one to each leading chief, and it will require at least sixty more to complete the bounty throughout.

I take this occasion of sending, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, some account of a most nefarious transaction which took place in January last, being the attempt on the part of a Captain Rhodes, of the barque "Eleanor," from Sydney, to dupe the Natives out of a tract of land extending from Port Nicholson to the northern side of Ahuriri, in Hawke's Bay, and again from the northern, bank of the River Wairoa to the north of Table Cape. For this land, embracing, a cost-line of 160 miles, and intended no doubt to extend as far into the interior as may be convenient,-property to the amount of about £160 has been, paid to the Natives. A list of the property I have now in my possession. From this circumstance alone I doubt not but that His Excellency will take measures to set aside the whole transaction; but, in addition to this fact, I am prepared to establish, first, that a large portion of the land was bought from, persons who had no interest in it; secondly, that those persons signing the deeds being proprietors of the land, did not understand;their nature; thirdly, that some of those who signed the deeds expressed their disapproval after their signature was given, by refusing to receive the payment; fourthly, that the most; numerous body of the proprietors were not consulted in the matter; the purchase having been made on boardship, and expressed their most decided disapprobation.