I do myself the honour to forward, for your information, the following report on the feelings evinced by the Natives of this district respecting their lands claimed by the New Zealand Company, and on other subjects connected therewith.

Taniwha and Waitara Districts.

First. The Natives of the Taniwha and Waitara who occupy the northern portion of the land claimed by the New Zealand Company have not shown at any time an inclination to dispose of the land in their neighbourhood; nor do they consider themselves empowered to negotiate for the same without the consent of several absentee chiefs residing at Kapiti, who own the greater portion of the land. They do not acknowledge the claims of the Company to any part of that district. They never received payment, and were not cognizant of a sale thereof, and will not be induced to suffer European settlers to establish themselves there.

Puketapu Tribe: Katatore.

Second. The Puketapu Tribe, residing at Mangaoraka and the Hua (over whom Katatore, with whose name you are now familiar, assumes chieftainship), a few of whom received a. payment given by the Company for land, are desirous that the Europeans who have established themselves there should remain on the lands they have cultivated, but are prevented by the above Native, who will not allow or consent to any information being given as to land, or individual portions pointed out, fearing it might prejudice his assumed influence, his own claim being but small. From what I could learn, the determined hostility of this person towards the Europeans has arisen from a quarrel with one of the settlers. This, along with the damage done by their cattle to his plantations, and not being paid for his land, are the only obvious reasons for his conduct.

Ngamotu Tribe.

Third. Ngamotu: The claims of this tribe extend from the Waiwakaiho River on the north to the Sugarloaves on the south; a line of demarcation has been drawn by them from the northern to the southern boundary, which line is about two miles from the sea-beach. This they are willing to sell, stating that at a future period they would prefer selling their lands gradually in smaller portions, rather than in extensive blocks. Their ideas, and those of the Natives generally, of the value of land are extravagant, arising in a great measure from exaggerated statements made by Europeans, of the price they have paid for the lands they occupy, which tends so much to enhance and overrate in their minds the value of land that nothing but a desire which I am glad to observe they express to have the Europeans settled amongst them would induce them to accept of a moderate compensation.

Disputes.

The state of excitement under which you are aware the Natives have laboured owing to the unsettled state of the land question has given rise to many disputes among themselves, as well as with Europeans, which have been duly adjusted; and I think the settlement of those grievances, trifling as some of them appear in their origin, has caused that better feeling which I observe to be springing up between both races; the Natives having, in many instances, come forward to the assistance of Europeans, and where injury to the property of the latter has been sustained they have been the first to bring their own people, when aggressors, before me to have the matter settled.

Governor Fitzroy's Second Visit to New Plymouth, 8th November, 1844.—3,300 Acres of Ngamotu Land obtained for Out-settlers.

His Excellency the Governor, whose arrival had been anxiously looked for, paid his second visit to this settlement on the 8th November, when I laid before him such information as I could procure, page 122agreeably to your letter of the 22nd August; in addition to which I placed before him maps of the settlement showing the extent of individual claims, both European and Native, as far as the claims of the latter could be obtained; also a statement of the feeling evinced by the Natives respecting their lands: after which His Excellency visited the neighbourhood of Mangaoraka and Waitara, accompanied by Messrs. Whiteley and Turton (Wesleyan Missionaries), Mr. Hamilton (Private Secretary), and myself, when he had an opportunity of conversing with the Natives, who still evinced no desire to allow the Europeans to remain. He also saw some of the settlers and the extent of their cultivations in that locality. As there had been no general disposition shown by the Natives to dispose of land, or encourage the settlement of. Europeans, and as Katatore and his party were still persisting in requiring the removal of the settlers, the attention of His Excellency was turned to the land belonging to the Ngamotu Natives, on which the town is situated and the majority of the settlers established. A meeting was accordingly held of the Natives principally concerned, when, after some difficulty in obtaining the quantity of land which His Excellency was desirous of purchasing to enable him to place all the Europeans who occupy land in this settlement in quiet and indisputable possession, after much discussion he succeeded in obtaining their consent to sell about 3,300 acres, with an understanding that their cultivations be reserved. Messrs. Whiteley, Forsaith, myself, and a surveyor, with a party of the Natives, perambulated the boundaries of the block of land under treaty; after which a deed was prepared and signed by eighty-four Natives, being within fourteen of the whole number of adults in the tribe, a certified copy of which deed has been forwarded. I have since had staked out the lands and cultivations to be reserved, having given previous notice to the Resident Agent of the Company of the days on which I would be employed in doing so, that either he, or some, one on his behalf, might accompany me to see its extent and position in order to prevent any future misunderstandings. A map of the block of land purchased, showing these reserves, is now sent, and with my next despatch a tracing of the same will be transmitted to you.

Difficulties of Negotiation. Instance of Native Democracy. Moturoa's Position disputed. Division of Purchase Goods. Disturbance.

The principal difficulties to contend with in the negotiations with the Natives arose, in a great measure, from their elder men not having sufficient influence to direct and advise the younger and more unreasonable members of their tribes, the hereditary despotism of chieftainship having become more apparently extinct in this district than in any other portion of the Island, in consequence of the exterminating wars which have been so prevalent here, when many of the chiefs were taken captive, placing them on an equality with their followers, so that every one, young or old, has a voice in their deliberations, and which often causes dissatisfaction and annoyance. This was very apparently seen on one occasion in town. The day after His Excellency left several of the young and unpractised orators of the Puketapu Tribe had been waiting to exact a part of the payment from the people of Ngamotu for land they assumed a claim to in their district, and which occasioned a general dispute. Moturoa (the chief from Port Nicholson) at this time got up to assert his claim to some land at Omata (a considerable distance from the settlement), and, as much jealousy existed towards this chief, from his having arrived at a time when there was so great an excitement, and which caused him to be treated with much indifference and inhospitality,—the resident Natives stating that he had no right to come and assert his claim to land from which he had been so long absent, having possessed himself of other lands in Cook Straits, which he had sold to Europeans without consulting his relatives, who were left behind to keep possession of and defend lands which he had forsaken,—Moturoa, being a chief of considerable importance and unused to such insults from parties whom he did not consider his equals in rank or standing, was very indignant and sent word to his friends at Port Nicholson to acquaint them with the uncourteous treatment he had received, and, had it not been, for the dangerous illness of his wife, he would have left the place in disgust. Several of his and his wife's relatives formed themselves into a party to averge the treatment he was receiving, arming themselves with whatever weapons were at hand. Fortunately no collision then took place, and after their angry feelings had partially subsided they all agreed to commence dividing the goods for their land, There being twenty-one distinct families in the Ngamotu Tribe, the goods were consequently divided into twenty-one equal lots, consisting of blankets, prints, and various articles, and in addition a calf or double-barrelled gun for each family. All had been going on with the greatest quietness and regularity, having had the assistance of the most influential among them in making the division, which was giving entire satisfaction, when unfortunately a woman took up from a parcel belonging to another family several articles, which she tried to conceal and run off with. When this was discovered it caused much indignation, and, from the state of excitement many of the Natives had been under, the example she had thus set was quickly followed by others, who made a rush for the calves and guns, being the most valuable property then at hand, the stronger party getting the greater number. It happened fortunately that some cash was still on hand to await the wants of those who did not receive a fair share, and which sum I have advised them to lay out in purchasing two breeding mares, and they are now in possession of them.

Mangaoraka Settlers dispossessed.

His Excellency whilst here having arranged that all such settlers who lived on disputed land, particularly at Mangaoraka, should remove (on their not being able to obtain the free consent of the Natives to remain) to the land he had purchased, having visited the Mangaoraka, and had several interviews with the Natives, I am sorry to observe no desire to allow the settlers to remain; consequently some of them have chosen land within the recent purchase.

Land seized by Puketapus. Omata. Puketapu Claim disputed by Taranaki tribes. Quarrel between Puketapu and Ngamotu. Hostilities imminent.

Since the disturbance to which I have alluded in a former part of this report, a considerable degree of mutual animosity and ill-feeling had been gaining ground amongst the Natives, in which the Puketapu Tribe bore the most conspicuous part, being dissatisfied at not receiving a greater share of page 123the payment that had been given to the Ngamotu Tribe. Headed by Katatore, they took forcible possession of land to which they could only urge a claim from having at some early period conquered it. On this land they planted potatoes, felling all the trees, which aroused the anger and recollection of some old feuds of the Taranaki Tribe who claimed the land. They immediately collected from eighty to a hundred fighting men, with an intention to expel the intruders. Some of the Ngamotu Natives, who disapproved of the proceedings, acquainted me with what was going on, and requestedmy interference. I immediately proceeded to the place, calling, in my way, on Mr. Webster, Justice of the Peace, and the Rev. Mr. Turton, the Wesleyan Missionary, to accompany me to where the Natives were assembling, and who promptly rendered their assistance, Mr. Turton remaining behind with the Puketapu and those of the Ngamotu who had assembled, whilst Mr. Webster and myself proceeded to meet the Taranaki people, whom we found collected several miles down the coast, quite prepared for an engagement.. Having expressed great surprise to them that they should, at a period when Christianity was so far advanced, attempt to revive their old feuds, which the light of Christianity ought entirely to have obscured,—this, with all the persuasive and conciliatory arguments that I could adduce, had the effect of cooling their resentment, and they wished me to endeavour to settle the difference then existing between them, when, if the Puketapu men would agree to meet them without their arms, they would do the same, and talk the matter over, after which they would be desirous of disposing of their lands, then in dispute, to Europeans. Being satisfied that conciliatory measures had the desired effect, we returned to where Mr. Turton had stopped with the Natives, when we found that a violent altercation had arisen between the Puketapu and Ngamotu tribes, who were there collected to the number of 110. A scene of bloodshed was likely to have ensued, and there was a general rush for guns and other weapons. A few had already laid violent hands on each other, and others of the Puketapu Tribe, who had been well prepared with loaded guns, were standing ready to discharge them. Messrs. Turton and Webster and myself were successful in depriving some of the most exasperated of their guns and tomahawks, and prevailed on the Ngamotu Tribe, who were more unprepared and had been taken by surprise, to leave the place. They accordingly went off to a mile from thence with Mr. Turton, whilst I remained persuading the Puketapu Natives to give up their hostile intentions. Having returned to the settlement at a later hour that night, I apprised Captain King, the Police Magistrate, of what had taken place, when that gentleman accompanied me at an early hour the next morning to visit the contending parties, when we found no desire on the part of the Ngamotu Natives to resent the conduct of the Puketapus. We found the Puketapu Natives, along with whom was Moturoa, still determined to quarrel with either of the other tribes. Having seen the Taranaki Natives, who were still at the place where I had left them the previous evening, we prevailed upon them to return quietly to their homes, as the Puketapu people would not agree to their proposal. I am sorry to find, although, we are at present comparatively quiet, the bad feeling amongst the Natives has not as yet disappeared.

In conclusion, I am happy to observe that all differences between Europeans and the Natives, arising from trespasses of cattle, &c., are up to this time satisfactorily settled.