Mr. E. T. Brissenden to Sir D. McLean.

I have the honor to forward you a report of my transactions as Land Purchase Agent for the General Government for the year ending this 24th June.

I also enclose a report from Percy Smith, Esq., on the quality of the several blocks surveyed under his supervision which may be of use to the Government.

Enclosure 1.
Statement of Lands negotiated for by Mr. E. T. Brissenden for the General Government of New Zealand for the Year ending 30th June, 1875.

List of Blocks for which Negotiations are completed and Title secured.

Name of Block.	No. of Acres.	Price per Acre.			Amount.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Awarua	3,100	0	1	6	232	10	0
Arawhatatotara	2,019	0	3	6	353	0	0
Kanue o Ruruwahina No. 1	4,455.	0	1	3	278	7	6
" " " 2	2,648	0	1	3	165	10	0
" " " 3	2,158	0	1	3	134	17	6
Mangakino	792	0	1	6	59	8	0
Mangataraire	2,944	0	1	5	208	10	8
Ngapuku	490		72	15	0
Ngapipite	895	0	1	6	67	2	6
Okaka	915		87	3	9
Otangaroa No. 1	1,165	0	2	0	116	10	0
" " 2	1,715	0	20	171	10	0
" " 3	4,960	0	2	0	496	0	0
" " 4, formerly Rakauhongi	1,552	0	2	0	155	4	0
Omahuta, No. 1	1,722	0	1	6	129	3	0
" " 2	6,048	0	1	6	453	12	0
Okarihi	931	0	1	0	46	11	0
Omuturoa	3,320	0	1	3	207	10	0
Opuhiti One	5,768		195	0	0
Pakanui	8,955	0	1	3	559	13	9
Pakanui No. 3	3,189	0	1	3	199	6	3
Punakatere, formerly Pakeritu	7,557	0	1	0	377	17	0
Pukehuia	3,270	0	1	0	163	10	0
Te Takanga	1,675	0	1	3	104	13	9
Takutare No. 1	24, 122	0	2	4	2,814 4 8
Takutare No. 2	4,405	0	2	4	513	18	1
Tukewhero	2,033	0	1	3	152	10	0
Whataipu	2,835	0	1	6	212	12	6
Wharoro	850	0	1	6	63	15	0
Waitaroto	7,590	0	1	1	411	0	0
Waoku No. 1	17,650	0	1	5	1,250 4 2
" " 2	8,017	0	1	5	800	0	0
Whakarongoroa	810	0	1	6	60	15	0
Waihoanga No. 1	1,380	0	1	1	74	15	0
Waimamaku	12,000		733	6	6
Maunganui-o-wai	5,700	0	3	0	855	0	0
	159,635		£12,977 6 7

page 49

Recapitulation of Lands negotiated for by E. T. Brissenden, in the Northern District of the Province of Auckland, for the General Government for the Year ending 30th June, 1875.

	No of Acres.	Money paid in Cash.
		£	s.	d.
No. 1. Blocks for which negotiations are completed	159,635	12,977	6	7
2. Blocks that have passed the Court, awaiting funds to settle for	106,990	1,973	0	8
3. Blocks surveyed, awaiting the sitting of Native Land Court (111,481 acres will come before the Court, at Kaihu, 11th
August; the balance very early in September)	150, 627	2,851	0	0
4. Blocks under survey	33,600	533	0	0
5. Blocks awaiting survey, carefully estimated at	100,000	80	0	O
6. Blocks I am afraid I shall be unable to complete	3,974	110	0	0
Total	554,826	18,524	7	3

Enclosure 2.
List of Blocks that have passed the Court. (Deeds will be signed when necessary funds are to hand.)

Name of Blocks.	No. of Acres.	Price.			Money Advanced.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Arawhatatotara	2,129	0	3	6
Ngatuaka	1,750	170	0	0	94	0	0
Oponteke	43,622	0	1	3	50	0	0
One No. 1	2,700	600	0	0	60	0	0
One No. 2	313.	0	1	0	5	0	0
Oikura	2,106	0	1	6	100	0	0
Punewhanuia	73	0	2	6	5	0	0
Tutamoe	30,671	0	1	3	235	0	0
Te Whiroa	7,219	0	2	4	542	4	4
Te Puhata	3,187	0	2	4	271	16	4
Tunapahepahe	2,700	0	1	6	50	0	0
Tukewhenua, formerly known as "Puwhero"	2,500	0	1	0	95	0	0
Waerekahakaha	2,520	0	1	3	90	0	0
Pekapekarau	5,500	0	1	3	375	0	0
Total	106,990		1,973	0	8

Enclosure 3.
List of Blocks of Land awaiting the sitting of Native Land Court.

Name of Blocks.	No. of Acres.	Price.			Money Advanced.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Taungako	For hearing at Helensville	3,300	700	0	0	356	0	0
Pakere	For hearing at Helensville	32,000	0	1	6	1,650	0	0
Maunganui	For hearing at Kaihu, 11th August next	38,000	0	1	1	630	0	0
Waipona	For hearing at Kaihu, 11th August next	41,421	0	1	1	630	0	0
Opuiti	11,906	0	1	3	50	0	0
Unuhia	11,906	0	1	3	50	0	0
Waitapu	11,906	0	1	3	50	0	0
Te Katato	20,000	0	1	0	100	0	0
Te Mata	20,000	0	1	0	100	0	0
Te Whau	20,000	0	1	0	100	0	0
Kahamaku	4,000		65	0	0
Total	150,627		2,851	0	0

Enclosure 4.
List of Lands under Survey. (The most of the Blocks here mentioned are nearly finished; they will be ready to bring before the Court early in September next.

Name of Blocks.	No. of Acres.	Price.			Money Advanced.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Epakauri	5,000	0	0	4	60	0	0
Kioreroa	4,000	0	2	6	140	0	0
Mataki	500	0	1	6	30	0	0
Mokau		0	2	6	20	0	0
Orowhana	8,000	0	3	0	67	0	0
Puketutu	3,000	0	2	0
Te Tauroa	4,500	0	0	4	20	0	0
Taraire	3,000	0	2	4	50	0	0
Taihoa	500	0	1	6	35	0	0
Waihoanga No. 2	500	0	1	0	20	0	0
Waimatamu	4,600	0	1	3	25	0	0
Wairau		0	1	6	66	0	0
Total	33,600		533	0	0

Enclosure 5.

List of Lands awaiting Survey, Negotiations for which have commenced.

Name of Blocks.	No. of Acres.	Price.			Money Advanced.
		£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Kohatuhupai
Manukau		0	1	6
Mangawhero		0	1	0	15	0	0
Otariru
Oporohu
Omahuta No. 5.
Pututumutumu		0	1	0	15	0	0
Pahikokuri
Tautaro		0	1	0	50	0	0
Tihitihi
Te Horo
Total carefully estimated at over	100,000		80	0	0

I have considered it advisable to leave the price of the above-mentioned blocks an open question until it is convenient for the District Officer to accompany me, when I have promised the Native owners to visit the ground and there conclude the matter in the presence of most of the Natives interested, though it is understood the land is not to average over 2s. per acre.

In going over the district map with Mr. Percy Smith, we have been able to estimate the area, and think there will be over 100,000 acres.

I think the blocks here mentioned of considerable importance, inasmuch as the land is above the average quality, and they close up present spaces, which would give large unbroken tracts of country to the Government.

The expense of survey would be very small in most cases, as two or three sides of each block are bounded by Government land.

Enclosure 6.
List of Blocks I have a doubt about being able to complete. I therefore exclude them from the No. 1 return, where they otherwise belong, as they have passed the Court.

		Advanced.
Rakauawahia	1,422 acres at 1/	£110	0	0
Pukewharariki	2,552 "	£110	0	0
	3,974	£110	0	0

Enclosure 7.
Mr. Percy Smith to Mr. E. T. Brissenden.

In accordance with your request I enclose you herewith a rough description of the blocks now under negotiation by you.

In some few cases I have been obliged to trust to information derived from the surveyors, but generally speaking the information is from my own observations. Trusting that it may be of service to you,

Maunganui Block, 38,000 Acres.—About one-third open; the rest forest, with the exception of some 5,000 or 6,000 acres on the coast. The soil of this block is excellent, of a volcanic nature. A valuable forest of kauri timber is found on the south-east part of the block, adjoining lands already let for the sake of the timber.

Waipoua Block, about 41,000 Acres.—Two-thirds forest; the soil generally excellent, a continuation of the volcanic soil of the Maunganui Block. Part of this block is a good deal broken, but some level and extensive flats are found on the plateau along the eastern boundary. Contains a good deal of kauri along the Waipoua and other streams.

Waimamaku Block, about 15,000 Acres.—Soil good; nearly all forest, but broken. The Waimamaku Valley would carry some twenty or twenty-five families of settlers, where the land is level and of easy access from the coast. A little but not much kauri on this block.

Pakani Block, 8,955 Acres.—Mostly forest; the soil good, but much broken.

Kahumaku Block, 8,517 Acres.—All forest; the soil good. A good part of this block is level, lying on the Waoku plateau.

Te Waoku Block, 17,650 Acres.—All forest; the soil good, generally level or undulating. Situated on the Waoku plateau.

Te Waoku No. 2, 8,017 Acres.—All forest; soil good, broken. Occupies the eastern slope of Waoku plateau.

Waimatanui, 4,800 Acres.—All forest; soil good, rather broken. Eastern slope of the Waoku plateau.

Opouteke, 4,300 Acres.—All forest; soil everywhere good, but a good deal broken. Some level land on the Waoku plateau, and about 3,000 acres of alluvial level land in the Opouteke Valley. Easy of access from the Mangakahia Valley.

Tutamoe Block, 31,576 Acres.—Nearly all forest; soil generally good; the western part of the block a good deal broken. It contains a few small alluvial valleys of excellent quality. Probably a good limestone will be found to exist in this block.

Tokawhero, 2,727 Acres.—All forest; soil good in patches, a good deal broken. Easy of access from Mangakahia Valley.

Tukuwhurua, 2500 Acres.—About half forest. Soil indifferent.

Ngapipito, 850 Acres.—Mostly open; soil indifferent, with the exception of a little good in the Ngapipito Valley.

Arawhatatotara, No. 1, 2,019 Acres.—Soil very poor; volcanic in the valley. Mostly bush and tolerably level.

Pukehuia, 3,270 Acres. All forest; good soil, but very broken.

Okorihi, 930 " All forest; good soil, but very broken.

One No. 2, 313 " All forest; good soil, but very broken.

Punakitere, 7,557 Acres.—About 1,500 acres very good volcanic soil, but containing much stone, the rest indifferent. This block has a valuable frontage of about half a mile on to the navigable part of the Taoeke River.

Oikura 2,700 Acres.—Mostly forest; soil indifferent.

Pukewharariki, 2,552 Acres.—Mostly forest; soil indifferent.

Rakauwahi, 1,600 Acres.—All open soil; very bad.

Waihoanga No. 1, 380 Acres.—Mostly open; soil indifferent.

Whataipu, 2,800 Acres.—Mostly forest; soil indifferent and broken, but with good land along the Utakura River.

Whakarongarua, 810 Acres.—All bush; soil indifferent, with exception of frontage to Utakura Riyer.

Okaka, 915 Acres:—All bush; soil pretty good especially along the Utakura River.

Waihoanga No. 2, 400 Acres (about).—Mostly forest; soil good.

Omataroa, 3,320 Acres.—Soil good, but very broken. All forest.

Omahuta, 8,532 Acres.—All forest soil. A good deal of kauri.

Takahue, 28,527 Acres.—Nearly all forest; soil generally excellent. Some parts very broken.

Te Tauroa.—Open.

Orohaua.—All forest.

Epakauri.—Open soil; indifferent.

Te Takanga, 1,675 Acres.—All forest; soil good; very broken.

Otangaroa, 9,392 Acres.—All forest; soil very good. Western part broken, but the eastern, adjoining Manganuiowai, undulating, with capital soil.

Tunatahi 9,392 Acres.—All forest; soil very good. Western part broken, but the eastern, adjoining Manganuiowai, undulating, with capital soil.

Rakauhongi, 9,392 Acres.—All forest; soil very good. Western part broken, but the eastern, adjoining Manganuiowai, undulating, with capital soil.

Kauaioruruwahine, 9,260 Acres.—All forest; soil good, but very broken. Contains a valuable kauri forest.

page 52

Puwhata, 3,352 Acres; Te Uhiroa, 7,219 Acres.—All forest.

Tunapohepohe, 2,700 Acres.—All open soil; indifferent.

Mangataraire, 2,604 Acres.—All forest soil; indifferent.

Whararo, 850 Acres; Awarua, 3,100 Acres:—Mostly, open, soil pretty good. The road from Kaihohe to Mangakahia runs through both of these blocks.

Porowhenua, 73 Acres.—Bush; soil good.

Mangakino, 752 Acres.—All bush; soil good; broken.

Kioreroa, Whangarei.—Mostly open, soil good in places. This block is valuable as being within three miles of the Whangarei township.

Puketutu, Whangarei.—Mostly open; soil good in places.

Manganuiowai.—All forest; soil generally, excellent, especially in the valley of that, name.