No. 20.
Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Commissioner.

I Have the honor to inform you that I have-received a letter from the Chief Tirarau, stating his willingness to give up a sufficient quantity of land, as I requested, to enable me to recommend the payment of a sum of Two thousand seven hundred pounds, for the Maunga Karamea. Block.

I have also seen the individual owners of the land in question; and they have agreed to the propositions made by Tirarau, on the understanding that certain reserves for their use are to be repurchased for them from the Government, at the rate of Ten shillings (10s.) per acre.

The great difficulty of procuring native labour has prevented me from surveying these reserves at once, in order that the Government might he informed of the precise conditions of the purchase.

The entire block is estimated at Thirty thousand (30,000) acres; and it rests with you to determine whether it would be expedient to wait for my report of the contents of the portions to' which a pre-emptive right of purchase will'be required, or to send the money at once (as the native chiefs are very impatient), and trust, to my prudence in concluding the most favourable arrangement for procuring as large a portion of the available, land as possible for the European settlers as I can, without overlooking the welfare and the requirements of the native race.