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Board, with especial reference to the
amount of land that has been sold by the
Board, and the quantity of good and avail-
able land still on hand, and that you will
further oblige me by enumerating the
chief obstacles (if any) which you have found
to operate against the carrying out of the
Waste Land Regulations in bringing the
land into the market.

I have, &c.,
W.M. BROWN,
Superintendent.

The Chief Commissioner
of the Waste Land Board,
Auckland.

Waste Land Board Office,
Auckland, 9th Aug., 1855.

SIR,—I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter, dated 8th inst.,
No. 11, requesting certain information,
and to report as follows:—

The quantity of land handed over to the
Waste Land Board which could be imme-
diately dealt with was 201,160 acres; out
of this, 69,760 acres has been set apart as
special occupation land in the several dis-
tricts; the remainder was proclaimed as
general country land, and of this but 8500
acres have been sold.

The land thrown open for sale consists,
with the exception of a block called Wainui,
of the unselected portion of the blocks
which had been already for sale under Sir
George Grey’s Regulations. Judging by
the small quantity sold, and the almost
total discontinuance of applications, I
should suppose but little now remains of
even average quality.

The only other land of which the Board
received notice, is the Waiuku block, and
a tract estimated at 10,000 acres at Wan-
garie. The General Government intimated
that the plan of the Waiuku would be
ready at the end of last month, and the
Board only await its receipt to take the
necessary steps to bring it as speedily as
possible into the market. It is supposed
to contain 45,000 acres, and of this Mr.
Commissioner May reports that he esti-
mates that fully one-third will turn out to
be swamp and bad ground; the rest is of a
highly fertile description, and, from its
position in regard to water carriage, and
the advantages to be derived from the pro-
posed tramway, there can be little doubt
all that is available will be rapidly sold.

Of the land at Wangarie, I am unable
to afford any information. A surveyor has
been deputed by the General Government
to survey the boundaries.

I would also state that the Crown owns
numerous small portions of land in dif-
ferent parts of the Province, some of these
being exchange land claims, but none have
been handed over to the Waste Land Board,
though applied for.

With reference to the 69,760 acres set
apart as special occupation land, I have
the honor to state 1,920 acres in the

Karaka district, having been surveyed,
has been proclaimed and selected.

All the other blocks set apart, are as yet
merely so on paper, from the Board not
having the means at their disposal to pay
for surveys, but arrangements have been
lately entered into for the survey of the
boundaries of the two most eligible blocks
at Hunua and the Wainui at contract
prices, on the faith of the Provincial Coun-
cil appropriating the necessary funds, and
the Board, I trust, will soon be in a posi-
tion to recommend their being proclaimed.

The other blocks set apart for special
occupation land are of such a character,
from the impenetrable nature of the coun-
try, barrenness of soil, &c., as to render it
a grave question whether at present the
Board would be justified in having the
necessary surveys made, seeing that but
little, if any, would be selected.

Your Honor will perceive from the
foregoing statement, that the operations of
the Board have been confined to only such
land as had been handed over to it, and
that, beyond the Waiuku block, the land
at Wangarie, and other small portions in
various parts of the Province to be handed
over, there is no other land, unless further
purchases from the Natives have been
made.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
CHARLES J. TAYLOR,
Chief Commissioner.

His Honor
The Superintendent,
&c., &c., &c.
Auckland.

Superintendent’s Office, Auckland,
August 13, 1855.

THE subjoined Correspondence, supple-
mentary to that which was published in
the “Provincial Government Gazette,” No.
24, (p. p. 144—149) is published for general
information.

Wm. BROWN,
Superintendent.

Waste Land Board Office, Auckland,
7th August, 1855.

Sir,—To complete the correspondence now
in your Honor’s office on the subject of Mr.
Farmer’s case, I have the honor to forward
copies of the Colonial Secretary’s letter, No.
211, dated 20th ult., and the Minutes of the