Feb. 12.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 427

above noted, and deposited in the office of the Chief Engineer of Roads, at Wellington, in the Wellington Land District.

Given under the hand of His Excellency the Right Honourable Uchter John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly; Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George; Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty’s Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies; and issued under the Seal of the said Colony, at the Government House, at Wellington, this seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and three.

T. Y. DUNCAN,
Minister of Lands.

GOD SAVE THE KING!

Extending Time for holding First Elections and First Meeting, Mount Herbert County.

RANFURLY, Governor.

ORDER IN COUNCIL.

At the Government Buildings, at Wellington, this sixth day of February, 1903.

Present:

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE R. J. SEDDON PRESIDING IN COUNCIL.

WHEREAS by a Proclamation dated the seventeenth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and three, it was provided that Friday, the thirtieth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and three, should be the day upon which the election of the first Council of the County of Mount Herbert should take place, and also that the first meeting of the said Council should be held at two o’clock in the afternoon of Thursday, the fifth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and three, at the schoolhouse at Charteris Bay: And whereas it is expedient to extend the time so allowed for the holding of the said election and also of the said meeting:

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section three hundred and twenty-two of “The Counties Act, 1886,” and all other powers and authorities enabling me in this behalf, I, Uchter John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said colony, do hereby extend until Friday, the twentieth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and three, the time allowed by the aforesaid Proclamation for holding the election of the first Council of the said county, and do also hereby extend until two o’clock in the afternoon of Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and three, the time allowed by the aforesaid Proclamation for holding the first meeting of the said Council.

J. F. ANDREWS,
Acting Clerk of the Executive Council.

Rural Lands in the Hawke’s Bay Land District open for Sale or Selection.

RANFURLY, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth section of “The Land Act, 1892,” I, Uchter John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, having received the report of the Surveyor-General in this behalf, as in the said section is provided, do hereby declare that the rural lands described in the Schedule hereto shall be open for sale or selection on and after the eighth day of April, one thousand nine hundred and three; and also that the lands mentioned in the said Schedule may, at the option of the applicant, be purchased for cash, or be selected for occupation with right of purchase or on lease in perpetuity, or, in respect of any lands containing or supposed to contain any metal, mineral, or valuable stone, be selected on lease in perpetuity only; and I do hereby also fix the prices at which the said lands shall be sold, occupied, or leased, as mentioned in the said Schedule hereto, and do declare that the said lands shall be sold, occupied, or leased under and subject to the provisions of “The Land Act, 1892.”

SCHEDULE.

HAWKE’S BAY LAND DISTRICT.

Cook County.—Unsurveyed First- and Second-class Land.

ALL that area in the Hawke’s Bay Land District, situated in Blocks XII. and XVI., Moanui Survey District; Blocks V., IX., XIII., and XIV., Motu Survey District; and Blocks I., II.,

and III., Ngatapa Survey District, containing by admeasurement 26,965 acres, more or less. Bounded towards the north generally by Crown lands in the Oamaru Block No. 5c; towards the east generally by Section 2, Block V., Section 9, Block X., Section 2, Block XIV., Motu Survey District, and Section 4, Block III., Ngatapa Survey District; towards the south generally by Small Grazing-run No. 47; and towards the west generally by Crown lands in Blocks I. and II., Ngatapa Survey District, and Block IV., Koranga Survey District, and Blocks XII. and XVI., Moanui Survey District.

Description of land: The block is situated at the head of the Motu and Waikohu Rivers. The distance to the nearest point of this block from Gisborne via the Motu-Waikohu Road is about forty-three miles, forty of which is by formed dray-road, the balance by unformed road; and the nearest accessible point of the portion north of the Motu River from Gisborne via Neill’s Road and Waikohu–Motu Road is about fifty-one miles, ten of which is by formed pack-track, forty by dray-road, and the balance by unformed road. About 3,000 acres at the head of the Waikohu, in Blocks II. and III., Ngatapa District, is fairly good land; elevation above sea-level from 2,000 ft. to 3,500 ft.; it is covered by mixed bush of tawa, pine, &c., with birch on the tops of ridges; well watered. About 10,000 acres of land on the south side of the Motu River is poor birch-bush-covered ridges and slopes, from 2,000 ft. to 3,500 ft. above sea-level; the soil is poor except a little along the bank of the Motu River. About 15,000 acres on the north side of the Motu River is broken country, with soil of fair quality; good mixed bush in valleys and lower slopes, birch on tops and ridges; altitude from 2,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. above sea-level; well watered. Cash price, from 10s. to 17s. 6d. per acre. Occupation with right of purchase, from 6d. to 10·5d. per acre per annum. Lease in perpetuity, from 4·8d. to 8·4d. per acre per annum.

Waiapu County.—Unsurveyed First- and Second-class Land.

All that area in the Hawke’s Bay Land District, situated in Blocks IX., X., XIII., XIV., and XV., Hikurangi Survey District, and Blocks I. and II., Tutamoe Survey District, containing by admeasurement 18,000 acres, more or less. Bounded towards the north generally by State Forest Reserve, Mangaokura and Waingata Streams; towards the east generally by Waingata Stream and by Section 3, Block XV., Hikurangi Survey District; towards the south generally by portions of Hauturu and Huiarua Blocks Nos. 2 and 3; and towards the west generally by Mangawaru No. 2 Block.

Description of land: This block is situated in the Hikurangi and Tutamoe Survey Districts, and is portions of the Waitahaia and Mangawaru No. 2 Blocks. The distance of the nearest point of this block from Waipiro Bay, the nearest shipping-place, is about twenty-seven miles, fifteen of which is by formed dray-road, eight by pack-track, and the balance is unformed. About 6,000 acres of the south-east portion of the Waitahaia Block is good limestone country, covered by tawa, rimu, and other pines, and light bush; the balance is chiefly rough broken ridges and spurs, covered with birch on the tops, and tawa, pines, &c., on the lower slopes. The soil is good in the limestone part, and fairly good over the remainder of the block, except on the ridges, where it is poor. The block is well watered, and the elevation above sea-level ranges from 1,200 ft. to 3,000 ft.

Cash price, from £1 10s. to 10s. per acre. Occupation with right of purchase, 1s. 6d. to 6d. per acre per annum. Lease in perpetuity, 1s. 2·4d. to 4·8d. per acre per annum.

Opotiki County.—Unsurveyed First- and Second-class Land.

All that area in the Hawke’s Bay Land District, situated in Blocks I., II., III., and IV., Urutawa East Survey District, containing by admeasurement 13,000 acres, more or less. Bounded towards the north generally by parts of Whitikau Blocks Nos. 3A and 1, and by roads; towards the east generally by the Motu River, by Suburban Sections 19 and 20, Block II., Motu Survey District, and by Whakapaupakihi No. 4; towards the south generally by the Motu River, by a public road, and by portion of Whakapaupakihi Block No. 2; and towards the west generally by Crown lands in portion of the Oamaru Blocks Nos. 6c and 7c.

Description of land: This block is situated on the north bank of the Motu River. The access is by formed dray-road about sixty-five miles from Gisborne, and by formed pack-track to Opotiki, about thirty miles. This pack-track passes through the block. The land is, generally speaking, rough bush-covered ranges and spurs; altitude, from 2,000 ft. to 3,500 ft. above sea-level. The soil on the ridges and upper portions of the spurs is generally poor, but is fairly good grazing-country. There are some fairly good flats and lower slopes along the Motu River, with good soil suitable for dairy farms. The ridges and upper portions of the slopes are generally covered by inferior birch and toro, the lower slopes and flats by tawa, rimu, with a few matai and totara. The block is well watered throughout.