I have the honor to inform you that I left Wellington on Tuesday, the 5th March instant, and arrived at Otaki on the 6th.

I found a considerable number of the Ngatiraukawas there awaiting my arrival. They had heard of my coming, and had mustered from Waikawa, Ohau, Horowhenua, Poroutawhao, and Manawatu, to meet me. I had a preliminary meeting with them on the afternoon of my arrival, and again met them on the morning of the 7th inst. Tamihana Ruparaha, Matene te Whiwhi, Parakia, Karanamate Kapukai, and other leading men were present. A number of speeches were made, as usual on such occasions, principally bearing upon the claims put forward by Rangitane and Muaupoko to the lands in their (Ngatiraukawa) occupation on the West Coast. They characterized these tribes and their connections, Te Ngatiapa of Rangitikei, as a scheming dissatisfied lot, desirous of obtaining possession of the whole country under the shelter of the law, which they and their fathers had not been able to hold by force of arms. They had, they said, shown much forbearance to them for a long time, had given up lands to preserve peace, and had made many submissions to them, but they found the more they got the more they wanted. They were, however, at last determined they would give way no longer, they would allow of no further aggressions. They would sell the mountains to the pakeha, and would oppose any claims those tribes might make. They seemed to think the Government favoured these people.

I told them the only way to settle these long standing disputes would be in the Lands Court; that the Government could buy no land until the title had been properly investigated; that applications should be sent in to have their title investigated to all lands of which they wished to dispose, and that when the Court sat all parties would be able to state their case, and that no doubt matters would be amicably arranged. I assured them the Government favoured no party in particular, but were anxious that these matters should be settled on a principle of fairness and justice; that the Judge or Judges appointed would take every care and pay every attention to the statements of the claimants; that the Government said the same to the opposing tribes as to them, namely, that they must prove their claims before the Court. I asked them if they were willing to have the Horowhenua dispute decided in the Court. After much talking and many speeches on their part, and explanations on mine, it was finally agreed that, in so far as they were concerned, all disputes and claims to land on the coast extending from the sea to the boundary of the 70-mile Bush purchase should be left entirely to the decision of the Lands Court. Te Roera Hukiki and his friends being very urgent for me to accompany them to view the land claimed at Muhunoa on the Ohau river, I started with them on the same day (7th) for that place, promising to again meet the Otaki natives on return, to discuss and arrange preliminary matters in connection with getting their land through the Court.

Finding, on arrival at Muhunoa, that some of the people I wished to see were at Horowhenua awaiting for me, I returned to the beach by way of Waiwiri lake, and slept at a small fishing settlement that night.

The next morning (Friday, 8th), I proceeded to Foxton, at Manawatu, having first sent a message to the Ngatiraukawa people, located at Horowhenua, that I would call at their settlement on my return. I had, whilst at Otaki received a telegram, from Hoani Meihana, who was then at Masterton, in the Wairarapa, informing me that he would arrive at Foxton by the Coach on the following Monday. This man possesses very great influence with his people of the Rangitane (owners of the Mangatainoka block of 62,000 acres reserved from sale in the 70-miles bush), is honest and upright in his dealings generally, clear in judgment, temperate in discussion, possessing great force and power of argument, is a staunch supporter of law and order, and is an advocate for the sale of all waste lands, and the introduction of European population. I therefore deemed it advisable to wait for him before interviewing the Rangitane, Muaupoko, and Ngatiwhakatere who, I was informed, had assembled at Huru’s place, up the river, in expectation of my arrival.

On Wednesday, 13th, accordingly, Hoani Meihana and I proceeded to the place of meeting. We found there Mikaera te Rangiputara (the only remaining old chief of Rangitane) and some of his friends; they had come from their residence at Tutaekara, an open plain in the 70-mile Bush on the 62,000 acre block, to consider with the Rangitane residents at Manawatu what course should be adopted with reference to Wi Waka and some thirty others from Masterton in the Wairarapa, who, encouraged by Nireaha, a relation of Mikaera, had just located themselves on the block in question by virtue of their relationship to the Rangitane people, and who had declared their intention of selling it to the Government. They were about to formally establish themselves by clearing a portion of the bush for the cultivation of potatoes. On their arrival there Mikaera and the resident Natives had called a meeting at Tutaekara which had been attended by Peeti te Awe Awe and others opposed to selling, and they had now just returned from that meeting to consider the matter with the rest of the tribe. Huru had not been present at the meeting, being in Wellington at the time it was held.

The Rangitane we met at this place were principally those opposed to selling the block on the occasion of my visit in January last. Of those in favour of selling, Kerei te Panau, with the principal men of Muaupoko, were absent at Whanganui, and