[i roto i te reo Māori]

Arahura Purchase.

In 1856, when the claims of the northern tribes were finally settled to land in the South Island, the claims of a small remnant of the Ngaitahu Tribe, residing beyond the western ranges, remained unsettled, owing to the difficulty of communicating with that part of the country.

These people had not participated either in the distribution of the money paid to the Ngaitahu Tribe for the country included in Kemp's purchase.

The claims of these people were investigated in 1859-60, and a final settlement effected in May of latter year by a payment of £300 and a reserve of land of 10,024 acres, of which 6,724 were set apart for individual occupation, and 3,500 acres to produce a fund for education and eleemosynary purposes, for the benefit of the resident Natives.

The settlement of this question and the subsequent purchase of Stewart's Island finally disposed of all the land claims in the South, excepting those arising out of the unfulfilled promises of schools and hospitals and other advantages.

The only lands to the south of Cook Strait over which the Native title has not been extinguished exclusive of reserves, are the islands of Ruapuke, in Foveaux Strait, Rangitoto or D'Urville's Island in Cook Strait a block of land at Wakapuaka to the north of Nelson, and one at West Whanganui.

The total quantity of land reserved for Native purposes in the South and Stewart's Islands exclusive of the block of 44,000 acres at West Whanganui, which does not come under the category of reserves, amounts to 75,544 acres 2 roods and 14 perches.

Trusting that the brief sketch of the several purchases dealt with in the foregoing report with its accompanying map, may prove useful for future reference,