The Mining Warden was asked for his opinion. He replied that

The Moehau Blocks form a portion of the Cape Colville Block, proclaimed a portion of the goldfield in May 1868. The Government hold the right to mine over this block, the agreement conceding this right, including I believe the right to dispose of the kauri timber at a specified price. Any purchase of the Auckland Timber Company will I presume be made subject to this right.

I would suggest that Mr Dufaur [the Auckland solicitor] be requested to furnish the department with full particulars of his client's title or claim, specifying the block or blocks, for if the Timber Company's title be good, our right to dispose of the kauri timber will be at least doubtful.

I cannot see the purchase of the freehold will make any difference, except as to the payment of the revenue derived from the sale of the timber, which is at present paid to the native owners.7

Dufaur, when approached by Wilkinson, replied that

The blocks of land the timber upon which has been purchased by the Auckland Timber Company are the subdivisions of Moehau known as No 1G and No 1H, [and] Waikawau and other portions which cannot be defined until the land is subdivided by survey.

I have this day seen some of the owners of the various blocks in that district and have been specially requested to call the attention of the Government to the unfair proclamation that at present exists over their lands.

The claim of the Government in respect of the lands purchased by Mr Mackay have been settled and the land awarded to the Crown by the Court, yet the proclamation still exists. Although the land from its mountainous character is worthless for the purposes of settlement, there are here and there patches of ti tree and other wood fit for fuel, yet although the natives were told by Mr Mackay at the time of their signing the Deed to the Crown the lands awarded to them by the Court would be released from the Government lien, it is found in their attempting to deal with their wood that it has not been released.

Will you therefore bring this matter before the Department in order that the lands belonging to the natives can be released from these unfair restrictions.8

No further action seems to have been taken.

In February 1893 Charles Dearle, the land purchase officer in Thames, advised that some of the owners of Moehau 1G and 1H were keen to sell their shares in the blocks to the Crown. He added that

Although the portion of land on the banks of the Waiaro Stream is of fairly good quality, the greater portion of these lands is very broken and of poor quality, and (5/-) five shillings per acre would be the outside value of these lands, I consider.9

The Surveyor General was less generous, estimating Moehau 1G to be worth purchasing at 3/- an acre, and Moehau 1H worth purchasing at 2/- an acre.10 The Minister of Lands

approved purchase at those prices, and Dearle was asked to negotiate with the owners.11 Dearle advised that

I have interviewed a number of the owners of the above blocks and although a few of them would sell at any price, the majority will not accept the Government offer. They want 5/- per acre

7 Mining Warden Thames to Under Secretary for Goldfields, 18 January 1883. Maori Affairs Head Office file 1907/507. Supporting Papers #C7.49–50.

8 ET Dufaur, Auckland, to Land Purchase Officer Thames, 24 September 1883. Maori Affairs Head Office file 1907/507. Supporting Papers #C7.51.

9 Clerk Resident Magistrates Office to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 24 February 1893. Maori Affairs Head Office file 1907/507. Supporting Papers #C7.104.

10 Surveyor General to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 16 March 1893, on cover sheet to file NLP 1893/20. Maori Affairs Head Office file 1907/507. Supporting Papers #C7.105.

11 Mining Warden Thames to Clerk Resident Magistrate's Office Thames, 5 April 1893, on cover sheet to file NLP 1893/20. Maori Affairs Head Office file 1907/507. Supporting Papers #C7.105.

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