THE CROWN, THE TREATY, AND THE HAURAKI TRIBES, 1800–1885

waiver certificate for 850 acres at Waiheke. Ruinga and Hoete complained that Chisholm had met them in the street (on separate occasions), and on their refusal to sell land at Putiki, had abused them as 'slaves' and threatened to send them to gaol.59 Chisholm had then gone on to purchase from rival claimants (Patukirikiri) at Waiheke. Te Ruinga also came under pressure to sell Pakihi and other small islands in the Firth that were thought to be mineral-rich. Webster, Taylor, Campbell, and Browne requested that the Crown waive its pre-emptive right on the islands. In July 1844 FitzRoy agreed to waive all rights to Pahiki and Karamuramu in favour of Taylor who already held a mining lease over them; and gave permission to Campbell and Browne to purchase neighbouring islands (a fact of which Protector of Aborigines, George Clarke, who was assisting Taylor in his purchase, was clearly unaware).6° In August, Webster, who had been refused permission to purchase the same islands, produced a deed for their 21 year lease (including the mineral rights) signed by Ngati Paoa chiefs, Ngatai and Wepiha, on 18 July 1844. Webster protested the purchase by other parties, stating that he had a verbal promise from Maori that he could buy the islands and that he had 'put men to work on [them] a few days after [he] made the agreement where they [had] been ever since.'61 The competing purchasers accused each other of pressuring Maori right-holders to sign deeds. Webster complained:

My agreement was so clearly understood by the Natives at the time, that I am certain there must have been some unfair proceedings taken by the above named parties [Taylor, Browne and Campbell] to induce the Natives to sell the land.62

But a more explicit accusation was levelled against Webster himself. Clarke agreed that 'some unworthy measures must have been resorted to by either one party of Europeans or the other'. He was concerned that the reputation of the Protectorate Department, which had assisted in negotiations, was at stake, and requested that enquiry be made, 'not only on account of the Natives themselves, but also on my own having been in some measure implicated in the purchase, at least such will be the conclusion drawn by the Natives generally.'63 A month later, Clarke sent in a sworn statement from Rangi who had attended a committee at Waiau (near Coromandel) to discuss Pakihi, alleging that Webster had taken advantage of the principal vendor while he was drunk

[M]yself, Ngakete, and Tora, my friend (Ngatai) was intoxicated whilst at Waiau, for which reason Webster requested to have Pakihi; and he (Ngatai) consented not knowing what he said, being in a state of intoxication; Webster made him drunk with liquor, then Webster requested that Ngatai to write his name down, he did not go and sign his name in Webster's book himself, but Webster signed for him.64

59 Copies of the Complaints of Native Chiefs, William Jowett and Ruinga, end. 1 in Despatch from Governor Grey to Earl Grey, 19 April 1947. GBPP, vol. 6, 1847–1850, pp. 30–31.

60 George Clarke memo. 17 August 1844. Attached to Webster to Colonial Secretary, 13 August 1844. Taylor, Campbell & Browne case file, OLC 1 1126.

61 Webster to Colonial Secretary, 13 August 1844. Ibid.

62 Ibid.

63 Clarke to Colonial Secretary, 19 August 1844. In Taylor, Campbell & Browne case file, OLC 1 1126.

64 Rangi statement, 24 August 1844, transl. Forsaith. Attached to Clarke to Colonial Secretary, 9 September 1844. In ibid.

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