part payment of land’. But he suggests that raihana were ‘not cash, or cash advances... Cash advances on land were usually the result of negotiations between a land agent and a Maori owner for the sale of land, or land interests’, a payment for an individual’s complete interest (in a multiple title), or a deposit on the balance, to be paid over at the completion of the sale.⁶⁵

The practice of issuing raihana seems to have emerged from the emergency credit arrangements made to help Waikato Maori resettle after the dislocation of war. At the time, Mackay, then a judge of the Compensation Court, was irritated that Maori ordered goods and charged them to Mackay privately or to the Government. He issued a notice saying that the Government would not redeem such orders. He also suggested that advances for food, seed potatoes and agricultural implements be redeemed by days of labour rather than held as a lien on the crop. However, Dr Battersby suggests that, as a private land agent, Mackay fell in with the usual practice of settling small sums outstanding at stores or providing food or other supplies at Maori request.⁶⁶ Dr Battersby argues that Crown agents often recognised real need: when Rawiri Taiporutu’s wife died in 1880, he asked Wilkinson for £40 for the tangi and the cost of a coffin, but despite Wilkinson’s pleading the Government authorised only £3. Again, when many Maori came from a distance to attend the court hearing of Ohinemuri, Wilkinson asked for food supplies for them, and was scathing when only £25 was authorised.⁶⁷

Dr Anderson’s evidence suggests that the sums advanced against Ohinemuri were relatively small before 1872, but later hakari and tangi costs involved advances of a different order. John Thorp estimated that £3000 was spent on food for Taraia’s tangi in March and April 1872. Mackay later revealed his opportunism in relation to that event:

After I was instructed to purchase these blocks, I attempted in vain to get the Hauhaus to treat for the sale of them to the Government. They refused to take ‘the Governor’s money’. At this time the old and influential chief Taraia Ngakuti died … and a very grand feast was contemplated, and although the obstructives would not take money they joined the friendly natives (secretly) in procuring some thousands of pounds worth of flour, sugar, tobacco, tea, bullocks, sheep and clothing.⁶⁸

Mackay sought and received from provincial superintendant Gillies an advance of £2000 for the purpose.⁶⁹ He told the Audit Department that it had first been arranged that the supplies should be charged against Waikawau (for which a preliminary sale agreement was drawn up and signed at or near the time of the tangi) but that ‘as some members of the

65. Document o6, pp 231–232

66. Ibid, pp 232–233

67. Ibid, pp 270–271

68. Mackay, memorandum, 26 August 1875 (doc a8, p 220)

69. Document a8, p 219