tribe had no interest in it, portions of the first and subsequent advances were charged to the Moehau and Ohinemuri blocks’.⁷⁰ Discussions at meetings in 1874 show that many Maori owners of interests in these blocks either did not know of these arrangements or did not understand their implications.

Senior rangatira became concerned at the tendency to charge such costs against land, and sought to control it by treating the land as under Te Hira’s authority. Te Moananui warned:

If any Pakeha wanted land at Ohinemuri, let him go to Te Hira … Let them not go to the owners of the land, for the mana (authority) is in the hands of Te Hira. The Pakehas would only waste money by paying it to those who go into the European’s townships and ask for grog; and when asked for payment, say it will come from the lands at Ohinemuri.⁷¹

There was clearly concern among Maori that debts for liquor would be charged against land, though if detected this would, by the terms of the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act 1870, have invalidated a transaction. Whether for this reason or not, Puckey and Mackay seemed alert to prevent liquor being charged as raihana. But Mackay hoped that, if enough Ngati Tamatera were brought into the sale of Ohinemuri by means of his payments to individuals or heads of hapu, Te Hira would not be able to ‘stand alone against the wishes of the whole tribe’.⁷²

Various figures presented in evidence are difficult to reconcile. Notwithstanding Taraia’s tangi, an official return cited by Dr Anderson indicates that less than £1500 had been charged against Ohinemuri up to early 1873, and £13,966 against Waikawau and Moehau.⁷³ Yet, in December 1872, Mackay informed McLean that Ngati Tamatera’s debt overall approached £26,000. He suggested its possible apportionment against the main blocks under negotiation:

Moehau block as surveyed contains 54,827 acres. The Waikawau block 44,161 acres … From this has been deducted for reserves, and lands owned by tribes other than Ngati Tamatera, leaving a balance of 63,008 acres available for purchase from the Ngati Tamatera. To this may be added the Waikanae block containing 2,738 acres, making a total of 65,746 acres which at 3/- per acre amounts to £9,861.18.0 or say £10,000. The sum advanced to that tribe to the present date is about £25,000 which would leave say the sum of £16,000 to be provided for within the Ohinemuri district, including land on the west of River Waihou.⁷⁴

This statement explains Dr Anderson’s comment that ‘Mackay continued to advance monies after he considered the value of Waikawau and Moehau to be used up, so that the

70. Document a8, p 220

71. New Zealand Herald, 6 June 1873 (doc o6, p 235)

72. Mackay to Minister for Public Works, 22 June 1872 (doc a8, p 225)

73. James Mackay, ‘Blocks under Negotiation but Price Not Finally Arranged’, 24 March 1873, AJHR, 1873, g-8, p 13 (doc a8, pp 220–221)

74. James Mackay, ‘Report to Native Minister’, 3 December 1872, NLP75/117 (doc a8, p 225)