The next day was spent arranging boundaries and reserves. The 1868 advance of £1500 to Ropata Te Arakai was explained by Mackay, who said he had ‘given Ropata Te Pokiha an order for £1500 in December 1868, with the understanding that £1000 would be by way of advance on account of miners’ rights fees receivable, and the remaining £500 by way of bonus’. He agreed to honour the bonus and would consider whether it should be deducted from the debt owing.⁸⁷

On 11 December 1874, Donald McLean arrived at Thames to complete the negotiations, and the bitter debate revived. Te Moananui criticised the lack of openness in the raihana system:

If my land is paid for with that which I do not know the cost of, I shall not know how much I am getting for it; if it were done in a straightforward manner in accordance with what I wish for it would be different. I thought there was good in that which I saw and wished for, but it was diverted and so a deep pit was yawning behind.⁸⁸

Te Moananui demanded of McLean: ‘From whom did this ration system emanate? Was it from the Queen? or the Governor? or from yourself? Or from the Land Purchase Agents?’ Mackay replied, ‘you yourselves began it’. Te Moananui retorted, ‘I learnt it from you’, and demanded to know what was the best value of guns, flour, and coils of rope. McLean said. ‘Money was the correct payment for land’.⁸⁹ Dr Battersby comments that ‘This was the answer that Te Moananui was looking for and called on the government to deal in land with money.’⁹⁰

Relating to the issue of price, Mackay stated, ‘I have paid large sums of money by your direction for orders, you said nothing about 10/- an acre then, nor did you complain, if you had asked that price you should not have received the money’. Both men, and Te Hira, then spoke of their efforts to stop the storekeepers giving Maori goods on credit. Te Hira referred to his public warnings to ‘the Pakeha’ (storekeepers?) that no debts would be allowed by him against Ohinemuri, ‘however they paid no attention to me’.⁹¹

Te Moananui and Te Hira again pressed for the debt to be charged against Moehau and Waikawau blocks, not Ohinemuri. Mackay remained adamant: ‘What has been written down in black and white cannot be expunged. I am unable to charge the Moehau and Waikawau Blocks with the indebtedness of Ngatikoi, Ngatitaharua, Te Uriwha and Ngatipinenga.’⁹²

87. Thames Advertiser, 10 December 1874 (pp 258–259)

88. ‘Proceedings of Native Meeting Held at Thames on 11th and 12th of December 1874’, ms papers 2520, ATL, pp 8–9 (doc a8(a), pp 553–554)

89. Ibid

90. Document o6, p 260

91. ‘Proceedings of Native Meeting Held at Thames on 11th and 12th of December 1874’, pp 18–20 (doc a8(a), pp 563–565)

92. Ibid, p 24 (p 569)