My predecessor entered, upon this account, as I believe, into a new arrangement, by which a block of about only 3,500 acres was imme diately secured to the Europeans. But Ido not understand, nor can I think, that he in tended that the original purchase should be set aside, in as far as those natives were con cerned who had originally sold theii land in a bond fide manner, and received payment for it. To my surprise, however, yesterday some of the natives, who were the parties to the original sale, and who had been amply paid for the land they had disposed of, informed me that they intended to stand by my prede cessor's arrangement, and to repudiate the first transaction, and that they would neither per mit the Europeans to occupy the land they had sold them, nor would they even do so upon receiving another payment ; but they insisted upon the Europeans confining them selves to the block of 3,500 acres. In the same manner the majority of the natives whom I have seen to-day (none of whom were parties to the original sales, but were principally the inhabitants of Waikanae and the country in its vicinity) stated, in the first instance, that they would not, upon any terms, permit the Europeans to move beyond the block of 3,500 acres. A.nd, upon my pointing out that they were actual occupants of large tracts of land along Cook's Straits, that they did not use any land in the neighbour hood of Taranaki, and that thty could not re main here upon account of their enemies, if it were not for the presence of the Europeans, j they stated that some of them intended to come and live here themselves, and that they had plenty of Europeans here. 