THE PARTNERSHIP OF H. G.-S. AND T. J. S. 



241 



forgive us, lest he should rope in the morganatically unmarried couples 

 and splice them, and the station be forced to advance for unlimited 

 material of virginal white. 



Barring the trouble given in these ways, and it was great because 

 of the numbers of landlords, they could hardly have behaved better to 

 us than they did behave. The Maoris are a fine race; I have lived 

 with them for forty years, and can find almost nothing but good to say 

 of them. The system, however, was wrong one party in the trans- 

 action doing the work, the other holding power to evict without 

 compensation for improvements. Even from the owners' point of view, 

 the imperfect title and lease of only twenty-one years too short con- 

 sidering the conditions was an error. Improvements that should have 

 been poured into the place were either withheld or dribbled out in 

 niggardly fashion. 



Little more remains to be said of this period. In the late 'nineties, 

 the station being free of debt, the adjoining run of Putorino twelve 

 thousand sheep was bought from Mr George Bee ; later the Heru-o- 

 Turea block was added. 



In the summer of 1903, the station being for the second time free 

 of debt, the writer purchased his partner's share in the three properties, 

 together with thirty-two thousand sheep. 



Toetoe Grass. 

 Q 



