fully remove boundary-marks show this, if other evidence were wanting.
The lands of a tribe, in respect to the title by which they are held, may be conveniently distinguished under two comprehensive divisions.
- Those portions which have been appropriated, from time to time, to individuals and families.
- The tribal land remaining unappropriated.
Whenever land is appropriated formally by native usage, it descends in the family of its first owners according to well recognized rules, and the mana of the representative of the tribe ceases to have any control over it. Their laws as to succession naturally tended to render the greater part of such lands the property of several of the same family as tenants in common; but an individual might and did frequently become a sole owner.
The tribal lands never specially appropriated belonged to all under the mana[1] or trusteeship of the tribal representative.
- ↑ Latterly a practice has been adopted of handing over the mana of their land to Matutaera, the Maori king, or to some influential chief in whom they have trust, the object being to protect it from clandestine sales, which have become frequent through the action of speculators in land. The agents who act for men of capital who enter into such speculations are always ready to offer an advance of money as a deposit on land, and when a Maori, especially a careless young man, visits our towns he is too often unable to resist the temptation of gold to be had for the mere signature of his name. When, however, such a transaction becomes known to the tribe it gives rise to much heart burning and trouble; but the thin end of the wedge being thus
