afraid to say anything to anybody. I saw that the natives were dying out, because they were not using themselves rightly. I believed they should do something to improve their condition.
"I studied the land question. I saw there was little money in New Zealand, and that because of this the country was all the time borrowing. The reason was partly the tying up of so much land. Nobody was working it. If it were opened up for the pakeha, more money would come into the country. So I told the Maoris to sell some of their lands, but not for less than one pound an acre. My people have sold much land to the Government, and they will sell more."
I asked Rua if all the land-sale receipts were paid into his hands.
"No; every man gets his share," replied he. "I get my share and the other Maoris get their shares."
"Do you get a commission?" I suggested.
"No; all I have I earned working for the pakeha, and from my land. I have much land yet, also many cattle."
Detailing his plans for building a village at Waimana, Rua said he would spend $15,000 there in improvements. All this talk about possessions and town building was well enough for commercial history, but I wanted to know what the man's claims as a prophet were.
"There have been many prophets," he reminded me. "I am a general prophet. I know something of everything."
Could it be that Solomon reincarnated was before me!
