the question of sovereignty remained a complex one, which the local colonial authorities were unable to solve. eventually, the british government resolved that the company would be awarded four acres of land for every £1 they could prove to have spent on the settlement. on 30 june 1849, the company's remaining new zealand properties were bought by the new zealand company for the sum of £4,500. a second ship carrying more french settlers, "monarch", arrived at akaroa in 1850.