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Enclosure 17 in No. 1.
Copy of a Letter from Hunia Te Hakeke and others to His Honor I. E. Featherston.
Ki a Te Petetone,—
Turakina, 1 Akuhata, 1866.E hoa Tena koe. Kua tae mai to pukapuka ki a matou, to pukapuka o te 26 nei. E koro ka pai koe, e nui ana to matou whakahari mo nga korero o to pukapuka kia matou, kua Kite iho matou i tau whakaatu i te mahi o nga tangata tokorua o Ngatiraukawa kaore matou i kite i tana mahi roherohe, kei te mahi tahae noa atu ia i te koraha, kaore e tika kia mahi whakatakoto rohe mana ki Omarupapako, e he ana tana mahi, kaore ona whenua i konei, tera ano nga rohe o tona tupuna kei Maungatautari hei mohiotanga mana ki te mahi pena. Ko to matou whenua kaore e pai kia riro i a ia tetahi wahi iti nei, he mea Panui ki nga iwi katoa nei ta matou hokonga atu i to matou whenua ki a koe, ko te mahi a Parakaia e mahi tahae ana kaore matou e kite ana i ana roherohenga atu kaore matou e pai kia mahue tetahi wahi ki tana ringaringa, kua oti ia matou te whakaae ki a koe nga rohe nunui.
E hoa Petetone kua oti ta maua mahi ko Te Pura, tuhituhi i nga ingoa o nga, tangata. E hoa kei a koe te whakaaro ki te whakatata mai i nga ra mo te huihuinga ki Parewanui i roto i nga Ratapu o tenei marama e tu nei, hei aha- ma tatou te whakararararu a tena tangata a Parakaia—ki te kaha ia ki te whakararura.ru i roto i nga iwi Maori nei, he mate no tona tinana kei muri iho, kua rite katoa nei aku iwi tuturu ki te whakaae mo taku mahi kia koe. He oti ano.
Na to hoa,
Na Hunia Te Hakeke,
" Aperahama Tipae,
" Hapurona,
" Mohi Mahi,
" Wiremu Makomako,
Na Hamuera,
" Ratana,
" Rihimona,
" Matene te Matuku.
[Translation.]
Friend,—
Salutations to you. We have received your letter of 26th of last month. O sire, good are you! Great is our joy for the words of your letter to us. We have seen your words, showing us the works of the two men of Ngatiraukawa. We have not seen his work, cutting boundaries; he does it clandestinely in the bush. It is not right for him to cut boundaries at Omarupapako; his work is wrong; he has no land here. The boundaries of his forefathers are at Maungatautari, where he can do such work of his. Our land we do not like him to take the smallest portion of. Our selling of the land to you has been proclaimed to all these tribes. Parakaia's work is that of a thief; we have not seen.his boundaries. We do not wish that the smallest piece be left in his hands; we have completed the consent of the large boundaries.
Friend, Dr. Featherston, mine and Mr. Buller's work is at an end—the writing the names of the people.
Friend, the thought is with you to draw near the day for the meeting at Parewanui, in the weeks of this month. What do we care about that man Parakaia causing trouble; if he is able to cause trouble among the Native tribes his body will see death, as it has been settled by all the tribes, the consent of my work to you. That is all.
From your friend,
Hunia te Hakeke, and eight others.To Dr. Featherston.