Ko nga kupu enei i whakapuakina nuitia kia te Petatone i te 5 o Aperira. Ko nga kupu pupuru tenei a Ngatiraukawa mo Rangitikei. E koro e te Petatone kia ata whakarongo mai kia pai to mahi ki nga tangata i roto i tou Huparitenatitanga i hokona ano e Ngatiapa tenei whenua i mua purutia iho e Ngatiraukawa mau ake tukua atu ana ko tera taha o Rangitikei riro atu i a Kawana Kerei, ka rite te hiahia o Ngatiapa, ka takoto tonu te paenga ko te Awa o Rangitikei. Muri iho ka hokona e Ihakara a Manawatu whakaaetia ana e Ngatiraukawa tana hiahia ka riro atu a Manawatu i a Kawana Paraone whakatakotoria ana te rohe ko Kaiiwi rere tonu ki Omarupapako rere tonu ki Pakingahau ka mutu i reira he rohe tuturu tenei. Muri iho ka hokona ano e te Hirawanu a runga o Manawatu whakaaetia ana e Ngatiraukawa ka riro a reira i a Kawana Kerei i tona hokinga tuarua mai ki Niu Tireni ka rite to te Hirawanu hiahia whakatakotoria ana te Rohe ko Mangawharawhara, te Rotopiko, Paripuwha i runga o Oroua ka mutu he rohe tuturu tenei. Ko tenei whenua e hokona nei e koe e kore e tukua atu e matou, kia hokona e koe kore rawa hei oranga mo matou a konei me ata ekaeka marire ma matou ano e utu te Pakeha, mana te Kapehu e hapai ko matou ano hei hoa mona. Kore rawa i utua e Petatone enei korero a matou.

I te 12 o Aperira ka tu ano matou (Ngatiraukawa) ki te aroaro, o te Petatone, whakapuaki ai i nga kupu nunui rawa.

E koro, e te Petatone, kauaka koe e hoko pokanoa i to matou whenua, kei he koe, me he mea, he raru raru kei to matou whenua, me waiho ki a takato pai ana ma te Kooti Whakawa e mahi, kia pai ai te mutunga iho, no te mea kua rite te Kooti Whakawa mo nga whenua Maori, kauaka e hutia kohamotia e koe, kei hinga kino he mate te tukunga iho. E kore ano hoki to matou whenua e makere kia hokona e koe, kore rawa atu, kaore he mahi i oti i te kino, kia rite ano i nga tangata e noho ana i runga i taua whenua katahi ka oti.

Ka utua mai e Petatone, e 800 rau o Whanganui, e 200 rau o Ngatiapa, kotahi 100, o Rangitane, o Muaupoka, ko nga Iwi enei, i haere tahi matou, ki te Whawhai ki nga iwi kino, kua whakaae nei ratou ki a hokona, kua riro mai i au tena whenua, maku e hoatu te moni ki a ratou.

Ka utua e Ngatiraukawa. Ka purutia e matou o matou whenua ake, ekore matou e tango i to moni.

I te 16 o Aperira, ka puaki ano a matou kupu kia a Petatone.

Whakarongo mai e Petatone, kauaka e homai o moni ki nga kai hoko whenua engari ekaekaia te whenua kia kite koe i te whenua o ena tangata e hoko na, katahi to mahi ka tika. Kei hoatu kau o moni i te tuatahi ki te kai hoko whenua, muri iho ka haere koe ki te to i to tini, ki runga i o matou whenua, ekore to tini e tau, ka pana haeretia, riri kau noa iho koe te Pakeha, no te mea ka tango Maori koe i to matou whenua; Purutia atu o moni kei waiho hei whakatupu kino a ka raru nga tangata o konei i a koe.

[Translation.]

These are the words which were publicly spoken to Dr. Featherston on the 5th of April. These are the words of Ngatiraukawa, expressing their determination to hold fast to Rangitikei.

Sir, Dr. Featherston, hearken attentively (to what we say); deal fairly by the people within the Province of which you are Superintendent. This same land was sold by Ngatiapa formerly, but it was page 6withheld by Ngatiraukawa, and so kept back; but they allowed the sale of the other side, and it was sold to Governor Grey—so the desire of Ngatiapa was accomplished, the boundary still lay—the river of Rangitikei. After that, Ihakara sold Manawatu. Ngatiraukawa acceded to his wish, and Manawatu was sold to Governor Browne. The boundary was then laid down, from Kaiiwi, thence to Omarupapako, thence to Pakingahau; there the boundary ended. This is a lasting boundary. After this, Hirawanu sold Upper Manawatu. It was agreed to by Ngatiraukawa, and that portion was sold to Governor Grey after his second coming to New Zealand. Te Hirawanu's desire was accomplished, and the boundary laid down from Mangawharawhara to Rotopiko, to Paripuwha on the Oroua where it ends. This is a lasting boundary; this is the land which you are buying. We will not at all allow it to be sold to you; no, by no means. This is to be a place of residence for ourselves to be carefully surveyed (subdivided). We ourselves will pay the pakeha (the surveyor); he shall carry the compass, and we ourselves will assist him.

Dr. Featherston made no reply whatever to these words.

On the 12th of April, we (Ngatiraukawa) again stood up in the presence of Dr. Featherston, and gave expression to words of the greatest import.

Sir, Dr. Featherston, do not you of your own accord buy our land lest you be wrong. If there is trouble on our land, let it be left well alone for the Land Court to decide, so that it may end well—for a Court has been appointed to adjudicate in questions of Maori land—do not you act in a manner resembling seizing by the back of the head, lest a bad fall be the consequence, and the result be disastrous. Neither will our land be permitted (by us) to be bought by you; no, not at all. No work has been completed which was conducted in an improper manner; but when it has been acceded to by the people who dwell upon that land, then will it be completed.

Dr. Featherston replied: 800 of Wanganui, 200 of Ngatiapa, 100 of Rangitane and Muaupoko— these are the tribes which went together with us to fight the rebel tribes—they have consented to the sale; that land is now in my possession; I will hand the money over to them.

Ngatiraukawa answered: We will hold fast to our own land; we will not take your money.

On the 16th of April, we again addressed ourselves to Dr. Featherston: Hearken, Dr. Featherston. Do not you give your money to the sellers of land; rather survey the land so that you may see which land belongs to those persons who are selling, lest you give your money at the first to the land sellers, and afterwards when you go to draw your chain over our land, your chain will not light down upon the ground because of our driving it off; and you, the Pakeha, will be angry, because you are simply taking away our land by force. Keep back your money lest you sow the seed of evil, and the people of this place get into trouble through you.