Mokau Saturday noon. 1846 Dear Sir Te Kuri has just been here and shown me a letter to yourself and Mr. Turton. I believe he intends to remain here to await your arrival. Travellers both i runga, i raro will be sent back but not robbed. He promised to allow Rihia to proceed should he arrived here tonight. I also spoke to him about the postman and the pakeha generally-I am inclined that he will not molest them only he says they must go without natives. He appears very much offended because te Ngatiawa should have said ''he hiahia nona ki te taonga'' whereas he only asked for those things according to the present tikanga pai - He had returned the things wh. were sent up and shold. now stand to their old tikanga. He was however in a very good temper with te pakeha. The natives Waitara, te Kaharoa Nga Tawa etc. he said ought not to have allowed any person to pass no sent the goods until they heard from him. With Mrs. S' kind regards, I remain Yours very truly C. H. Schnackenberg. D. McLean Esq. P. S. I had almost forgot to mention that the robbing of the travellers has already been the cause of more mischief. This day week a taua came from Waikawau and insisted upon the things being returned, and I believe they wld. have succeeded had they been careful what language they used, but after many speeches and some of them angry ones they returned without getting anything. I was not present having not yet returned from Mimi. Our christian natives joined me in my protest against Nga Tawa's or te Kaka's murunga. Hemi said to te Kaka ''ha ama ahau ki nga maunga i te wakama'' to wh. he replied, ''me haere koutou ki nga mau nga, a ko matou ia me noho kikanei hei mate''. Poharama, who lives on the beach towards Awakino went so far as to say ''ka tuhituhia ahau he pukapuka kia piri tenei ki te po kei wainga oneone he arahi i te taua o raro tika tonu atu ki te tangata nana te hara''. This imprudent saying tho' possibly just has led to a serious quarell. It was taken up by te Kaka who called a comitti at wh. te Mata Poharama's Brother but of a different opinion was so enraged that he rose and calling on the Kaka for help with a paddle assaulted Poharama who seized another paddle to defend himself, but te Kaka coming up from behind with a large stick struck him on the head upon wh. Poharama turned and with his paddle struck the Kaka such a blow on the forehead as brought him down to the ground. Upon this all the people interferred. I was not present. But they have both been here. Poharama has two wounds also but te Kaka's is the most dangerous. C. H. S.