Heanee Flats, Napier the 11th of January 1872 Very Honourable Sir, After thanking you for the kind leave you gave me to see Kereopa, I come to beg humbly for another favour, Would you return to me at an early opportunity the letter written with a lead pencil that Mr. Tylee is forwarding to you. Part of that letter was written by me under Kereopa's own dictation, the other part was written by Kereopa himself, and the whole of it directed to F. Reignier. My reasons for asking for that letter are the following. Firstly. I wish to let F. Reignier see it and I have no copy of it as I gave it up into Mr. Miller's hands before leaving the goal on condition that it should be returned to me. Secondly, I wish to put, through a fair publication of it, a stop to the public statements made by the Revd. Mr. Williams against me. The truth is, that Kereopa told me without any previous inquiry from me, that he had been baptised by F. Reignier some 25 or 30 years ago, that he repented sincerely for his bad conduct since, and wished the spiritual assistance of the Priest. I then asked him if he knew his prayers and the rites of the Sacraments. he knew them perfectly. I send then a telegraph to you, and on the receipt of your answer F. Reignier came up to the goal with Mr. Hamlin (F. Forest had declined on account of his ignorance of the maori language) Mr. Hamlin went first into the cell of the prisoner and asked him if he really wanted to receive spiritual assistance from F. Reignier. Kereopa answered that he wished to see F. Reignier first as a friend, that if F. Reignier would pray for him he would be glad of it, if not he would pray for himself in his own heart. Three times the same question received the same answer and in consequence of it F. Reignier was not admitted. Mr. Hamlin was hardly gone back than Kereopa began again to ask earnestly for the Priest. Why then did I ask him did you not asked for him expressly for religious assistance while Mr. Hamlin was here. Because he said, I thought I should be obliged to confess my sins before witnesses and I had not courage enough for it - He kept on asking for the Priest up to about 9 o'clock when he requested me for the third time since the evening to say prayers for him and prepare him to death: adding, Make haste before the Bishop come in for I do not want him. After I had finished the prayers he requested me to write a letter to the effect of obtaining leave for F Reignier to accompany him to the scaffold and assist him as a Priest. On my refusal, he wrote himself the short letter which Mr. Tylee is forwarding to you, but F. Reignier was not send for. Now, Honourable Sir, be so kind as to give me through the return of that letter, the mean to put a stop to accusations which I do not deserve. If you desire to have of summary of the longue conversation of Kereopa to me on different subjects, I am ready to give it. I have the honour to be with the greatest respect, Honorable Sir, Your most humble servant St. Marie Joseph Aubert Honorable Donald MacLean Defence Minister etc. etc. etc.