Kawhia December 28/46 Friends, Te Rangihaeata Te Wawarua (Te Whawharua) Te Tawiri (Te Tawhiri) I have received your letter asking us to come in support of the trouble which has befallen Te Rauparaha. It is not right for us to come. It is your own misfortune. Hone Heke has his own. You all say Te Rauparaha is the head of the Faith. No, what he has done is wrong. He is rather the head of unbelief and of deceit. You two have deceived the Europeans. You two thought you could annihilate The Europeans. How can you? Can you dry up the sea? You cannot annihilate the Europeans. We, all the Maori people cannot annihilate the Europeans. It will be the Maori people who will be annihilated, if they persist in their antagonism to the Europeans. That is why we say stop fighting the Europeans. Be quick and seek peace, so that you and your children may live. It is enough for those who have died to be in the wrong. We will not conflict with the Europeans because the European is the head of the Faith. The European is the head of power and authority as far as we are concerned. We will not support Te Raparaha's cause. He had previously spoken evil words. He is evil, he is deceitful. We will not be involved with such evil. Rangi, Para and Te Karamu, this is our decision. We are Potatau, with Takiwaru, with Te Waka and with Te Horeta. We are on the side of the Governor and of our teacher Whiteley. Therefore friends turn to the gospel of good tidings and eternal blessings. If you do not heed and join the Faith, seek peace with the European and with God, then carry on with what you are doing, continue to fight God, you will be His enemy and He, God will destroy you with brimstone fire and be banished to the underworld. From Te Nuitone to Pakaru Ngamotu Te Waru Te Kanawa (Alavsonson) Now we are of opinion that all who have been written to are of one mind, and that it is also the opinion of those of Waitara, of Ngatapa, of Rangituatea, of Pehi, of Te Roto, of Paora Muriwhenua, of Wiremu te Awataia, of Kukutai, of Kaihau, of Potatau and of everybody. 4th December 1846 Go forth my letter to yonder to my people of the Maniapoto Tribe, to Waikato and to all the people. Friends, young men, friends, young men come to support and to avenge the misfortune which has befallen Te Rauparaha, as he Te Rauparaha is the head of the Faith of all. To Waitara, to Pakaru, to Te Rangituatea, To Te Pehi, to Ngamotu, to Te Roto, to Te Kanawa, to Muriwhenua, to Te Awaitaia, to Kukutai, to Kaihau, to Potatau. My kinsmen, "What can one say, if one cannot choose" So friends come quickly during December. This is my letter From Te Rangihaeata Te Wawarua Te Tawiri (Trans. M.R. Jones) Enclosed in 47/3 Kawhia 28th. December 1846. Friends the Rangihaeata, the Wawarua, and Tawiri, your letter asking us to go and look after the death (or capture) of the Rauparaha has come to hand. We do not wish to go. Let your evil rest with yourself, and Honi Heke with himself. You say that Rauparaha is the eye or centre of religion. No he is not. His doings are wrong. He is the eye or centre of lies and treachery. It was both of you that deceived the Europeans, supposing that they would be destroyed by you. Can you dry up the waters of the sea? If not, neither can you destroy the Europeans. Nor would the Europeans be destroyed by all of us Maoris put together. But the Maoris could be destroyed, if they constantly annoy the Europeans. Therefore we say to you, give up fighting with the Europeans. Lose no time in making peace, that you and your children may live. It is enough that no more should go wrong and die, than those who are already dead. We shall not quarrel with the Europeans. They are the promoters of religion and Chieftainship for us, for the natives. We shall not go to look after the Rauparaha's death. He has been a man of bad talk a long time ago; and let him now suffer by himself for his badness and treachery. We will have nothing to do with your bad work Rangihaeata Nga Para, Te Wawamu or Mamuku. Our thoughts are with the Werowero, with Takiwaru, with Te Waka, and the Horeta. We always hold by the Governor, and with our Teacher, Mr. Whitely. Friends, attend to the word of truth, and everlasting life for all of us. If you do not listen and attend to truth, and make peace with the Europeans and God, you will be His enemies; and He will destroy you in the fire of brimstone and hell. Newton Te Pakaru. Ngamotu. Te Waru. Te Kauaua. And we also say that the thoughts of whom you have written are the same as ours. These are the thoughts of Waitara, of Ngatapa, of Rangituatea, of Pehi, of Te Roti, of Paora Muriwenua, of Wiremu Te Auaitaia, of Kukutai, of Kaihau, of Werowero and all the people.