Page image
English
Mokau Sept. 1 /46 Dear Sir A few days ago I returned from Kawhia and Waengaroa, when yours of 29th July was put into my hands Mrs. S. had also rec. some raisons but you do not mention them in your letter. I wrote you a line before my last journey which with other letters I forwarded to Mimi, and at Aotea I requested Pirika to call for them shld. they still lay there. We had 10 bushels of wheat, wh. will nearly serve us till next harvest. Other garden stuff we had in great abundance. Old Taunui behaved fair. Only he told me several times if they Ngatiawas come across Wainui maku e patu. But Mr. Kuri is very riri and barkish. His Honor has been much insulted by yourself and Mr. Fenton. He pretended to wait for some time until you both came to his face and whakatika o korua korero, but on my return I was glad he had gone. I have heard of no other complaints except a party from inland, who had been threatened with imprisonment, I think, by Mr. Brown. The same party and friends I understood afterwards had comitted a robbery upon your natives. Is it true? Kuri'd complaints against yourself is that you had turned his women out of your house they belonged to him and you shld. have said too, that you wld. have given his wife a Blanket, but feared he wld. sleep in it so you gave her a gown. Waitara told me you had written about the vessel and we are anxious to know the result. Mr. Charleton of Kawhia showed me a letter in wh. Mr. Perry of Nelson says he ''shall not spend another farthing upon her - let her be sold and the proceeds divided''. If so, Waitara's part or perhaps both will I fear not much exceed 20 pounds. That as you know will never be accepted. Do you not think Government ought to interfere in this business? Mr. Charleton says, ''let Waitara bring the remainder of the pigs to Kawhia and he shall have an Order to take possession of his kaipuke at Auckland''. Surely he is not to be compelled to come to such terms. Believing that the luggar will be of no benefit to the natives when they get her I should be glad to hear that she was lying on some other beach. But while she is at Auckland W. will never be satisfied and I suppose Mr. Perry has no benefit from her neither. I am of opinion that it wld. be Policy and justice too that W. shld. have her without any further payment. Of course I never tell him so. He has paid upwards of 100 pigs - much more than the Luggar at present is worth - and if Mr. Perry employed hands not trustworthy - I do not think that Waitara ought to bear the loss. Please tell me in your next all you know and think about this matter. I think I told you in my last that Spencers little vessel was wrecked at Waengaroa. They are repairing her and intend to bring her to Mokau for Flax. She was wrecked on the southspit at low water but carried inside the heads by the flowing tide. Mrs. S. who has been unwell now for some months, continues very weak. When out of pain she is always thankful and cheerful. At present she is a little better. If it pleases God to restore her health and strength in some degree we intend to visit New Plymouth. Mr. T. has kindly offered to send a horse for her to Onairo. With her kind remembrance I remain, Yours very truly C.H. Schnackenberg. D. McLean Esq.