Papers Past | Letters and Diaries | The Papers of Sir Donald McLean | Series 2 Inward letters (Maori) | 3 pages written 30 Sep 1850 by an unknown author in Waiheke Island to Sir Donald McLean, related to...

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English

Maori

30 September 1850 Friend, McLean, Listen. The Pakeha you sent me to escort have injured their feet. I looked after them for two weeks to heal them but they did not recover. They said to me that they were in great trouble and [asked] if they could get on a boat. I said, 'All right', and I said, 'I will go and see to a boat for you.' I went off, on the Monday I left from Wanganui and when I got to Te Ihupuku I slept there. In the morning I went on and reached the mouth of the Waitotara, where I found the Pakeha lamenting over their possessions which had been stolen, plundered at Waitotara. Those Pakeha came from Port Nicholson and were ignorant of the route. I said to them, 'Where did you come from?' They said, 'From Port Nicholson, we were going to Taranaki when our clothes were stolen.'

30 Hepe[te]ma 1850 E hoa, e Te Makarini, Kia rongo mai koe. Ko nga Pakeha e tukua mai ai e koe kia arahina mai e ahau, kua mate i nga waewae. E rua nga wiki e tiaki ana au kia ora ake, a, kihai hoki i ora ake. Ka mea mai ratou ki au, e nui ana to ratou mate me na runga ratou i te kaipuke. Ka mea atu au, 'E pai ana.' Ka mea atu au, 'Kai a au e haere kia kite au i te kaipuke mo koutou.' Ka haere ai au, no te Mane ka haere mai au i Wanganui. Ka tae mai au ki Te Ihupuku, ka moe. I te ata ka haere mai au, ka tae mai au ki te ngutu o Waitotara, ka rokohina mai e au nga Pakeha e tangi ana ki o ratou mea, kua oti te muru e te tahae, i murua ki Waitotara. E haere mai aua Pakeha i Poneke, he Pakeha kuare ki te huarahi. Ka mea atu ahau, 'I haere mai koutou i hea?' Ka mea mai ratou, 'I Poneke, e haere ana matou ki Taranaki. Ko o matou kakahu kua murua.'

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