Papers Past | Letters and Diaries | The Papers of Sir Donald McLean | Series 2 Inward letters (Maori) | 3 pages written 1 Aug 1851 by Te Matapihi in Paekakariki to Sir Donald McLean, related to Ngati Toa

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English

Maori

but tell the truth. If you approve of what Te Puni says [?], then you should also agree with what I say to you. I don't agree that my land be given away by those[?] chiefs, by that man; the right over my land should remain fast. It is not for an assembly of chiefs to say that you can divide up my side [?] of the land. The land will not be given to you, for it is an ancestor of man, and parent of man. There is only one great chief and it is the land. That is all there is to say. From Te Matapihi-o-te-rangi Paekakariki McLean, listen. There is only one falling of a boundary marker, one arrival at the underworld, one falling in battle. This is my chant [text follows].

hotira, kia korero pono. Ki te mea ka tika i a koe ta Te Puni korerotanga mewa[?], ka tika hoki e koe taku korero ki a koe. E kore au e pai ki toku whenua kia hoatu e i eraka[?] rangatira i tera tangata, engari kia u ake ano te tikanga ho toku whenua. Ehara i te rangatira huihui e mea ana kia wehea e koe taku ki tahaki[?]. Ehara te whenua ka tukua atu nei e au ki a koe, he tupuna, no te tangata, he matua no te tangata. Kotahi ano te rangatira nui ko te whenua. Eoi ano te korero. Na Te Matapihi-o-te-rangi Paekakariki E Makarini, kia rongo koe, kotahi ano hinganga rahui, kotahi ano taeatanga o te po, kotahi ano hinganga parekura. He pua tenei noku: 'Ka kongehe, ka kongehe te ure o te toa, e homai nei te rongo ka iri au ki runga o pa e roarara, ka whakawhanau, e he.'

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