E.—No. 1.

bringing the timber down to the la. The Governor regards with the strongest disapproval the violent and tumultuous assembly ot armed men at the Kohekohe, to force you and the other chiefs who adhere to him to become subject to the rule of others who pretend to set up an authority independent of his. The Governor warned Tipene and the Ngaruawahia chiefs who were present at the Kohanga meeting in December, 1861, that he would uot suiter them to use force against those who did not choose to join their so-called Maori King ; and he now commands me to tell you that, if these people continue their violent proceedings against you, he will assist you and any other loyal chiefs with the ammunition you ask for, in protecting yourselves against such violence. 1 am, your friend, To Wiremu Te Wheoro, Meremere. Bell. No. 58. E hoa c Te Pere,— Te Kohekohe, Maehe 20, 1863. Tena koe. Kua tae mai to pukapuka o nga kupu ate Kawana ki au me te marama o nga tikanga c ora ai te tangata i whakapuakina c ia ki nga tangata tinihanga i korero ai i Taupari mo tana matapoporetanga hoki ki nga tangata c mahi tika ana kia korua. Ko ta korua whakaaro mo tetehi kai tiaki moku kia hohoro mai kua kino rawa te ritenga a taua Maori nei, kua tahuri ki taku hoa ki a te Kohi kua riro te perehi kua pakaru te tehi wahi c mahi mai nei aua Maori ko etehi kei te riri maminga kia ratou ano ka peke kite pupuru maminga kia ki atu korua he mahi pai taua tangata kaore na ratou tahi ano ma korua c whakaaro ko Patene te tehi ko tana mahi nana ano. Kia tupato ra c hoa ma he hoa ano a Takerei ma no korua kua tahuri ia kite paua i nga kamura me a ratou kupu hoki i puta atu kia Hone Ropiha i tona taenga mai kite la. ° Koia au i whakaaro ai kua tinihanga katoa ko taua iwi c hoki mai ana ano kite tukmo i a matou ko aku rakau ekore c waiho cauite Ia haria mai ano kite Kohekohe ka tahi pea au ka kite ito he koia au i mea ai inaianei kia tere mai ta korua kupu inaianei kite tae mai hoki nga rakau ka whakaarahia te whare akuanei ka pakaru ki runga i au te whare, kei tenei kinonga ka pewhea ranei ka pewhea ranei engari tukua mai ki to paraki i te Ia maku c tiki atu lte po. He kupu ano tenei naku kia korua he aha te pai o te hokohoko ki nga iwi penei no te mea kua mate au me nga pakeha kua wawahia nga pouaku taonga o runga i nga waka pakeha; koia au i mea ai kia korua he hokohoko c ngari ki nga iwi pai ka pai te hoko ko ratou pea hei teira mo ratou ekore c whai taima ka tangi aua iwi pera me o Kawhia c hara i te mea no naianei toku hiahia mo tenei mea, no Kawana Paraone iho ano mci mahia tenei mahi i reira kua mahue noa atu ta ratou mahi. E hoa ma, tena koa whakamatauria me te tupato ano kite tiaki kua haere etehi o o taua iwi kite to mai ia Ngapuhi ki ta ratou mahi hei tahuri mai kia tatou aro moku. Ko tenei tukua mai nga paura maku kite paraki ite la, kia taea te pai ka whakahoki atu ai. He kupu ano tenei naku kia korua kia rongo korua kua takoto tenei korero i nga tangata Maori, kite pohehe ki Taranaki ka huaki te Maori ki nga taone katoa aha oa i Akarana ka pera ano i etehi atu wahi, ka pera ano ma korua tenei c whakaaro. Engari ko Waata kaore ano i tae mai, he kupu hou noa iho pea taua kupu engari etehi atu whanaunga c puta mai ana ko to pukapuka kaore ano i hoatu c au kia Waata kia tae mai raua ka hoatu c au. E hoa kite kite koe ia Katima ngarea mai. Hoi ano. Na to hoa, Xi a te Pere, kia Taranaki. Na Wi Te Wheoro. [translation.] W. Te Wheoro to the Hon. the Natite Minister. Friend Mr. Bell, Te Kohekohe, March 30th, 1863. Salutation's. Tour letter containing the Governor's words has reached me, with the clear and life-giving precepts made known by him to those deceitful men who spoke to him at Taupari, and containing also his expressions of regard for those who act rightly towards you. Make haste and carry out your idea in regard to something to protect me, for the conduct of that Maori has become very bad, and he has turned upon my friend Mr. Gorst, and taken away the press and broken a portion of it. Those Maoris are still carrying on their work. Some are pretending to be an«ry with them, and made a feigned attempt to restrain them in order that it might be said that they were acting well, instead of which they were equally implicated. It will be for you to judge. Patene is one of them : his work is his own. Be careful, O friends. Takerei was a friend of yours, and yet he turned round and drove away the carpenters and spoke words to John Hobbs when he came to the la. I consider, therefore, that all are deceitful. Those people are coming again to assault us. My timber shall not be left at the Ia ; I will have it brought again to the Kohekohe, and then perhaps I shall see trouble—hence I say now, carry out your word at once. When the timber comes, I shall put up the house, and let it be broken down upon me. I don't know what may happen this time. What you send, send to the Blockhouse at the la, and I will fetch it at night. This is another word of mine to you: What is the good of permitting trade with such people ? for I and the Pakehas have been assaulted, and boxes of trade have been broken open on board the Pakeha's canoes. I say to you, therefore, forbid trading with them ; let it only be carried on with well conducted tribes, in which case it would not be long before they would be weeping like those at Kawhia. This wish of mine is not a new thing ; I had this desire when Governor Browne was here; had it been done then, they would long ago have given up their work. Friends, try it, and at the same time be careful, for some of those people have gone to try and draw the Ngapuhi into their work, and to join them against us, that is, against me. And nov/send the powder to the Kedoubt at the la, and when matters are settled, I will return it. This is another word of mine to you. Hearken. This has been decided upon by the Maoris : if war breaks out at Taranaki, the Maoris will make a descent upon all the towns, Auckland as well as other places. You consider this. Waata has not yet come—his word perhaps meant nothing—but

31

COURT HOUSE AT KOHEKOIIE.