273

H.—2B

ao, ana te Atua ano i tango atu; heoi me whakapai te ingoa ote Matua, ote Tama, me te Wairua Tapu Ko Ihu Karaiti to tatou Kai-whakaora. He mate noku te take i kore ai ahau c tae atu itera i nehua ai to hoa. He aha koa mau c hoatu taku aroha kite hoa wahine ote Hetana, me ta raua whanau. Na to mokai, Na Atiria te Kahukoka. Turoa and Ngatiwhiti Tribes. May it please Your Excellency,— Whanganui, 20th June, 1906. On behalf of the Natives of the Tribes of Turoa and Ngatiwhiti, we desire to express to you our grief at the death of your Prime Minister, the late Mr. Seddon. Mr. Seddon was for many years the holder of high office under you and those who represented His Majesty the King. During that time he had many and various dealings with the Maoris of the Whanganui and other districts, and he was always a true friend to our race. He understood our needs, and did all in his power to help us and make us happy. We hope that the man whom you choose to be Prime Minister in his place may be a man of the same spirit as Mr. Seddon. That will be best for you and also for us. We ask you to accept the accompanying gifts as an indication of the sincerity of our tribute to Mr. Seddon. Porokoru Turoa. Taiuri te Rango. Kiingi Turoa. Pine Tuakau. Erueti Arani. Henare te Aro. Kahungunu te Ahunga. Teone Teehi. HIRAKA TE RONGO. To His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand. Kia pai mai koe i runga i to Rangatiratanga,— Whanganui, 20 Hune, 1906. Mo runga mo nga hapu o Turoa me Ngatiwhiti, c hiahia ana matou kite whakaatu atu ki a koe i to matou pouri me to matou aroha i te matenga o te Pirimia, o Te Hetana. He maha nga tau i noho ai a te Hetana hei mahi i nga mahi nunui i raro i a koe me era atu i tv hei whakakapi mo te Kingi. I roto nei i aua tau he maha ana mahi me ana whakahaerenga ki nga Maori o Whanganui me era atu takiwa, ahe hoa tuturu pono ia ki to matou iwi. I mohio hoki ia ki o matou raruraru a whakamamatia ana c ia, a whakakoa ana i o matou nei ngakau. E tumanako ana matou ko te tangata c whakaturia mai ana c koe hei Pirimia whakakapi i tona turanga, kia pera ano hoki ona whakaaro pai me ote Hetana. He painga hoki tena mou me matou hold. E hiahia ana matou kia whawhatia mai c koe o matou taonga c tukuna atu nei, hei tohu o to matou aroha ki a te Hetana. Xi a te Kawana o Niu Tireni. Porokoru Turoa. Taiuri te Rango. Kiingi Turoa. Pine Tuakau. Erueti Arani. Henare te Aro. Kahungunu te Ahunga. Teone Teehi. HIRAKA TE RONGO. To Mrs. R. J. Seddon, Wellington. Kohanga, Onewhero, Waikato, 19th June, 1906. Greetings to you, the living face of our chief who has passed away from our presence. Peace be with you. May God care for and protect you in the midst of your sorrow over your companion who has been taken from you ! It is well my chieftainess, he has gone to the ultimate end of all things ; he has gone to the (departed) nations, languages, and assemblies of people, and to God also, to the Being by whom he was created. He has reached the place where there is no trouble. He has crossed from death unto life. Sufficient, 0 my chieftainess !be clear, be calm. Greetings to thee in the house of mourning. Kia ora, kia ora. May God outpour the strength of his Holy Spirit upon you to render clear your heart and your soul also both now and for ever ! Amen. Sufficient. From Kerei Kukutai. To Mrs. R. J. Seddon, Wellington. Kohanga, Onewhero, Waikato, 19 Hune, 1906. Tena koe, nga kanohi ora ito tatou rangatira kua wehe atu nei i mua i a tatou aroaro. Kia tau te rangimarie ki a koe, ma te Atua koe c tiaki c manaaki i roto i tou pouritanga ki tou hoa kua tangohia atu na i mua i tou aroaro. E pai ana c taku rangatira wahine, c haere ana ia kite uhutanga o nga mea katoa, c haere ana ia ki nga iwi ki nga reo ki nga huihuinga tangata, kite Atua hoki, kite tangata nana ia i hanga, kua tae ia kite wahi kore raruraru, kua whiti atu ia ite mate kite ora. Heoi ra c taku rangatira, kia marama, kia marama ; tena koe i roto ite whare taua, kia ora, kia ora. Ma te Atua c homai te kaha o tona Wairua Tapu ki runga i a koe hei whakamarama i to ngakau a tae atu ana kii tou hinengaro mo naianei mo ake tonu atu. Amene. Heoi ano. Na Kerei Kukutai.

36— H. 28.