Te Wairoa 4/4/67 My dear Sir I have with great regret to tell you that Kopu died suddenly on Thursday morning about 9 o'clk. Deighton sent a message to you or I should have done so - Of course I remained here on hearing from Baker that he was likely to die. His last words to Ihara Toha etc. were "Be kind to the Pakehas". He died very quickly and does not seem to have suffered much - Baker attended him all through and was obliged to for Scott, whose conduct has been negligent in the extreme, when Baker was obliged to go to camp to get some rest, having been up all night, and desired Scott to remain with Kopu, he did not do so, but left him, and Baker was obliged to write a note for him to return, his excuse being that he wished to attend a wedding - Kopu's funeral took place yesterday, and was attended by all the Europeans and natives of the district. Maories of all parts are still flocking in for the "Tangi". My men furnished the firing party Deighton and I were pall-bearers, and Richardson and Gascoigne with two other Europeans and four Maories carried the corpse to the grave, he is buried in the pah just in front of the church. The speeches made at his funeral were all very good the general desire seemed to be that Kopu's last words should be respected and his known wishes carried out. They have constituted Ihaka, Toha, Paora, Deighton and myself as guardians of his wife and children and to keep his "pah" in order, until other arrangements can be made - Paora is at Turanga but has been sent for - I need not say that Kopu's death has cast a gloom over the whole district - Believe me Yrs. very sincerely James Fraser I shall be in Napier on Wednesday by the Cutter- I have written to the Gov. reporting Kopu's death. Scott by the way, has just left for Napier without as I understand making any arrangements whatever for anyone's attending the natives in his absence - The consequence being that a great deal of unnecessary work falls on Baker, without his receiving any remuneration for it. Yrs, J. F. Please excuse the hasty way in which I have written as Hori is anxious to go, and I am rather in a hurry.