E hoa, e Te Makarini, Kua tae mai tau pukapuka ki au. Kua kite au i nga kupu i korerotia mai e koe ki a matou kia ui atu ki a Manahi. Kua ki mai a Manahi, kahore au kupu whakaae ki taua whenua kia tukua mo nga Maori. E aha hoki te pai te whenua o nga Pakeha kia tukua kautia mo nga Maori? Kua rite te wahi whenua mo nga Maori i a koe, kei uta i to Eruera. Heoi ano to aroha mo matou, mo nga Maori. He pohehe noa iho no te whakaaro o nga Maori ki aua wahi. Kei te mamao Te Waka, kei te motu ke atu. Tenei ano he rangi haere atu moku kia kitea ia, kia korero atu ki a ia mo taua whenua. Ko te kupu, e kore e mutu ki nga tikanga ki nga whenua o nga Pakeha. Heoi ano. Na to hoa aroha, na Honi Ropiha Friend, McLean, Your letter has come to me, and I have read what you said to us to ask Manahi. Manahi said that you did not consent to that land being given for the Maori. And what would be the good of the land of Pakeha being just given away to the Maori? You have arranged the parts of the land for the Maori, inland from that of Eruera. That was all you allocated for us, for the Maori, and that was just confusion in the thinking of the Maori in those places. Te Waka is far away in another part. There might be a day in which I can go and see him, to talk to him about that land. But our thinking is that the the matters over the lands of the Pakeha will not end. That's all. From your good friend, from Honi Ropiha [Note at end] 'The above was dictated by Honi with a desire to forward it to you. [Signed] W.Halse 14 Sep /50'