(True Copy, Thos. Forsaith) TRANSLATION. Auckland, December 26, 1843.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 37, 30 December 1843, Page 3

( True Copy, Thos. Forsaith ) TRANSLATION. Auckland, December 26, 1843.

To the Governor of New Zealand. Sir, — We greet You, We, the elder chiefs and men of Waikato, do write our letter of affection to you, Welcome ! Welcome ! O Governor to our Island, we your children greet you. Behold, our hearts ere now rejoiced because you have arrived here in peace. This letter is to make known to you the things that we love, and the things that grieve us. We love peace, and good-will ; we hate disturbances and war, and the many other practices that are bad ; we are resolved to cast them off. When Governor Hobson first arrived, some said that he only came to take our lands ; but we said, wait quietly, by his actions we shall prove him. Then the Chiefs agreed at Waitangi to the treaty of the Queen ; they fully assented to her proposal, because that Treaty was to preserve their chieftainship. But when the Europeans arrived in great numbers, we began to be alarmed, because we saw many of their proceedings were directly contrary to the Queen's agreement, some were coveting our lands, some stole our pigs, some reviled and swore at us ; and had not the late Governor constantly befriended us, we should long since have been dead with grief. O Governor, befriend us, be our Father, do not let your anger rise when you see our remaining follies ; because some of our old men cleave to the customs of their forefathers ; but the day has dawned, and 'ere long old habits will be lost, and the customs of Euro- i peana adopted ; we do not say to you that we intend : to liold fast our ancient manners ; no, we will follow the customs of Europeans. . ! But there is another thing that makes our hearts | very dark. This agreement at Waitangi said : The land was to be sold to the. Queen ; now, we supposed that the land was first to be offered to Her, and if Her Governor was not willing to buy, we might sell to whom we pleased ; but no, it is for the Queen alone to buy ; now, this is displeasing to us, for our waste lands will not be bought up by Her only, because She wants only large tracts ; but the common Europeans are content with small places to sit down upon. . This is all our speech to you. From your true Friends, (Signed) WHEROWHERO, TAKEWARU KATI, EPIHA PUTINI, TAMA.TI, PAORA.