Ki a Whititera,—

Tena koe. Kua kite au i te korero o te Nupepa o Poneke o nanahi, e ki ana he tangata waha nui au ki te korero pupuru whenua, e ka tu au ki te aroaro o te iwi katoa kia noho au ki raro ka haere atu ki nga kai hoko whenua ka mea atu au he waha kau taku, kei te tuku ano au i te whenua. Ka hoha au ki te utu i tenei korero whakapaeteka. Kei runga tonu au i te uaua, i te maro, i te kaha i te tohe tonu ki te pupuru whenua, matou tahi ko taku iwi, kaore rawa i puta i au tetehi kupu whakangawari kia tukua te whenua.

Kua kite hoki au i tetehi kupu o taua Nupepa e ki ana kaore he whenua o Parakaia i roto i taua whenua e tautohea nei, e rua tonu eka.

Ka utua e au tenei kupu he whenua nui noa atu te whenua o Parakaia ratou ko tona iwi, tera ano e, kitea ka whakama pea te tangata nana tenei kupu. Kore rawa tetehi kia kotahi o te iwi o Parakaia i te tuku whenua, no Parakaia ake ano nui atu pea i te rua mano eka. Heoti ano.

[Translation.]

To Mr. FitzGerald,—

Salutations to you. I have seen the assertion made by the newspaper of Wellington of yesterday's date, to the effect—that I am a man of big mouth to speak on the side of holding back the land when I stand in the presence of the whole people, and that when I sit down I go to the sellers of the land and say to them—"What I say is only mouth, I am really in favour of selling." I am weary of replying to this false accusation. I am still as energetically disposed, and still as strong as ever to hold back the land—myself and my tribe. I did not utter one word favourable to selling the land. I have also seen another assertion made by that paper stating that "Parakaia has no land in that and which is now the subject of dispute, save only two acres." I reply to this, and say that the land of Parakaia and his people is very extensive, indeed. It will be seen hereafter; and perhaps the man who said this may hereafter be put to shame. Not one of Parakaia's people is in favour of selling. Parakaia alone owns land to the extent of perhaps two thousand acres. That is all.