Cd you get me 2 more copies of the group of maories 4/ each … I wd be grateful.

4 Bexley Villas
Clewer
Windsor, Sat

Dear Mr Chesson,

I will not let the week close without thanking you for yr note. When Te Wheoro first arrived he wrote me word that his home address was

Major Wiremu Te Wheoro
Rangiriri
Waikato, Auckland
New Zealand.

But the other day he said Mercer my past town, so I fancy Mercer shd come aft Rangiriri and before Auckland. I mean to do so when I write. As to the Fox’s goodness indeed it was great! They gave him a silver cup! Wc delighted him as it wd do to exhibit to all the tribe, also to leave to his descendants. As to G Skidmore suitable gifts were given.

Did you hear how Te Wheoro took an alarm that he shd be taken too ill to get to the ship and instead of departing to Plymouth of the 2 …, he came down to breakfast long before it was ready (other days he had stayed in his room till nearly eleven) saying he must go by the first train. Mrs Fox was full of sympathy, it had been a very strong night and he and G. Skidmore had … that the windows wd blow in, and he had been writing letters half the night, one to me, one to Mr Fox, to Mrs Fox, etc. They quieted him down and Mr Fox went with him by the 15 … post eleven … quite sorry to do so because so many friends and some of my dear people too and friends of the Selwyns etc had agreed to assemble at 2 at the station that Te Wheoro Skidmore mt be honored a little multitude bidding him farewell. Then he wd go to the hotel because it was … where the … wd depart he so feared the steamer would go without him. I was glad that some of my dearest friends sent down to Plymouth …quite a boxfull of presents and … with a bible sort of service an arrangement of prayers and verses in Maori … hoping the voyage and get the shipping agents to hand them each these and Skidmore wrote to one from the … and Te Wheoro added his love and names. They were ‘strongly glad that I sent a protecting shadow of blessing and they bid me continue story on … for themselves and all the maori tribes who lovingly father to the Christian faith and to the Queen and to the love of Miss Weale.’ So at the last Te Wheoro was able to be demonstrative and he wd have made me a model of a maori … had there been time. I did long for a photograph to be taken of the two but Te Wheoro … had so many visitors from 1/2 11 until 9 at night that Dr … said it was no wonder that with his lungs so sadly diseased. He … said to Skidmore ‘you talk now!’ and contentedly stretched himself on the sofa. I am so glad that I was enabled to bring abt their staying at Torquay and Te Wheoro never will forget that I saw his depart from Paddington!

Maories love to be honoured. I did not he remarked to me go and see Tawhiao and the others go away, not every Topia at Paddington tho the weather was hot but I come out to see him go away, so that ngapuhis would not be the only natives I accompanied. Skidmore told me in London that the maories Sidney and Wiremu and Jackson used to tell of all I did with them but I went nowhere with these, only to Ch with Ropiha and himself and that he assured them I was out of health and that Patara remarked a carriage cd have taken me I need not walk, and he supposed that as the great lady the Queen wd not see them, I wd not appear in public with them. That unhappy aftnoon when Skidmore was so tipsy at Clapham Te Wheoro ventured to speak in England and told me ‘all his good was in the Christ, the gof came a man, this world all of love, I sent no humbug, too much talk abt the god some maori some English… but here points to his heart he came do me good, by and by better and still up there, you believe it,’ and busy as he was with his packing he wd unpack the big … picture book and ask me what that, what that, you tell, now I, and going over and over so earnestly the facts of our … lord’s life. It was worth all the suffering of that long long drive and having seen G Skidmore today I can write plainly my … for him and my longing desire and prayer that he may by god’s grace leave it all off. G. Skidmore’s address is

C/O C Bell Esq
Flax Mills
Church Hill
Waikato
Auckland
New Zealand.

I hope you will write to both as it will so … and cheer each.

I have cut out of newspapers various little paragraphs thinking you wd not have seen them and now enclose them.

I hoped ere this to have seen the … she wd call not at Madeira but at … and aftwards at the Cape, but Skidmore on his farewell from Plymouth wrote next letter to you from Cape Good Hope. The weather has been fearful off the coasts of France and Spain so that it wd be a relief to know the … had got safely into warm latitudes. Dr Tombe thought badly of both lungs. I was cockaloop as my nephew wd term it over getting Mrs Selwyn to write to Te Wheoro. I wrote again and

…