Waiparua, Napier
New Zealand
February 2, 1885

To Miss Weale,

Greetings to you and your people in England. Great is my love to you all and to the clergymen of the Church of England. I salute you and all the clergymen of the Church of England. May Queen Victoria live long, may her Government and her nobles live long, may God preserve us all. We have reached our native land, New Zealand in safety. God in His Goodness led us all the way to England and brought us back. I have been going about ever since I returned, talking to all the Maori tribes who are scattered about our Island. I have been paying friendly visits to all my people and have talked to them on 4 subjects.

The 1st that we should adhere to the faith and that we should be united in love and peace; 2ndly that all the Maori tribes and all the English people should take the Blue Ribbon. 3rdly that land courts should be abolished. 4thly that no more land should be sold and that every thing that is injuring us and our land shall be rooted out. My Maori friends agreed to all I said. But we are wanting to hear the result of our visit and the petition which was left behind by Major Te Wheoro.

My work is peaceful and good, and I am waiting patiently for the word of the Queen Victoria and her noblemen who dwell in England. I am trying to do away with ‘companies,’ that have done so much harm amongst the Maoris. The reason why we traversed the ocean was that the Government here could not help up. My Maori friends have all consented to become abstainers. After this reaches you, you will receive the Papers which the different Maori tribes have signed. I will send them that you may see them. My work is very good, the Europeans are also very busy. The Maoris are waiting patiently for the result. We have learned that it is these ‘land companies’ that have done so much harm in taking our land. I have finished. Be quick to send us good news. I have no more to say to you.

Salutations from Hori Ropiha