Copy of letter received 15 January 1883

Kaikohe Bay of Islands
Auckland New Zealand
Nov 27 1882

Dear our Spiritual Mother,

By the great mercy and goodness of our God, we safely arrived 14th (15th) inst and we have heard the news that the S.S. Austral has sunk to the bottom three days after we left her, it is a great wonder.

We have a very narrow escape indeed and taking the whole of our voyage throughout I do think we have a great reason to give our humble thanksgiving to our Great Redeemer for His great mercy and loving kindness towards us for bringing us safely to our homes and people and I enclose you the full details of the S.S. Austral sinking.

And I have also received your letters and likenesses dated on the 3rd October last. I am very sorry indeed to hear by the special telegrams from London of 23rd Nov 1882 that our dear archbishop of Canterbury rapidly sinking, and but little hope can be entertained of his recovery. Wiremu and myself went to see Bishop Cowie, but he has gone to the Thames and Mrs Cowie has gone out too and I left the letter to her and the parcel for Revd Mr Dudley with the servant girl. On the 21st instant I went to take poor Wiremu to his home at Kaihu, and old Parore te Awha and his people received us with great joy and gladness and salute of guns. And after I told them the result of our mission and they all satisfied as one man, and Parore te Awha wrote a letter to Mr Chesson (on behalf of himself and the people of Kaihu) to show to all your good and kind people in England their thanks for the great kindness you shown to us during our stay in London. Wiremu enclosed our likenesses in his letter to you. As far as I can judge since our arrival that the Maori chiefs greatly approve to the Land Scheme, but the Land Sharks greatly against it, and Ngapuhi going have a great meeting at our Treaty of Waitangi Hall on the 8th of December 1882 to hear the results of our mission, and so is Waikato and Ngati… at Whanganui, and after these meetings, I am going over to Nelson to see Te Whiti.

Wiremu and myself have interview with our native minister (the Governt minister for native affairs) Mr Bryce and it seem he approved of the Land Scheme, if the Maories only carried it out and I ask him a permission to go and see Te Whiti and he granted. And I will write to you and Mr Chesson the results of these meetings and I do hope for the sake of our children that the whole Maori race would accept the chance of the Land Scheme, then I am satisfied for the rest of my life. I have seen Revd Wiki te Paa and I told him you and Mr Chesson sent him to Bishop Cowie £3.10s. Also I have seen the Revd Wiremu te Pomare; they sent their great love and best regard to you. I am very sorry indeed the death of Revd Dr Pusey. I am very glad Mr Kelly’s eyes getting better. I enclose you all newspaper correspondents of affair between Sir Dillon Bell and myself. I have wrote a letter to Mr Chesson and Mr Larkworthy and I enclosed to them same newspaper slips I sent to you. I have telling all the people that if it was not for you, Mr Chesson and dear Rev Dr Liddon, we shall never get on in London. I wish you to give my best love and great thankfulness to all your good friends and kind people in England. May the blessing of God be upon all of us. Believe me, to remain, your loving brother in Christ,
Sidney David Taiwhanga

5 Dec 1882
P.S. I saw this morning, New Zealand Herald the death of our dear Archbishop. I am very very sorry, very sorry indeed not only for all you but for our own selves. We all are sinful creatures, but our dear spiritual father has gone to his great saviour. Please give my great love to the Revd Mr and Mrs Davidson, Miss Tait and all the dear family of our dear spiritual father, the Archbishop.

From S.D. Taiwhanga

To Miss C.J.D. Weale
Church House, Whichchurch Canonicorum
Charmouth, Dorsetshire
England