Te Tuhinga Tapu

E tata ana ki te pā o Manaheta, Takiwā o Onatārio, Niu Ioka, e tū ana tētahi puke nui, ā koia rā te mea teitei i ērā wāhi katoa. I te taha hauāuru o taua puke nui, ā kīhai i matara i tō reira tihi, i raro i tētahi kōhatu nui e takoto ana ngā papa, i whakatakotoria i roto i tētahi pouaka kōhatu. He mātatoru te kōhatu, he porowhita a waenganui o te taha ki ruinga, he angiangi ngā taha, nō reira e puta ana a waenganui ki runga i te whenua, ā ko ngā taha e ngaro ana i te oneone.

I muri i te karinga o te oneone, ka whiwhi au ki tētahi maitai, ā meatia ana ki raro i ngā taha o te kōhatu, ā iti noa te pēhanga iho kua rewa ki runga. Ka titiro ahau ki roto, ā kite pū ana ahau i ngā papa, i te Ūrumi me te Tūmime, me te ārai uma rite tonu ki ngā kupu a te karere. Ko te pouaka kei reira e takoto ana aua mea he mea hanga ki ētahi kōhatu i whakapiria ki te raima. Ā i raro rawa o te pouaka e takoto rīpeka ana ētahi kōhatu e rua, ā i runga i ēnei kōhatu e takoto ana ngā papa me ērā atu mea i reira.

Ka mea ahau ki te tango ake, heoi whakakāhoretia ana e te karere, ā e mea mai anō kāhore anō i rite te wā mō te whakaputanga i ēnei mea, e kore anō hoki ā taea noatia te whā o ngā tau mai i taua wā; engari i mea mai ia ki a au, me hoki anō ahau ki taua wāhi kotahi tau mai o taua wā, ā ko reira ia tūtaki ai i a au, ā me pērā tonu ahau taea noatia te wā e tika ai kia riro mai ngā papa.

I haere atu ahau i te mutunga o ia tau, e rite ana ki te mea i whakahaua ai ahau, ā i ngā wā katoa i tae ahau ka kite ahau i taua karere, me te whiwhi ki ngā tohutohu me te mātauranga he mea nāna, i ngā wā i kōrerorero ai māua, mō tā te Ariki i whakaaro ai kia meatia, te āhua me te ritenga e whakahaeretia ai tōna kīngitanga i ngā rā whakamutunga.

I te mea he iti noa iho te oranga o tōku pāpā i ngā mea o te ao, mō reira mātou i meinga ai kia mahi-ā-ringaringa, i runga i te utu mō te rā, i ērā atu mahi rānei, rite tonu ki te mea i puta mai, ko ētahi tāima kei te kāinga noa iho, ko ētahi wā kei mamao, ā nā te ū tonu ki te mahi, i āhei ai i a mātou te whiwhi oranga.

Moronai rāua ko Hohepa Mete — Ka hoki a Moronai ia te tau mō ngā tau e whā, ā ka tohua anōtia te poropiti taitamariki nei. Whai muri i aua tau e whā, ka whiwhi i a Hohepa ngā papa, ā ka timata te whakamāoritanga mai o te Pukapuka a Moromona.

Nāwai ā, ka tutuki te wā e riro mai ai ngā papa, te Ūrumi me te Tūmime, me te ārai uma. I te rua tekau mā rua o ngā rā o Hepetema, kotahi mano e waru rau e rua tekau mā whitu, i te mea kua haere anō ahau i te mutunga o tētahi atu tau ki te wāhi kei reira nei e takoto ana aua mea, i hōmai e taua karere anō o te rangi aua mea ki a au, me tēnei meatanga: Arā kei a au te taumahatanga mō aua mea; mehemea ka tukua noatia e ahau aua mea, he mea rānei nā ōku ngākau koretanga, ka hatepea atu ahau; engari mehemea ka whakapaua tōku kaha ki te tohu i aua mea taea noatia tōna, tō te karere tīkinga mai i aua mea, ka tiakina aua mea.

Kīhai i roa ka mōhio ahau ki te take i whakawhiwhia ai ahau ki tērā āhua whakatūpatoranga uaua kia tiakina, me te take hoki i mea ai te karere ina tutuki i a au te mea i hiahiatia i tōku ringaringa, ka tīkina mai aua mea e ia. Nō te mea i muri tata tonu iho i te mōhiotanga kei a au aua mea, ka tīmata te kaha o te whai kia riro atu aua mea i a au. Ko ngā mahi tinihanga katoa i taea ai te whakaaro i whakaritea mō taua tikanga. Ka tino kino ake ngā tūkinotanga, kino atu i ō mua, ā ko ngā tāngata e mau tonu ana kia riro atu aua mea i a au, mena ka taea. Heoi he mea nā te whai whakaaro o te Atua i mau tonu ai aua mea ki roto i ōku ringaringa, ā tutuki noa i a au te mea i hiahiatia ai i tōku ringaringa mō aua mea. Ā kia rite ki te mea i whakaritea ka tīkina mai aua mea e te karere, ā hoatu ana e ahau ki a ia; ā kei a ia tonu aua mea taea noatia tēnei rā, te rua o ngā rā o Mei, kotahi mano e waru rau e toru tekau mā waru. …

I te 5 o ngā rā o Āperira, 1829, ka haere mai a Oriwa Kautere ki tōku whare, i mua atu i taua wā kāhore anō ahau kia kite noa i a ia. A ka kōrero mai ia ki a au, i te mea e whakaaro kura ana ia i te wāhi e noho ana tōku pāpā, ā ko tōku pāpā tētahi e tuku tamariki ana ki te kura, ka haere ia ki tōna whare noho ai mō tētahi wā, ā i a ia i reira ka kōrero tana hapū ki a ia mo taku whiwhinga ki ngā papa, ā nā reira ia i haere mai ai ki te uiui mai ki a au.

E rua ngā rā i muri i te taenga mai o Kautere (koia te 7 o Āperira) ka tīmata ahau te whakamāori i te Pukapuka a Moromona, ā ka tīmata ia te tuhituhi māku.