570 
MANIHERA AND KEREOPA. 
large army with us, which they saw before them, and that we 
were all armed with a powerful weapon — the Word of God 
— which I held up before me, that this was my first sor- 
rowful visit to their place, but still it was a visit of love, 
or I should have stayed at home; we did not, it was true, 
tangi (cry) with our eyes, but we did with our hearts : we 
had come, not to avenge, but to avoid further shedding 
of blood ; the dead were the servants of God, and died 
in doing His will, we left vengeance to him who has 
said, “ Vengeance is mine! I will repay, saith the Lord,” 
we trusted that they would be led to see the enormity of 
their crime, and repent of it : that now the blood of Kereopa 
and Manihera had been shed, they could not be brought 
again to life on earth — they were in the enjoyment of their 
reward, and it was great : but sufficient blood had been shed, 
and it was not our wish that any should avenge their death : 
they had killed them, it is true, in accordance with their 
ancient customs, and we wished their blood to be the price 
of a permanent peace between the tribes, that henceforth 
love might prevail : that if they agreed to my proposal, one 
of their Chiefs should go back with my children and make 
peace with the Nga ti ruanui. 
Herekiekie jumped up, and said he was rejoiced to hear 
me speak as I had done ; he fully agreed to my proposal ; 
although he was not one of the murderers — for if he had 
been at home, he should have prevented the deed — still it 
was done by his tribe ; henceforth, the Nga ti ruanui might 
come to his pa, and they should be welcome ; he thanked 
me for coming, and hoped now we should be friends again, 
that we should eat with them and exchange salutations ; one 
thing only remained, and that was to know whether the Nga 
ti ruanui would agree to my proposal ; Aperaniko here rose 
up, and said, their Minister was the Nga ti ruanui ; he came 
as their representive ; they had left all with him ; and what- 
ever he did they would agree to. I told them, sorrowful as 
the Nga ti ruanui were, they sought no revenge, but left all 
to God. It was arranged that William and Tahana should 
remain, and finally settle who should go with them as ambas- 
