Soon after, my dear father was very ill. Mr. Lloyd [the Rev. J. F. Lloyd] was very kind: he came to see him every day. Mr. Hadfield used to come too, only he was very dark to see my father so ill, for he loved him. When the time came that he was near to die, I spoke to him. I said, "My father, who died to bear our sins?" He told me, "Oh, my son! Christ died for me."—I said, "Who is the Resurrection and the Life?" He told me, "Jesus Christ."—I said, "My father, my heart is dark that you are going, and I shall see your eyes no more. You will not come to me, my father, but soon I shall come to you." He said to me, "My son, you take care of your people. Let there be love between the Maories and the English. I die in the faith. You hold fast your faith, firm to the end. 'Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.' Let the good things beat all the bad ones."—I said, "I am not strong myself to do it, my father: only Christ can make me strong." Then my father said, "Good bye." We said good bye to him, and he went away: he fell asleep. It was about November 1849. My Minister had not baptized the forehead of my father with the water, but I think his heart had been baptized in the blood of Jesus.

Then all the work was finished. All was quiet. Then I thought about coming to England, to see the place from which the gospel had come to us. When this thought came to my heart, I prayed to God to fulfil that wish. I did not tell my people or my wife: I kept the thought in my heart. Soon my wish grew stronger. I thought, "Why should I go to England?" My heart answered, "To see the good ways, and the good works, to teach my people that they should grow in goodness." It was on Tuesday, Oct. the 21st, 1850, that the wish of my heart grew fixed to go to England. On that day I heard that Mr. Williams was going, and I thought, by that, that God was leading me to England—making my way plain. Then I went to my dear Minister, Mr. Hadfield, to talk to him about it. My wish was strengthened by my Minister. He told me to go. Then I came back to my house, to think and to pray: then the wish grew very great. I told the thought of my heart to my dear wife, Ruta Te Rauparaha. I talked to her about my going to England. She cried, and was very sorry. She begged me not to go; but my wish was not put out: it still grew. Then my people heard about it. All came to tell me not to go. I told them, "I cannot stop, for my wish is too large to let me stay. My way has been made clear to go to England." They all cried. My heart was very dark at that time to go, but my way was clear. I had prayed to God to make it clear to go. He had done so. If I had listened to my people, and not gone, I should have done wrong. I thought if I went I should do my duty to God, and to man also. I trusted in God to make me strong to do it. My people said, "If you go, who will take care of us?" I said, "Oh, my dear people, God will take care of you all." I spoke also to Martyn and Hakaraia, and told them to take care of our people while I was gone, and that God would make them strong to do it. My Minister was in the meeting, and I told them all to obey him. I said also, "Do right behind me, as if before my face. If I hear that you go wrong, I shall be ill, and die in England; and all the white men will say, 'Ah, you boasted that your people were good. You see they are bad!' And I shall be ashamed of you. Love the English. When they come to your town take care of them, give them food and beds. If they come on Sunday, you teach them: tell them not to come on Sunday. Good bye, my dear people, the Ngatitoa and Ngatiraukaua. If it be the will of God that I should die in England, do not be dark for me. Pray to God for me, my people, that God may bless my return to you." My people cried very much. They could not say good bye: they could only cry.

On Friday, Oct. the 24th, I left Otaki. My dear wife rode with me on horseback to Wellington. On the 31st I went on board the "Victoria" brig, and said good bye to my very dear wife, and she went back to Otaki very dark. On Nov. the 14th we came to Kororarika.

On Saturday, Dec. the 21st, I went on board our ship, the "John Wesley." It sailed. On the 26th we lost sight of the mountains of New Zealand, my dear land. They sank down beneath the waves of the sea. I said good bye to them, and I cried much. I prayed to God that He would take care of me, and bring me back to see my land once more.