Chapter 21: Chapter 21

"Who is the preacher, is he a chief?" asked Eleanor.

They were standing outside in the sunshine shortly after theconclusion of the service.

"The Te Aro Pa has no ranking chief to speak of. Minarapa is much loved by the people here, and because most of them are Christians and members of the Wesleyan Methodist church, they turn to him as a leader."

"Why is this land in question?" asked Andrew.

"The people here believe that the area known as Te Aro was never included in the original land transactions agreed to in the early stages of the negotiations aboard the Tory. Chief Te Wharepouri quietly insists this had been a condition of the agreement and this land was never included in the original Port Nicholson land purchase. Colonel Wakefield maintains it was included and believes he has every right to begin surveying and begin determining allotment boundaries for colonists."