Auckland January 31/74 My dear McLean, My journey northwards has been interrupted by subpona from the Supreme Court in the case of Grahame v Thomas about the Grahamstown land and I was obliged to come back from Coromandel on Thursday to give evidence. I was examined yesterday and am off this evening for the Bay. From all that I can learn I think it will be judicious if you can find occupation for Katene, and keep him in your neighbourhood for a while as he has got somewhat into bad odour with Ngapuhi and has not taken the most judicious way to get himself right again. I enclose a note from Wilson relative to the proceedings of the Whakatoheain relation to the King. He told me personally some time ago that the Whakatohea were "sulky" and discontented. Yesterday I saw Taipari who reports that his uncle Reihana, on the Hauhau side, warned him the other day that Waikato meant fighting and advised Ngatimaru not to allow too many men to leave the Thames. I met Ropata te Wahawaha at Coromandel on Thursday he was on his way to Shortland to get payment of £800 for Kennedy's Bay Miners Rights and from thence he was going with a party of the Cabbage Bay natives to Ohinemuri to see Te Hira and Moananui. It appears that a few months ago a native report was spread that the Major with his Ngatiporou was coming to attack Ohinemuri and that Moananui and the people there had appealed to Ngapuhi, to make common cause with them against the East Coast people, Ropata's visit is for the purpose of setting all that matter right. It is curious to find the story of the evil purposes of Waikato repeated from separate and distinct points but I cannot bring myself to believe that it is anything but the talk of a few violent and reckless men or that the bulk of the tribes would be insane enough to commence an attack upon us without provocation of any sort -- they would put themselves so completely in the wrong that they could not expect sympathy or support from the outside tribes and it must be clear to most of them as it appears to be to Tawhiao himself that it is more profitable to be friends with us than to fight us. It is well however to be prepared and I think that the Working Militia for the Waikato Railway was a good stroke of policy. The men are working admirably well and I think that the work will be done as cheaply at least, and certainly more speedily than that on the other portion of the line under Brogdens. I told Mackay to tell you that if you still desired to have 60 men enrolled in the A. C. there would be no difficulty in getting them here. I shall be ready to go to Wellington on my return from the North but there is a great deal of work here requiring to be done and somehow or other I find my hands always full. What are your movements? I suppose that Vogel will be here when the Governor comes. I shall be very glad to get out of the way. Yours always truly, Daniel Pollen