New Plymouth, 8th. Nov., 1852. Dear McLean, I was writing to you on Wednesday when the Shepherdess arrived, bringing a letter from you, enclosing a Bank receipt for £7.12.0 - the amount of the Wellington Subscriptions for the Plate to be presented to Capt. King. I feel obliged by the trouble you have taken in collecting and paying in those subscriptions. You have doubtless seen the manner in which the parties who are so violently opposed to the Natives have vented their spleen in the columns of the "Taranaki Herald". I believe that party has two objects in view, one to prevent any improvement amongst the Maories, and another to gratify a spirit of opposition to the Government and all its officers in New Zealand. Wm. Bayly is one of the most troublesome of that party; he bears a bad name amongst the Natives, and is very likely to do mischief - indeed he has done so during the last week, when some of the Natives and himself had a dispute through their cattle running over the unfenced land where he has sown his wheat. I hope however we shall be able to keep them quiet. Pohainui is still sulky. Katatori holds out, but I shall persevere in my attempts to win him over; he tells me (he has been at my house once since you left) that his present opposition was occasioned by the manner in which we were compelled to leave the land at "Te ika moana". I have commenced giving dinner to the assessors (don't think me acting the Bon vivant, for I confine myself to the Old English fare of Roast Beef and Plum Pudding). Mr. Cooper was so good as to meet E Ropihia and Rawiti on Wednesday and Dr. Wilson who took his dinner with us seemed very much to enjoy the good behaviour of our Maori guests. I trust that some good may be done by paying this little attention to those Natives whom His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to invest with some authority, I shall endeavour to avoid any jealousy amongst them as guests, a pair every month in rotation. On Saturday last Mr. Harrison who used to live near you at the Henui before he went to Omata, told me that some time since, his oxen broke into an enclosure of the Natives and damaged a wheat rick, for which they came to him for payment, demanding 25/-. He objected to pay that sum but agreed to leave the matter to Te Ngahuru The parties went to him. He inquired very minutely into the particulars of the matter, found that the Natives had calculated the amount of damage on the number of sheaves pulled out, but that they had not allowed for a number amounting to one half which being uninjured they had put back again into the rick. He therefore assessed the amount at 12/6 which Harrison at once paid. Harrison also named another case in which he had employed some natives to cut down some bush for which he was to pay them £6-2-6. The work did not go on well, and he applied to Te Ngahuru who desired him to pay the amount to him. Harrison at first hesitated, but on being again desired to do so by Te Ngahuru he paid it, taking his receipt. In a short time the work was completed quite to Harrison's satisfaction. I consider this man deserving of a good deal of credit for his endeavours so frequently successful to settle disputes. Pray present my very kind respects to Mr. Strang and Mrs. McLean. Mrs Flight begs to unite with me in regards to yourself. Believe me, Ever yours very sincerely, Josiah Flight.