Wanganui Decr. 3 1870. My dearSir George, I was glad to receive your letter of the 1st. inst. and to hear that you had paid your long promised visit to Wanganui both Europeans and Natives must have been glad to see you. It would have gratified the Nova Scotians at Waiapu very much if you could have visited their flourishing settlement but it is always easy to do so from Auckland they are a fine hardy industrious class of people, I quite agree with you that fighting is the most expensive conquest of the Maori race that we can have and my efforts are constantly directed to an adjustment of all disputed questions that might lead to hostilities if not amicably settled, the Manawatu has been the most complicated and difficult of any out standing question and that will not give us any more anxiety or trouble, at present I am engaged with the chiefs of this district and although they have not much to complain of their grievances whether real or imaginary require attention. I am exceedingly sorry to hear of poor Todds murder the Sunday you called at Raglan we both had a chat with him at his house on the hill above the town he was an intelligent well informed man, it does not do to disregard warnings against surveying on disputed confiscated land. I hope the Luna will be ready for the Duke of Edinburgh. I didimy utmost in the midst of heavy work on hand for her to send her as soon as possible and have to pay Mr. Andrew the charter of a vessel for Martens Bay as she had been promised to him for a trip. Fairchild will do his best to get her ready, she steams better now than she did the new engineer understands the engines better. The telegraph station to Rotorua is now open and I hear from there that there are one if not two war parties prowling about in that district one is supposed to be headed by te Kooti but of this I cannot be certain, a chief whom Clarke will know Taiapo offers to right them and says a brother of his was made prisoner by them and excaped at night, I am inclined to think it is a party making their way to join te Kooti in the Uriwera country they are represanted as being mounted by a Native who was close to their encampment, I may hear more about the matter today as I have watned the constabulary and friendly Natives and will let you know if I do it deserves consideration whether the Duke of Edinburgh should be taken to a district (D. McLeanUnfinished.)