Napier May 7th. 1870. My dear McLean, You were entering Auckland Harbour by the ''Luna'' as the ''Coomeray'' left; so I conclude I shall hear from you by the ''Star.'' I have not a great deal to write you about this time; and nothing very pressing. I am sending you officially Mr. Witty's report of the return of the Mohaka expedition, after getting well into the Urewera country, where they killed one man, and caught one woman. It seems they could not make their way round the lake to Tikitiki, and I am rather glad they did not. Had the enemy been in any force on the lake he would soon have been after them; even if Tiki Tiki had been, as is stated, occupied only by a few old people; and their position might not have been safe, as the whole force consisted of only forty men and fifteen boys. However, the mere fact of such a party being able to make their way easily into the heart of the Urewera Country, shows it is not such a dreadful place as is presented. I have sent you Witt'y report, so that you will see what was done. Hamlin's party, some 200 strong, are still out; and I have no doubt, were the people seen at Te Kiwi, by Witty. The latter has gone up to Join Hamlin, with 50 more natives, and some food; and as Hamlin will have received my instructions some days ago, to delay until Ropata gets round the lake, I will hopeful he will do so. Even if he goes up to Onepoto, it will do no harm, and may keep Te Waru engaged whilst Ropata gets round the lake. Locke, I expect to hear from very soon. He will advise me as soon as he gets to Wairoa, as to Ropata's movements; and he will also let Hamlin know at once, so that he may act in concert. I hope they will succeed in crushing that band of Te Waru's; as if that is done, there is no doubt in my mind that the rest will give in. We may then hope for peace and quiet for a time on the East Coast. From the woman prisoner taken by the Mohakas, they could get no information about Te Kooti. All she would say was that Te Waru was at Waikare with about fifty men. I believe Kooti is at Waikaremoana, and that he will bolt to Rua Tahuna, when any signs of attack come near him. As you know, I have planned to send an attacking party to Rua Tahuna, and everything is being prepared for a start in early next week. I am not quite sure how Mair's natives will like it, but they seem to have been behaving very well of late, so I hope they will go into it with spirit. I take it the natives will be about 100 strong, and Roberts will take 100 of his best men, and as they will have full supplies of food to start from the entrance of the bush with, they ought to make a dash into Rua Tahuna and out again in less than a week. It is certain also that there is no considerable force there, so that they ought to make a job of it, I have undertaken it, partly to try every means to get Kooti, and partly because I think a little more harrassing, will bring the Ureweras to book. In another week I shall have, I hope, some particulars to give you. I am working up the Wellington Debt case, to lay it before Curtis, who is the umpire. You have all the papers somewhere, but Green cannot find them among your papers. He has looked several times. Can you give any information that will enable them to be found? Some of the papers are essential, and cannot be got elsewhere. About Green, - if you see no chance of anything better for him, please keep the office of Clerk to Ministers, and Government Agent at Auckland, open for him. I shall want him until I go to the Assembly, but he can go to the other office any time after the middle of June. He has been busy with the Supreme Court (Sheriff) work; Lately and now my Prov. Council is about to sit and Fannin, as you know, will be fully employed at that, so that I cannot do without Green until that is over; but after that I do not want him, and shall be glad to have him provided for otherwise. He is very loyal, I believe; but he is a fearful ass, and the cock and bull stories he gets hold of, are very amusing. I heard to-night that Kinross has very carelessly let your assessment on your new licences remain unpaid; and of course, any evil-disposed person can claim to have the Runs put up to auction. I will see about it at once. Kinross is away at the South. Old Tollemache would be in a desperate state if he heard anything about it. Report says Kinross is very hard pushed, but I do not suppose there is anything in it. Your old friend, J. Anderson, is about to act as R.M. pending the Resident Magistrate's office here being provided for. Of course it is only a temporary arrangement, but I do hope we shall get a good man in Curling's place. He goes on rather worse than better, I think; and God knows what is to come of him. He has not a penny in the world, and they say his debts in the place are over six hundred pounds. There was some grumbling at inconvenience to people, for jurisdiction being limited to £20; and it is to remedy that temporarily I have asked Gisborne to appoint Anderson; and he is now appointed acting R.M. If you look at the ''Herald'' of yesterday (6th. May) you will see what I proposed about your Akitio Run fence. I do not know until the Council meets, what they may be inclined to do. The danger is not so imminent as it seemed a little while ago; and it may be difficult to get anything done. I fear, however, that it will come true sooner or later, and I think to fence the Whites' boundaries, is the best safeguard. Your overseer proposed to make your Akitio run a cattle run, but I do not think it is at all suitable for it, nor does Peacocke, whom I sent down to look at it, and report to me. Tollemache is gone back to Wellington. The old chap has done nothing yet in the way of reduction of interest, and Gollan says he does not mean to, owing the present term of any of his mortgages. It is only those which are expiring, which he is thinking of reducing upon. I want to hear from you as soon as possible, about the Taupo Meeting. The natives are looking forward to it very much, as a settlement of the question about Taupo. I see, from some of the late Taupo letters, that the King natives, who had lately been at Tapuaehoraru, are especially anxious to get rid of the Pakehas from Taupo. I hope, however, that the Pakehas will never go back again from Taupo. It is a great point gained, and no one sees it more clearly than the Hau Haus. I am pushing the Wire all I can, and shall have it open to Tapuaehararu before the Assembly meets, All the Transport service (Govt.) is at work at it. Of course I take care it is charged to Telegraph, but we are doing it very cheaply. Will you tell Vogel the line from Taupo to Tauranga will not, in my opinion, be open until the end of July, - and not then, unless great vigour is shown in the prosecution of the work. The Contractor, whom he called upon, to put on lots of sawyers, and to get the poles on to the line, as they are cut. I know the working of it now, and have found the Transport the great cause of delay. I should like to have the particulars of how he proposed to carry the line to Auckland, which I have not yet gathered. Fox is still in the South, but I have not communicated with him the last day or two. On the 18th. my Council meets, and I try the experiment of how a Superintendent, unaided, can manage. I don't anticipate a great deal of trouble, but I hope Te Kooti will give me a rest at that time, so that I may be able to attend to it. And now I must close my yarn; and hoping to hear from you soon, Always Yours very sincerely (Signed) J.D. Ormond. Since I wrote the foregoing, I have received the account, and will get, with this, for Hamlin. As you will see, his party have killed four more of the enemy, and seem to have heart to go into their work. They have done more now than the expedition of last year did; and whilst that expedition cost £800 a day, this one may cost about £500 in all. They have had biscuit given them, and a little tobacco and groceries; that is all. The ''Ashley'' with the old Judge is just coming in. Fox left Dunedim to-day, at 2 p.m. Yours always, (Signed) J.D. Ormond.