Wallingford. Novr. 20th. 1867 My dear McLean, I have yours of the 15th and 18th. by the mail today and I have also read the enclosure (copy of your letter re Poverty Bay etc.) and it is just what I wished written. You stand now in a dignified position and whilst expressing your readiness to do a Colonial service if possible, have plainly told Ministers that they have messed the case and made it next to impossible to settle. Thanks for what you write me about my brother I had no idea that Haultain wd. be passing so soon when I wrote you about him or I wd. have written earlier - thank you at any rate for thinking of him. Scott's place if he gets that will keep him going in the meantime until something else can be got for him. Your first letter speaks of Native reports of danger to the Wairoa from the Uriweras but I see by the few lines written afterwards that the reports fortunately had no foundation. We dont want any more Native troubles if they can be avoided - it is the constant recurrence of these reports and indeed the unsettled state of certain parts of the Island to the North that is depresseing the value of our property so much. What a mess poor Williamson is making of hismanagement of Native affairs as they called it. Bid you read his abortive attempt to get an audience with the Native chief at the Thames to get the Gold field extended. Fancy Colonial matters in such hands - I note what you say about the Taupo road and the advantage to us of securing the approach to that district and have always been of the same opinion. It is a mere question of money. If you get what you have asked the Genl. Govt. for it will do something towards it and we might do something more when we divide the remainder of the Loan. I am glad Cox has found some country and hope he will induce others to come and do likewise. Unless they do come, it will be a blue look out for us again this year and the question of what to do with our increase is a poser. This matter has given me some thought of late and I have half formed ideas of the following kind. Some time since you and I talked about the Patea country and forming a company to go into the occupation of it. I dont like companies and have no faith in them especially where Station property is concerned. I am inclined to go and see Patea and if it be worth going in for, what wd. you say to our jointly securing as good a slice of country there as we could get. Supposing we succeeded, I imagine neither of us would care to hold it permanently - but if we got a piece of country such as Cox has just rented, we might afterwards make the country the the means of selling five or ten thousand sheep apiece, which is worth thinking of. Write me what you think of my idea. Who are the Native owners and where should we have to deal for the land. If you fancy my notion is worth working, just keep it quiet and I think we may both find it a means of getting rid of surplus stock which otherwise we might not be able to. I fancy it before Boiling down - and I wd. much rather do it just between ourselves than in a company. Besides if we did move in it others wd. be sure to follow. It appears to me that if large Blocks can be secured that we have the same opportunity offering to us which applicants for Runs had some time ago at Otago. However I will wait till I hear what you think before deciding further about it - but I shall go and see for myself the Country. I will give your message to Paora Ropiha but as you have written him it won't matter much. I shd. say the land wd. be worth what you say. You ask me how long I allow for the Yolk to rise after washing before Shearing. At this time of the year it takes ten days before there is enough and not even then unless some warm weather has come after the wash. Later, say after Christmas, I generally allow 6 days, and find that enough - I have mere yolk in 6 days then, than I shall now in ten days. I begin shearing on Monday but only shear my Hoggetts now. It is late so good night. I am in earnest about the Patea so think it over and make up your mind. Yours always, J.D. Ormond.