Turanganui Dec. 27/68. My dear McLean, I have sent up the ''Ahuriri'' to get biscuit if possible and to coal. Please put on board all the good biscuit you can lay hands on. Whitmore is now at Ngatapa. The place is a remarkably strong position and Kote seems likely to stand, Hotene, Ropata and the Ngatiporou are up, 300 strong, but as luck will have it Ropata has been seriously ill, and the tribe or rather the last detachment of 220 has stuck fast at Patutahi. He is recovering. They are very eager a young dreamer of their having dreamed that he saw a cat fish clasping a pot containing three crayfish, and putting out one arm with which it killed them. This most satisfactory dream overrules the unsatisfactory positions of the star and moon. We have 300 A.C., 60 A.C. (Arawa), 30 Pov. Bay Volunteers, 300 Ngatiporou, say 50 local Natives on the way. If they can all got up and fed we can hardly fail. The horses are the greatest anxiety. They knock up and stray and are stolen. If you could get a few at moderate prices please put them on board. This place has been horribly looted by your natives and Ngatiporou. The horses should be strong. We buy at £3 per head average. Ever yours truly, J.C. Richmond. Send me some stationery, ruled foolscap, notepaper, envelopes large and small, strong steel pens, and screw ink bottle. Turley has been most active as a carrier on dispatches. He is quite fearless and very laborious. I will give him some recognition of his thoroughly voluntary services; if you can spare him again he deserves to be gratified.