New Plymouth Feby. 9, 1852. Dear Sir, Dunn will leave this morng. for Whanganui with despatches for Sir George brought to Auckland by the "John Wesley" where she arrived just before the O. mail left for this. Mr. Lawry returned in her, he had seen Captain FitzRoy who was holding a civil appointment and living in the suburbs of London. Melancholy traces of Sir John Franklin's illfated expedition had been discovered and some hope was entertained that a few of the party were still living. I hope your visit to Manawatu was successful and should be glad if you could be spared to do something for us here - land is much wanted and the settlers grumble intensively not at you but at the Chief. A meeting of farmers is under consideration to ask whether any steps are to be taken as it will be impossible for the place to go ahead unless more land is obtained. The frequent sumours of your return may perhaps account for the long silence observed by our apparently intractable natives in reference to land, or it may be that they have no intention to part with any, an opinion gaining ground and likely to thin our numbers considerable even an English arrival is regarded with a serious countenance by the thinking part of our community owing to the withering accounts sent to England of the absence and difficulty in getting land. The class of people now coming out, require more than 50 acres indeed there is scarcely any sale for that quantity. The prevalent South Westerly winds render communication to Tatara by sea so extremely uncertain that a road is absolutely indispensable before people can go there - get a road and I will answer for the land being cultivated. What will be the effect of the N. Z. Co's Land Claimants' Ordinance being stopped? Yours very truly, H. Halse.