Auckland, July 5th. 1857. My dear McLean, I drop you a few hasty lines by the overland mail this morning. As the Wongawonga has not yet returned and there seems some uncertainty about her return to the South. I forward you letters which you may be glad to see before your leaving the South. The last payment on the Great Barrier has not been made, a host of claimants have appeared but not Te Waka. I have therefore declined to hand over any money and the final payment must now stand over until your return. Arama Karaka has been very pressing in his applications to the Govt. for payment on account of the Waiterima block surveyed by Searancke between Waikato and Piako, containing, I believe, 3600 acres. He has been refused and complains bitterly, alleging that you promised he should be paid on his return from Piako --- Searancke recommended an advance, but Richmond hesitated in the absence of a recommendation from yourself. Arama at first said that if he was refused some advance he would retain his land, he has however now consented to await the result of a reference to you and has been promised that you shall be written to immediately and that should you recommend the advance arrangements will be made to pay it to him. Searancke has been out to try and get the Ramarama boundary arranged but has not succeeded --- beyond ascertaining that the selections sold by the Provincial Govt. are not fairly included in the purchase made by the General Govt. for the Natives. He recommends that the excluded portions should now be bought --- estimating the quantity at about £1500 acres and the sum required £200. He thinks this should be arranged at once as the Natives are now willing to sell. Mr. Godfrey asks me to mention that we have got the receipt for £100 for the Wairarapa mill. Sinclair is in town, engaged in plotting his work at Whangarei. Rogan left for Taranaki in the Kenilworth a fortnight ago, and Searancke will leave this week to meet him at Whangaroa. White of Mangonui has been down here and leaves to-day on his return. He reports the refusal of the Natives to leave the reserve in the Oruru valley attributing their obstinacy to Yates, a settler there. Kemp has written to recommend the purchase of this reserve from the trustees as the only means of dislodging these people who are besoming a nuisance. Kemp also reports successful negotiations for land at Parengarenga in 3 blocks --- 1. Muriwhenua 25,000 2. Wharemaru 3,000 3. Otengi 2,000 I have not time to give you more news as I fear to be too late for the mail. I sincerely trust you will not be delayed long in the South as your presence here is greatly needed. Questions are daily arising requiring your consideration. Fenton has been here since you left and has been engaged in drawing up a sort of compendium of English law to be placed in the lands of the Chiefs and Assessors in his district. His first draft I saw but did not think it quite suitable. The Governor is anxious to push matters on, but I should be glad to see less hurry and more deliberation and bringing the available talent in the country to bear upon the work. Richmond and Whitaker have, I believe, given a good deal of attention to the matter so far as supervising Fenton's work --- and, so far as it has proceeded, it has, I believe, their approval. The work of translation will devolve upon me --- but with the amount of work now on hand I know not how time is to be found for it. You will see by the papers that the public meeting called by Wm. White with reference to the state of affairs as between the Govt. and the Natives --- more particularly in connection with the Kaipara disputes --- has fallen to the ground. White entertained his auditors with a long winded speech of which nothing definite could be made out --- he lauded and censured the Govr. and the L.O. Department in the same breath and the only thing to be gathered from all he said was that the country was in imminent danger of something dreadful beyond imagination and that its salvation would be the appointment of Mr. W. White as Commissioner for Kaipara or something else which would bring Mr. W. White a comfortable salary. Last week we had W. Tipene Ahuahu and another native from the North demanding to see the Governor for the purpose of preparing a claim to the lands at Mangonui and complaining of having been passed over by Mr. White in the recent purchase of the Whakapaku block. I hesitated to take them to the Governor for such a purpose assuring them that H.E. would not discuss any such questions with them but would attend to any representations they might make if embodied in a written statement. These people seem likely to cause some trouble or bother at Mangonui but White does not advise their receiving any attention. They consented to write instead of seeing the Govr. and have taken them-selves off. In haste with best wishes for your success and speedy return, Yours truly, Thos. H. Smith.