Wellington 3rd March 1866 Dear Maclean - Thomas starts tomorrow to take the Prisoners off your hands and I apprehend you will be very glad to get rid of them - There is a letter from one of the Whatahare men which I have directed to be referred to you in case it should appear to you that the statement is true and that the man ought to be released - I am not aware of anything to be added to what I have already written except that we suppose you to be able to supply such small amounts of ammunition in addition to that which the Guard may have in their pouches as may be at first necessary - If more should be wanted we can easily supply it from here. I am glad to find the Governor looked in upon you - up to the 11th hour he was going to Taranaki and I wish he could have paid it a visit if only for a day. He could have arranged matters with the officer commanding there which we have no power to do I am sorry to say the intelligence today from there is of an utterly lawless character - everyone seizing on native property selling it by auction in the face of remonstrance etc. our own Troops the worst, and the whole thing as described by Parris as "something perfectly disgraceful" the men drunk abusing and accusing their officers etc. etc. Dont mention all this please but I do not see how we are ever to settle down at Taranaki if that sort of thing is to be persisted in - I am glad the Hau-haus have most of them come in at Wairoa - that is an interesting letter of my old friend Paura Rerepau - I hope Smith will have been able to manage his Court satisfactorily Yours truly in haste A. H. Russell