Auckland August 24th - 1870 My dear Vogel, I have sent you a letter from Cruickshank Smart & Co. about funds for their Mail contract. They have not I am afraid the means of making large advances on Hall's acct. and the holders of conts. here, Henderson and Macfarlane, require the payments to be prompt for very good reason. It is difficult I know to interfere safely between the Agent and the Principal but there is danger of the scandal of the line breaking down here which I think you would like to prevent if possible. A remittance of £400 ought to have been made to Honolulu last trip but a promise to send ''next time'' was all that could be given by the Agents. I enclose a note from J. S. Macfarlane in reference to the claims of Kelly of Opotiki for Defence supplies; Kelly has been here several times about the matter and if it had not been for Scrugle he must have come to grief. £3000 is a big sum for a small trader. I send you the note privately instead of making an official record of it as I assume there must be some mistake or neglect of the account in the Defence office. The Thames telegraph line is working well. I have stopped the proceeding with the other work from Shortland to Tauranga as the result would have been I am sure that the Thames line would have been cut down for us. Our native friends about Ohinemuri are not at all in a loyal frame of mind and they have just now a malignant hatred of the ''wire'' which I think it prudent to respect/The contractors are men without means or credit and they would have involved themselves and finally the Government in useless expenditure. When you can make the line by Ohinemuri without opposition you will be able to decide whether that or the line to Cambridge is the better one and to adopt that which offers the greater advantage. I am yours very truly, Daniel Pollen