Waiapu January 3rd. 1869. My dear McLean, On the return of the St. Kilda from Auckland I received your last letter but Captain Cellum was in such a desperate hurry that I had not even time to read it before he was off. The flour you sent has proved a great boon to the Natives as dysentery has been very prevalent among them lately and I have had plenty of exercise for my doctoring skill. The Ahuriri was sent up by Mr. Richmond for more men with Mr. Atkinson on board. I was wakened up about ten o'clock by a tremendous whistling and on going out found the air ablaze with rockets. Concluding that something dreadful had happened I got all hands ready and was on board in five minutes. When I found what he had come for I at once sent the boat back for Morgan. When he arrived I introduced him to Mr. Atkinson as the leading chief of the Ngatiporou with whose assistance I should be able to get as many men as possible. Mo my intense surprise and disgust he completely ignored Morgan saying that his instructions were to treat with Ropata only. Morgan was deeply offended but behaved very well explaining that he Hotene and Ropata were one and that they would only act together. It was of no avail - fortunately Morgan saw that Mr. A. was more than half seas over. Seeing that matters would only get worse by talking I got Morgan away and early next morning gave Mr. Atkinson a serious talking shewing him that very possibly by what he had done he would not get a man. I then got Morgan over to breakfast and told him that what Mr. Atkinson had said was through ignorance and induced him to come off again with me to the Steamer. Mr. Atkinson by this time was apparently aware that he had committed an error and after a little while Morgan proposed going round to Hick's Bay and get some men there in case there should not be the number required here and at Tuparoa. We got the men (43 men) there on board in two hours, returned here, took 30 more and then on to Tuparoa where we found 115 men ready. I had sent a messenger to Ropata the night before sonthat no time was lost. I do trust that with all the strength that Whitmore has got something may be done, but I fear it is vain to expect anything from him. He has allowed much valuable time to slip away without striking a decisive blow. I wonder Te Kooti has not got away long ago. I hope the movement of the Ngatikuhungaru from Wairoa may be the means of preventing his escape. I always thought from the first that a combined advance from the two points of Wairoa and Turanga would prove the surest means of success. Mr. Richmond has sent some 36 Turanga Natives here to be under care of Ngatiporou mostly Paratene's people and has requested me to see that they are properly treated. They are to be allowed to return when fighting is over. I was very sorry to hear of Karamia's death. The casualties have been few on our side. Yours ever J.H. Campbell. Mr. Atkinson boasted that he had succeeded in getting the land at Turanga ceded by the Natives, a thing that you had four times tried and failed. I told him that I was never aware that you had tried it once and that I believed you had done all you wished at the time you purchased the township.