My dear Featherstone, I returned yesterday from Hawkes Bay having made preliminary arrangements with the Natives for the purchase of considerable tracts of land in that quarter and along the Coast towards the Castle point purchase and between that block and Wairarapa the opposition of the Natives and chief difficulties of acquiring land in this part of the Province are now overcome and all that is requisite to open up these districts for immediate location and settlement is money to conclude the bargains with the Natives. For this purpose an additional sum of three or four thousand would be most acceptable at the Wairarapa and I am fully relying on aid from you to complete all the purchases that can be made here before I start for Auckland. I hear Bell is at Whanganui and I do not know what sum in addition to the £1500 now in hand he can spare for purchasing he should send up all that can be collected for this purpose. At Wellington I will make an estimate for you of all the sums that are likely to be required for extinguishing Native title during the ensuing year. (D. McLean.)