Wallingford Decr. 2nd. 1868. My dear McLean, I have yours by the mail and with profound regret do I hear of the madness of the Govt. in proposing to send that little ass Whitmore to Poverty Bay. (I heard this yesterday thro Waipukerau - Stafford telegraphed Lord Henry.) As you have told them better by far leave the whole force where it is than have committed this act of madness. What motives actuate these men in thus deliberately trying to render nugatory all that you have done. I see you think that even yet they may not send him - I hope so, but I fear they will. Haultain so far as I can judge has one quality largely developed and that is obstinacy. I see Richmond is to be up but I doubt if he has the power to stop the little beast if he really comes. I cannot describe to you my disgust and disappointment at hearing of this movement, it seems as if the Govt. had taken advantage of your influence to raise a force they could not have got without you and then as if dreading that you may have a success they send their creature to reap the result of your labors. Do all you can to prevent him going there - if he goes I fear we shall soon lose the services of the allies you have rallied for the Govt. I thought at first that I wd. telegraph to Wellington and add the weight of my remonstrances to yours but on reflection I saw that it could have no result as the mischief will have been done or averted before I could communicate. There seems to me one chance for your plans to have been carried out without interference and that is through an action having taken place in the meantime. I sincerely there may and that a success may have been gained before Whitmore can get there. I do not make out from the news by the mail that the Tuparoas had reached the scene of the fighting - if they had surely we ought to be strong enough to deal a blow. I feel satisfied that before this the enemy is either beaten or has escaped most likely they will get away. They seem to have full information of our proceedings and if so they will never wait when they hear of the large re-inforcements that are coming against them. I note all you say about the condition of affairs at Waikato and the effect the Kingd attitude will have upon Manawatu and Wairarapa. There is not and has not been, as I have advised you before any cause of alarm as yet from that side. Should any more of Titokowaru's be successful in getting across the Wanganui, I shd. then feel extremely anxious for that side, as it is, I shall have early intelligence through the Natives of any move there. I hear from them however that if they do hear of any movement upon that line that they will not remain in at Manawatu, but will at once fall back upon this place. Your arrangements for intelligence on the Titiokura side seem good and what I have been anxious for from the first. I did not attend the Meeting at Waipukerau on Monday the chief reason was that I knew nothing about it until eleven o'clock of the day of the Meeting and I could not then get away in time. Nairn who was there came on here, and told me that nothing was done, but to fix upon sites for the erection of stockades. Gollan was there and wanted to have a slap at Lord Henry, but didn't manage it. Nairn says both Russells (Lord Henry and Purvis) were most bitter and vindictive against you and me, jeering at what is being done by you and glorying in Whitmore's coming to assume the chief command - the miserable wretches. Their spite is only equalled by their cowardice. In reference to the Stockade building all over the Country as proposed - it seems to me that you will lay yourself open to blame for allowing Government money to be spent in that way in districts where it is absolutely unnecessary. If we are defeated at Poverty Bay then it will be time to think of Stockade building in these districts - at present it seems to me a useless waste of money. In the cases of Waipukerau - Waipawa etc. - the stockade at Waipawa Mate is surely ample and far more secure than anything they can hurriedly erect at those places. At any rate my District has not got the Stockade panic yet and I hope will not have it as long as I have any influence in it, unless more serious reasons arise than at present. You do not refer in your letter to my proposal about the Militia in the scattered districts. I really think what I proposed was fair and reasonable and might be allowed with advantage to all parties concerned. In the middle of the shearing it is hard lines to have people kept away from their work for 2 days to attend drill and that is the case with a great many in this district - they come one day for the drill and go back the next, in some cases miles and miles. The worst of the whole is that the whole concern is an utter waste of time - the men learn nothing and the Officers are unable to teach them anything. My women folks are of course very anxious now that Richardson is gone to the front. Any news that you may have during the week I shall therefore be especially obliged by your letting me have thro' the Waipawa policeman. I am getting on slowly with my shearing but still am keeping at it. Hoping to hear from you that your representations have caused the Govt. to keep Whitmore away and wishing you all success. Always Yours very truly, H. D. Ormond. Worgan Morgans men wanted immediately to keep up the communication with the front. To be fetched by steamer at any risk. Communications by Patutaki much more easy than by the Reinga. See Map. With this advantage of having all the men combined. Sheep can be driven along the Hauhau road. If an English force arrives it will be much better than they go to Turanga and act from thence. Open road practicable for horses. Drays go to foot of hills behind Patutahi being 12 miles from Turanganui.