Arapawanui 1 March 1867 My dear McLean I am on my way home and trust to see you by the 4th or 5th. The Wairoa is perfectly quiet and has progressed far more than I could have expected. The Ex-Hau Haus are working at wood work etc. but are very sullen and sulky. Tamihana has gone to Turanga to vindicate his chastity which has been impeached by a lady there, wife of another brother of the cloth. He will give trouble some day doubtless if he can about the confiscated block, but he is likely to be opposed pretty sharp by Kopu and Paul - altho' entre nous they are being tampered with by the clerical party. Kopu is in very low spirits about his grub for the feast which is daily going bad - 200 jars (or pots or measures of some kind) of eels have gone bad and his pigeons are tainted. They are sending him a shipload of vegetables from Turanga and are catching eels for him at the lakes above the Reinga continually. Wi Tako has declined his invitation to the feast. He begged me to urge you to fix an early day for the feast and I promised to do so. He was not the only one however as both whites and blacks want the thing over and look to your being able to settle many matters then. I am afraid this E. Coast Titles bill if you have not looked into the matter may cause you some trouble. Why does Stafford not appoint you Commissioner for the Wairoa at all events? Unless you are made Commissioner all the Settlement scheme will break down - The friendly Natives too look for some portion of the spoil, and it would be sound policy to give them some to prevent our having some day to fight them and to prevent any possible alliance between them and the Hau Haus expelled proprietors. Deighton asked me when and where the polling at Wairoa was to be. I learned from Wilson that he meant to speak to you on this subject. I therefore told Deighton that I thought it would be wisest for him to send his notice signed, but with details left blank to you, who would probably see Wilson. Kopu lamented and grumbled so much about your not coming down to the feast, that I made bold to say you had been stopped by rivers at Otago (!) This seemed to satisfy the old man. Biggs has made a sort of start surveying Poverty Bay but admits that what will cost him a year might have been finished by you in a week. It seems nice management to waste all this money uselessly and to delay the Settlement so long out of pure jealousy. I hope to see you soon so shall say no more but that I am Very sincerely yours G. S. Whitmore