Auckland 9 Decr. 1870 My dear McLean I returned from Kawau this morning (where Mrs D. Alf and I have been spending a week among the botanical - and other beauties of the place) fully expecting to find you up here - as "the Prince" has arrived and I understood you were to 'chaperon' him to the Lakes etc. I wanted to speak to you with reference to the Report you have called for upon Confiscated Lands. As far as I see - there are only some portions of these lands left - at Waikato - and principally at Tauranga - I propose to pay a visit to these at all events - to which I trust you will have no objection - i e - to the expense (which will not be considerable) of travelling allowance out of the Confiscated Land Funds. I don't see what one can say about them - without some ocular demonstration of their locality etc. Do you not mean to ome up and show the old Highland or Hieland devotion to the descendant of 'bonnie Prince Chairlie"? I thought you wd. have been 1st (or at least 2nd - the Governor being No.1) to cry "follow thee follow thee - wha wouldna follow thee" to worse places than Rotorua and ones than Mahana - I have seen Master Douglas several times since I came up. He seems thriving and fullof animal spirits. He dined with us the other day at the Ogilvy's (near whose house at Mt Albert is living) and was going to a 'dance' the same evening. These youngsters contrive to get enjoyment even out of Colonial antipodean existence and among the regreted and despised of Lord Granville and popularity hunting Gladstone. Monday morng. 12th Nothing new - Prince and Governor are to start to-night for Tauranga Pollen left for Waikato yesterday to enquire 'personally' into the circumstances attending the death of the Surveyor Mr Tod. It does not seem to cause any excitement here. At Ohinemuri the natives seem getting up a fracas among themselves. They seem determined to get themselves exterminated somehow or other. Believe me Yours very truly Alfred Domett