Taranaki May 7th 1865 D. McLean Esqre, Napier, Dear Mr. McLean, I hope you will excuse my troubling you with this note, but from your knowledge of the matter in question I thus take the liberty. No doubt you are aware a great deal of the Land in our province is being confiscated, and already a quantity been located on by military settlers, and it is now currently reported that the Waitara will be taken and the land occupied by Military settlers, in fact surveyors are now marking out boundaries and the land to seaward of the Devon line and near the mouth of the river is likely to be sold, only the inland portion being given for service men. I am therefore hoping to get my long looked for section in place of the Waiwakaiho, but being now mostly new men in the ministers I may receive some difficulties and if you can conveniently afford me any assistance I shall esteem it a great personal favor, a letter from you to myself stating that I had not selected in the Bell Block from the fact of your advising at the time to wait on for the Waitara would be of assistance and also you may be aware the present Governor Sir G. Grey at that time told my mother to wait on as the Waitara would sure to open for sale shortly that time has never arrived, and now a ahance is likely to offer. I am anxious to arm myself with all the particulars I can get to make my claims more tangible and apparent to the Ministry; I have a a good friend in Major Atkinson we having been captains in the Volunteers together and feel sure he will do all he can on my behalf, but the more weight I can bring the safer it will make my claim. I am sorry to inform you there is no change in my Father, he still persists in that abominable practise of drinking whenever he gets a chance, he had a very good start a short time ago as senior clerk in the Militia office, but when the Militia were disbanded he lost it and although he got very good pay managed to incur a number of debts which fall on Willy and myself, he makes our family very uncomfortable and great annoyance to Mother. I am glad to say we are doing well in our Business and have about the best chance of any here now, it keeps us closely at it with three Clerks and when the Waitara is got hope to start there, knowing the natives so well from former times, we have a capital warehouse where uncle formerly had a small place and a fine situation for the Beach and shipping. We are all well and my little boy now 16 months old becoming very interesting. Willy and Mother send their kindest regards, and hoping I may receive an answer shortly. Believe me, Dear. Mr. Mclean, yours faithfully, P. Lewis Webster