Wellington 21. 2. 72 My dear McLean, In my dealings with the Patea country, I have abstained from any action in regard to the block of land between Whenuakura and Patea rivers, (formerly Turoa's and the Pakakoe's) beleiving that it might require some adjustment of your hands. But I find that under your instructions the Hawkes Bay defence force land was to be surveyed then. If this be so I suppose you see no reason why the whole Pakakoe block, that is all the land between the two rivers should not be dealt with, and offered for sale. It would all sell readily and at very high prices, and we have constant applications about it. As regards the Hawke's Bay D. force, I am assured that by far the larger majority will never come near the West Coast, but only take their Sections and sell them. This I am told by one of their number, who says he knows their intentions perfectly well. If so there is no necessity that their location should be of the first rate character which Taroa's block is. Fair average land any where, would meet the justice of the case. A block is being surveyed between Wairoa and the Sea (about 19000 acres) of fair average land where it would be much better to give them their 5000 acres, than between the rivers, where much of it is quite suburban in location and all of first rate quality. If you see no objections to the block in question being dealt with at once, I will give Pharazyn directions to get it surveyed suitably for sale. It is most desirable that it should be done. The rest of the district is so cut up with Military settlers blocks (nearly 400 sections between Patea and Waihi,) that we cannot get on with the settlement of the country, which it is most important to push on. Halcombe reports the Norwegians as comfortably located at Palmerston; quite contented and their prospects satisfactory. The meetings of "unemployed" here are composed of public house sweepings, or men who are still in debt to the Provincial Govt. for their passages from Engld. 15 years ago!! From what I hear Mc Donald (Manawatu) is behaving exceedingly ill, and will give a great deal of trouble. He told W. Johnston personally that he had got a hold on every squatter's homestead by the manner in which he had arranged the reserves and that unless they came to terms with him he would set natives to watch their sheep, impound all that trespassed on any reserve, compel the squatters to fence and do all he could to annoy them. He evidently does not intend to give up the power for mischief he has gainedaming the natives, and he ought to be carefully watched in reference to the laying off of reserves, or he will give more trouble than even he has done yet. Gisborne has been summoned to Dunedin about the Daily Times Trial and will be away some three weeks. He left yesterday. Bell is at Christch. Featherston intends to go to Lyttelton to see his family off about 15th. March and if possible leave for Engld. about 1st April. Yours faithfully, William Fox