Napier Oct. 26th. 1868. My dear McLean, Up to now, Monday afternoon there is no sign of the St. Kilda and as I do not see any necessity for my staying here longer I shall start for Wallingford in the morning. I shld. have much liked to have waited your return and heard what your own view is of Wairoa matters, but I ought to be at home looking after my own business and as there seems no probability of any trouble here I shall get home. There is not a great deal to tell you of since your departure. From the time you and Richmond left i.e. on Monday until the return of the Star on Thursday we heard not one word of tidings from the Wairoa except by the bye, reports of murders which had never been committed. When the Star did arrive she brought not one line from either Tuke or Deighton and the only intelligence I got of the state of things at Wairoa was from a note J. St, George wrote me from which I gathered that the former reports of Deighton and Tuke had exaggerated the immediate danger and that the enemy in place of being at Scamperdown creek was some distance up the river, in fact his whereabouts was not known. The news that the people of the Steamer brought was that the Wairoa affair was all humbug that there were no Maories nearer than fifty miles and so on. That fellow Harry the Pilot who came back by the Steamer brought that kind of news and gave it forth to the expectant public who were awaiting the arrival of the first boat. You can imagine the result our friends Buchanan and Co. went about fiendishly exultant. They had always known the Wairoa business was a myth. You and I were properly abused and the Telegraph sent off the intelligence to Wellington where it was made the most of by Lord Henry and our friends there. Several private letters tell me that you and I are held up as successful panic mongers who have worked their object and forced an expensive war expenditure on the Colony. This is the way in which my letters tell me our labours in behalf of the Colony are spoken of at Wellington entirely thro' the malignity of our own Provincial enemies. It is very disgusting is it not. We have however done our best and I believe what we have done has checked the mischief. It is useless my writing much on what I consider the position of affairs at Wairoa to you who are coming from there. My view however is that the enemy there have to be dealt with and that it is much to be regretted he was not at Scamperdown Creek as reported. There we shld. have been able to deal with him in his present position our force will have its work to crush him. I leave you in a separate cover the Telegram I have received during your absence from Haultain. You will see the line they take. Mine to the Govt. have all been entered in the office book. I at least made as little as possible of the reports that came to hand. I shall like to hear from you as soon as possible after your return. Always Yours very truly J. D. Ormond. News tonight from Wairoa. Tuke reports everything there much as usual. You had not reached there up to Saturday so I fear you will not be here to-night and I shall miss seeing you. Remember me to Richmond and tell him I sent forward all Telegrams (3 in all) that came here addressed to him - the last goes tomorrow morning by the orderly to the Wairoa. Tell him please that sweep Lord Henry has got McLennan since Hall left to stop the Waipawa Telegraph Station it is a most disgraceful proceeding. Hall promised me faithfully it should be done and all the conditions he stipulated for have been complied with by the people there. Ask Richmond to put it right when he gets to Wellington. My Wellington letters tell me that West Coast Matters are no better, that the road is not open to Patea. Little Whitmore left Wellington saying 3 days would settle the West Coast question and that then he would hop across to Wairoa and settle that business. Up to the 24th. the little beggar was in Wanganui and unable to reach Patea - he had tried three time to get overland and and had to put back each time from Titokowaru having possession of the road. The Patea river is reported as stopped (bar I suppose), and the Sturt inside unable to get out. There is no other Wellington news. I am going home vexed and disappointed. I fear we have our work before us at the Wairoa and any operation that does not effectually crush the enemy will only do us harm.- for he will retaliate upon our out-settlements. I shall be anxious to hear from you. Yours always, J.D. Ormond.