Napier, March 29, 71. My dear McLean, This goes by the Lord Ashley and I have a good deal to tell you if I get time to write it - First about Ropata you will see by the official I send you that there is a really good chance that he may have been caught - it is probably settled one way or the other before this and I am hopeful of a good result. I expect to hear through Poverty Bay about the 2 or 3rd of next month as Ropata will make out there from Te Haupapa. It seems pretty clear from other information I have that the Wairoa's have been in communication with Te Kooti for some time - the man Tautata, Te Kooti's soldier who has given Ropata his information, says so, and that Tamihana Huata has sent him presents etc. I am not sure if I have had an opportunity of writing to you since Ropata came out at Wairoa and will therefore tell you what happened. Of course there was the usual drunk at Wairoa which occupied nearly a fortnight during which I exchanged several March 31. Lord Ashley not arrived but due early in morning very heavy Souther blowing. The Luna still here unable to look at it. The Rangatira from Wellington been 3 days at anchor under the Kidnappers - there is not bad weather in the Bay only rather cold - but the sea outside the Kidnappers is very heavy. There is no news since yesterday. Yours, J.D.O. Star of the South and Go-ahead still supposed to be at Wangawehi where the Luna left them on Wednesday. This may interest some people at Auckland. J.D.O. letters with Ropata who was in good heart himself, but I made out that his men were sick of the work in the Maungapowhatu country. The day Ropata left Wairoa he wrote two letters about Renata Hamuhamu (the fellow charged with the Poverty Bay murders) one letter said send him to prison, the other said he Ropata wanted him. Also that he wanted Rewi and Kuare (two Chatham Isld. prisoners). You will see in the correspondence sent you my reply to Ropata's letters and that I at once agreed to his taking Kuare and Rewi but thought Renata should wait until question had been referred to you. In the same letter I told Ropata about the deceit of Ngatihuri and desired him to enquire into, and if he thought it desirable to take them to the coast as prisoners. This letter reached Ropata at Oriwha and it seems he was very indignant Renata had not been released directly his letter about him was recd. Porter wrote me privately that he was very sulky and that a number of his people wished him to go home, glad of any excuse to get off renewing the expedition - however Porter spoke very strongly to them and they settled down but fully made up their minds not to go to Maungapawhatu again. The next day fortunately they caught Tautata and of course were all right and have gone off in high spirits. I tell you this, but have not mentioned it in my communications with Fox and Gisborne - they wd. scarcely understand what has to be put up with in that way - Certainly Master Ropata is very touchy as I think you will agree when you read my letter which caused this little difficulty - Of course if he succeeds now he will have forgotten all about it. Respecting Renata I cannot get any evidence of his being as was asserted the murderer of Mrs. Biggs and child, if I could I shd, think it very wrong to let him go - there is however evidence, the nature of which I do not know, to come by next chance from Gisborne. The only evidence at present is that he murdered three natives 2 men and a boy in cold blood - that is sworn on oath by I think three witnesses - However if there be no more than that I shd, be for giving him over to Ropata if he wishes it and shall do so unless I hear differently from you. I dont understand Ropatas anxiety to get this brute - he was worked on I know by the Wairoa Natives who wanted Renata to get off - Renata came in to the Wairoa's not to Ripata - that tells you all I know about that matter. Fox writes me he proposes to leave for here by the first steamer after the 3rd April and to go from here to Taupo and thence by the Wanganui road to Wanganui and Rangitikei I shd. like to go to Taupo with him if I could, but the Prov. Council will be meeting just then and I dont see how I can manage it. He wants to see the road works etc. Gisborne is still at Dunedin and has been ill but was better I understand. Featherstone leaves on the 3rd April I conclude by the Steamer that takes the English mail to Auckland for the Frisco mail. There is not much local news here - everything very quiet - there is a good deal of dissatisfaction at the Militia work principally in the country - the officers know nothing of their duty and the men are disgusted at having to go long distances to parade and then do nothing and walk home again - I believe there will be a general strike abt, it and I really dont wonder at it. The only remedy is for officers to learn their duty but that is hopeless. I wrote you some time ago about a Lieut's Commission for Mr. Lord the Daily Telegraph Editor, it wd. be as well if you gave it - the Paper is all right and may as well be kept so, Old Withers has some grudge against him and Kennedy tells me Lord is getting dissatisfied at your not giving him this Commission and that it may be as well to do so - put him on if you can soon. The Luna came in this afternoon after a very rough passage and a day and a half behind her time. It was a pity she did not arrive earlier in the day as we had made arrangements for giving the visitors a days drive on the Plains. As it was the volunteers (three Companies) with two bands met them at the Spit and marched up to Town the visitors being accommodated with coaches and traps. They then went off into the country where they wd. get Lunch. It had been intended to take them all round the Plains but they came too late in the day. I find they went right round by Tarehas and Pakewai. This evening a sort of concert is being given them and Fairchild is to be off at midnight. I have of course your letter by the Luna and see you will be here before very long i.e. when she returns to bring you. The stoppage of the Tauranga mail quite interferes with our former regular telegraphic communication but you seem to think you will be able to arrange it. I am glad Hori Ngawhare and Maihi have communicated with you and got some food for their meeting. It would do well to get the Telegraph on to Waotu or somewhere in that direction and I am working at it steadily and will lose no chance. Ngatiraukawa were according to my arrangement with Maihi to hold a Meeting first to discuss Telegraph and Roads among the whole Tribe. Then he was to communicate with me and measures were then to be taken to start the works. As you know pushing these things to extremes does no good - but I will lose no time when I get the chance. I see Sir G. Grey talks of coming here with you, perhaps it is only his usual himbug - old Tollemache is expected I believe in the Ashley - I wish Grey wd. sign some Deeds he has to execute connected with my Run. He has had the Deeds in his hands for a long time and I can get no answer from him. There is nothing wanted of him except that for some legal reason he has to be a party to these Deeds and sign his name. About Sir T. Gore Browne's land at Clive - Rhodes is very anxious about it and wants you to secure it for him. He wanted me to write some things about it which I could not as they were not correct, but I advised Whittaker for Browne, as favorably as I could fairly in Rhodes' interest. What Rhodes wants is a very long lease at same rental as the past i.e. £300 a year. I dont think it is worth much more until it is improved but under terms of Rhodes past lease he ought to have improved it. This he did not do, purposely I hear, to get a pull in taking it again - Col. Browne wrote me he wanted the place as a provision for one of his sons so that a long lease would not be desirable. Whittaker might give Rhodes a 3 or 4 years lease well enough on the former terms. If the most were intended to be made of the property it wd. be by cutting it into three pieces and letting it publicly - I advised Col, Browne that such was the way which wd. be most remunerative to him and wd. ensure the greatest improvement to the property. About Roberts I have already written you. He can be spared without any difficulty. Scannell is quite as good if not better than him - but both are full of pretentious military nonsense and are useless in anything connected with Natives. It is a great drawback not having an officer at Taupo who could be used for communicating with Natives - the only man who is at all useful in that way is Sub. Insp. Gudgeon and he is also by far the most active officer in getting work out of his men and generally in pushing things on. For instance he was the only officer who at once got up a decent redoubt when Taupo was first occupied. Since road works were started he is still the only officer who makes any show. I mention these things because they want encouragement. The general tone of the A. C. officers is to shirk everything of that kind. Young Pitt at Poverty Bay is another very promising officer, not above making his force useful in any capacity. Also Cumming at Wairoa I find very useful. He is the only one I have met with yet who can be trusted with Native work he seems discreet and sensible. I can best describe the difference between him and Roberts by saying the latter will make the most of any difficulty and fuss about any Native irregularity. and fuss about any Native irregularity. Cumming will write a private letter saying so and so has happened, but he has not mentioned it in his official. To tell you the truth I shall be very glad to be quit of Roberts who I consider an ass and very vain and silly. March 30th. The Luna started last night for Wellington but had to return the Souther blowing being too much for her. Fairchild is in a great way at his bad luck with weather. Fox telegraphs me today he will not be able to come here as proposed, next week, but will come through the Bush from Rangitikei about the end of the month. This afternoon I heard from Hamlin that Te Waru and Reihana had assaulted Kelly the Member and hurt him a good deal. He wanted to apprehend them I communicated with Fox and he was authorised to do so provided it could be done without creating disturbance and also he was to take care it was done properly on information laid by Kelly, when they wd. be committed for assault. I know nothing of the circumstances of the case beyond what Hamlin's telegram conveyed. Clarke I believe is in Auckland. There is a meeting to take place in a few days at Tapuaehararu when Matuaha, Manuera, Wiripo and the other Tuhua people are to come in - this has been coming for a long time and has been arranged by Hare Tauteka - the Tuhua people are to return and live on the Lake in future. Respecting the Californian mail steamer Fox telegraphs me you must be mistaken in thinking Vogel has been able to arrange for calling at Napier as his letters say he tried but unsuccessfully. The steam launch has arrived in a late English vessel. We must yet see if we cannot get the Steamer to call. The Ashley is sure to be in early tomorrow morning and goes on without delay so I will close this tonight. Yours very truly, J.D. Ormond.