Napier March 11th - 1871 My dear McLean, I received yours of the 8th today, by the Star and she leaves for Auckland via Tologa Bay early tomorrow morning. I see by your letter that you have communicated with Rewi and on the whole made a favorable opening with him and and his Tribe. I agree with you that it is most desirable to avoid a resumption of hostilities but I do not believe you will be able to do so long. As soon as Waikato sees that no step is taken consequent on Todd's murder - they will make another hostile move. The first is I hear already taken in, thestoppage of the mail by the Thames to Tauranga I incline to think the next will be an attempt to stop the Taupo to Rotorua road. We shall see. If that is done what I should like to do would be to support the road party by a sufficiently strong force to protect it and go quietly on with the work avoiding collision as much as possible but persisting steadily with the work. I think if this were done that it would overcome opposition but if not I see nothing for it but to stand the chance. If we draw back and our allies who are carrying on our Road works are not supported we shall lose much of the ground we have gained. When you write give me your views on this subject as I am pretty sure the occasion will arise when I shall have to meet it, and it may be without any chance of reference to you, As to referring to your friends at ellington hat would not help me much. Fox is the only one. who has any idea of the real position of the Native question. I think I have advised you by Telegraph that I had arranged with the Whenuanui and Paerau that they and their people should return - they are overjoyed at being allowed to do so and I have a formal meeting on Monday with them at Tareha's Pah -after which they will return to Rua Tahuna. I enquired from Tareha what present would be most acceptable and have arranged to give them some clothing. They wrote a letter to Waikaremoana and Rua Tahuna directing their people to give up Te Kooti if he came into their boundaries and I sent it to Ropata to use if he found necessary. The result of Ropata's work so far you have bt Telegraph. Porter very wisely came through in advance of the Force and came on to see me. He says Tamaikowha has behaved very well all through. But that they would keep him out of their country. He says the Ureiwera are much divided among themselves and counted about 70 able bodied men which he thinks is all they can muster. This does not include those in Bay of Plenty or here. Te Haupapa the place where Kooti has his kainga is inland of Ngatapu and it seems he has been there all through and within easy reach of Poverty Bay. Porter is confident he was planning a kohiri on Turanga and says the information to that effect is certain. It was to have been done next month and he calculated the wet season would then have been on and we could not have followed him. If this be true it is a good job we have interfered with his plans. About the wretch himself he is I fear at at the Lake and it is a difficult place to surprise him. I think Ropata will have a try to do so and then make straight for Te Haupapa to capture his followers and destroy the Kaingas and food. I sent him a good supply of food to enable the expedition to do this. You ought to have received the official correspondence about this by this opportunity but I have been overwhelmed with Wellington Telegrams all day and unable to see to it. The line has been down for four or five days and of course has brought a pressure of business now it has reopened. Bell has gone South today and Gisborne is still at Dunedin. Fox and Sewell are working away at departmental work. There is some difficulty still about subsidy for the Napier and unless it is arranged soon she will be taken off to the North as she is now running at a loss. The necessity of having some means to communicate on emergencies was clearly shewn the other day when Porter came here - without the steamer Ropata and his 200 men would have been waiting idle now for supplies which went off in a few hours. There are lots of protests at Elections. The following are protested against. Sir D. Munro, Hunter, Pearce, Reeves and all thes cases will be heard. Fitzherbert is to be Super, at Wellington and his task is not an easy one. Curtis' award in the Wellington Debt entitles this Province to a heavy refund on acct. of interest paid in excess of his award which dates from Separation. We have paid £670 a year too much for all the years prior to the consolidation of the Loan's and over £1000 for the years since. I hear Featherstone is very wild about it and blames Waring Taylor for leaving old Jonas Woodward to fight the case with me. However it is fixed and by Act the Col. Govt. have to see the award carried out. With interest we shall want near £15,000. In regard to Featherstone's action about Manawatu I do not know that you can do more than record your protest against his damand. Of course the Govt. cannot accede to it. He ought to have been restrained from taking the course he did. There is nothing new to tell you about your bete noir Mangateretere. Gussey Carlyon came to see me about it the other day but he was too drunk for me to make head or tail of what he wanted. It is I think all right for the present. There is some "Judge's Chambers" hearing of it in Wellington but the case comes on in May here. I see by yours that you expect to get down here for a bit by and by and must try then and settle it. That is all I think I have to tell you. By the bye all right about Pollen. I never write him anything but what he may safely know and I hear from him sometimes things that are just as well to know. I saw Gillies here the other day he was very friendly and told me what he could do for Poverty Bay which is very little. I told him what I was authorized to do - Roads etc. and he was quite agreable over it. On the 15th I have a Meeting here about the Manawatu purchase and shall try hard to settle it. Believe me, Yours very truly, J. D. Ormond