Wellington 14 May, 1863 My dear McLean, I think that you know all the circumstances of the lease which Holt and I got of a Run at Mohaka (Pakaitutu) from the Native chiefs Tareha and Paul Hapi - and how, unconsciously on both sides, the land turned out to be included in the Confiscated Block. Would you kindly tell me how, in your arrangements about this Block, our little Run (7500 acres I think) will stand, and whether we shall be in a position to bring our lease before the Native Lands Court - We have put sheep on the land, and leased from the Crown an adjoining Run and are making arrangements for more Stock - and as our Native Landlords are both staunch Loyalists - Tareha is an M. P. now I think, I hope you will be able to secure our rights, and to put us in the same position as if we had leased land altogether outside the boundaries of Confiscation, as we both fully believed and were assured was the case when we made the agreements and bought the right to the place from Whitmore. There was one other subject to which I may as well refer here - Our lease of the adjoining run under your regulations expires in 1872 - Should not some law be passed by the G. A. giving Runholders in that position a priority in the renewal of their lease on increased rates of rent - There was an Act passed in the General Assembly in 1864 with reference to Canterbury called "The Canterbury Waste Land Act, 1864" - (No. 17 - 1864) - Would you look at it and show it Ormond, and jointly consider whether some similar Act should not be passed in reference to Hawkes Bay - as the matter is of great importance to those whose lease is soon to expire if they have not acquired a freehold Run - There is no particular news here - Major Richardson has gone South, and I fancy he will be soon translated from the Ministry to Speakership of the Leg: Council. With best remembrances to the Ormonds, if they are at Napier Believe me, Yours truly, W. Gisborne