Napier Oct. 7th. 1857. My dear McLean, I have just received your letter per overland mail, and I write a few lines more by way of a "whakahonore mo te meira tuataki" than anything else, for the Salopian sails either this evening or tomorrow morning with old Munu & I have written by her mail all I have any present occasion to say. I am delighted to see you writing in such good spirits --- it gives great promise for the future prosperity of the Dept. Some arrangement must be made immediately about the mail carriers --- they arrived late in the evg. & Catchpool wouldn't let them sleep at his house, so they had to repose in the fern and no kai. Will you see if authority to build a ace and get rations for them can be squeezed out of the Govt.? The Police are Provincial so it is no use looking to them for any assistance. When are you coming down --- do make as much haste as you can --- ahuanei pahure ai te takiwa i whakaritea ai mo te --- you know what. I have had great difficulty in persuading Catch-pool to send your letter up per Salopian --- he has a whole lot, some addressed to Wellgn. --- some to Napier and he seems to be all at sea as to what to do in the matter. But on my insisting he has given in. I understand the hint, obscure as it is, in the concluding part of your letter, & am greatly pleased at the idea of the departmental change. I won't let on. You could not have recd. my letters when you wrote. I have sent duptes, per "Ann". Catchpool won't give me any more time, so adieu for the present. Kind remembrance to the Sinclairs. Yours ever faithfully, G.S. Cooper.