Napier July 26th 1871 My dear McLean, I have only a few minutes to write you and fortunately there is not much to write you about - That rascally newspaper controversy about your private matters is not wholly dropped yet, our friends are more pertinaceous than our opponents and one confounded letter caused a rejoinder and so they go on - it is however pretty well done - I am having plenty of bother about the Seventy Mile Bush business - unless I had taken the step I did whilst you were here of forcing a meeting, by fixing a day for it, we should have got nothing done before the Assembly - The meeting was to have taken place today now it is arranged the people shall come on to Pakowai and have it there - In the meantime I am getting the Deed signed and have a considerable majority of the grantees already including every one of the principal people. The great difficulty is the division of the money that is what they are mainly hanging back for - what I shall try for is to get the Deed signed by everyone and then let the question of division of money come on - About the Wairarapa end Huru and party admit there will be a good deal of trouble and it will come from the Wairarapa Natives - is there no man at your disposal who could open the question with them - time goes on so quickly and there is so much to do that I scarcely see how it can all be done before the end of next month. I have not time to send you by this mail the correspondence relating to Te Kooti expeditions - On receipt of your Telegram authorising me to give the instructions I thought best, I authorised Preece (who would be in possession of much more information than any of us) to move on to Ruatahuna provided he considered his force strong enough - also I told him to use the name of the Ngatiwhakane in what he did and if Te Kooti would give himself up in that way to take advantage of it. All Mairs men are Ngatiwhakane so that this is quite open if there is anything in Hamlin's report. Orekatere, who is partly Ngatiwhakane was here at the time I was sending to Preece and I asked him how it was Ngatiwhakane had not reported at once to the Govt. when Te Kooti's messenger reached them. He said it would be from the desire to have the credit and gain of getting him - the 'mana' as he put it - I sincerely hope something may come of it. If we get him, the last difficulty on the East Coast side will have been settled - Scannell I directed to see Preece and so acquaint himself with what he was intending to do, so that the constabulary could more efficiently guard the outlets from the Urewera country whilst Preece is in the Bush. I entirely agree with you that if possible T.K. must not get to Waikato but I fear if he tried he could - Ropata I have sent to, telling him the exact position of things and saying it is of no use his moving further at present I thought it best to save him a useless march which going to Waikaremoana would be. Canning I have also advised and he will watch the road from Ruatahuna to Waikaremoana - he is now at the Lake. About a week from now will tell us whether T.K. has again baffled us or not, I almost begin to hope we have tired him out and that he wd. rather give himself up than stand this constant harassing - I am not sure if you know your Wether and Weaner flock has foot-rot. Peacock has reported it so there is no doubt about it - It is not bad yet but is more or less through the Flock I suppose it will become general through the whole district. We are having a good deal of rough weather but Willows and such like things are bursting into leaf so that spring is coming - Will you tell Gisborne I have not time to write him but that he had better send me the letter Locke wrote him giving particulars about rents for his Maori run. Locke kept no copy of it and the Maori Landlords are bothering about it. If he sends the letter I have named, Locke and I will look into the matter and I will bring particulars to him when I come to the Assembly - I forgot to mention in writing about the Seventy Mile Bush - that the letter I telegraphed for yesterday, giving Peeti and Huru the authority for old Hirawanui and people to sell the Bush, wd. be very useful if it can be got. The only people who are likely to give real trouble are the Porangahau and Waipukerau Natives, and of course that is owing to the Russells. I am trying to work them through old Hapuku who is taking it up and sayd they will be all right - He also told me their plan was to stay away and take no part for or against the sale and then protest - Must close mail going Yours always J.D. Ormond