Auckland July 28th 1870 My dear Mr McLean I have sent by this mail a report from Mair detailing Mr. Wilson's most disgraceful conduct with regard to the Whakatane natives - He as nearly as possible drove all the Whakatane natives to the Kaha and different places along the coast - fortunately Mair was just in time to give a denial to all that Wilson had put forth - I am quite aware that Wilson has the power of doing mischief amongst the natives there from the fact of his having been once Crown Agent and the natives can hardly divest themselves of the idea but while he is armed with great powers - I know also that Wilson and the party with which he is connected have a great dislike to Mair for no other reason than that he is in the way of their schemes - I know a great deal more than I like to commit to paper - Wilson is very, very bitter He told an officer of this department that ''He was going to get that fellow Mair put out of that'' - and that pressure would be brought to bear on the Government by certain parties - But for our own credit and for the sake of the Natives I wish to give them substantial proof that we are not (as Wilson says we are) ''patipati-ing them - and the sooner the question is settled the better for us - The Thames Telegraph is complete and messages were sent yesterday for the first time The letters from Young Taua te Waharoa are very violent on the Telegraph question - and the Tauranga hauhaus are opposed to the line crossing the Wairoa (Tauranga) for Katikati, they say that the King party will make it a ''casus belli'' if it should be attempted - You may rest assured that all the projects contained in the ''financial statement'' are carefully detailed for the benefit of our Kuiti friends. The Emigration and Railroad schemes, etc. There is something moving amongst them, but of what character I can hardly say - certainly not hostile - I have not heard from Hetit yet The Ngaeterangi have been again invited to go out, but they absolutely refuse to go to any meeting in which the pakeha and Government element is not represented - I have very bad news from the Waimate. One of my sisters is very ill - no hope of her recovery - Very faithfully yours Hy.T. Clarke