Manawatu River May 9th. 1860. To His Excellency Col. T. Gore Brwne. Dear Sir, Under the present disturbed state of the country and in consequence the great anxiety your Excellency must feel, I must apologise for now troubling you with a private matter. I should not now do so but that your Excellency kindly recommended me, when the land I claim was surveyed to write in case it might have slipped your memory. I therefore take the liberty of now writing to inform your Excellency that I have this day written to Mr. Maclean, enclosing a tracing, drawn by Mr. Stewart and certified by Mr. Searancke, of the several pieces of land claimed for my children. I am convinced from your Excellency's kind promise to settle the matter for me that no unnecessary delay will take place. The Natives about here generally are peaceably inclined - there has been some little excitement lately arising from an attempt of some Natives lately returned from the Waikato Country to establish the King's flag at Otaki it met however with great opposition and although another meeting is appointed to take place next month to re-consider the matter - I beleive a like result will attend it. Trusting your Excellency will soon succeed in restoring peace and punish all disturbers of it. I remain, Yours most obedt. & Resply., Thomas M. Cook.