Mount Herbert 5th Dec. 1867 My dear McLean I was in hopes that Tuesday's mail would have brought in a line from you to say if you had decided on my proposal that you should join our Taupo Enterprize. I hope you will write me by Tuesday's mail in order that I may communicate further with my associates in this affair. I have already written and urged your admission so strongly that I have no doubt it will be assented to; but if you decline to join us, I trust there will be no collision in our negotiations with the Natives. When we first started our project in Wellington it formed part of it to secure a large Block of the Native Country and when Coy. and Whitmore saw the Natives at Taupo they offered a large Block of about 200,000 acres on the Western side of Patea, in connection with the Rotuaire Country, and the Block towards Wanganui. The extent we have under negotiation is 450,000 acres or thereabouts, which will make a respectable concern, and if well managed will turn out a good speculation. It is necessary that I should know at once if you accept or decline, as otherwise our Company is being placed at a disadvantage so far as any negotiations may be fixing on for your acquiring separately part of the country we had marked out. I fancied Mr. Locke was not over explicit to me as he ought to have been when I saw him in Napier as his services were secured entirely for our party when the Governor sent over to him and asked him if he he would undertake the matter. I am busy shearing, but have a break next week and may be down after Tuesday for a day. Yrs. in haste H. R. Russell