Letter from P. Wilson to Donald McLean Esq. dated 14th. April 1856. New Plymouth 14th. April 1856 My dear Mac, It is not, as you may readily suppose, with the intention of replying to any of , that I now write to you; but simply to tell you that two days ago those trouble-some Ngatiruanuis of my private pa, Wareroa, have again come down, and are now at the den of Katatori. War is said to be their object; but on whatever provocation, I am not aware; but Isaiah, who I saw yesterday, seemed to labour under the impression that the natives of Waiheke, Ketimania, Wiriwiri, and Ohanga, would follow; and in that case, not unlikely those of Manawapu also. That this movement has been for some time meditated, I entertain no doubt, though the Miniapa folks seem to have been taken by surprise. Three weeks ago, or more, a Ngatiruanui, who was doing farm work at Willy Baily's, had the misfortune to get his fore-arm and hand extensively lacerated; when the emergency, not the will (for those people are now afraid to come near the Institution), brought him into Hospital. He continued for a fortnight or more, under my care; but about eight days ago, a man and woman from called one morning to take him away; and such was their hurry that they would scarcely give me time to dress his wound. Reasoning was out of the question. Even the anticipation of danger to his life, had no effect; and they would only assign as a motive for the sudden removal, that one of his children had died, and that he was wanted to assist at the usual howl. So off he went, and was no doubt sent for in consequence of the fear that, under the circumstance of their warlike visit, he would not be safe in Hospital. There has been a story afloat for some days, that Katatori had threatened to dig up Rawiri's bones, and throw them to the pigs. But Isaiah tells me that it is a false report. But drunkenness has become so rife among them of late that I have little doubt the fighting parties will now be more venturesome. Consequently that their skirmishing will be more bloody. A great evil, in my opinion, has been the, at least tacit, permission of the Government to allow vessels to unload and load at Witera. The fact is, it answers no other end than that of contraband, and to a most mischievous extent, both to the Government and to the Maoris. For the former is robbed of duties, and the Maoris, it is very generally alleged, are supplied with , , and You know we have among us, in the character of merchants, men who come under Burke's celebrated definition, and who stick at nothing to fulfil the adage, - "vem facias, vem si possis recte; si non, " And as to Leech for a Cerherus, he is only valid at the desk. It ought, without loss of time, to be rigidly prohibited, as a money-making affair of most injurious tendency to the Government, and to the town; and moreover, gives a very undue advantage to the tribes of Maoris, who least deserve favour at our hands. No doubt there would be a hue and cry raised by some of our magnates in the trade way, were the Waitara commerce interfered with; but it would be hailed gratefully by the multitude of well-wishers to the prosperity of New Plymouth. You will have seen that Mrs. Campbell's brother has got the command of the , and I am right glad of it. He went out to the Crimea with two over him as Captain. I fell in with the service list of Sir Colin in a newspaper the other day; and true enough, he was my old friend, as Captain Campbell of the 60th. I had lost sight of him from 1818. He led the forlorn hope at St. Sebastian's in 1811 or 12, gained some four medals in the Peninsular, and wounded repeatedly; yet was allowed to stand before he got his majority. So much for being, as he used to style himself, a soldier of fortune. Pat continues in his foolish determination to see the world, and now says he would like to go for four or five years Whether he will persevere or not, I cannot say; but if he does, I must dispose of Wanganui, for your mother will not listen to the leasing of New Plymouth; and I guess he will be the loser eventually, by so doing. I wish, when you have leisure, you would write to him on the subject; for he pays far more deference to you and Turton than to us. This place is very gay just how. The Trades people, by way of revenge, for being excluded from the Ball, which was intended for the Governor, - gave the Military and all we , a grand affair last week. 237 sat down to supper, and the whole affair went off with eclat. Not one of the soldier folks refused the invitation, and every one present was highly gratified with the entertainment. Now the farmers are talking of getting up a return dance; and we, the jolly Masonic fraternity, will of course have our hop in June. Leech, and his young man, McKellar, have made themselves even greatly more unpopular than usual, by their foolish attempt to exclude at the Ball. As you may suppose, I did not let them off on the occasion, but gave them a gentle, impersonal hint in our paper, - a copy of which I enclose; and it seems it proved a cap which screwed on their catputs to admiration. Some fool, or quiz, - for people cannot decide which, - answered it in our paper of the 5th. inst., But in either case, it is such trash that I have left it unnoticed, my object being gained. Your mother is busy making parritch for breakfast, and has only time to send you her blessing. I remain, my dear Mac, Yours very faithfully, (Signed) P. Wilson. P.S. Do not hurry yourself in replying to this. Your parallelogram, the Duke, was well and hearty last week. A fit of scribblemania had, for a wonder, overtaken him.