the West Coast. It is a great pity Bell is so impulsive and from the South I hear e talks too much of what is going on. When is he to retire - he ought to do so now he is to be proposed as Speaker. If the West Coast is in so bad a state as Gisborne thinks could you not go there en route here - Everything is all right on this side of the Island and I hope will keep so. Any mess on the West Coast wd. be ruinous and I fear you have no officers there fit for an emergency Parris is the best but it wants something more than an official when difficulty comes In case you have to go there and your coming here is postponed tell me how to arrange for you in that confounded Mangateretere thing - Barring that your other affairs could stand over if required - I must close as mail is going. Yours always, J. D. Ormond P. S. I forgot to say I have closed with Perenera to take weekly mail to Cambridge from Tapuaehararu he is to get £150 a year. Of course if successful we must make it a daily service. He leaves Tapuaehararu on Monday next and says it will take 3 days to go to Cambridge the first trip and 2 days afterwards. He will remain a day at Cambridge for replies. I wd. recommend nothing shd. be said of this mail until we see how it works -of course Ministers will be advised and send Telegrams - not the public. J.D.O.