Auckland, September 12, 1871 My dear McLean, The Nebraska has been better than good this time in the matter of punctuality she goes on to Sydney and I pack the Luna off tonight with the Telegrams to Tauranga. There is good news for our "woolly-faced friends" and their owners. Some buyers of last years clip have made a good thing. I hope it will last. Some Yankee buyers of wool it is said have come over by the Nebraska and are going on to Australia. I will do my best about the Telegraph. The weather is simply frightful and there is no getting about to see the natives, neither can they move. The sea beach will I think be all right, we shall at least get that part of it about Grahamstown that is most required. Mair went on yesterday with Te Wheoro, Hone te One, Raihi Hakarudhi and some of their people to te Kuiti. My hopes of good from that meeting are getting more faint. Ngatiteata won't go after all, neither will the Raglan party of Heteraka. Still something may come of it, and without seeming to care much I have helped it along carefully. I enclose some letters relating to it you can use your own discretion about making them official. I mentioned to you before, I think, that Hakariwhi asked me to go with his party; one letter is a copy of my answer to him and his reply. The other is from Heteraka. I see that Te Kooti has come more nearly to grief than I ever thought he would; it is to be hoped that there may be an end of him now as a warning to his like. I have sent Kemp up the Thames to look after Tahau. He Tahau has been staying at Ohinemuri for some time and is said to have gone on to Te Kuiti to the meeting a very short time since. We had an ominous notice in the Southern Cross correspondence from Wellington of what the financial statement would tell the Provinces about their chances of allowances in the future, which has made the Provincialist faces here longer than usual and has given me much pleasure. I hope it is prophetic. I suppose the great battle begins today and that after the usual months debate the vote will come. Williamson is hurrying down to the rescue. Mrs. Vogel and Grahames people go by the Luna. 250 scorbutic and dirty Chinamen are going in the Taranaki to the great disgust of intending travellers. Yours very truly, Daniel Pollen