Office of The New Zealand Government Agency 3, Adelaide Place, King William St. London 28 January 1870 E. C. My dear Fox We arrived at Marseille at the due date. We had intended to go to Brindisi; but when at Alexandria we got news that Mont Cenis was blocked up by snow and that it was very uncertain whether the mail would get through that way, so we came on to France. I need not tell you we have seen people and learnt a good deal of what has been going on. But it is impossible to write about it all by this mail. In the first place we have not had a moment to ourselves, and in the next I for one have hardly been able to gather a clear notion yet of anything, and I hesitate to send first hasty impressions so long a way. You must have patience till next month, and the February mail will take you as much in the shape of news as I can possibly scrape together. Lord Granville sent for us to see him yesterday. I do not doubt that the official letter you will get with this, will be a disappointment to you all. The first intelligence from us will have been looked for, and we give you nothing. But I hope you will see we are right. Lord Granville led the talk at once to the main issues, we were quite prepared to be told that on the one chief point of the troops Ministers had made up their minds, and that no change