you about the little pay difficulty with Ngatiporau Porter wrote me it was settled all right and about 180 men would go - He also said Ropata was more sanguine than usual about dropping on Te Kooti at Te Wera or somewhere in that neighbourhood and as nothing was known of the expedition until very lately it is possible he may drop across him - Porter says Ropata thinks more of hunting Te Kooti than collecting the Urewera - The expedition will report on arrival at Ruatahuna - Another party of Hau Haus came in the other day to Wairoa from Waikaremoana most of them Wairo a Natives and a good many women and children. The Elections here are all right I have asked J. Rhodes to propose you and J. Begg to second you - the little agitation that was getting up in consequence of R.M. Rochfort has subsided since I told them he was to be otherwise provided for - Gisborne must not forget it for the man is really an idiot and quite unfit for his place - Care must be taken about his successor - I dont know