negotiations should be clearly ascertained before any Communication was made to you, in the hope that the final issue would have been more satisfactory than it is - We were all hoping that each day would bring about a friendly settlement of the question. We left Shortland on the 25 April for Ohinemuri, with The Ngatimarus, The Ngatipaoa in the meantime having gone up the Piako with Mr.Macky - On our arrival at Ohinemuri we found Te Hira ready to receive us and had postponed his visit to the Kuiti on that account -some of his immediate followers had already left for the Aroha in consequence of the rumoured approach of the Ngatihauas and the Waikatos