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English
Turanganui 19 June 1866 My dear Mr. McLean One of Anau's women has just come in with several letters from him to the chiefs here from which you will see that he is for doing as much mischief as possible. He has given up the Hau Hau religion and taken to the new one. You will also see that he urges in all his letters the necessity of being on the guard. You will perhaps remember that te Waru did the same at Wairoa. The chiefs in Turanga are very anxious that Kohanga Karearea should not be given up as a military post. When the Rangers are discharged which will be on the 8th. of next month I shall only have 40 men under me and several of the 40 can not be called effective. I hope you will urge on the government the great necessity of keeping at present a force of at least 70 men here not only for the purpose of repelling an attack but also to prevent the doubtful friends from joining the new religion. I send this to Wairoa to catch the mail to Napier so that you may have all the information I can get before going to Wellington. Fraser and staff arrived here last week in the Sturt he is I think coming back overland from Waiapu Rice and Preece from Auckland are feeling their way with the Maoris for the purposes of purchasing land. They have not got any yet besides the oil springs we have now got sulphur and salt. Yours very Truly Reginald Newton Biggs.