if these absentees were to visit you in large numbers, which no doubt they would do, and cause much trouble to the settlers that I shall strongly impress upon Shortland the propriety of carrying out my views, and shall leave the boundaries with him for that purpose. It would be useless for me to repeat the particulars of this unhappy affair at the Bay as you have doubtless heard all the particulars before this - there is no knowing where it will all end, though I do not think there is room for apprehension for both military and naval force is pouring into the Country a schooner arrived from Auckland yesterday bringing intelligence of the arrival of the "North Star" with 220 troops, and that more are expected. Some of these are coming on here directly, and the "Victoria" is expected shortly from Hobart Town with 200 men, and the Governor has written to the admiral of the South Sea Station to send all the force he can spare so that we shall shortly be in a position to set fear at defiance so far as numbers are concerned, but still