Letter from F.D. Bell to Donald McLean Esq. dated 29th. October 1854 or 1856. COPY Wellington 29th. October 1854 My dear McLean, I have this moment returned from Wairarapa, where I had a meeting with Manihera, Waha, and the rest of them, about the boundary of the Kuratawiti Block. Manihera insists that the line of the new town is to be the boundary between them and the whites; and pleads Sir G. Grey's promise that their Papawai town shall have around it plenty of available land. The misfortune of this is that lots of people who would go up at once to their allotments, are stopped, and great discouragement and discontent prevails. Several families are located already on the spot, and seem to like it extremely; and altogether there is no fear of the settlement progressing rapidly and prosperously, if the Reserve question were only settled, Manihera told me you had never said there was to be a town there; and as usual, they grumbled and complained. Of course I defended you; and the result was their coming round on that point. But I could do nothing with them about putting back the boundary a bit, so as to let occupation go on by the small farmers; who are, many of them, horribly disgusted at the obstacle to their possession.