as of course no soul has heard anything from me. What is said is that you have decided Te Kooti is to remain at large and that no further steps will be taken for his capture or that of any other murderers. I give it you as it has come from Poverty Bay. At Taupo the road work is going on all right. Ngatiraukawa have been constantly communicating with me asking for work on the Niho o te Kiore road and I have told Bold to lay it off and let it to them. We shall see directly whether they are in earnest. The Rotorua natives Ngati Whakahue declined to take piece work and want daily pay - they were to have done the road from Rotorua to Niho o te Kiore. I expect they will soon accept the terms offered them - at any rate we could not commence daily pay system on the roads. I find the Arawa