question and shall await any other orders which your Excellency may send me. In my report I have not alluded to the ferry reserves or the Native reserves previously noticed to your Excellency as the option of all these affairs rests in your Excellencys hands before the district is conveyed to the Company. I remain, My dear Sir, Yours most respectfully, Donald McLean. Wanganui, June 5, 1849. My dear Sir, By todays mail I have the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 28th ult. I am most desirous to carry out your views respecting the acquisition of more land on this coast especially at Manawatu and shall visit that river in the course of a fortnight to ascertain what terms can be made with the natives if a purchase can be advantageously effected, I shall go on at once with operations in that quarter although I am not very sanguine that there is a general disposition on the part of the natives to dispose of much land there, beyond what they consider themselves indebted to the Company for the goods originally paid for that district. I have told the chiefs of Manawatu that they are in honor bound to restore an equivalent in land for these goods and they seem convinced of the propriety of doing so. A claim is therefore already established which I shall endeavour to turn to the best advantage but should I forsee at Manawatu that considerable time would be occupied in carrying out