Waikanae, 24 Jany., 1849. My dear Sir, By the policeman that starts tomorrow morning for Wellington I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellencys letter of the 20th inst. received yesterday evening. I regret very much not being sooner aware of your Excellencys intention to visit Otaki as I should have postponed a public meeting held on Tuesday last with Te Rauparaha Rangihaeta presently at that place and the natives generally to await your Excellencys presence which would have had such a good effect with Te Rauparaha to whom however I explained on the evening previous to the meeting that it was your Excellencys desire he should render every assistance towards facilitating the present negotiations at Rangitikei. The old chief seemed proud at being noticed and considered as a supporter of the Govr. and accordingly promised his aid, stating at the same time that he made an attempt to meet your Excellency when on your way to Wellington but was too late to overtake you in passing the head of Porirua Bay. Before proceeding further I must briefly explain how I have been engaged since leaving your Excellency. I held a meeting of the Ngatiapa claimants at Awaho at which they unanimously without even one dissenting voice agreed to dispose of their land to the Govt. the boundary to commence at a Kaika tea bush 3 miles north of Manawatu extending a long distance inland excluding a tract claimed and occupied by Taratoa. After the meeting I requested the principal claimants to accompany me to Manawatu to discuss the question with the Ngatiraukawas who opposed the sale. They did so and fully adhered to their sentiments expressed to me at the meeting. Taratoa and other chiefs disclaimed their right to sell the land and protested against their selling any on the south banks of the Rangitikei stating to me if it was even paid for they should hold possession of it. Finding the natives of Manawatu were labouring under false impressions of the intentions of Govt. respecting their lands, I used every endeavour to explain to the Chiefs and parties