Westoe, Marton, 28. 3. 74 My dear McLean, We arrived home two days ago, after a very interesting trip, thanks mainly to the kind attentions of the Constabulary, the result of your notification, and without which we should certainly not have got through. I wrote you a line from Runanga telling you of our failure to get through by Tuhua and Murimutu. This gave us a good deal of additional riding, but we releived the tediousness of the road by spending a day or two with Tanner, S. Williams and Stokes. The Napier to Palmerston road is by far the finest in the Colony - practically dead level from sea to sea, and very well constructed. The Gorge is almost equal, in some respects superior to the celebrated Otira between X'Ch and Hokitika but the road itself far surpasses the Canterbury one or any other in N. Zd. I saw Ormond as we came through, but did not stop as we had slept at Petane and wanted to get on to Tanners before dinner. I duly signed requisitions for the Oats I used at the Constabulary Stations, which were a very great convenience to me, as but for them I never could have got the horses through. Will you be so good as request the Department to send me an account when I will remit the amount. Mrs. Fox unites in kind remembrances to Miss McLean and Mrs. Hart. I remain, Yours very faithfully, William Fox P. S. I will send you a few suggestions for the development of the hot springs etc. as soon as I get time.