Auckland July 20th. [no year] 1863 My dear McLean, As I have written officially to Whit-more, I refer you to my letter to him for news of what is going on here. Indeed I cannot write at any length myself, to either of you; because my eyes will not allow me to read or write for myself, and I have to get everything read to me, and to dictate all that has to be sent out. It is not only an immense nuisance to me, but what is worse, consumes so mush time that I can't do half what I ought. You will see that we are fighting in Waikato, and when it will end no one can tell. I have always thought that Waikato would choose the Hunua Ranges as their battle-ground; and we may yet find it so. No doubt we are only at the threshold of a terrible struggle. But the Genarl seems confident that he can do it; and the first action being a success, may give us a prestige. But I am very uneasy as to the state of the Sputh, - indeed, at Auckland, we can't say we are in any security, for the Militia are raw levies and not used to arms. Many of them never fired a rifle. You will receive a supply of arms by this vessel. The "Caroline" would have been sent to you 4 days ago, but Domett wanted to get the General's answer to Whitmore's plan, which has been before the Government ever since Whitmore was here. Pitt has 400 men in his Corps, and the General sent down yesterday a command for 550 Militia to go to Otahuhu, in order that Pitt's force might move to Drury. As to his sending for 100 more men, I don't think he will listen to it. He is in want of every man he has; and the Australian Brig. Gen. Chute, won't send any reinforcements. In a letter I received from you, at Taranaki, you wanted to know about Waitara. It is a long story and I have not sight to write it to you. But the chief points were that Teira himself stated that W. Kingi had been placed at the Waitara by the desire of the tribe as security against Ngatimaniapoto - not for his convenience. Secondly, there were about 200 of Kingi's people living there at the time of the sale, and up to nearly the Proclamation of Martial Law. Thirdly, Teira said he was promised a reserve of 200 acres, at, or about Huriapa. This it became evident that the purchase had not been made on the same principle as the other purchases by the Crown, for it was never heard that a body of men should be ejected from land where they had been placed by consent of the tribe. Not that all these facts altered the view we had in 1860, that the war was not about title to a piece of land, but an insurrection against the Crown's authority. But they proved that what I always said was right, namely, that the Government ought never to have asserted that the title was good. The wonder is that none of these things came out, ever, at any debate, or in the voluminous pamphelts of Martin, Hadfield and the rest. They often shaved the truth pretty near, but never hit it. It is not for any row here that I care, but there will be most surely be a great storm in England. As to the abandonment - I still think it was wise; for, though it was a great humiliation, it has placed the present war on a ground which no one can possibly dispute. For the first time in New Zealand history, you will see that confiscation of rebel's land is determined on. How this will operate in the minds of the natives is, of course, doubtful; but one thing is certain - that the colony will not pay the cost of another war for nothing. It must be secured against future wars, by making safe frontiers everywhere. My eyes are telling me to stop. I am very happy to think you and Tihihune get on so well. You have both a hard task; indeed we all have at this time. Yours ever very truly (Signed) F. D. Bell