Wallingford October 26th./66 My dear McLean, The one of the three mounted men who will return to Napier now will be here directly and I send you just a line by him. You will have heard from me by the mail that Hamilton will go home to his Station from here. Serjt. Hodges I will keep for a week in case of wanting some one. Today I sent word to McDonnell --- Lord etc. to return to Napier and report themselves to you. I also told you I had ordered one of the Waipawa policemen to be ready to start with despatches to you at any time. This wd. enable you to hear from me in one day which is all the six ordelies wd. do and in the meantime the orderlies moving about alarm people unnecessarily. Please have instructions sent to the Waipawa policemen to obey my orders this will prevent any mistake. Henare Matua wrote me to say that he is gone himself down to Castle Point, where he will hear any news that is going. He will come back at once and come to me with the news on his return. I shall keep Hodges until then and send him probably on to you with any news I may get. Ihakara goes into Manawatu to see himself that proper precautions are taken to advise us of any move in that direction. So that I hope even if the Hau Hau party did come, you wd. know of it in Napier 2 days before they wd. be at Porangahau. Really these Maories are decent people --- shd. we get our own countrymen to move about on our errands as they do, without any word at all about pay for it. Dont forget please the ammunition for the Militia (long rifles) and when you send it you may as well also send (if you have them) a few stand of arms, to be in my charge in case of their being wanted. These Natives adhere to their opinion that you will have war parties from Uriwera and Waikato to avenge Te Rangihiroa and they say that if they come that then probably Ngairo may come too. What a disgrace it is to Wellington to allow that scoundrel Ngairo to upset the whole Wairarapa and threaten this District besides. Henare and the Natives here assure me he could not bring more than 120 men with him if he came. Please hand the enclosed to Smith I am sorry not to have better news for him they have not treated him well at all in the Sheriff business. I will add a line to this if there be any news before the orderly starts. Yours very truly, J.D. Ormond. Please post the enclosed letter for me. One o'clock --- Friday --- No news of any kind to add to this. Hamilton is going home. The other men are to you with this --- and Hodges I keep here for a few more days. I saw by the Wellington papers that Hamilton was off to the Wairarapa --- possibly something may come of his visit.