Auckland 23 July 63 My dear Sir I received your letter yesterday by mere accident. The bubble has burst at last. War to the knife here. The commencement was 2 murders near my place at Drury. On the 17th an escort was attacked on the Great South Road 5 of our men killed and 11 or 12 wounded about the same time the General was attacked between Koheroa and Maramarua which terminated in a complete defeat for the lower Waikato. They have lost 100 men on the best authority we have 2 killed and 11 wounded. Yesterday the news came in that a man was murdered near Papakura. The troops from Drury went out and were surrounded by the natives in the bush 2 men killed and some wounded while I am now writing they are fighting at Drury in the bush and I need not tell you that that is the strength of the Maori. We have only made a beginning here and I see plainly as we have foreseen long ago that we shall suffer heavy loss - The blow is so sudden that people here cannot yet realize the actual state of things and as to the Govt. you never saw anything like the state of things here. No one to manage the natives, Bell and Domett doing opposite courses one arming and the other disarming the natives altogether such confusion worse confounded you never heard of now in Taranaki. I send you a copy of the Memo which I got from Friend just now regarding the travelling allowance which I hope is the one you require. We are all well at Mount Albert but the war has ruined me already. They have taken my people away for soldiers at the front and Cows, Horses, and everything I had on the place will have to be sold for a mere song. As Major Whitmore is going to Napier you will have all the news better than I can write it - You will have to be very careful at Napier. Never mind what the expense is to the Province for protection it will bear it all if we can hold our ground. The feeling of the people here against the natives who are really quiet is unworthy of English men. I am afraid the whole thing will end in a general war. At present the whole of the Northern tribes are quiet. Write soon if anything serious occurs, and Believe me always Yours very truly J. Rogan Mrs. Sharland came out from England with her eldest daughter who took ill and died a day or two after landing at Taranaki. Goods eldest girl died about the same time of diptheria.