Wallingford May 18th./64 My dear McLean, I have yours of the 12th. instant written from Auckland and trust you have been successful and will come back with a good force at your back. If report says truly the effect of their presence will at all eents be beneficial. Last mail brought me a few lines from Locke he reports Paora Toke as returned and a number of followers with him. Also that a section of the Ureweras were following him. If these reports were true we may have trouble brought on our hands at last by the miserable Petane section. Locke begged me to come down at once to Napier. I would willingly do so, and as in your absence I have no authority and I should not willingly come in contact with Whitmore unless we were in a position to demand what we thought necessary or regio. I say we, in such cases, because there has been a general uniformity of opinion between us on these subjects. I will not write you much tonight as on your return you may find a very altered state of things to what has been reported to me, or to what you expect. Should you however find that a crisis has arrived I shall depend upon your sending for me and you may depend as usual on my prompt attention - every assistance in my power. Unless circumstances peremptorarily demand it we should stave off calling the out-setters in. Such a step once taken the effect cannot be recalled. At the same time the responsibility of not calling them in in a case of actual necessity is very great and with disastrous results the blame is of course commensurate. Not that blame or praise is the thing to seek or to be actuated by unders such circumstances but rather to endeavour to steer such a course as will be wise without trenching on temerity. I shall however expect to be st for in the event of your finding things critical. I propose sending the family to Napier about the end of the present month before the roads get bad, but shall not be down myself unless required until later. At what date do you propose to call the council for. It must be sometime in June and I shd. think about the middle of the month unless something particular shd. interfere to prevent it. As far as one can judge of the Natives in the neighbourhood nothing is further from their intention than to be troublesome. They are building houses and otherwise employed in industrial pursuits. Hopingto hear from you immediately on your return, Always Yours sincerely, J. D. Ormond.