Te Wairoa April 13th 1865 To his Honor Donald MacLean Esq. My dear Sir, I write this under much haste, and amidst much excitement, which I trust you will kindly accept as an excuse for any abruptness or extreme brevity which may be apparent in my communication. That we are in some confusion you will readily divine when I state that we have over an hundred and twenty Pi mariris located on the other side of the river and that there are three hundred more on the march down here from Newhaka where they were camped last night. What we have now earnestly to request at your hand, as the greatest possible kindness that you can show us, is, as follows. We feel some uneasiness in reference to our position here. Relying fully on your considerate promise, that our right of holding should be secured to us, so far as it could be done, by giving us the privilege of appraisement of improvements, we have built on our bit of land a large house, containing 12 rooms, at an expense of between 4 and 500 £s, for the sole purpose of providing the accommodation so much needed in this place. As the house will be under the management of my wife, you will feel assured of its being properly and ably conducted. We wish to make it a Private Boarding House under the Boarding House Act. We wish therefore to obtain some protection under your hand, as our entire future prospects are necessarily dependent on the success of our present adventure. You are well aware that our circumstances are very limited, more especially since the unlucky affair of Waikopupu. I was most anxious to have paid you a visit in Napier, but at present cannot afford it. There is much I could say personally to you, which it would be difficult to write. Trusting most sincerely that it may please Providence to restore you to health and strength once more, not only on your own account but on all our accounts, indeed my dear Sir, I may say you are the only efficient friend I have in this hemisphere, and that you alone stand between me and mine, and utter ruin. I hope you will pardon my warmth, but such really is the fact. I do not know who are the press correspondents from this place, but this I know that no reliance whatever can be placed in the truthfulness of their statements. My old neighbour and early friend Major Lambert, has this morning enrolled most of us in the Militia, and kindly promises in conjunction with yourself, to render us every assistance possible in this most trying epoch of our destinies. With every heartfelt wish for your health and welfare I remain your Honors most obliged and faithful servant G. Worgan