April 22nd., 1857. My dear Mr. McLean, I have just received by an indirect channel your (private) note of 12th. April in which you inform me that in about 10 days you will be back from Waikato and will then come down here. If your arrangements will admit it I think it would be advisable for you to defer for a week or two your visit here until I communicate with you and for this reason. The Natives are now all away to Taupo about the tangi over Hou Ouru, and until they return I can neither get men to carry my things over to Oira, or the people to point out the land. As soon as they return I shall immediately proceed with them to the spot and when the survey is made come to Auckland with the plan unless I should meet you on my way. I am in receipt of the land list and am obtaining quietly all information on the subject of the locale of the claims. Webster's claim (Kevens) will take me a few days while waiting for the natives to return. Pray excuse this bush scrawl. Yours, my dear Mr. McLean, Very faithfully, Charles Heaphy. Petine tells me the Oira is a very large track of land, and it will take three days to go over it before surveying.