Auckland 6 Jan. 63 My dear Sir, I received your letter dated Christmas day immediately after returning from Kaipara on a land expedition and I can assure you it was a great relief to me to see your round handwriting again. To begin I went up to see Bell at once who was then engaged with Walton on the subject of the Wairoa dispute he told me he had had a communication with you relating to the superintendency at Hawkes Bay referred to in your letter to me and that he had written to you on the subject. He also said that in the event of your accepting the offer you would under the circumstances of being employed under the General Govt. be subject to a penalty of £20 a day under the disqualification act of this he has assured me that he has written to you fully and it is unnecessary for me to say more. I am greatly obliged for the 2 bags of grass seed which you will send up and I shall set apart a piece of land especially for the purpose of sowing it on scientific principles. The "Victoria" is not likely to go back again to Napier having been purchased by 'Paora Tuhuru' for £1400 - the land is now being surveyed to meet the amount and I suppose it will be all right in the space of a month - In this case I hope you will let me know what vessel the seed is likely to arrive by so that I may know when to send in the cart for it. The Govr. is off to Ngaruawahia on a peace expedition I believe the natives have invited him to come and see them and what the result will be is at present a mystery - Johnston and Searancke are here with Ti and 80 of his party but we wanted you here sadly to talk to the people. Bell is I believe talking of addressing the mob tomorrow or the next day on the disputed ground but how he will show up I dont know it requires careful handling and he is certainly a practical man and I have no doubt will stagger through it all right but we want you here to polish the people off - We are going on in the usual way at Mount Albert I told them last night that you had written to me and Mrs.Farr desired me to wish you all the compts. of the season and many returns of the same. I am about to add one or two places in the shape of rooms to Mount Albert and whenever you and any of yours come up here dont forget to come out to With regard to the loan I must mention that to you incidentaly and as the Govt. have some idea of increasing my pay upon which you may expect to receive a long letter from me when I get it and not till then as I dont know yet what to be about whether to go in for direct purchase or not and so everything here is decidedly mystical I am unable to say much to you at present until we know on which particular basis we stand whether it is on our heels or our heads we stand. I am very anxious to hear from you about the superintendency of Hawkes Bay, and I hope as usual that everything will turn out right in the end - Will you kindly remember me to your brother and all your friends with Mr. and Mrs. Campbell who I am glad to know are more contented with their present abode than Auckland - Ferrard I saw yesterday and is much pleased with the trip he had to Whangarei I send you a paper in which you flourish as the intended superintendent of the province of Hawke. Searancke enquired for you and desires to be remembered to you. I am carry on still at Mount Albert ploughing and all that which I suppose I shall never see any return for but I am in for it and must go on. Coromandel is a hoax and Otakou is a great fact. Everything here is going to be very dear this year - I send you a reference as a matter of form - Always yours J. Rogan I shall get leave of absence and go down to see you when everything is right.