Auckland, Dec. 21. 1865 My dear Maclean, I am as anxious as you are to get the Land Court fairly started at Napier, but I know by experience the great disgust that is excited in claimants' minds by having a Court fixed and as would be the case, altho' a Court were held, if they were no surveys. I have inserted a notice in the Prov. Gazette of Auckland inviting Surveyors to go down to Napier where there is a lot of work. I received by last mail a letter from Hori Niania Te Awatua telling me that three of his blocks Te Tamumu, Te Wapukurau and Tamaki are Reserves which have already been surveyed -- on the strength of that, and , I wrote to him saying that I would fix a Court -- And I have inserted all the other claims in the Notice hoping that by that time some of them at least would be surveyed. I have fixed the Court for Feby. 27. If you will help them on with their surveys we may do a good stroke of business -- Please get them sent up for examination by Heaphy. They will certainly get their Grants within a month after the adjudication. Tell Ormond I am writing to him. Ever yours truly, F.D. Fenton. P. S. Poor Smith arrived in town yesterday dreadfully ill -- He had to be carried up from the Steamer, though recovering -- typhoid fever --