Poverty Bay 17 July 1867 My dear Mr. McLean I will get the walnut trees you mentioned in your note the Archdeacon tells me he has but few left having given nearly all away lately. What I can get shall be sent down to Napier as soon as possible I see by the last Hawkes Bay Herald, you have had a fight in the Council Buchanan as usual being the enemy. There is one thing which I wish you could get done while you are in Wellington viz. have the lock up here proclaimed as such when Richmond was here he ordered the building in the Redoubt to be divided into three rooms the one at the end I have used as a temporary place of confinement but I believe criminals can not be sentenced to be confined in it until it is proclaimed there is a European Constable appointed to the District so that no extra expense need be incurred indeed it would save the Govt. a good deal of money as all the prisoners have now to be sent to Auckland. The loyal natives are now getting their own (and a good deal of Hau Hau also) land surveyed. The Govt. surveying has been stopped for a time but the surveyors have plenty of work to keep them employed for some time Preece of Auckland is getting some if it done. Some of the natives are very determined to keep all the land if they can. Have you heard anything about the new religion at Wharekauri? The guard that has just returned spread the report here and the natives of this District are very much annoyed at it as preventing the chance of any of the prisoners returning soon. I shall be going to the Wairoa the beginning of next month to try and finish the money part of the business there. Paul who was here when the land Court sat says the Maoris want money now instead of the 1000 acres of land, on the left banks of the river which was to have been cut up into 50 acres sections for them a good thing I think as then that block will be intact. Yours very truly Reginald Newton Biggs