Natives are of much use to you in the field and it would avoid confusion if only a few of them were taken with the troops as guides, I merely hint at this for your own consideration. I am getting the cases of robbery perpretated on the out settlers adjusted by the chiefs, and recently I have had interviews with the Thames tribes who profess friendship so that if we are attacked by the Waikatos they are not likely to join. I can assure you I have my hands full of work at present with but scanty encouragement from the assembly for all my services but when a person's duties are conscientiously discharged he need not care much about popular