Te Wairoa April 13th 1865 To his Honor Donald MacLean Esq. My dear Sir, I write this under much haste, and amidst much excitement, which I trust you will kindly accept as an excuse for any abruptness or extreme brevity which may be apparent in my communication. That we are in some confusion you will readily divine when I state that we have over an hundred and twenty Pi mariris located on the other side of the river and that there are three hundred more on the march down here from Newhaka where they were camped last night. What we have now earnestly to request at your hand, as the greatest possible kindness that you can show us, is, as follows. We feel some uneasiness in reference to our position here. Relying fully on your considerate promise, that our right of holding should be secured to us, so far as it could be done, by giving us the privilege of appraisement of improvements, we have built on our bit of land a large house, containing 12 rooms, at an expense of between 4 and 500 £s, for the sole purpose of providing the accommodation so much needed in this place. As the house will be under the management of my wife, you will feel assured of its being properly and ably conducted. We wish to make it a Private Boarding House under the Boarding House Act. We wish therefore to obtain some protection under your hand, as our entire future prospects are necessarily dependent on the success of our present adventure.