Poverty Bay 22 July 1866 My dear Fraser You will be glad to hear that the First Rangers were discharged without any trouble they gave up their arms quietly and had no much of a spree when they were paid. I sent Wilson up to their camp a few days before they were discharged so as to be in readiness should anything occur. They have one grievance via. those men who enlisted in Wellington claim a passage there. It is hard on them I must say for they have been obliged to remain here paying 35/- a week for board and lodging because there has been no means by which they could have got away. They have sent me a letter which I have forwarded to Holt not knowing where you are and so much time would be lost if you are still at Wairoa waiting for instruction for I suppose all you could do would be to forward it to the Defence Office. A letter of Watts' I have sent to the Defence office also about his pay and future proceedings. I have sent you an Official about the change of position from Kohangakarearea to a place between Goldsmiths and Wylies. It is but seldom now that the Ry River is fordable so that ifany thing was to happen there such a small detachment would be in a nice mess not many would get away alive but independentent of that it is in itself a bad position. I do not think that it is of much consequence commanding a road in New Zealand as Maoris can come down one gully pretty nearly as well as another it is only a little harder work for the first few men to knock down the fern. Amongst the natives it is generally believed that Aneru will come down here as soon as the new potatoes are ripe Raharuhi quite expects them he told Wylie the other day that unless something happened in another part of the island to draw him off he would come without fail. What truth there may be in all this I know not but I think it would be foolish not be as well prepared as possible Hatere came to me the other day and told me so little did he like the looks of things that he wished me to send for some more Ngatiporous that of course I could not agree to but he is gone to Morgan to tell him all about it and if he will some more men down I hope he will. If I can get leave to move the position I shall take all the timber that was intended for the other house in this redoubt and have that put up first and then move the men and make them fortify the place. I have written officially to Fraser to be allowed to move the men from Kohanga karearea to a much better position on this side the river above a Goldsmiths. I really do not think where they are now is safe for such a small number of men and us for their guarding a particular road it is just as easy for a Maori to come down one hill as another so I look upon that as of not much consequence. I am much obliged for your letter I wish you could have got the Maori petition earlier but Robert took it farther along the coast than he ought to have done and that is the cause of its delay. No fresh news here. Campbell is up not before he is wanted. Rice has been trying to do his worst but owns I hear that he has not succeeded in doing anything at all. A. Tuke is back from the Chathams I shall strengthen Kohanga kareareia with his men. I hope the/H.B.V. will get land though I hear there is not much change of it. Reginald Newton Biggs.