From the excellence of the climate and soil the easy river communication and the short distance from Napier I am of opinion that 20 acres of land here would be of equal value to 50 acres in almost any other part of the Province - There is a considerable trade as it is, and the settlement of an English community would vastly increase the present native traffic - On the North side of the river there is a block of splendid land of some 4000 acres of Flat, almost wholly unused by its Native Owners - every way specially adapted for a settlement - and apart from every other consideration, I conceive that nothing would so throghly convince the natives of the sincerity of their professions than for the Government to become the tenants directly of the native owners - It would tend mainly to remove the prevalent notion in the native mind that it is only a question of time when that the Govt. will have disposed of their present foes, and turn round