Napier 10th. Oct. 1864. My dear Lambert, I have to apologise for the delay in replying to your letters all of which have come to hand. I was out of town when the first mail went out, after that I intended to go up, to your part of the district but duties down here prevented me from doing so. The Post Office question that you wrote about I acted upon at once and recommended the men to Burke so that I could not again recall that act more especially as the men were written to. The Auckland ministry have not yet replied to my letter further than to say that when Major Whitmore applied for leave that the subject referred to would be considered it seems that Whitmore had only a verbal promise of leave from Ministers and it was only after they tendered their resignation that he wrote up to have it confirmed. What a mess things are in at Auckland Ministers resigned, resignation not accepted up to the 7 inst. Prisoners at large and defiant, surveys stopped on confiscated land at Tauranga, financial difficulties increasing the Colonists abused at home, the credit of the Colony at a low ebb, and the prospects of peace as distant as ever, one of my objects in giving up to your quarter was to arrange a land dispute. The Natives have settled it down here. I am carring out your suggestion about getting the troops down from Waipaoamate. Matters are quiet down here and I trust we shall escape the difficulties that are impending in most of the other Provinces of this Island, I think you will like the new Colonel Trevor he appears a frank active man. I dined once at the mess since he arrived. Your son will have given you all the Napier views Mrs. Farish is glad to get back to Napier. Yours faithfully, Donald McLean.