Poverty Bay Sept. 4, 1866 My dear Sir I have to acknowledge yours of the 11th August which I received by the "Sturt". There is nothing stirring here at present. The Natives are all anxious to put in as many potatoes as possible and their attention seems to be pretty well taken up with matters of that sort. I believe the survey of the petroleum district is pretty nearly completed, and notice has been posted here for a session of the Native Land Court here in the course of a few days. If the District is to come under the N. Z. Settlements Act, it is a pity it should not be proclaimed at once, for while it is exceedingly desirable that the resources of this part of the country should be developed as speedily as possible it is no less desirable that the action of the Government should be in no degree embarrassed by any such operations. Henare Potae and Karauria are quarrelling I believe at Uawa about the Hauhau land there. I do not quite understand the rights of the case, but one or other of them wishes to put in a claim on his own behalf for the land owned by the Hauhau section of the population - to confiscate it in fact for his own benefit. The question of annexation is settled probably by this time, but we know nothing about it yet, being sadly behindhand in Southern news owing to the fact that the Steamer did not come on from Napier. Our greatest inconvenience arising from that circumstance is that which concerns our English letters. We have not been able to send any for the mail which leaves Wellington this week. The overland mail to Napier used to be tolerably sure though it was slow, and the restoration of it would be felt by all the inhabitants of the district as a great boon. Has anything more been heard of the copy of the Maori dictionary which you were kind enough to enquire for for me some time ago? Hoping soon to hear of our annexation to Hawke's Bay I remain Yours very truly W. L. Williams