Army and Navy Club 27 Feby. 1865 20th Feby. begun. My dear McLean I write in good time so as to be sure not to miss the mail. If anything new turns up I will write a few lines by way of P. S. You will have me back at Hawkes Bay about June I think if all goes well, I am to be married on the 11th of March and think I shall get away early in April. Do not disappoint me about J. A. Smiths house - for I shall bring out servants etc. and calculate upon it I have not yet fixed upon a vessel having been only a few days at home - but as soon as I have I shall make arrangements for the proper transport of acclimatisation animals. I sent twenty red legged partridges to N. Zealand from Cairo by a N. Z. passenger. I expect to receive from you the instructions about emigrants, for when I get these I can get a superior class. I am going to bring out several other persons, of small capital and shall do a good bit for our Province you'll see. affair I shall also put on a satisfactory footing and hope you will be able to do your part of the affair. This business if we carry it out will make your fortune and mine. I hope you will all like my little girl when I bring her out. She will give herself no airs, and if people can't get on with her it will be their own fault I am sure not hers, for she has had a difficult card to play for some time in her own family and has steered so clear of trouble and is so much liked by all her friends that I am sure she will not commit my fault of making enemies. At all events I hope she will be able to stand the place, for I confess Mrs. P. Russell's determined dislike of it made me afraid that ladies not reared in the rough would find it hard to get on even if they liked it in some respects. We shall bring out servants which at all events at first will make matters smoother - If I can get J. A. Smiths house for the present and a little furniture till I can look about me, I think I'll come to live at Napier. If not I shall take a house at Wellington or Auckland for my wife at first and look about me, I hope with our party, the birds, the emigrants and some freight to be able to persuade the shippers to send a powerful vessel to Napier to discharge and go on to some other Port. If I can do this not only shall I make a great economy but I shall be able to bring animals out all right. If I cannot get a ship to come direct to Napier I shall not bring out a menagerie at all I think for the expence and trouble of bringing such things from one place to another shipping and unshipping would be considerable. If I can get a good ship direct I'll fit up a cabin properly and arrange besides to have some ready made frame on board which could be at once erected ashore and suit all the cabin fittings of the ship. By this means there wd. be no waste, no shifting birds from cage to cage, nor much frightening which kills birds horridly. I have had long interviews with Cardwell and all the swells I think Grey's star is rather setting hereabouts. Everybody however is so anxious about the expected war with America that there is some difficulty in getting them to think much about New Zealand. I am very much afraid that we have a war with America. Things are looking very fishy and I find people begin to be glad to hear of our Troops coming home as they think we may need them all. At all events if you read Mr. Sewards letter in the Times of the 23rd Feby. and the article of the 27th in relation to it, you will understand how much ground there is for alarm - I have not yet gone down to see your boy but you may suppose I have a good deal to do for the moment and must plead that excuse I shall report of him to you by next mail. Goodbye old fellow remember me to all friends and Believe me Very sincerely yours G. S. Whitmore