Thursday Septr. 4th 1866 My dear McLean Welcome back. I shall try to run down to see you but I am very busy. I hope you will be able to settle matters at Petane and Titiokura without much trouble. Some say they want to give in. I hope they may do so and get sent to Chatham Island. At any rate I shall be very glad to hear when you consider it safe for me to replace my sheep on the country from which I was obliged to remove them - I fear Poverty Bay is lost, but if so, we shall be virtually the winners for all except the Aucklanders of those whose opinions were of consequence were with us, evidently. I wish you would come up and see us as soon as the Council is over. I want to talk Poverty Bay over with you from a private point of view, as you cannot be debarred now by public duty. Believe me Very truly yours G. S. Whitmore P.S. What about poor Green?