Hokianga, June 9th, 1861. My dear Sir, I wrote to you last on the 28th ultimo in answer to yours, and a very thick headed production you would think my letter, my head being at the time cram full of figures squareing up accounts (dn.them) with a ship I had been loading - I saw more in your letter than was actually written, and believe there was a meaning in the enquiries you made I therefore now write to you again to say that I shall see you soon and give you particular information no one else can give you - I have for years forseen we would have a row with the Southern natives and have been quietly influencing and preparing the Native mind here (''delightful task to rear the tender thought, to teach the young idea how to '') to be ready for it in case they are needed. I have done this by certain agents of whom one of the most active has been Te Hira Ngaropo - he and he alone acting under my directions it is who has converted all the Rarawa into loyal Queens men he it was who Busby or Puhipi and the rest at the north end of the tribe - all the Ngapuhi in Hokianga are also converted (I like the word converted - it has a sort of church missionary sound) but the whole of those Ngapuhi hapu on the east or Bay of Islands side - is without doubt now the head chief of that section of the Ngapuhi he talks fair words but hangs fire Now should turn out with a will you may say you are sure of the whole of the Ngapuhi tribe who I really seriously believe to be the best fighting men in the country - I have never seen in my life that I know of but I know the secret that will cause him to take arms as I shall explain when I see you. I told you in my last that I would leave here for Auckland in about ten days - I must stay a week longer - for the whole Tarawa and all the Ngapuhi at Hokianga are going to muster under arms near my place under pretence of a hakari but in reality to give some few chiefs and myself who are in the secret a good opportunity of reviewing men and arms and ascertaining numbers before we go to Auckland - there is not a Pakeha in N.Z. land knows the real meaning of this but you and I. Should we be ''going in to win'' at Waikato, dont be in a hurry just wait till I come to see you for I can give you the whole story how to make a general turn out of the whole north. I shall start for Auckland as soon as the meeting is over I shall then be able to do better viva voce than on paper. Meantime I need hardly caution not to say a word of what I write you to any one particularly natives ( would be it) except to his Excellency the Governor - there need not be a shadow of doubt on your mind what I say can be done and easily if set about properly. Excuse haste, and believe me Yours very truly, F. E. Maning. P.S. I have been reading your ''report'' in the papers and have a sort of misgiving that you are turning ! E.E.M.