the intention of not writing a long letter, I must keep to my promise of not being tedious on this occasion, especially as I am going to take the liberty of asking you to further a little matter of business for me, when you are in Auckland; which is, if it does not inconvenience you - to pay a sum of £10 to a shoemaker there named Rooney, who furnishes me with shoes, and to whom I send a note in the event of your leaving that sum with him; that he may know how it is to be disposed of; and I shall avail myself of the first-careful opportunity that offers to return the Ten Pounds; or should any person of your acquaintance be coming here, you will, perhaps draw on me for the amount. Hoping you will excuse my asking this favour, I remain my dear Fisher Yours sincerely (Signed) Donald McLean. Thursday, February 24th. (no year date.) Had an interview with Mr. Bell, when I told him that I had heard the natives must have been conveying false impressions to him, respecting the Omata Reserve; and that I had checked Bob, one of the native Police, for so doing; when, to my astonishment, Mr. Bell told me that he would continue to hold Meetings with the natives, and endeavour to get them to represent to the Governor the propriety of doing away with the Reserve; that he was made a scapegoat and liar of, in the transaction; and should use every endeavour to prove the position he took was a correct one, and one he determined to maintain to the utmost; that had I consulted him there would be no difficulty whatever on the subject; that he had not heard anything from Bob respecting the Reserve; that the natives were furious about it, and used strong language which he endeavoured to suppress, but that he would himself accompany the natives to the Governor, to get him to do away with the Reserve, which he deemed it highly improper to make without his concurrence; stated that he would write to me when the next meeting with the natives on the subject would take place. After I had told him that the most candid way of meeting any difficulty with the natives, in which I, on the part of the Government, was