Danesfort, Paeroa
29 December 1902
Dear Partridge
Yours of 27th to hand, I wrote to W H Grace and G T Wilkinson on
the 23rd as to the chances of getting up the war dance at
Otorohanga- but have not as yet received any reply from them. In
any case I will have to run up to Otorohanga and fix up the thing
in the first instance, then I shall be better able to judge if I
require any outside Natives over and above those at Otorohanga and
its neighbourhood. I fear Te Heuheu is too far off to get him to
come and the expense would be heavy. I can get 7 or 8 fairly
good
fellows here and their railway fares would not be heavy from here
to Otorohanga and back. We would have food to pay for [].
I suppose I am right in assuming that you wish the war party taken
by instantaneous photography and then painted in oils by Herr
Lindauer as soon as he can manage it afterwards. I suppose that
you, Herr Lindauer and the Photographer will all meet at Otorohanga
and then proceed to business. The train comes there M. T. Wednesday
from Auckland.
I am a little handicapped at present as Mrs. Mackay is only just
recovering from a very severe attack of inflammation of the lungs,
and I cannot leave home for a few days yet.
In haste
Yours truly
James Mackay