Wellington Novr 1st My dear Donald I am not a little disapointed at not getting home today in the 'Lord Ashley'. Indeed I am greatly cut up at it, but I could not think of leaving poor Mr Strang with strangers and parting with the Tanners is putting him about as you know small matters do. But nothing but illness will keep me from going home on the 15th. I do so long to be with you all & thereby feel that my stay will be but short, but I am very happy and quite feel that a kind & more honorable man I could not have chosen than Robert Hart. In fact he is the soul of affection. He is much improved in health in "every" way and all his family are so kind & so pleased that he is going to have a home of his own & doing all they can for our comfort. The house will not be required till the Session break in January. George Hart is adding to his place at York Bay and it will not be done till then. You see what Hart says with regard to having the marriage down here. He is most anxious to have Mrs Park at it and it would be too far for her to go to Napier. I don't want to be married here. I wish to be married out of my natural home "your house". Still if it was to interfere with his duties as a government officer I would not oppose it, but we will see when I go up. I have not yet got the money from Bethune but I hope to do with much less than you my own dear brother so generously allowed me but really things are so expensive it is astonishingly how the money goes but I will not put you to more expence than I can help. The carpet was sold before I got your letter. The one at Napier will perhaps suit you better. Your gallant generalship has been much spoken of down here. Mr Stafford spoak of it in glowing terms at Mr Ward's where I was at dinner. Indeed everyone speaks of it & you may well be proud of your people. Dear Mrs Whitmore. I will enclose her letter. She speaks so nicely & so like herself. The prospects of, God willing, having you and my dear Annabella in my own house next Session is one of my brightest hopes. I hope you will not be annoyed with me for not going home today but I could not think of leaving the poor old man in distress. I see from dear good Mr Kinross letter that the news has gone up to Napier. It is quite public down here now. I shall write to Archy today as I think it my dutty to do so and he may feel annoyed at hearing of it from strangers & not from myself. I am so thankful to hear from Anna that you are improving every day in health and Scully told me that you were only four and twenty hours in Napier when you looked a different man. What charming accounts of our boy. What a nice creature Mrs Bethune must be. My dear brother Ever yr aff. Catherine McLean