7 July 1859 Maraekakaho My dear Donald We had one day of very heavy rain Tuesday last. It has flooded the rivers considerable and prevented us one day from out door work. We are getting on with the plowing a little better. Gascoyne begins to find it is no use to stand out. The other day he sautered away his time in the morning before going for the cattle and I told old Archy to go who went at once and when he found that he goes now without any bother. It is a great hardship to break people in after the bad practice they acquired. Alexander is past ever being brought into any early habbits and he has got always such a disagreeable way when I tell him about pushing ahead and getting work done I find it is better to let him be. He always thinks I have no right or finds all kind of faults. He has no idea of any push or time. Let it pass any way. No application only on the spirit of the moment. All his hobby is a horse and away but for all that he is a capital man among stock but full of mistery and no wish to impart anything he knows to others. It hurts me very much to find him so indolent and so headstong. When he goes away to Acatea I will commence hauling the timber for fencing myself and then astonish him again when he returns. I wanted a few loads to commence with the other day and he told me I might go myself but that I would not get the cattle which hurt me very much to be striving against my good wishes but there is no use to say anything to him. The only way is to work round him quietly to get anything at all done for without he had a ship load of men round him he cannot do any good for he never will do much himself. Any time that he does any thing is perhaps take hold of the plow when there is already two working at it. Never thinks of coming to assist or help by myself however I do not care if he will take proper care of the main thing and keep steady. I do believe he understands stock first rate. He says always when he has a gripe or two that if my wife was out he would alter as he thinks she is better than me. I wish he would be brought to take the pledge. You might in your quiet way work round him. It would make a great difference in him. I am [incomplete letter]