Auckland 22nd Novr. 1862 My dear Sir, I have been waiting from day to day ever since you left expecting to hear something from Bell regarding the new order of things so as to have something to tell you but No - Except indeed that I have been turned out of your room and am now occupying Bell's old place down stairs and consequently Rice is separated from me and that there is much alteration in the rooms and every one chopping and changing about. I see little or not alteration in this model Government. A few days after you left I saw a Minute in red ink addressed to you by Bell proposing to divide £3 with you in paying for the celebrated locket, but he could not approve it on a/c of the Govt. What do you think of that eh? Shortly afterwards I saw him and he most cheerfully agreed to allow me 3/s a day forage - 5 minutes afterwards I wrote out the Memo for approval and it was returned the following day disallowed - Bell is a humbug but I suppose this fact is no information to you - I am off again to Kaipara to purchase more land the arrangements for which I have concluded since you left. Hunter Brown is to beappointed R. M. he has gone over with Smith and all the cadets for a tour of inspection and while I am writing this they are waiting for me and let them, say I. Sinclair was very impudent to me the other day about his cadets and I gave him what he did not bargain for - and packed all off to Kaipara - soon after you sailed Ferrard gave a grand dinner party at Hale's and your humble servant was at the end of the table in a claw hammer feeling for the first time uncomfortable in that room, in his life - Will you say to Mrs. Campbell that Ferrard has really been to the Karaka - Searancke is up with his bride, and I met Watton looking quite jolly yesterday evening, but he was very loud about his old land claims on the Wairoa. It's a pity he could not take these claims on his back to Yorkshire. The English Mail is in and the only news I have heard is from the War in America, 20,000 of the Northerns killed is that not frightful to contemplate. I am writing this at home as the noise of hammers and Maoris at the office is awful. However I shall keep it open in the hope of hearing something today to send you now that Domett is up. Patene give me the £150, taking back £1 and desired me to say that the money in your hands he will expect o receive on demand - so you had better send up a cheque for the amount to me and I shall put it with his other money. Your Shoe Maker has a bill of £4 or £5 against you send that up also that I may pay him as he is hard up and I am stamped. That Mount Albert will ruin me before I have done with it. Give my best remembrance to Mr. and Mrs. Campbell I hope they are happy in their new house - I have just seen Bell who says there is nothing new - so you will have to put up with this meagre letter for the present. I wonder if your brother Alexander could supply me soon with 10 or 15 bushels of pure clean grass seed saved on the run. Will you ask him if you please this is a matter of great importance to me as I have the land all ready for it to be sown next March. I shall not fail to drop you a line when I come back from Kaipara. Always yours John Rogan