Found from Mr. Smith that he had refused the road, as Mr. Gudgeon states in his letter to McLean, of 1st. February. But Gudgeon should have stated the reason, to wit,- that he, Gudgeon, had not, as promised, put up a gate between the properties. This shall now be done. Mr. Gudgeon charged Mr. Northcroft a pound, for mending fencing; not a yard of which is calculated to last efficiently a twelve months; being made of dried saplings, of two rails, and tied with Kiriwa; also raupo for covering to an old saw-pit, he charged him the sum of twelve shillings,- a piece of work which any Maori would do in a forenoon, and at farthest, in a day. No hinges ever put on the well. A wretchedly-built raupo lean-to, meant as a kitchen, with a large opening left for a fire-place, at the back of the house; but no fire-place added. The parlour fire-place contracted by rows of bricks; but instead of being built up with lime, they are bedded in the common garden soil; consequently tumbling down on both sides. The whole chimney is in bad order, and will require repair. The dairy is at the West end of the building,- a lean-to, like the kitchen, and also built of raupo. There is no fencing which Gudgeon has put up, whether that enclosing the garden, yard, or elsewhere, that is of a durable kind; indeed, I may say, all of it is now rotten and useless. The pig-sties, and what Gudgeon calls a cow-house, are not worthy of being taken into account. The shingles are fairly rotten, leak considerably now, and will make a shower-bath of the house by and bye; unless immediately renewed. The whole place is in very bad order; but I cannot impute blame to Northcroft; for ever since Gudgeon took the notion in his head to sell his own section, he has been keeping Northcroft on the qui vive with threats of returning to the place himself; so that Northcroft has had no encouragement to do anything. Gudgeon may call Northcroft lazy, and so on; but I believe I have stated the true reason to account for his indolence; and I feel very convinced that Northcroft is by much the most straight-forward man of the two. Seeing then, how shamefully ill Gudgeon has stewarded your property, and how selfishly he has, throughout, acted,- for, in addition to the increase of rent, he has, I believe, made Northcroft pay for every addition which he dignifies with the name of improvement,- I have thought it better to withhold the letter of the 16th. February; as there are one or two passages therein of concession; which I think you would not have made, had you been on the spot to see the real state of affairs. I have therefore substituted the following note, which will go to him to-morrow morning, with to-morrow's date.;- I herewith forward to you the Assignment of Lease received from Mr. McLean by Saturday's post; and to which he declines subscribing his name. He desires me to say that his chief object in letting you the farm on such easy terms, was the hope that you would occupy it yourself; in which case, he observes, he was willing to extend to you every possible indulgence; but that he finds you first agree to let it to Mr. Northcroft, and again to Mr. Vickers, without, in the mean time, tendering any advantage to him. Thus, you see, he is far from approving of the sub-letting; and that, now, there is no alternative but that of your occupying it yourself, or give the lease up. As he has now appointed me his Agent here, I will be glad to see you at your earliest convenience. Having a message from Mr. McLean, to deliver to Mr. Northcroft, I called upon him yesterday. I was extremely surprised to see the place in so delapidated and delapidating a state,- so, indeed as will require more, I apprehend, than any rent you may be owing, to put it in order again. I am, etc., So far went my note; and I must advise you not to forego a single shilling of the rent; for he is the very reverse of having done anything to merit it. Not one addition has he made that would have lasted out his three years. Consequently, these were put up not to benefit you, but merely to suit his own convenience. But I say no more to-night on the subject, except that you may fairly consider you have lost two years; for I hardly think £30 will put the place in a good state; though, were it so, it would no doubt either let or sell at a much higher rate. Finally had you had sense enough, which no doubt you had not, when you left this two years ago, you would have appointed an Agent who would have prevented all the mischief that now exists. Monday Evening, 8th. March. Gudgeon is now writing out for you a list of his claims,- not one of which, in my opinion, are valid. I told him he ought at once to give up the lease, seeing that he has violated his terms with you.