7 February 1874 Glenorchy My dear Donald I am glade to inform you that I have got a very good clue to the section and hotel that poor Alexr had in Melbourne through Mr John McDonald carpenter who had been doing some little work. The same man that built the turack [?] houses and was intimate with Alex and stayed with him for some time in the same house and tells me a straight forward account of all the transaction with Allan Campbell, the owner of the half acre and hotell. At the time Alexander advanced Campbell £150 on house and land and got all the deeds as he McDonald says Campbell could not at the time get a licence for the house and when Alick demanded his money he gave him the deeds of the property as he could not rise the money at the time and McDonald thinks he can find out through Roderick McKenzie, formerly a hotel keeper, a clue to where Alex left the deeds by writing to him or to McLean of the Bucks Head or Dallmahoy Campbell with whom Alick use to have great dealings in cattle and horses that he used to bring for sale from Gibs Land. McDonald also tells me that poor Allexander was speaking to him about it when he was working at the cottage a few months before his death and had said to McDonald if God would spare him this summer he intended going to Melbourne and see what the property was worth and was asking McDonald all about the different people they new about Porachie [?] at that time. McD appears to know all the history very well and he is a very inteligent man. He says he will write for us to Roderick McKenzie and find out what became of Allan Campbell. Now there is a plan in my head that might answer very well. Your government is often getting material from Melbourne in the way of railway plant etc and if he McD should locate himself at Aorangi vil[l]age [last page/pages missing]