18 July 1861 Maraekakaho My dear Donald Your letter of the 4 inst came to hand this day and I am very much astonished at its contents. I had my fears that their was some underhand work with the way Alex would not let Neil Walker get receipts from the people that the wool was delivered to for me saying I had no busness to it. I send a receiving order with every load and requested on every order to send me a receipt with the weight but on one occasion Alex took the order himself from Neil and told him that he would put it all correct. It was the same last year. He wanted to make me believe I made a mistake in the number of bales. In fact one night he almost made me believe I did. That sort of way of course made me very unhappy and left me quite disconsolate many a time and I told him then that my belief was that he must have done something wrong with the bales at the port for I would not make a mistake of 3 bales. However you got my last year's account and of course I did not get the weight for I was not allowed to do so. He always said he would look after that this year I was determined to try and have things correct but you see above that I was sadly disapointed for he told Walker he would look after the weight of that load. However I went this time to Mr Smith and got the weight of[f] his books, also to Stewart Kinross and got the weight of[f] them. They were not willing to gave it me but I told them I could not settle with the dray man without the weight. I am not quite certain of Steward Kinross weight but as I will have to go down to the port when the trees come I will get them to gave me a coppy and send it again but I do not think that the weights in my letter of yesterday is far wrong. It grieves me to the very heart to find matters this way but I never thought he would take upon himself to sell wool without accounting for it from the way he blindfolded me about all his transactions. I was always affraid something was wrong but I did not know how to act for I was not awair of how you and him were managing. Since I saw you last he told me when he returned from Wellington that time he was to do as he liked and was going to rise money from Tolmeach and such like. I did not take any notice of it. I put it down like some other things I was told. I find that he sold the old Hobartown mare to Mr Tanner. Of course I believed he would not do so without your consent for she was a good breeder. I do not no what bargain he made and it was needless for me to ask. Poor man if only he would have taken my advice I would not be so greived about him now. He certainly did manage to blindfold me and made me very unhappy but I hope he may be made to account to you for his actions but I much fear the result. Catherine writes that he was very flash in Canterbury. She is quite distressed at his folly in gaving John's wife a very hansom gold watch and chain that was all very well if he had it of his own but he ought to look to his own sister first. Seeing the loss of sheep and the dreadful expence it was not a time to make preasants. It is hard for me to be writing this way but I cannot hide any thing from you. I never believe that he would do as he has done this folly altho not very wise myself often cut me to the heart. Men might well cheate well of him when he made them companions of them and kept them often full of grog and allow them to work as they pleased and let me be the slave of the place to keep it in any order. I cannot be saying any more but my heart has suffered enough. I hope and trust you will soon come down. I am weaning the mears just now and the sheep are doing well. The rams will be put in the flock again in August. They are in good order. I sheepheard them myself outside as the paddock is getting bare to give it a chance to grow for a week. I hope and trust we will not have any more wear. I see by the papers you have gone to the Waicato. Do try and come down as soon as you can. Your affectionate brother Archibald John McLean