Land Purchase Office Auckland 8 March 1862 My dear Mr. McLean Your intended absence of six weeks has as usual been a very protracted one and I expectthat it will be another month yet before you return to Auckland - Every thing here in town is much as when you left - I only wish I could say the same of the office - Confusion worse confounded - Nobody appears to know his own duty and everybody is everybody else's master with the great dictator F.D. Bell at the head of all things - I should have commenced by apologising for not having written to you per last mail; it was my intention to have done so, but procrastination, as usual, carried the day - With regard to the accounts, several Minor question are of course remaining over for your return, but the bulk of the Northern Accounts have already been credited to you, and the Southern ones will follow suit, as soon as the Auditor has been furnished with an equable distribution of some of the earlier payments between the Provinces of Wellington and Hawkes Bay. This should properly be furnished by yourself, but I believe that in this case Dr. Knight will be content to take my distribution. Cooper has furnished his accounts complete with vouchers, and apparently correct. The principal subjects of interest nowadays are the squabbles between our Superintendent and his Council - How they will end it is impossible to say but there is no doubt that so long as they continue public money and public time are both being frittered away - Buller is as usual engaged in a long controversy with Dr. Knight, on the subject of travelling allowance - Rogan is in the office, and has written to you himself - The great Halse is nominally at the head of affairs in the Nat. Secys. office - Private opinion is that he is placed there, not on account of his resplendent talents but because his easily worked disposition opposes no obstacle to the onward course of the mighty Bell. I am, Yours George Friend