Oct./64 My dear McLean, I was very sorry to hear from Mr. Smith that he did not think Hawkes Bay as good as I had led him to think and I have since heard from Mr. Kermode that he has seen nothing in the other provinces which will answer his views. I do not pretend to offer an opinion against a skilled sheep farmer but I cannot help thinking that he has been misled by the difference which must necessarily exist beyween a new colony and one which like Tasmania has been long settled. Here we have an admirable macadamized road from North to South and all the farms are fenced and supplied with good buildings. On the other hand for six months in the year there is no grass on the flats in a great part of the colony. I always thought Hawkesbay the Goshen of N.Z. and still think it is so and that New Zealand will be the Britain of Australasia. I hope you learnt from Smith all you wish to know about getting up fire wood and bedding. There can be no doubt that he is well up in these matters as his Uncle's property adjoins Kermode's and they get as high as 3/6 per 16 for their wool. Kermode told me that a flock of 18000 sheep produce him £6500 net for wool. We have just heard by a telegram to Melbourne that the Maori prisoners have escaped from Kawau and people here ask what could prevent them from so doing. I can fancy Ashwell's face when he found they had gone before Church time! I very much regret the tone of the debates in England on N.Z. and fear the encouragement which the Maoris cannot fail to derive from them, will be attended with very bad effects. I hear C.O. Davis is again agitating for mischief perhaps Mr. Fox will some day discover that a traitor to one man is not likely to be true to another. There are admirable articles on New Zealand affairs generally in the English Economist Newspaper 23 July and the Sydney Morning Herald 22 Sept. I hope your newspapers have copied them. I am very glad to see that your province is prospering so thoroughly and that its so doing is so entirely due to your good management. Dont get too deeply in debt and you cannot fail to be peosperous. With kind regards from my wife and Steward believe me Yours very sincerely, T. Gore Browne. 3 October 1864.