Dalmuir Hill February 26 1850 My dear Mr McLean I am surprised that we have not heard from you or of you. Papa has received no answer. I should have written to you long ere this according to promise had I not expected to see you in Wellington almost every day but lately we have heard nothing of you. No one seems to know where you are. I do not know how often we were told you were on your way in, so I hope you will not blame me for not having written. Wellington has been very dull. We have not had a ball since the Governor's in June. The races were good I believe but none of us went as we do not like them. The Hutt races take place today. I was asked to go with a party but declined going. What is this story about the Governor and his intended? I am sure I have heard twenty different ways of it. Some say the young lady has changed her mind, others that she is in bad health and that the marriage has been postponed which is I think the most likely. The last version of it which I heard was this, that Mr Cole had you up to Auckland to praise the Governor all the way and if he could not succeed he was to try and get her himself. I hear she is very accomplished and pretty. I have got no Wellington news to give which could interest you except that Mr & Mrs Inglis and Mr Hervey are going home in about a month or six weeks. I am sorry we are loosing [sic] Mrs Inglis. She is such a very nice person but I hope she will return as her sister is here. Mr Hervey's trip to Hobart Town has made him stouter than her. You will be glad to hear we have got a Scotch minister at last. He has preached once and Papa thinks a great deal of him. Mama and I called for his lady and she is a very agreeable person quite like a Scotch clergyman's wife. I trust this will reach you. I shall address it to Taranaki. Mama sends her kind regards and hopes you will write soon and let us know when we may expect to see you. And believe me my dear Mr McLean Yours every sincerely Susan Douglas Strang