22 November 1869 My dear McLean, The sight of your hand writing was most agreeable to me. I had been rather fretting about you but now I hope all danger is at an end and that you are rapidly recovering. Now take eare and do not overwork yourself. Your life is too valuable to your friends and to the public to be trifled with. I have changed my plans. I find the Iris would be likely to make a difficulty in going to Otago, I am therefore going straight from Nelson to Otago. From thence to Carter-bury which I hope to reach by Xmas day. I propose to wait there for the Auckland mail which will be due on 3 Jany. and then return to Auckland stopping at Poverty Bay if the Captain will take me there. We shall not go to Wellington as soon as I intended for it has been decided that my wife ought not to go to sea until after her confinement which she expects early in March. We have no news here. The English mail has not arrived and matters go on as usual. Carleton is returned to the Provincial Council for Auckland and will doubtless hunt the Supn. to death. With kind regards from my wife believe me always yours sincerely, T.G.B. Smith has written a beautiful letter in answer to Carleton's petition which has only nine signatures. In my despatch I say that ''what is true is not new and what is new is not true.'' Parris writes that he is going to pay Teire an instalment for his land. I shall be at Nelson from 1st to 4th or 5th Dec. T. Gore Browne