13 July 1872 Maraekakaho My dear brother I wrote you on the 30 of June and I found the letter in the Post Office on the station the other day. We are today and yeasterday putting six thousand of the wedder through the yards and arsenic. I found out of the 6 or 7 thousand we have in 200 are diseased but some are getting better without aney cure. We had tow fine dry days to work at them and if tommorow is fine we will be done with the rest of this flock. It is a drawback to the sheep to have them so often in the yards but this is the last time till shearing. The plain and the hills below has no sign of foot rot as yet and that leaves the ewes all right. On the whole the s[h]eep are in splendid order. The weather has been verry wet and when dry frosty which is not good for foot rot. The fences is getting a great saveing to the sheep. We are keeping them well back on the hills towards Carlyon's where the country is much dryer. We are all well hear. Hopeing you are all the same in Wellington. In haste. Yours allways Alex McLean I write this in a hurry as the mail is going away and bussy at the sheep. I hope you will make it out. In haste. Alex McLean