shore 1761 of the wethers and dry ewes. About 900 of them to finish when we will comence on the ewe flock. They clip first rate. Some of the fleece weigh washed good 7 1/2 to 8 lb and Alex thinks the clip all through this year will average over 4 lb. We have 22 bales now packed and if the weather is fine Neil and our own dray will go down with a load tommorrow of well packed bales. The gardin come in good play for the shearers, plenty of potatoes and vegetable. We will have a few apples owing to the great drought. A number of the blue gum trees have withered that will because the gardin went dry for 14 days so you never could believe how parched everything looks and the plain is quite burned up but we hope to have rain before long. There is a Mr Irland with some of his schoolboys from Mr Moyan's station here with horses and taking sheep in return for them. Alex has got one of the mairs and foal, he says a very good one. I hope you will receive all my letters. I enclose a few lines to John in my former letter. I am placed in a state of great anxiety through a letter from my wife stating she never has heard from me for the last 12 months and I have in that time written 6 or seven letters. I cannot conceive how letters go astray so you see when I want to do well and do my