Morrison's station, Wairarapa 3rd Octr 1851 My dear Douglas The rains have set in so heavily that I have been detained here all day & I have just heard at Capt Smith's, where I have been calling that a person goes to town tomorrow giving me another chance of telling my little slave how I am getting on. We had a fine yesterday ascending the Rimutaka range. A dull lonely road where Mr Ray who bought your cousins unanswered letter was busy taking levels with his party. A glass of whiskey, biscuit & a cigar which I handed him seemed to cheer him up a bit. We left him there and on we went, some grumbling with sore feet, others raising difficulties about no food. Charley the Dane in his broken English saying "It vas very hard wak for te purse yorses, tey pi very pat starres for hims feets. The yintelmen of Velintin do vel come up here by gat de no get te Rumati if te climb tem high hills be so good for tem as te tocter". A voice from behind come Charlie on you go. "Ai ai sir come in te wo Phoenix my boy". Then a stone was against Charleys own toe & he sings out "Tat pur horse wo, wo, wo, stop one leetel menit".