irregular or rather I should say the N.Z. mails are so irregular that we often lose our papers and get late news before those of an earlier date. I have seen an extract of Swainson's book and expect to have it from England by one of the next mails. What I saw about Hadfield and Martin was worthy of Swainson himself - no one else could have made such an untrue statement without telling a lie. Do not trouble yourself about Hapuka's pension but I am quite sure it was promised before I reached N.Z. and I had a difficulty in inducing Richmond to assent to it.