of it so that if my wife comes I can take her their for a time till I see if you will come down yourself and see what is best to be done. I had a letter from her by this mail stating that she was at Edinburgh seeing our poor dear sisters and she says Annabella is made great improvement in every thing but musick and that she says she is afraid she was two old before beginning to make great progress in. She states they had a letter from you saying you were going home but this war I fear will disarange your plans. Poor things they were very much cast down, Catherine in particular at being left behind. I had a letter from Catherine's brother saying he was coming out with his sister. It appears they are all New Zealand mad, hearing such flattering accounts of it at home. I never gave him any encouragement but quite the other way but he says he thinks to do well on the other island. If so of course he can only try his luck. It appears by this last letter that the vessel that was to leave Liverpool for Auckland is not now coming and will not sail now till June in place of May as stated in the former letter. Today we had a heavy fall of snow here something that has not perhaps happened for many years. We had it 4 in deep on the flat before the woodshed and the hills completely covered. We intend to dock the lambs in a week or so if the weather is good and after docking I will write you again the particulars. I hear that the government is likely to purchase the White Swan, if so could you not see and get me the appointment for two years see if I could get hold of a little money to buy land for myself. Much as I love to work and improve here still I have a great wish to get something for myself to be independent of you for all my wants. I think if I could get into one of the steamers for two years I might make a few