Letter from P. Wilson dated 5th. July 1850. New Plymouth Henui 5th. July 1850, My dear Don Rinaldo, Which, by the way, is the usual Spanish institution for your Christian appelation? I received your letter of the 22nd. on Saturday (3rd.); and thinking it had come by regular post, should not have thought of answering it for a week to come, had not Honi Ropia called last evening for a sheet of paper to write you a scrawl by this day's post. We have no news of any importance, except that Sam Oliver and Nat Reed's little trading cutter betwist this and Manukao, was lost on Friday morning last, in a cave at the foot of the big Sugar Loaf, called, I believe, the Paritutu;- and not from stress of weather, but from the usual most reprehensible conduct of the Skipper and crew of such craft in this country, quietly laying their vessels to, and going to sleep till daylight. Such it was on this occasion. The light of the vessel was seen off the town at 9 of the previous night. The Skipper was quite aware where he was; and as the wind happened to be off the land, he, with most unsailorlike precaution, fancying it would continue so, tied his helm at lee, and with his man, went to bed. In the course of the night, the wind shifted, drifted the vessel through among the Sugar Loaves, and the first intimation he had thereof, was the vessel's bumping among the rocks. As said, the crew consisted of the Skipper and a lad; but there was also a female passenger, a young woman from Auckland, who, a month ago only, married Bishop, the carpenter's eldest son. He came down in the same vessel to prepare for her reception a fortnight or more ago. This is the melancholy part of the catastrophe; for while the two fellows managed to escape by climbing the cliff, she was left to perish; and accordingly, was drowned. The Skipper says that he attempted three times to get her up, but failed; as she was a heavy person. But there are conflicting stories afloat; and I confess, from a circumstance, I am rather disposed to believe that cowardly haste to save their own lives, superceded any attempt to save hers. The circumstance alluded to is, that your man William, who, on the earliest intimation, went out with Halse, was let down by rope from the cliff to the deck of the vessel. That was then covered, some feet by the water. Still he was enabled to raise the body from apparently its drowning position, and which was half in, half out of the cabin--------skylight. It appears to me, therefore, that she had been endeavouring to get out of the cabin when asphyxia overtook her. Unluckily it does not seem to have occurred to William to fix a rope round her body, and bring the rope up in his hand; but supposing, after an ineffectual attempt to bring it up by personal hold, that it would remain there till next morning tide, it was abandoned. As, I think, might rationally have been anticipated, next morning came; but in the interval the vessel had broken up, and the body was no longer to be seen. Thus Saturday and Sunday have passed, but still I hope so much at least of the remains may be drifted ashore, as will enable us to hold an inquest; so that we may have a searching investigation, and at least a public expose of such criminal negligence of our coasters; for two months have not yet passed when another trading cutter came on shore under the cliff below our house, under precisely similar circumstances, except the loss of life. You are aware, I presume, that I have been gazetted as Coroner for this place, but I had no idea when the news came that I was so soon likely to be called to officiate. Accordingly I was not sworn in till Friday last. If the body be found, you may rely I shall do my duty, without fear, favour, or affection. Mr. Duncan loses £120, Josias Hoskins £52, Leech and myself £5 each, or so, by the wreck. We are all jogging on in the old comfortable way, unenvious of California, and all content with what the upper surface of our portion of this good earth yields us. Old Newland, by way of paying off old scores in the party way to his friends, gave a Ball a week or ten days ago. No J.P. was, I believe, invited; but it did not go off a bit the worse, I understand, from the absence of these magnates. On the contrary, was one of the best got up hops of modern times. I think he shewed great good sense in excluding us, - not that I think him a bit worse or better, but mischief-making scoundrels might have made a handle of it, for the display of their wit. We have now, for our next-door neighbour, in William's house, a Mr. Young, wife and family of 4 children. They seem quiet, decent people, and came from Adelaide to Wellington, on their way to California. The wife had been in bad health at the former place. He was detained at Wellington for a month or more; during which she so greatly recovered, and having so favourable an account of the salubrity of this place, and moreover preferring his wife's health to gold, he came round; and has taken the cottage for 14 years, together with the land. All this is very well; and as it is said he is a man of substance, and has shown that he is one of sense, we may congratulate ourselves on his adding himself to our community. I have heard nothing recently from Auckland; but I wrote Sir George a long stave by last post, chiefly on the subject of St. George and Lowe. That silly, grasping creature, Horne, has been attempting to do them out of their professional practice, and in very ungenerous ways. Accordingly I advised them to memorialize the Governor, to get them legalized, as was done for Halse and others of the Law, some years ago; and to accompany this by as many certificates as they could procure. Accordingly Turton, Govett, Groupe, the old Captain, and Wicksteed, have given separate very good ones; and many of the inhabitants have given conjointly excellent testimonials; and strange to say, no public person refused, except William Halse, who stood precisely in their shoes before the enactment which qualified him! As the Memorial did not notice the reason which induced them to apply, I thought it better to give this in a private letter to the Governor; and moreover, I was thus far less cramped in giving him my opinion, and urging the propriety, as a retrospective measure, of its obtaining his aid. So I am in hopes they will succeed. I enclose your Scrip, and am very glad you have succeeded in getting the section next to Belhaven. But I would not advise you to be in a hurry to sell it. Let it, if you can; and if you can join Belhaven to it, so much the better. The two would make an excellent dairy farm. I shall prosecute you, according to law, for false sale; and press for heavy damages. The cow in calf, which I bought from you, proves, after feeding her with grass and carrots for 3 or more months, to be as guiltless of having been with the bull, as any unfledged virgin. So I had her, after special consultation of several cow accouchers, sent in to Skinner, who speedily killed and skinned her; and realised the opinion given satisfactorily enough. Now what do you think of yourself? Beef, too, has fallen here; but what her coperation will realise, I do not yet know; but I am pretty sure she will be under the mark. Captain King, I understand, is in terms to buy Davy's farm; £1000 is asked, and £800 is offered. Such is the "on dit". Davy, it is said, wishes to join his father, who is in Canada. But this may be mere report; for within these few days he has bought Curtis' dog-car. I drove in it yesterday to church with his wife, mother, and sisters, making it appear altogether a very affair. Breadalbane does not understand why you have deprived him of his Dukedom. He is now fifteen games ahead, not including the thousand and one I lost to him at Wanganui; and of course is as happy as a King at his success. My wife, - your auld mither, - writes to you next post, for she also has been taken by surprise; and it is only now and then the letter-writing mantle is flung across her shoulders. Now I must conclude, for I am wasting far too many sheets of my new paper on you, and remain my dear Mac, ever faithfully yours (Signed) P. Wilson. P.S. Mrs. W. desires me to say that she has sold your crockery ware. Kind regards to Cameron and Rees. Say to former that I am likely to hire John Dunn. The wife is a nice active body.