books were taken out. At Captain Sharp's farm on the Porirua road they had to sit up for several nights watching. We got a fright a few days ago. The grass caught fire in James's ground which is close to us. The wind was from the south east and the fire rapidly came nearer us which alarmed us very much. I went down to Mr Stokes to get the man who was at work there. At the gate I met Mr Stokes, he had seen the fire and was going to get some men. All the people from the brick kiln came up and a great number of soldiers. They soon succeeded in getting it put out. It is fortunate that there was assistance so near for if it had not been put out immediately our house and Mr Stokes's might have been burnt down. The next day Mr Fitzherbert's