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I sent off another letter to you on the 6th, to go by India, and one the week before to go from Wellington direct. I wonder which will arrive first? We are beginning now to think that Lady Nugent might be in any day. I am so very anxious that she should beat the Duke of Portland. We are getting on very well, considering, and, on the whole, hear less grumbling and discontent than might be expected; and now the fine weather seems to be beginning, and people will be in better humour. Mr. and Mrs. Cookson, to my great comfort, and to their own great credit, take a very cheerful view of all their difficulties. I have told you of our seeing them a few times, and yesterday, being their first day on shore, they and the two children came to dine with us, to avoid the trouble of preparations at home with nothing unpacked. They got on shore the evening before, and I went up to see whether I could do anything for them, and found them in such confusion! The house was not quite finished; two men were still nailing up the calico lining of their principal room, about twelve feet square; and such arrays of boxes, and cabin furniture, looking larger than the rooms they were to go into. Add to which, there had been rain all the morning, and their house had not a bit of gravel round it, so you can imagine the dirty floor, people coming in and out, and Mr. Cookson had just been promised by his landlord the loan of some knives and forks, for that evening, and the children to be sent to bed forthwith, to be out of the way. (One seven, a boy, and a girl just five.) I went off to see if I could procure for them a pint of milk, disengaged, morning and evening; it can only be done at present by our giving up a pint of our allowance in their favour; but they are very glad to get this! It is a scarce article here just now; but we only pay fivepence a quart when we can get it. You will say, of course, why do not page 227people have cows of their own? But it is not so easy to get one giving milk, and it is a great expense to keep one, as you must have a man to fetch it to be milked, and he has often a wet walk of some miles, before she can be found; besides that, the few cow-keepers that we have, are always promising an abundance of milk soon to come.

September 9th. Last night, just before bed-time, we had a visit from the Captain of the Government Brig, as a certain brig is called, which is always in waiting on the orders of the Governor. He is sent here now to take our prisoners up to Wellington, for trial at the Assizes. We have four at present, three discharged soldiers, who are generally our worst characters, and one runaway sailor. It is very hard upon the witnesses having to leave everything and go up to Wellington, which may easily take them a month, if not more. We rather expected that the brig would have brought down the Judge, Mr. Chapman, to try them here; but for this some legal form must be gone through which is not yet accomplished. Personally, I am very glad, for if the Judge had come, we must have entertained him here, and I do not like him at all, though he is certainly clever. He began life in Canada in a very small way, where he took the rebel side, so strongly that report says that, on one occasion, he narrowly escaped suffering the extreme penalty of the law which he now passes on other people. But he had a great fancy for the law, and went home to England; tried that, and got on so as to be sent out here, and made Judge; and now he talks, Oh! so grandly—plainly telling you that he considers himself too good for his present position. He has a great big faded-looking head, with bristling grey hair, spectacles, and a lame foot; and does not like a bad dinner at all. But much worse than all this, he has two intolerable boys of about eight and ten, besides four or five smaller children, whom he thinks wonderful prodigies, and will talk about by the hour; and who are so completely the terror of all who know them well, that if the Judge takes them with him (which he almost always does), no one else will take their passage by the Government Brig. I suppose, at the next Assizes, we may look forward to the pleasure of a visit in that style.

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September 10th. I have just had a visit from Mrs. Bowron (late bookseller in Oxford Street) and three daughters. I said to her that I hoped she was not very much disappointed with the place, so she said, "Well, she was very well pleased with it now, but she must say, at first, she had expected it to look more like Ramsgate!"However, she is very cheery about it, and the girls seem nice, and are all pretty. There is to be a "Bachelors' Ball" to-morrow, and unluckily everything they have in the shape of evening dress is just on its road to Christchurch.

We had, yesterday, a meeting of "members of the Church of England", at which it was decided that we are to have a Church begun here (D.V.) forthwith, and I hope of stone; a wooden church, being so very temporary an affair, is very unsatisfactory. The Association gives £500, which is not enough, of course, but then there are many people here, indeed almost all in Lyttelton, who, having never bought land, have never contributed their share to the Ecclesiastical Fund; and consequently it is very fair that they should now give what they can for Church accommodation. My husband has given £100, and there will be days appointed when the money given at the offertory in Church will be devoted to that purpose. I believe it will be the first stone Church in the Colony. Some of the Committee, however, incline to a wooden frame for the Church, filled in with bricks, which would be much safer in case of earthquakes; and if it were built from a good design, it would look very well, and last well, too, if we may judge by those old houses in Cheshire, and Shropshire, built in the same way. We had another shock of an earthquake last Sunday. A long low rumble, that lasted perhaps a little more than a minute, and strong enough to make the doors all shake, and even the handle of the pump; but the shock was not severe, though from the length of the shake, I hear of some plates, that were piled up, being thrown down and broken. Out of doors it was not felt by most people. But it was as bad as the worst they can remember down here.

September 12th. We have such warm weather, all at once, quite warm summer wind and threatenings of dust, so I suppose my chilblains will go at last. The "Bachelors' page 229Ball" came off last night, and very successfully as far as rooms, etc., were concerned. The principal hotel here, which is almost finished, was the place chosen, and three or four empty rooms, en suite, made very ample room for all who could or would come. Unfortunately, there was a little want of unanimity. Some of the bachelors, Mr. Wortley and his set, thought that they had not been sufficiently consulted, after originating the idea. Mr. E. J. Wakefield did the whole of it, and was supposed to take too much upon himself. The fact being, I think, only that he has so little tact that he does sometimes offend people. However, they all stayed away, and it did make the numbers rather thin, though everything did very well without them. But anything contrary, of that sort, takes off much from the success of any festive occasion. I suspect that some of them thought Mr. Wortley rather too much of a fine gentleman, at the last ball here, and wished to let him see that a ball could go on without him. Mrs. Russell came in for it. She stays at Mrs. Jacobs', and is to remain a few days here, while Mr. Russell goes up to their sheep station, to have a final settling with Mr. McFarlane, who for a certain number of sheep, and a house for three years, gives up all further claim upon, and connection with, Mr. Russell. The people from the Plains evidently think the Port quite a vortex of dissipation. They say it is like coming back to civilized life, and say it in a tone not altogether unmixed with envy. They tell us we ought to go out and live there, but unless for a few weeks in the summer, I hope we shall not move while we are out here. Besides, I could not bear to be away from the sea, and not to be by when the ships and the letters arrive. The last despatches to my husband say that "the Powers" refuse to make the reduction he wished in his salary, so he brings it even by charging himself with £200 a year, as rent for this house. Speaking of house rent, you may imagine what a good speculation house-building is just now; Mr. Marshnian, the Accountant for the Association at the Office, had a little money which he wished to invest, and after much consideration decided on building some cottages, houses being of course much in demand, when people first land. He bought two town sections, about £25 page 230each, and he has finished two adjoining each other, consisting of four rooms each (two of which have fireplaces), and by good management, and looking after things himself pretty sharply, he has managed to make £190 cover all expenses. We have his own word for it, or I should have thought it impossible; and Mr. Cookson took one, and Mr. Hamilton the other, of these houses, before they were quite finished, at £50 a year. If let by the week they would cost more (25s. a week). These houses are built up the hill, some little distance; if they were in a more central position they would let much higher; he has room on the section for two more, which will soon be finished, and no doubt let as quickly as the others. I hear Mr. Dudley finds his land sell so well that he now asks £50 an acre for what cost him £3, and lets it at £12 a year for an acre, for gardens. Captain Morgan, of the Bangalore, has bought fifty acres on the plains, and goes home to fetch his wife, and come out and settle; so much pleased is he with the place. The hot weather has come on quite suddenly, with wind and dust just like summer, and given me, for one, quite a bad cold. On Saturday, Arthur and I generally dine alone, for my husband goes to Christchurch, H. Ward to his island, and Mr. Hamilton, who is with us for the present, can seldom get up from his office (the Custom Office) till the evening. So the day before yesterday we went off gypsying, Powles carrying a basket with materials, and we lighted a fire and boiled our potatoes, under the shade of some flax bushes in a little gully, by a very tiny stream, about half a mile out of what is now the town. Arthur, as you may imagine, very happy and very hot, making a well and a dam, in the stream, and a little spout for the water to flow over, with a piece of a flax leaf. Our flax is, as of course you know, very different from your idea of it at home, and only got the name of flax from its having the same kind of fine strong white fibre. The plant looks something like an enormous bulrush, and the flowers grow on black stalks ten or twelve feet high. They are large and red, and would look very handsome, if they grew a little closer together, and are full of honey; you may sometimes drink a teaspoonful out of a single one. The bees, however (where there are page 231bees), will not touch or go near this "ready made" shop.

September 16th and Sara's birthday! How I wish I could know a little how she is going on to-day. But I must not even hope for it until the New Year! Arthur and I must have tea up in his little house in the garden, and I, at least, may think of a tea-drinking at Roehampton, in the summer-house there, on Sara's birthday; when we were all, as I well remember, driven out by the appearance of a hornet, when I was some months younger than Arthur is now. We have a strong warm wind and dust, but still not like summer dust. Now, it is only about as bad as you would feel it if you were living in a turnpike, in a dusty part of England, but that faintly shadows forth the atmosphere that we may look forward to. Did I tell you, I wonder, of what the Miss Townsends assured me was the case, when they were in the barracks? When they got up in the morning, there was the impression of each head plainly drawn on each pillow, with dust lying all round. The Townsends are really building their house now on the plains. Mr. T. has been a very long time making up his mind as to what he will do, and once thought of getting a sheep run, which is much the best investment for anyone who looks forward; but at last he has settled, I believe, to farm; which, though no doubt very good, still will only remain so until prices lower, which everyone agrees they will in two or three years. For wool, there is always a steady demand, though mutton, of course, will not last at 8d. a 1b., as it is now; at least we consumers hope not. Bread is at 14d. the four-pound loaf, which is very reasonable, as times go. I hope you have read Mr. A. de Vere's book. We like him, himself, so much, that perhaps we may be rather prejudiced; at all events, you certainly enjoy a book much more when you know the author, and can recognize ideas and opinions that you have heard him express; but I think it is charming, just that poetic prose, which I like better than anything but the "very best" poetry.

I am afraid after all that it is not quite the thing to be away here, and not see the Exhibition. It is evidently by all descriptions much more splendid and more generally interesting, and more possible to see too, than I had any page 232idea that it would be. Mrs. Cookson (and several others of our last arrivals) had been there, and grow eloquent in the description. My thoughts on the subject are, however, much embittered by the information we have received of our poor "No. 69"^* being underlet for the occasion. I am imagining each well-known corner of the drawing-room, nursery, etc., full of dirty Frenchmen, and smoking Germans and so on; filling up the picture from the newspaper, and other accounts of the house-letting effects of the Great Exhibition, 1851. However, if we ever get back safely, I think and hope we shall be too thankful to regard such matters deeply.

September 18th. How much I wish our weather would get no hotter! It is, excepting a little too much wind and dust, especially in the middle of each day, just like the most perfect summer weather at home. John and I climbed yesterday (after Office hours) to the top of one of the cliffs behind the town; a very rocky one, but not quite the highest, and from there, the view was perfectly lovely. We were above the wood, and had it for a foreground, which in itself makes the whole difference, and the rocks and hills closed in so as to give us only a little bit of such blue sea; and far off below lay the town, immensely improved by the distance, indeed looking quite like a town, for we could see, from that height, every house, and could not make out how small they were. Arthur could not walk so far, and indeed he is not quite well, having got my cold. I hope, though, it may not be much, but the sudden hot weather is rather trying. He made himself useful, yesterday, by painting the palings of our new chicken-yard, and had done about half one end, most successfully, and without a spot upon his clothes, when unluckily the brush came to pieces! I suppose if we had been at home, and anything of painting was going on, I should have contented myself with telling him not on any account to touch, or go very near, the paintpot, for fear of spoiling his clothes.

September 20th, Not long after the last words I wrote to you, as I was just gardening in the little bit of a bed page 233against the house, under the verandah, I turned round and saw Captain Parsons!!! running up the barrack yard to our back gate. We had heard of a ship, and just then, even that one was anchoring far round the point, but just as we were thinking of going off to see, in case it should be her (though we feared it could not, as we thought our Captain, knowing the place, would have come in further), when there came our old captain, with a sailor-boy carrying a box, and a book in his hand, and all for us. We had a very affectionate meeting, you may be sure; and then a long talk, for he came in, and had some of the roast beef we had hardly finished eating, and while this was going on, Arthur and I stole off to open the box!! I and then came our first view of the cannon!! Such rapture, even the cards it was packed with were quite pleasant to read. I could imagine myself at the corner of your table, and reading over the latest arrivals in the white and gold plate! And then my beautiful scissors was the next parcel we came to, and the pencils, for which I, too, send my most sincere thanks to Aunt Phillis. They are great treasures out here, and so very useful to a little party so constantly drawing as Arthur is. The next parcel we opened was from Sara; such a lovely trunk, key, and contents!! I could not keep it from him for more than about an hour. I am almost as much pleased as he is, when I see the things opened, one after another. I have already made a guess about what the black silk paletot is; but still, I have no letter! Only one from Mrs. Rogers, in all the packet, for me, and a little one in the box from C. Pollen; most satisfactory, for it mentioned you all too, but of course not thoroughly explanatory.

Of course, we talked much of you all, and the breakfast, and Captain Parsons again said how much like me Frances was! so I am very vain. C. Pollen says she is so much grown that she hardly knew her! and what shall I think! (if I am ever to see her). After my husband had run off to business, and we were still sitting talking, there came in by our back gate, walking past the windows, and peeping in at every one, about ten of the new arrivals; so Capt. P., seeing my dismay, said he would carry them off to the Office, and only three insisted on coming in to see me. Mr. Aylmer, the page 234Chaplain, and two big sons; and next day I had Mrs. Aylmer and two daughters and two small sons; and a Mrs. Green, a speculative young widow, whom, however, I have no letter about. We do not think much of the Aylmer party. He is from the North of Ireland, and, as well as all his children, entirely devoid of anything like shyness; enquired for the Bishop as "when we expected Salwyn", and informed me that he was keeping a curate at his par—ish in Ireland for two and a half years, in order to return there, if he does not like this place. He was, I believe, not pleased with his first view of Christchurch, but then few people are, as they all expect rows of shops, and trees, and so on.

A very sad thing has happened on the plains. Mr. Matthias, the chaplain of the Dominion, Mrs. Cookson's ship, went over there, as soon as he had made preparations for his large party. Mrs. Matthias was expecting to be confined in a month, and she went to her sister's, Mrs. Erle, who came out in the Randolph, the second ship; and her eight children (the eldest a girl of thirteen) were some there, and some at the house he took for himself, with two servants and a governess (Mrs. Cookson says none of them to be trusted for a moment). I did not see Mrs. Matthias, for she had not time to come here the day she landed, but waited, with a lady she knew, until William went with our Lady Nugent (horse) for her, to lead her over the hill to her sister's, who is settled about four miles this side of Christchurch. This, was a Friday; she was none the worse, as they thought, but I suppose the whole excitement and exertion were too much for her; she was taken ill on the Tuesday, a month before the right time, and died during the next night. It is some comfort to think that at least they had, as they considered, good medical attention; for Mr. Erle is a very clever surgeon, but too stingy to have ordinary comforts in his house. He will scarcely allow any firing and so on; but Mrs. Erle is a very nice person, and so I believe was. her sister, and it is a terrible loss for her whole family just, at this moment…. We were very much astonished to hear of Mr. Henry Bertie on board the Lady Nugent. Perhaps your letters may mention him as coming, but I have still not got one (September 23rd). He came to us yesterday page 235and occupies the spare room, which Mr. Hamilton moved out of, that day, as his house is now ready to sleep in; he is to live with us a little longer. I should like Mr. Bertie very much, if we were in England, and it is a real treat to have him here, fresh from England, and so very gentleman-like. He takes, too, a very cheerful view of the place, thinks that we have got on very well, sympathizes in our aspirations after self-government, etc., in spite of his being at home a strong Protectionist; praises, and eats, our homemade brown loaves, and in short, makes himself thoroughly agreeable, though he says very little, and is, as you know very quiet. He has come out for his health, the sea always does him so much good, and he intends (D.V.) to see Nelson, and New Plymouth, and then go on to Sydney and so home by Cape Horn, starting about Christmas.

25th. We have not seen much of Captain Parsons for a day or two; he has been so much put out by an accident, in which a policeman was drowned just alongside of Lady Nugent. Three or four of his sailors became rebellious, and refused to do their work; so application was made to the magistrate, and a policeman was sent to bring them on shore; but a puff of wind capsized the boat, and he was drowned. The others in the boat were all saved, including the captain's son, who was, however, nearly exhausted before they got him out of the water, and cannot swim. It is very curious how few sailors learn to swim. You would think that they would make a point of knowing how to do it, for it must so often be of use to them, and yet there were not a quarter of those in Lady Nugent who could, and I hear it is usually the case amongst them. Captain Parsons sends us so many presents; a cheese, a box of raisins, another of macaroni, etc., and a mug with the Crystal Palace on it for Arthur. He is much too fond of giving away. Mr. Bertie says he is the most unselfish man he ever met.

September 26th. He came to tea with us last night, and my husband told him that he had been desired by Sir G. Grey to appoint a harbour-master, and that he should like him to undertake it better than anyone else if it suited his plans, and so Captain Parsons was much pleased and accepts; page 236so he will (D.V.) take the ship on to Nelson, where the charter for the Association ends (for his ship), and will then take leave of the ship, and return here, and write home for his wife and children.

We hear that Mr. Aylmer, who came out, you know, as one of the intended "canons" of Christchurch, has re-sold the hundred acres he had bought here, and means to go on to Nelson; he is so much alarmed at the high price of provisions, and at the general appearance and look of our metropolis. He says he dares say that, in about ten years, he could make a place so as to be comfortable, and that things will be cheap; but that he is too old to look forward to that, and that, in short, he cannot make up his mind to such a tremendous effort as the settling here would be. But I am afraid the alternative he intends trying, Nelson, will not quite answer. Besides giving up £100 a year which he would receive here. As Mr. Bertie says, he will not be ten years and two months, or whatever time may elapse between his arrival here and at Nelson, in getting "comfortable". I suppose it must end in his going home, and abusing New Zealand for the rest of his life, and Canterbury in particular. As individuals, I do not regret them at all; I think I never heard anyone speak of the Church so entirely as a mere money-making profession; and as to anything of a Missionary spirit, it does not seem even to cross his thoughts to entertain it for a moment.

September 27th. I fear I must give up the hope of getting any letters by the Lady Nugent. Nothing has appeared yet, except the two I mentioned; which luckily both told me that you were all well, then. One learns perforce to be very patient out here. I know you must have written, or else you would certainly have put on each parcel in the box its own explanation. So I must thank you once more over for my beautiful case scissors, which are indeed so good that I shall quite grudge using them! and once more for Arthur's presents (and Sara, and Aunt P.), and guess on, about the rest. And now too I have one chance more, for the Duke of Portland took us all by surprise, and appeared in the harbour, as soon as we looked out yesterday. So many vessels were sailing then, just together, when she left England, that page 237I only hope for one batch of letters in the three; but perhaps, if the Lady Nugent letters were only a little late, they may be forthcoming to-day, when the D. of P.'s mail will be given out; otherwise, they may have gone by the general post to N.Z., by some other line of vessels to Auckland, and so on. I have again a little bit from C.P., in a letter from Hungerford, which my husband got with his dispatches and business letters; and though it is from Rodbourne, it mentions you again, thank God. Such lovely weather; this day is quite perfection, not in the least hot (indeed, I am almost too cold, not having yet walked at all, or been in the sun), and yet warm enough for any amount of sitting out of doors, etc., with a beautiful haze, and no wind. It is my husband's day for going to Christchurch. Mr. Bertie walked over there yesterday, meaning to be back on Monday, and then if he has time, to get a peep at Akaroa. He seems very well. My husband's letters tell us of the arrival of the Ld. Wm. Bentinck, and I am full of fresh regrets about my letters and the box not being in her!! But, however, it was not my fault that they were late. We were promised so good an opportunity that I "did it for the best" in keeping them a little longer, so as to give you the latest news I could; but I am sadly afraid that your next letters will begin with a few reproaches, unless my letter to Sara "per Cressy" had arrived, and sufficiently explained it. But I am writing in the dark, and need not expatiate longer upon my imaginings.

September 30th. Another ball last night! Nearly forty people in a room not so big as the Voelas schoolroom, but without the bow (or bay?), and much lower; but two little rooms, six feet by eight, opened out of it, and held, respectively, the music and the tea, and it did rather better than you would imagine. It was given by our doctor (Dr. Donald), who is a very good sort of man, although rather rough at first, and he gave it on the occasion of his thirty-fifth birthday. All our aristocracy were there. Mrs. Russell came in from the Plains. Unfortunately it was a very cold evening, and rained a little, and so the walk home was very disagreeable; and so was the room, or rather loft, over Dr. Donald's house, to which we ascended by an outside page 238staircase, for a sit-down supper. My husband, of course, got out of the way; but I had to go up in state, and it was really very well done. We came away as the gentlemen were sitting down in their turn, but I hear the dancing was kept up till nearly four. There is great and general excitement about a number of the New Zealand Journal, which has come out here, containing a letter from Mrs. FitzGerald to her mother. It is a sort of journal, begun before she landed, and giving an account of their visit to us, and of their final move up the hill to their house. You may possibly have seen it. She is, of course, very much annoyed at having little incidents, which she had only repeated to let them, know exactly how her life passed here, exhibited to the public; not only in this N.Z. Journal, but in two or three other papers at home; but there is really nothing she need care about. Of course, it is great fun for my husband to tease her, though, about her saying, for instance, that he "knows German and therefore can appreciate her songs" and so on; and that the Bishop (N.Z.) "preaches first-rate sermons, and makes a very fine Bishop". My husband is suffering from the same cause himself; for some private letters, full of personal and confidential remarks, which he wrote to certain chiefs of the Association, have been handed round quite publicly, to the very persons who were therein commented upon; and yet they were written to private friends, marked "private" and all precautions taken. It is excessively annoying. One is so perfectly helpless, out here, only hearing of it four months after the incautiousness (to call it by its smallest name) has done all the mischief that it can; and six months more must generally pass before you can say anything of apology, or indignation, for yourself. We are still in agonies about what may appear next time, or after Mr. Jackson's visit, and so on.

Arthur has gone up to bed very happy with his cannon, for which I have just made a little red bag, fastened on, and meant to contain the "charge", viz. a marble, one of Captain Parsons' many presents; this, when discharged against a light facade, built with his own little bricks, produced effects of "mimic war" at once startling and most engaging. We have been entertaining company to-day; page 239the six sailors on board, belonging to our old Lady Nugent party. They dined, and then had tea, and now, the evening being very bad, three of them have retired to extemporary beds in the kitchen. They all take a most lively interest in Arthur. The other day they observed him in a large sort of parasol straw hat, old and much torn in the brim, and so in the evening they came back with two hats for him. One was from Jack, the Captain's son—an Indian straw, or chip; and the other from Jim Truelove (whom I am sure I mentioned to you before) and is just as he bought it himself from Leghorn. Of course they do not exactly fit, but Arthur considers that of no consequence at all, and wears them with great delight. The Leghorn hat, especially, is quite a treasure to us, as you cannot get here anything nice for children; and what with rolling on the grass with the dogs, etc., our hats die very fast. The only good one we have left now is "Grandpapa's" which had the blue feather, and which comes out on Sundays; but for ordinary wear we are obliged to have something much wider in the brim.

Mr. Bertie returned from Ch. Ch. very much pleased and satisfied. He started two days afterwards to go and take a look at Akaroa, and was to have been back yesterday, but the bad weather altogether prevents the possibility of it. We have to-day (October 4th) still the same "sou'-wester," with tremendous hail showers, about as cold as anything we had through the whole winter; and we thought we had almost begun summer. I was to have gone over to Ch, Ch. to-day to witness the first cricket-match, and the grand thing was that I was to have driven in from the "Ferry" just the other side of the hill, in Mr. Russell's dog-cart; but of course the weather prevents all that, too, but my husband has gone over to his business. Yesterday afternoon I had a visit from three of the Miss Townsends, to announce to me in form that one of them is really going to be married. They keep a sort of open house, at tea-time, for young gentlemen, who are very glad, here, to have a respectable place to spend their evenings in, and of course when anyone was seen to go there two or three times, there was directly a report of a wedding, but nothing came of it page 240till now; and now it is the third, not Sara's friend, who is to be married to Mr. Torlesse, a nephew to Mr. E. G. Wakefield, and one of the surveyors here. He is now taking sheep and cattle "on thirds," that is, getting a third of the profits and increase, and so he takes courage, having made a beginning though only a small one, and when the shearing is over, hopes to take unto himself a wife. Mr. Longdon, who gave the ball about two months ago, is to be married on Tuesday, to a young lady who came out on purpose in the Lady Nugent. His partner, Mr. Le Creu, expects one in the Canterbury. I hear Mr. Aylmer has again and again changed his mind, and has at last decided to go and settle at Akaroa, which he has never seen; receiving, of course, £100 a year, and £150 towards building a house.

October 6th. Yesterday, after the afternoon service, seeing the sea very smooth, and one of the boats on shore, we went off—Powles and Arthur and William, in company— to see the old Lady Nugent, peep into our old cabins, walk on the poop, and revive our recollections of sights and smells which were still tolerably fresh. I was not ill, but not so comfortable as I am on shore, although it was such a beautiful smooth day. We had an affectionate greeting from the Captain, and all our old friends on board, and received an invitation to dine on board in state to-morrow if it is smooth enough; and then brought off Mr. Bertie with us, whom we found on board, and had our boat's crew up to tea in the kitchen. They are such nice steady boys, and evidently thought our home-made soft tommy and tea with milk, more attractive than the grog shops. The Captain came to breakfast this morning. It is quite funny to see how fond he is of Arthur. Yesterday, when we were on the poop, he was chasing him about just like old times, and at last went head-over-heels backward and forwards, to the great admiration of an audience on the deck below. This morning, as soon as he came, he went up with Arthur to look at his garden, and to cut, for breakfast, the A. of a most lovely "Arthur" in mustard, which has been very pleasant to watch gradually appearing, for the last week. We have been gardening lately, a good deal, but our bit of garden is a very hopeless affair; it is so very much exposed page 241to wind and sun, and, from having deep cuttings all round, is drained of every drop of moisture in a few hours, always, after the rain ceases.

October 9th. Yesterday arrived the Midlothian but, as you know, no letters on board for us, excepting a little bit from Hungerford, who really is a pattern, for he does not let a single ship sail without at least a few lines. From it I hope I may gather that all was well then, but I am getting very impatient for real news from yourselves, having had none by either of the last three ships. I suppose the Canterbury will be in (D.V.), in a day or two. It always happens, so far, that when two ships sail together, the one with the mail on board arrives last. Mr. and Mrs. C. Rose, as you know, came in the Midlothian. My husband saw Mr. Rose yesterday, while he was on shore, just as he was starting over the hill to get his first look at the plains. Mrs. Rose, I haven't seen, and I think I shall not before this letter must go, for it is so stormy and rough that she will prefer, I think, not running the risk of coming on shore, but I had asked her and the children to come and spend the day here. Unluckily we have not room to take them all in; indeed Mr. Bertie has our only spare room at present. I hear, poor thing, she is just going to be confined; like everyone else, I think, who comes out; and then the babies almost always die. Dr. Donald says he can hardly ever save them. I don't know yet whether they will stay here, or at Ch. Ch., while their house is building. Mrs. C. Simeon, by the Canterbury', is just in the same predicament, and we are desired to have some place ready for her, at which we are sorely puzzled, not knowing whether they would like it here, or on the plains; and they have five or six children already, to be thought of. The Lady Nugent is supposed to sail to-morrow, and this is intended to go by the Duke of Portland, on the same day, to Auckland, and there to meet the Emigrant going home direct; but till the wind changes or falls nothing can get out. Hungerford tells us of poor Charles being gone up to London. How very much I think of him, and of all he must go through. We are supposed to be going home (D.V.) towards the end of' 52; but then matters of business may make it much page 242later, and possibly earlier, and so now you know as much as I do, or I believe my husband either. He keeps well, thank God, except a little cold, in spite of the cold water, which will not keep off infection, and almost everyone has had it. Arthur is making a book for you, in which he first writes, and then illustrates with drawing; all, of course, about ships, but it is not nearly ready for publication, so you must please to receive his thanks through me, for indeed the cannon is lovely.

I may as well send my letter off, for fear of being late. I cannot help always keeping it open till the last, but I am expecting Mr. Rose every minute, with Mrs. and two children. He was here yesterday and said that they were delicate children, but that the voyage has made them quite strong, so that is a good start. He said too that he saw Sara, quite well, the day before he started. This bit of paper, outside, is to make her laugh at Arthur's rough sea, with the little ships standing miraculously on the very tips of the waves. Mr. Bertie has just taken his passage by the Duke of Portland, to go home by Auckland and Shanghai (China), and the Captain thinks he will be home about the end of April. They expect to sail to-morrow. Mr. Bertie was going by Sydney, but the "diggings" there make it very difficult to get on, and it will be pleasant to see China, and touch at the Cape. And now I must say good-bye, and God bless you all, and give my love to everyone, severally and individually. Arthur sends this picture to Aunt Sara. Our love, if you please, to Stokesley and to Aunt Ann.