—I rejoice to hear from you and Hutt, that the necessity of decision and work by somebody not being you, is now perceived. It was not lukewarmness that kept them back, but the habit of relying on you, which they did not see the necessity of breaking through.

After talking with my brother, I can say, that he would undertake the work on the principle of no cure no pay, provided he undertook it at all: but as there must be a large advance of funds by him if the sale were completed so as to entitle him to the commission, and. a very considerable loss if the sale were not completed (the loss might be not less than £2000), he would not run all this risk unless the matter were put on such a footing as to render success more probable than improbable. And we both regard your mission to New Zealand as proposed, as one of the circumstances best calculated to promote success. In fact, the sale of the land depends on the formation here of a large colony of people ready to emigrate. This would be my brother's work, with the aid we have talked about; and as it involves a consider-page 123able outlay at all events, with risk of total loss, whilst, with the utmost success, only a small part of the whole commission would be retained by himself, he wishes to see what the Association and Company now do, before he pledges himself to anything. Tou can have no doubt of his disposition. I think you would do well not to mention his name: and indeed he prefers that it were not mentioned until the time come for putting the question to him, Tea or Nay. He will answer Yea, if matters shall be in a proper state before the question be put: and unless the question be put to him, he had rather be kept altogether out of your discussions. And so had I, not to mention the policy of avoiding that kind of talk which might prove only idle gossip. Your going would give so much reality to the affair, as to make such questions as that about my brother, practical, which at present it is not. At present, you have only to settle the principle; viz., no cure no pay, with advances by the Doctor at his own risk.

Hutt wants me to go to town on Thursday morning. Knowing that I should be helpless in London, I write proposing that he sleep here on Wednesday night: and I wish you would also.