Private. 6/7/1862 My dear McLean, I only got your very interesting letter of August 8, last night but as to day is the last chance for catching the Melbourne steamer which will take your English mail I must write you a line to thank you. Sir George Grey must have learnt that word "Chivalrous" from my wife, for he does not comprehend chivalry or know how to practise it. My wife seldom saw you going away without saying "there goes one of the most chivalrous men living." and so you are: I have been and am bitterly attacked, justly and unjustly, but these attacks have brought out my true friends and their friendship compensates most fully for any spite of my opponents. Sir G. Grey will I dare say either be successful or persuade the World that he is so and he will have adulation to his heart's content, but has he a single friend who will stand by him in his hour of need as you and some others have stood by me? He would exchange with me but I would not exchange with him. The same mail brought us an account of the functions of Domett's ministry. I know not whether to be glad or sorry. I am glad to have my friends in office but I am sorry for them. Fox has taken care by his publications to assure the Maoris that they cannot be coerced into obedience and the Duke threatens to take away the troops. Nothing therefore remains but to let Sir G. Grey do as he likes. If the Maoris do not burst with pride at feeling us so completely their inferiors in war, they will go on aggravating everybody within their reach, until they decrease and we increase to such an extent as to enable the civil power to act. This will be called success! S be it. I feel that I am well out of the affair but my heart yearns for New Zealand and I still like those gallant Maoris, though I would have made them know that "obedience is better than the fat of rams." Talking of rams I shall kill the fatted calf when you come. I will indeed be glad to see you at any time and always. There is a very good school here, the Hutchins school, in which you could leave Douglas while you go to England if you like and he could spend his holy days with us. I wander about here more than I did in New Zealand for I have no Superintendents to interfere with me, so that if you would le t me know I should like to make sure of being at home. You will however always find the Missus at home and a real welcome and I could be back in a few days even if I happened to be absent. Be assured I will not get you into mischief from anything you say to me. I have ceased to correspond with any one in the Colonial Office since I left Sydney, partly because there is little worth writing about from here and partly because I am determined to be able to say that I have put no difficulties in Sir G. Grey's way. You know how deeply interesting your letters are to me so whem you have spare time write me a scrawl or two. The man comes for the letters so no more from Yours most truly and sincerely, T. Gore Browne Sept. 6 Hobart Town 1862.