The Cliffs, Nelson 9th Novr., 1857 My dear McLean, As soon as I received your letter I went to Daniell about the vouchers for the £100 advanced to Tinline and also the receipt from the Native I thought a stir up from me would assist your application to him I must confess I have not the same opinion of him as an accountant as I had or as most people seem to have since he made such a mess of his accounts with you, I believe him to be very honest but I think he gets confused with his double entries and single entries etc, I am only sorry that you should have been put to trouble by his blundering - Tancred and Georgy have been gone now about two months I hear from her frequently and she likes what she has yet seen of the Canterbury people they have been very kind and attentive to her which I was sure would be the case both for her own and Tancred's sake - before she left Andrew and his merry wife came to live with me and we are very happy together but I sigh often for her who has heretofore been the comfort and blessing of my life - no sooner however does one Miss Richmond disappear than another is introduced by Mrs. Andrew which at my request has been christened Georgy so I have still a Georgy Richmond - The Cliffs is looking beautiful and I wish you were here to spend some time with me I am thoroughly enjoying it now and never go to Town except on Sundays and when I have business - by the bye talking about coming here I think it is due to you as old friends to tell you not to come for the present unless you wish to get unmercifully embroilled with the Motueka affairs I know Mrs. Gascoyne wishes and expects you to come but I fear McLean you can do no good and will meet with much annoyance, it has reached a crisis and I believe an investigation is about to take place by a friend or friends of both parties which I hope will bring the matter to a close, at any rate I say this to you that I would not myself on any account visit Motueka just now for fear of getting embroilled one way or another if however you wish to take a part now is the time to come, and we shall be glad to see you at the Cliffs but if you desire not to be embroilled defer your visit for a little and then it may be more agreeable to you. The gold diggings are progressing notwithstanding the flooded state of the Rivers in summer I am sure by all accounts there will be great prices obtained, the population is increasing rapidly every vessell and they arrive now almost daily, comes ladened with passengers. Our carpenter Superintendent is again elected by a majority of 203 but he will have a great majority against him in the Council in the Town of Nelson they have returned six Gentlemen viz. Monro Renwick Domett Adams Macky and the younger Curtis, in the Country Districts the have returned respectable good men with the exception of Waimea West where they have returned a notorious bad character in preference to Hy.Redwood who has always done everything in his power to benefit the Province. Let me have the Auckland gossip whenever you have leisure. Yours, my dear McLean, Very sincerely, M. RICHMOND