Auckland 7th. December 1859. My dear McLean, I am obliged to you for your kind note. We were all much concerned to hear such serious accounts of your illness. With a good constitution there is little fear of your early and complete recovery. In the Treasury where they are making up the Colonial accounts for the House of Representatives, they have been impatient for your quarterly accounts. It was suggested by Mr. Richmond, that in the absence of Mr. Friend, a clerk, under the directions of the Audit Department, should work up all the information in your office here, that could be made available. I objected to this, as it would throw upon my office the labour of educating a supernumerary clerk in the mysteries of the Land Purchase Dept. an undertaking of no ordinary labour! I proposed that we should ourselves do the work, we have accordingly done nearly all we can, for which Mr. Dover is to reveive a gratuity of £25. Charlie is gone to the Kaipara District with Mr. Smith (a young surveyor belonging to your Staff, lately from New Plymouth.) We thought you would approve of this arrangement, as it was desirable that Charlie should as early as possible get into the field. I found it was unsettling him, being his not/certain what would be the final arrangement. He drags the chain and the Maeries admire his pluck and strength. I have no doubt you will hear a good account of him. He had been a year in the Audit Office without pay, and Mr. Richmond decided that he should be paid according to his usefulness in the fieed without reference to his being in the field for the first time. I have not thought it advisable to recall him from the Kaipara - it would again unsettle him; and perhaps you will not disturb the present arrangement, but allow him to remain with Mr. Smith until the Kaipara survey is finished. Smith is evidently giving him the ''rough'' of it, at which I am pleased as it will make his future work pleasant as he rises in his profession. If your decision however is that he ought to join Mr. Steward at Manawatu, he shall do so at once. Stafford is married to Mary Bailey. We have glorious weather; immigrants coning in ship fulls almost every veek; they go into the country and one hears no more of them. I have always been strongly in favor of the immigration scheme of theis Province. It is absolutely successful. No mistake bout it in the least, and whatever you may hear to the ontrary depend on it they are getting on here capitally; e are ourselves fairly astonished at the ease and rapidity ith which the new comers are absorbed in the country districts. ackland is greatly improving; the free district is being overed with good and substantial brick buildings and Shortland pescent and Queen Street, when the side pavements are finished will put on the appearance of much prosperity, while the Warf and the new Customs Street added to the business like look of the part. It is the opinion here that Sir Geogge Grey will make a ''card'' of his recall. His friends are now in power, and will probably make a great parade of the unhandsome manner in which one of our best Colonial Governors has been treated by the Derby ministry on grounds of mere pique. Hoping that you are at length quite recovered in health, and with many thanks for the interest you have taken in Charles' progress, Believe me Dear McLean, Yours very faithfully, Charles Knight. Donald McLean Exq.