Auckland 28 July, 1852. My Dear McLean, I was glad to receive yesterday your letter from Taranaki so late as the 24th inst. for I had not heard from you or about you for some time. Your visit to Taranaki will be of some use in getting land for the settlers who seem to flock thither. You will also be able to set Cooper agoing in his new office and saying something to the Natives in his behalf so that they may give him some of the confidence they have had in you. We find the purchasing land from the Natives a very troublesome affair in this part of the Colony as the most unforseen and vexatious demands are every now and then made for payments which appear very like impositions I am afraid we will be obliged to have recourse to some more methodical plan than hitherto adopted in the purchase of land or obtain the services of an officer who may manage the duty better than it has been managed. The most of the people here are very intent on obtaining a reduction of the minimum upset price of land, a change whichas you know can only be made by the Home Government. For my own part I think that if land is not worth 20/- an acre it should not be sold but used as pasture land and as at that rate a surplus after the purchase from the Natives, the expense of survey etc. would remain to liquidate subsequent claims, and partly to make roads and accomplish other objects it is the most advisable sum to fix it at. The people however are so eager to have a change and hope so much from it, and as they are so dissatisfied with the expenditure of the land fund that I should not object to see the upset price lowered and thus to get rid of a great bone of contention. In this Province we are gettingon as well as we had any reason to expect we should. The population the revenue, and private wealth are all steadily increasing. There is a great avidity for the possession of land, arising in a great measure from the farmers having done very well last year. The produce particularly of wheat by the Natives has increased wonderfully and must now be quite equal to our consumption. I wish you could come to look at in our prosperity. I hope you will be able. In about a month I expect to be up the Waikato with the Chief Justice and Mr. Ligar to visit and report on the Native Schools supported by Government. Perhaps I may take a round towards Tongoriro and then accross to Turanga where I suppose Mr. Ligar and I will have to go to visit the school there. The Chief Justice cannot go so far. The final arrangements for the journey have not yet been made, and when they are so I will let you know so that if I cannot see you in Auckland I may have an opportunity of falling in with you in the bush. I am glad to hear Mrs. McLean is well again, and that our jolly friend Mr. Strang is not complaining more than usual. I should like to see them again but I do not know when I shall go to Wellington again. It must be some drawback on your happiness that you are so much away from your home - but then you have the consolation that must make your heart jump again of having a fireside of your own with smiling faces about it glad to see you back whenever you reappear. Yours truly, A. Sinclair.