19th. November 1872. Dear Sir, I must ask you to give me "carte blanche" to get your accounts put right. I can't explain to you minutely all that is required to be done, but a great deal is necessary to bring everything into shape. You must remember that the materials I have been working on from the very commencement have been much scattered, and have required a great amount of care to work them up, even so far as I have got. I feel that it is neither just to you, or myself to allow the accounts to remain any longer in an unfinished state. What I propose to do is to stick at them in Napier, no matter what time may be occupied,(for it is impossible for me to fix the time) until a proper result is obtained. Any person acquainted with accounts, if they only knew what was required to be done, would tell you that I am not making an unreasonable request. I don't wish to be released altogether of public work; but I should like to be allowed as much freedom as possible for a few days, so as to give me a fair chance of applying myself to the work in hand. If things go on much longer as they are, it may appear to you that I failed in the task; but failure is a word I dislike very much, and I must ignore it altogether in this case. I know I can bring everything into shape if I am allowed the necessary time for doing it. It would be more convenient for me to work in Napier, and if you could keep St. John with you until You leave here I would go on by the first opportunity, and get on with the work as fast as I can. I could not do much here while he is knocking about. Yours officially (Signed) W.K. McLean.