21 November 1858 Mara[e]kak[a]ho My dear Donald Your letter to Alexander and myself came to hand last night. I am glade to hear you are all well at Auckland. I am now going to tell you my oppinion of matters here. I see that it is your wish to have the wool washed and I have been speaking about that to Alex before he went away but he did not say much about it. From what I can learn the sheep here are so very clean it would be a pity not to wash and gain the difference in price as it could be done without any great trouble. You expected we were shearing. Alex does not intend to shear before January as the latter end of next month. I am hard at work shingling the wood shed and getting it ready for shearing by the time Alex comes back. I will do all I can to get Alex to give you a proper account of the sheep and other things. He always says he will do so as soon as possible but they have no idia of time here. I tell you it takes me all I can do to keep the boys at work and if I had not come down here to assist things would be far behind in the building way and gardin way. You do not say you have received