(undated copy) My dear Sir, I was glad to receive your letter of the 7th, October. Although really ashamed of the length of time I have kept your "History of the Church of Scotland", - for the kind loan of which I have to return my best thanks, and trust you will receive it in safety, by this opportunity. Your leaving Manawatu during the Wanganui disturbances, and residence amongst our country people at Wellington, I was made acquainted with long previous to the receipt of your letter, as I make frequent enquiries respecting you and Mr. Duncan, since I had the pleasure of hearing of your arrival in the country, and your acquaintance at Wanganui. With the desire evinced by the Scotch settlers of Wellington and Nelson that you should permanently reside among them, I quite sympathise, as they must feel the want of a clergyman of their own persuasion; and it is quite surprising that greater efforts were not made by our Societies at Home to establish at least one or two more in this country. We have been more than remiss in not planting a Branch of our Church. It may be that the field for Aboriginal Missions is preoccupied; but in fact, even that is only nominally, as I cannot but think such is not the case with our own country people, whose attachments to the Religious institutions of which they are members, is not easily alienated. But if in a remote country, they are totally neglected by their parent Church, - I should like to know who is to blame, if a partial estrangement should take place. I believe that the Auckland people are, themselves, making a praiseworthy effort to build a Church, and provide for a clergyman; and it certainly is time something was done there, where a great portion of the population are Presbyterian. It seems evident that more than absolute remissness is displayed in not having planted a Branch of our Church, with the first settlement of the Colony; nor can I consider our Church discharged of a duty she so much boasts of, performing, establishing, and propagating religious Missions in foreign countries, - till she has at least shown equal zeal in that respect with the several other religious bodies who are successfully engaged in such philanthropic pursuits in New Zealand. Why, - our Church, that has been generally first in such endeavours, should be last in this country, - appears to me altogether unaccountable; and although the rooted attachment of our country people, to the religious institutions, of which they are menbers, is not easily alienated, - there is good reason for supposing that if totally neglected by their parent Church in a remote country, - that with several, a partial estrangement from it may be the result; and even if the