The brig and a schooner came around the North Head together between 8 and 9. Swallowed my breakfast and boarded them; the schooner was the Queen of Perth from Sydney, and the brig the Neander from Melbourne to Liverpool, put in leaky. They had had most tempestuous weather, and were severely battered. Got some papers from Capt. Stanley which I gleaned and gutted. Wrote several shipping pars. In the evening I went through the papers, and compiled the figures for the Maori Commercial. Kitty went to Mrs. Alexander’s, but returned about 9. Retired to roost greatly used up.

Tuesday: 30th: Turned out about 6 and wrote five slips of Commercial for the Maori Messenger. Dressed, and hurried off to the land sale. Newman did not get me the loan I wanted, and behaved in anything but a straight forward manner in rejecting it. A lovely morning. An unusual concourse at the sale, and the competition altogether unprecedented . Stuck fast from 11a.m. till past 4 p.m. Carried my lists to Williamson. Home, and had a late dinner. Wrote an article on the sale, and a reply to an attack by Brown on our “Shipping Reporter”. Over to the office. Penned sundry paragraphs. No editor there. A queer customer seemingly. Wilson likes him less and less – and makes no secret of his dissatisfaction of buying a pig in a poke. Hard at work, reading, writing, and revising till ½ past 1.

Wednesday: 31st: There was a heavy fall of rain during the early part of the morning, and on turning out about 8 oclock, it was muggy, moist and misty.