Tuesday: 25th: Showery morning. Turned out at a little after 6. Parrott in shortly afterwards to cook and eat his Christmas dinner. A schooner signalled, which showed round and anchored, for the tide, under the North Head at 10 a.m. The Wonga, with a new screw and a newly painted bottom sailed on an excursion to Howick a little before 8. Her decks were crowded from stem to stern. At home throughout the morning. Kitty went to church. Smallfield called. The schooner came into harbour about 5. Boarded her. She proved to be the Harp, 25 days from Hobart Town. Wrote par – Home – and to bed about 9 o’clock. Wonga in abt. 8.

Wednesday:26th: Fine morning, with a few flying showers. Up betimes, and wrote part of a paper on drunkenness, for the Maori Messenger. Williamson called and had a yarn. Wonga sailed for the Bay. Dressed, and away to Newmarket where Newman and Buckland called a sale, which they could only, in part, effect. Prices are doomed to return to their old level. This stock holders dont, and auctioneers wont understand. The struggle, therefore, is to maintain old prices on the one hand, and to compel a decline on the other. In the meanwhile unreasonable reserves are affixed, and sales are with the utmost difficulty effected. Came home by the Kyber Pass, and , on my way, passed into the cemetery, paused, and pondered over the graves of Bob Lynd , and poor Mrs. Cockcraft. [indecipherable]. Kitty was out so I swallowed a solitary snack. A ship signalled outside Tiri Tiri. And another sail at 3.30. It blew hard from the Southward, and, when night set in, neither ship had been able to round the North Head.