’Kohimarama:  March 6, 1856.

“Southern Cross.”

’My dear Miss Neill,—­How kind of you to write to me, and such a nice long letter.  It cost you a great effort, I am sure, and much pain, I fear; but I know it was a comfort to you that it was written, and indeed it was a great happiness to me to read it.  Oh, these letters!  The intense enjoyment of hearing about you all at home, I know no pleasure like it now.  Fond as I always was of reading letters and papers, the real happiness of a mail from England now is quite beyond the conception of any but a wanderer in foreign parts.  Our mail went out yesterday at 2 P.M., rather unluckily for me, as I only returned from a very rapid and prosperous voyage to Wellington yesterday morning.

’I took the Chief Justice and Mrs. Martin (such dear, excellent people) to Wellington to meet the “Seringa-patam,” homeward bound from that port; and I brought back from Wellington the Governor’s sick wife and suite.  Only absent a fortnight for a voyage of 1,100 miles, including three days’ stay at Wellington.  The coast of New Zealand is so uncertain, and the corners so many in coasting from Auckland to Wellington, that the usual passage occupies seven or eight days; and when the “Southern Cross " appeared yesterday morning in harbour, I was told by several of the officers and other residents that they feared we had put back from foul weather, or because the Judge could not bear the motion of the vessel.  They scarcely thought we could actually have been to Wellington and returned.

’Most thankful am I for such a fine passage, for I had two sets of invalids, the Judge being only now (as we trust) recovering from a severe illness, and Mrs. Martin very weakly; and I felt the responsibility of having the charge of them very much.  This was my second trip as “Commodore,” the Bishop still being on his land journey; but we expect him in Auckland at the end of the month.  As you may suppose, I am getting on with my navigation, take sights, of course, and work out errors of watches, place of ship, &c.; it is pretty and interesting work, and though you know well enough that I have no turn for mathematics, yet this kind of thing is rendered so easy nowadays by the tables that are constructed for nautical purposes, that I do not think I should feel afraid of navigating a ship at all.  The “seamanship” is another thing, and that the master of the ship is responsible for....  You ask me, dear Miss Neill, where I am settled.  Why, settled, I suppose I am never to be:  I am a missionary, you know, not a “stationary.”  But, however, my home is the “Southern Cross,” where I live always in harbour as well as at sea, highly compassionated by all my good friends here, from the Governor downwards, and highly contented myself with the sole possession of a cosy little cabin nicely furnished with table, lots of books, and my dear father’s photograph, which is an invaluable treasure and comfort to me.  In harbour I live