Sunday, February 23rd

Warm forenoon with a touch of hot wind. Thanksgiving service with a good sermon from Dr Jackson and a collection for Maori missions. The church decorated with altar cloth, altar piece; decalogue sentences had a very good effect though the walls were shabby and mean. Heard that Crawford's page 136boat had upset on the bar with Mr Godley's things. This will teach the Christchurch grumblers how much they have to be thankful for and how to bear the little miseries they occasionally suffer. A man from Gebbie's today reports that the cows are with his cattle all safe. Henry goes in the morning to look after them. Torlesse was with us all the morning and developed his plan of feeding cattle at Rangiora; he will take out young beasts and will charge his man to attend to my part of the bush.