ld. Sir
Hercules Robinson was Governor and High Commissioner, a man after
Froude's heart, "too upright to belong to any party," and thoroughly
appreciative of all that was best in the Boers. This time
Froude's stay was a short one, and early in 1885 he was at
Melbourne. Here the burning question was the German occupation of
New Guinea, for which Colonial opinion held Gladstone's Government,
and Lord Derby in particular, responsible. On the other hand, Lord
Derby had suggested Australian Federation, which received a good
deal of support, though it led to nothing at the time. On one point
Froude seems always to have met with Sympathy. Abuse of Gladstone
never failed to elicit a favourable response, and the news of
Gordon's death was an opportunity not to be wasted. But when there
came rumours of a possible war with Russia over the Afghan frontier,
Froude took the side of Russia, or at all events of peace, and
contended with his Tory companion, Lord Elphinstone, who was for
war. In New Zealand he visited the venerable Sir George Grey, who
had violated all precedent by entering local politics, and becoming
Prime Minister, after the Duke of Buckingham had recalled him from
the Governorship of the Colony. He was not equally successful in his
second career, and Froude's unqualified praise of him was resented
by many New Zealanders. That the Colonies would be true to the
mother country if the mother country were true to them was the safe
if somewhat vague conclusion at which the returning traveller
arrived. He came home by America, and met with a more formidable
antagonist than his old assailant Father Burke, in the shape of a
terrific blizzard.

But hardships had no deterring effect upon Froude, and his love of
travel, like his love of the classics, suffered no diminution while
strength remained. He returned from the Antipodes early in 1885.
Before 1886 was out he had started on a voyage to the West Indies,
so that his survey of our Colonial possessions might be complete.
Ardent imperialist as he was, Froude was not less fully alive than
Mr. Goldwin Smith to the difficulties inherent in a policy of
Imperial Federation. "All of us are united at present," he had
written in Oceana,* "by the invisible bonds of relationship and of
affection for our common country, for our common sovereign, and for
our joint spiritual inheritance. These links are growing, and if let
alone will continue to grow, and the free fibres will of themselv