orne.--Cruelty to Dumb
Animals.--Shag Island.--Sir George Gray's Pleasant
Home.--Oysters Growing on New Zealand Trees!

Wellington is situated on the north side of Cook's Strait, and is the
capital of New Zealand. It is less than two hundred miles from
Christchurch. Auckland was originally the seat of government, but since
1864 this city has been the political capital, in consequence of which
the jealousy existing between the two cities nearly equals that between
Sydney and Melbourne. Wellington has a grand harbor for all commercial
purposes, is very capacious and entirely land-locked. After a narrow
entrance is passed, the harbor opens into a magnificent sheet of water,
in which the largest ships may ride in safety and discharge their
cargoes at wharves built upon the busiest streets of the town. Here, as
in Dunedin, a plateau of land has been reclaimed from the sea for
business purposes. The curved line of Lambton Quay, one of the main
thoroughfares of the city, represents what was once the strand, but a
number of broad streets with long lines of warehouses have grown up
between it and the sea; so that Lambton Quay is now in the centre of
the town. The reclaiming of still more level land from the water-front
is going on, in order to accommodate business requirements. The province
of Wellington stretches northward a hundred and fifty miles, containing
seven million acres of land, diversified by two mountain ranges, and
having as grand scenery as can be found in the islands.

Our stay at Wellington was brief, for there is nothing of special
interest to detain one here, and two days seemed a long time to devote
to it. Were it not that this city is the recognized capital of the
country, we should have passed it by with the briefest mention. It has
its asylums, a college, hospital, botanical gardens, Roman Catholic
cathedral, and colonial museum,--the latter being of more than ordinary
interest in the excellence and completeness of its several departments.
What is called the Maori House, built by the natives, is particularly
interesting, being full of aboriginal curiosities such as domestic
utensils, weapons, and elaborate carvings. This house is of ordinary
village size, and is elaborately ornamented on many of its panels and
posts by the Indians of the Ngatikaipoho tribe, who reside on the Bay of
Plenty, and who are famous for their carvings. The Theatre Royal is a
fine structure capable of accommodating a