lectures in public, to entertain socially, and
to interest himself in local affairs. At Auckland they boasted that
on their School Board they had a Senior Classic and a Senior
Wrangler.

Auckland is, as I said, the only town I actually visited in New
Zealand. Of the town itself there is not much to be said. It is not
particularly interesting, and the climate is rather relaxing; when
it rains the roads are almost impassable with mud. But its situation
is most charming from its beauty, and most advantageous for trade.
The harbour of Auckland is thought by some to rival that of Sydney
for beauty and commodiousness. From the summit of Mount Eden, an
extinct volcano, with a perfectly formed crater (its extinction,
however, does not appear so certain, after the recent experience of
Mount Tarawera, which was thought to be equally extinct), an
extensive view of Auckland and the two seas is to be obtained. For
at this point the North Island is so narrow, that Manukau harbour on
the west side comes close up to Auckland, and at one point the
distance across is only a mile and a half. There has been a project
mooted to cut through the narrow isthmus, and thus lessen the
journey to Sydney by about 300 miles, but all the harbours of New
Zealand lie towards the Pacific, not towards Australia, and there is
a formidable bar at the entrance to Manukau harbour, so that after
all the expense would probably be too great. Auckland is on the
direct track for steamers from San Francisco to Sydney, and up to
last year there was a regular service of three steamers, once a
month--I forget the name of the line. Many went by this route, as
the fare from Sydney to London this way is only L66, including the
rail across America, but there were many complaints of the
inferiority of the steamers. That line has now ceased, but the Union
Line of New Zealand now run their steamers along the same route,
and, I believe, have a subsidy from New Zealand and New South Wales
for the mail service to America. It was by one of the steamers of
the former line, the "Zealandia," that I left Auckland for Sydney on
the 28th June. The voyage took five days over a calm sea, and was
quite without incident. We were, however, enlivened by the presence
of Mr. Dion Boucicault, the well-known playwright and actor, with
his company, who were on their way to fulfil engagements in
Melbourne and Sydney, after some years stay in America; we had many
amusing, but highly-coloured a