ne"!

We had finished our hearty dinner, and were giving our loquacious
hostess all the news we could of the old country, when the ship hove in
sight, towed by a little tug steamer. We ran for our boat and gave
chase, but only reached her side as the anchor was being dropped in
Lyttelton Harbour. We received from the Captain and Lapworth a sound but
good-humoured rating, but there would be no opportunity of further
"larks" from the "Mary Anne"! The voyage was over, and a most pleasant
one it had been, especially for our small party, and I am sure that no
voyagers to the New World ever had the luck to travel with kinder or
more sympathetic captain and officers, or with abler seamen, than those
in command of the good ship "Mary Anne."

Poor Mrs. Kelson was in sore distress about her husband, whom she
persisted in giving up for lost, and doubtless she looked pretty sharply
after his movements for a while.

CHAPTER III.

LYTTELTON AND CHRISTCHURCH.--CALL ON OUR FRIENDS.--VISIT
MALVERN HILL.

Port Lyttelton at the time was but an insignificant town in comparison
with what it has since become, although from its confined situation it
is unlikely ever to attain to any great size. It is the port of the
capital of the province, Christchurch, from which it is separated by a
chain of hills. A rough and somewhat dangerous cart road led from it to
the capital, along and around the hill side, which was twelve miles in
length, but there was also a bridle track direct across the hills, by
which the distance was reduced by one-half. This path, however, could be
used only by pedestrians, or on horseback with difficulty. In 1862 it
was decided to connect the port with Christchurch by a railway, cutting
a tunnel through the hill, and the project was completed in 1866. In
1859 Port Lyttelton was built entirely of wood, the houses being for the
most part single-storeyed. There was a main street running parallel to
the beach, with two or three branch streets, running up the hill
therefrom; there were a few shops, several stores, stables, and small
inns. The harbour was an open roadstead, and possessed but a primitive
sort of quay or landing place for boats and vessels of small tonnage.

We were invited on shore by the Leach's sheep-farming cousin, who had
come to meet them, but we returned on board to sleep. The following
morning, getting our luggage together, we all four started for
Christchurch on hired horses, sendi