the globe, has
kept it in a measure unknown to the rest of the world, even in these
days of rapid communication. Wellington, the capital, is about sixteen
thousand miles, more or less, from the Colonial Office in London; in
other words, New Zealand forms the nearest land to the actual antipodes
of England. The precious metals are distributed over the land in
gold-bearing quartz reefs, rich alluvial diggings, and in the sands of
its many rivers; mines of tin and iron and other deposits are
supplemented by an abundance of the most important of all minerals,
coal. In 1861 the gold-fields were discovered in Otago, stimulating
fresh immigration, until at the present writing the country contains in
round numbers six hundred thousand souls.

In these general remarks let us not forget to express hearty
appreciation of the pronounced hospitality of the people of these
British Colonies, both in Australia and New Zealand. It was almost
impossible to escape its generous importunity, or to steal from it a few
hours daily for personal observation and reflection. Intelligent,
kind-hearted persons sometimes forget that even the best meant
hospitality may become oppressive by over-effusiveness. We might have
passed free over every railroad in Australia and New Zealand, the
coasting steamers had a cabin quite at our service without charge, and
even our hotel bills would have been handed to us receipted without pay,
had we permitted it; but no service of whatever sort was accepted
without the current charge for the same being paid. We wish, however, to
bear testimony to the whole-heartedness which was so liberally displayed
to a stranger. A chance newspaper paragraph printed by a Sydney journal
on our first arrival, whose editor recognized the author's name, went
the rounds of the Colonial press, and we were thus promptly recognized
on appearing at each new locality.

As regards the matter of federation, spoken of in connection with
Australia, it seemed to us hardly to apply to New Zealand, since this
country is already one in this respect. There is no such folly
recognized in New Zealand as a tariff between the different sections. As
to federation with Australia, twelve hundred miles and more away across
the sea, the citizens of Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland say they do
not see any possible advantage to accrue to them from it. On the
contrary, they would lose more than they could by any possibility gain.
New Zealand looks askance