moment. But even if there had not been made in the first ten minutes the agreement that what passed should be confidential and secret for this mail, we could not have sent you any account of what passed. In the long time we were with Lord Granville we travelled over an immense extent of ground, in a spasmodic, irregular, intermittent way. Knowing that we were able to speak without the chance of after question, we all three allowed ourselves to meander through the story we had before us; and were all indifferent whether we were exactly correct on one point, or gave a contestable colour to another. The one object we had was to set about establishing an Entente Cordiale, and we effectually satisfied each other in doing it. Now you will easily see that an attempt to reduce such a conversation to writing and record was impossible independent of our intention not so to reduce it. Neither of us, I think, could have succeeded if he had tried ever so hard, and it is best we did not try. But this much may be said. Lord Granville showed, on the one hand, an intimate knowledge of what had been going on in New Zealand; but on the other seemed certainly struck by the presentation of this in an aspect novel to him. Whether we made an actual impression or not it would be difficult to say, considering what a reputation he has for diplomacy. Quiet, and lively at the same time, as sharp as a needle to prick a flaw, and yet without a shade of arrogance, he impressed us very much with the notion of great ability and power; but there can be no doubt, as I said, that there were phases of the relations between the Government and the natives which he had not looked at it the same light before the interview: and unless the whole Cabinet has irrevocably