New Zealand as Viewed by Others.

Manawatu Herald, 29 December 1904, Page 2

New Zealand as Viewed by Others.

The following message, under the heading “ Latest Mail News,” and dated Wellington, 6th September, appeared in a recent issue of the British Australasian, a London weekly :—“ The ratepayers of Wellington, by a majority of over 800, have rejected u proposal to borrow £70,000 for the extension of the tramways from Miramar to Dunedin. They agreed to a scheme for amalgamating Caversham with the city.” Thera were half a dozen of them in the club, and the fat man, who had been reading a full page advertisement of New Zealand in the London Times, put down his paper. “ Where is New Zealand ? ” he asked. “ New Zealand ? New Zealand ! H’m ! Heard something about that place,” replied the thin man thoughtfully. “ Oh, yes, I remember. It’s the capital of New South Wales. Awfully jolly little town, I believe. A friend of mine knows the chief man there. I think his name is Seddon. He's a big butcher. See his meat in the shops.” “A very progressive little village, I understand,” ventured a talkative old gentleman. “ It’s a species of communistic place, and the tribesmen are devoted to Mr Seddon, and tried to make him a present of a golden idol set with diamonds, but he replied that as long as he found favour in their eyes he was amply content, and sought no further reward that they should

remain loyal to the grand old flag. I remember reading something about it in the papers.” “ Any good shootin’ there ? ” asked the youngest of the men, who had just returned from a hunting trip in Central Africa. “ Oh, excellent. In the surrounding district the moas are very plentiful, and are in season all the year. A friend of mine has a wonderful collection of their tusks. And as for fishing, I know a man who took 300 tui in an hour with the dry fly in Labe Melbourne. The Ngahauranga and Kaiwarra are protected, I think, as their plumage is growing exceedingly scarce.” “ How do you get there ? ” continued the sportsman, eagerly. “ You go by boat to Tasmania, and then take the train inland to Brisbane, Then you ride by coach. 5 ’ “Funny I never heard of the place,” said a man who had hitherto been silent. “ 1 often heard the - name Seddon, but I always thought ' he was a syndicate or something. But, of course, Fve been too busy to study it, though Uo\v and then,' on Still nights, I’ve heard a booming sound like a far-off foghorn down south.”' “ Oh, that,” they all chorusaed, “ that was Mr Seddon.”