A SHOUT CHAT WITH A RETIRE NEW ZEALAND AND JUDGE. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 309, 20 October 1888, Page 5

A SHOUT CHAT WITH A RETIRE NEW ZEALAND AND JUDGE. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure uf a shorb talk with Judge Munro, of Auckland, who is now visiting the Old Country for the first time. Ho and his wife are stopping at a large hoarding-house in Ken eington Gardens Square, Bayswater, and a ppear to be very comfortably situated. After a few remarks on the weather, I asked: "This is your ihot visit to England, ia it not, Mr Munio ?" An answer in the affirmative was followed by' the question : " What do you think ot London?" " 1 think it the wovst-builb city in the woild," was the rather surprising answer, and he added, most feelingly : "It was certainly designed tor the express purpose of contusing &tiangeis ; at least, it. might have been by the way it twists about," I explained tliao constant additions to a town like London were bound to have this tsflecb, but he way not to be appeased. On inquiry 1 found that the Judge had had a good deal of trouble in finding my diggings, and an angry contro\ei«y with the cabman, to whom he had no doubt tendered his legal fare. These circumstances and the heat of the day would fully account for the somewhat prejudiced view he took of London. He says everything is exactly as he thought it would be ; theie is nothing to surprise him, nothing to disappoint. Stay ! there was one thing he mentioned as being peculiar and novel to both himself and his wife, " What a number of women with moustaches you have in London," he observed. "Have we.'" 1 replied, "X never noticed that."' " Yes,' said the veteian ; " I see gnl after girl pass in the streets with a perfectly astounding amount ot hair on the upper lip." After this I thought it about time to leave town and try him on something else. " You have been North, have you not, Mr Munro?" "Yes, to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, " he answered. " We were very much disappointed with the scenery on the way up to Edinburgh ; it all seemed so tame, aud the same view almost all the way along. No," he continued. " you must come to New Zealand for really good scenery ; there is nothing here." Both Mr and Mrs Munro confess themselves utterly charmed with the beauties of Edinburgh, though in answer to a question Mr Munro said that he was not a bit surprised, even there. "It was just as I expected/ he said simply. From Edinburgh they went to Glasgow, but the weather being foggy did not make the trip down the Clyde in either lAic Columbia or lona, a© i.s usual with visitois to St. Mungo's city. He says that he considers the Exhibition of that city tar superior to anything of the kind in Loudon (and he is right), and professes to have been keenly interested in the marine machinery. The town oi Glasgow he dislikes, and iinds its streets all at right angles to each other, almost as confusing as London. 1 asked him if he had looked up his family, who ha\c, by-tbe-by, one of the oldest and finest castles in Scotland. He said no, buo that his children were so anxiou3 that he should do so while at Home that he was almost determined to do it, but dreaded the worry and bother of the proceeding, all his family papers, etc., having, been destioyed by nre in the colonies many years ago. On being questioned as to whether he and his wife were going to "do " France and the Continent, he said he was not suie, but only wished he had come through Italy and Fiance via Brisbane on his way to England. Here Mrs Munro came into the matter, and said "they wtrc going to do the Continent, and that propeily." Mr M. said he was " \ery doubtful." but Mis M. only smiled in a placid way. Mr Munro told some very good shark stories to a friend who was inquiring about such things. Mrs Munro says they are both much amused at the way the country folks stare anout and stand at street corners with their mouths open waiting lor chances to get across. It they do not visit the Continent they will lefcurn to Auckland about November, but I expect Mrs Munro will carry the day, and you will, in that case, not see them till late in the spring of next year — our spring I mean.