A SHORT CHAT WITH A RETIRED NEW ZEALAND JUDGE. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 310, 24 October 1888, Page 3

A SHORT CHAT WITH A RETIRED NEW ZEALAND JUDGE. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

VissTiiKJDAY afternoon I bad the ploasure of a short balk with Judgo Munro, of Auckland, who is now visiting- the Old Country for the first time, lie and his wife are stopping at a large boarding-house in Ken sington Gardens Square, Bayswafcer, and appear to bo veiy comfortably situated. After a lew remarks on the weather, I asked: "This is yonr iiifcb vi £ ib to England, ia ib not, Mr MunioV" An answer in the affirmative was followed by the question : "What do you think ot London?" "I think it the wor&t-builb city in the wot Id," was the rather surprising answer, and he added, moot feelingly : "It was ceitainly designed for the express purpose of confusing strangers ; at least, ifc might have been by the way it twists about," I explained thao constant additions to a town like London were bound to have this ellecl, but he was not to be appeased. On inquny I ionnd that, the Judge had had a good deal ot trouble in finding my diggings, and an angiy contro\cifcy with the cabman, to whom he had no doubt tomleied hib '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 smprite him, nothing to disappoint. Stay ! theie was one thing he mentioned as being peculiar and novel to both hunbelt and Ins wife, "What a number of m omen with moustaches you have in London,'' he observed. "Have we?" 1 replied, "1 never noticed that." "Yes," said the veteran ; " I see girl after girl pabS in the streets with a perfectly astounding amount of hair on the upper lip." Atter this 1 thought it about time to leave town and try him on something else. >l You have been North, have you not, Mr Munro?" "Yes, to both Edinbuieh and Glasgow," 1 he answered. " We were very much disappointed with the scenery on the way up to Edinburgh ; il all seemed so tame, and the same view almost all the way along. No," he continued, "you rau&t come to New Zealand for really good scenery ; there is nothing here." Both ]SJr and Mrs Munro confess themselves utterly charmed with the beauties of Edinburgh, though in answer to a question Mr Mumo 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 the Columbia or lonn, as is übual .with visitois to St. Mungo'b city. lie says that he considers the Exhibition of that city far superior to anything ot the kind in London (and he ib right), and professes to have been keenly inteiested in the marine machinery. The town oi Glasgow he dislikes, and finds its streets all at right angles to each other, almost as confusing a» London. 1 asked him if he had looked up his family, who Lave, by-tbe-by, one of the oldest and finest castles in Scotland. He said no, but that his childien wevc so anxious thai he should do feo while at Home tint he was almost detei mined to do it, but dreaded the woiry and bother of the pioceeding, all his family papers, etc., having; been destioyed by lire m 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 s-uie, but only wished he had come through Italy and France via Brisbane on his way to England. Here Mrs Munro came into the matter, and said "they in re going to do the Continent, and that propeily.'' Mr M. said ho was " very 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 arc both much amused at the way the country iolks state about and stand at street corners with their mouths open waiting tor chances to gob across. It they do not visit the Continent thoy Avill return to Auckland about November, but I expect Mrs Munro will cany the day, and you will, in that case, not see^ them till late in the spring of next year — our spring I mean.