in brick, and on entering the port of Wellington one sees a goodly array of warehouses and public buildings.
Wellington is rapidly becoming the distributing centre of the whole of the colony of New Zealand, of which it became the seat of government in 1865. Here Parliament holds its sittings; to Wellington, also, most of the principal banks and places of business are transferring their headquarters; and the numerous lines of steamers which make it their chief port of call testify to its being regarded as the capital of New Zealand. Situated on a narrow strip of land, lying at the base of a range of high hills, it may easily be imagined that it is not an ideal site for a city. But its geographical position in Cook Strait, which traverses the centre of the colony and is provided with a magnificent harbour, demanded that here the capital should be; and, with the disregard of personal convenience which is such a characteristic of colonial life, here it has been built. To make up for the want of flat land, large areas of the harbour have been reclaimed; and even comparatively young colonists can remember when the waters of Port Nicholson washed over what are now the principal streets in the business portion of the city.
Auckland, the former capital, "The Queen of the North," far surpasses Wellington in beauty, and somewhat in size, while her harbour is a yachtman's paradise. The climate, however, is warmer and more humid than that of Wellington; and her geographical^ position, isolated from the other centres, is also against her. Auckland is the port of arrival and departure for the San Francisco mail boats; though Wellington, where the wharf appliances are of a very high order of excellence, is the port of arrival and departure of the Canadian, or All-British line. Christchurch, on the east coast of the Middle Island, the capital of Canterbury Province, was
