man come next day for his pay, and I found that he had not only treated him handsomely, but that the boatman had said nothing to his mates about our adventure. Loyal, wasn't it?
A day or two later, a Levée was held in the Court-house. Overnight I received a visit from the Congregational Minister of a small chapel in the town. He thought that a loyal address should be presented to the Governor at the Levée, on behalf of the various religious bodies, and said that he had drafted one, wishing to submit it for my approval. It was so long that I persuaded him to shorten it, and arranged that he should invite all concerned to meet in the morning and sign it. You know, I imagine, that there is no Established Church in New Zealand; all religious bodies have a fair field, without any favour from the State; the Church population numbering rather more than half of the whole. Accordingly, we met in the morning; the Roman Catholic priest, an elderly Irish gentleman, of varied experience in Australia, and racy of speech; a Presbyterian and Wesleyan, a Jewish Rabbi, the Congregationalist, and myself. We met in an empty room of an hotel opposite the Court-house, our seats being up-ended beer barrels, and the table a hogshead. The address was read and approved. Then its author, looking round, said, "Gentlemen, there is one thing I thought it best to leave to the decision of the meeting,—I mean the order of precedence of signature." "Order of precedence!" exclaimed Father … slipping off his barrel, "The Archdeacon first, ex officio, myself second, and where the rest of you come, I don't care a ." The blank look of astonishment that passed over their countenances was almost too much for my
