gravity, but the situation was saved by an urgent message from the Court-house, bidding us come at once. There the address was formally presented, but, to the great disappointment of its author, the Governor, receiving it with a few gracious words, said, "I think we will take it as read."
Westland is part of the Canterbury Province, but for the time is under the control of a Gold Commissioner, with an executive, and Gold Wardens resident in certain districts; a sort of limited autocracy which works well under Commissioner G. Sale, who seems to the manner born; a fine specimen of manhood, blest with an unfailing fund of tact and common-sense; and yet his training for the work has only been that of Rugby and a classical Fellowship at Trinity, Cambridge, with no "specializing." Much has been already done; there is a well organized police force, with a mounted contingent; court-houses in every centre; hospitals, and a central gaol in Hokitika, besides an asylum, already needed. The two latter buildings stand on a forest-clad terrace, where tree felling and clearing afford useful occupation to the inmates. I hold services at both institutions, and have had some curious experiences in the gaol, where the class of prisoner is not that of the ordinary convicts at home, most of them serving short sentences for trivial offences; but there are exceptions, and one of them of particularly bad type.
I touched in a former letter on that gang of Australian bushrangers who ran their short career of crime here, and were hunted down at last. One of them escaped the ultimate penalty, being sentenced for ten years for perjury; a thorough rascal, who had a small white-smith's shop at Greymouth, where he
