CHAPTER X.
McNab's gardens—The Rimutaka railway—The Fell engine—The gorge itself—Grandeur of the scenery—Power of the wind—The Wairarapa Valley—The town of Masterton—An antipodean hermit—Mr Kohn's curios—The Belmont Viaduct—Meat-preserving industry—The various stages—A social blot.
The "lions" about Wellington are not numerous, but they are well worthy inspection.
McNab's Gardens, at the Hutt, are unique in their way, and in the season can boast of the very finest display of azaleas, camellias, and especially rhododendrons, probably to be seen south of the line. McNab himself is a fine specimen of the good, thrifty, gentle-mannered, practical old Scottish gardener. His buxom wife partakes of the practical also; but nothing delights the worthy couple more than to do the honours of their floral domain to any one who betrays a curiosity to look and learn.
What memories gardeners must have; real gardeners, I mean. Not the frauds and shams, who invent names on the spur of the moment to hide their real ignorance, and whose assumption of infallibility is at times so exasperating.
McNab showed us pines, palms, lilies, flowering shrubs, from Japan, Brazil, India, Africa, Europe,
