This being tho first letter which you will have received from me under the above head* ing, and some ignorant people possibly not being aware that Mangamahu is tho hub of the universe, it may be as well to begin by a brief description of the place. _ Mangamahu, then, is a township, situate on the Wungaehu River (formerly tho greatest mineral stream in the world), I say formerly because since the eruption of Ruapehu of March 10th, 1895, the river has been fresh, or has had only the slightest taste of the chemicals which formerly so strongly impregnated it. The township is. at the junction of the Mangamahu Stream and the Wangaehu, and is distant from Wanganui twenty-eight miles by the road, which is all gravelled. From Fordell station by the same road tho distance is nineteen miles. At or near the township four roads branch off, that to the westward crossing tho Wangaehu by a fine bridge, that to the east ward going up tho Mangamahu Valley, and that to the northward dividing into two, tho most easterly of which, “ Hales' Track,’ goes on top of a lofty ridge to Ruanui, and the more westerly, tho Wangaehu Valley Road, follows up the course of tho river, and will shortly be connected between Karioi and Wai-o-urn, with the coach road from Pipiriki to Tokaanu and Taupo. The Mangamahu township occupies both sides of the river, there being a large flat laid out in sections on the west side, oft which a few houses have been built, and a smaller fiat on the cast side on which stand the hotel, Post-Office, Town Hall, smithy, stores, and various private houses. All these •will shortly be illuminated by electric light while water has been laid on for some years, so it may be observed that “the bub” bas no intention of yielding its proud position. The country about Mangamahu is mostly occupied in comparatively small holdings, averaging say 1000 acres, mostly of hilly pastoral land, bub with many fine flats in tho valleys of great fertility, a considerable proportion of which are cropped. Mails run thrice each week between Mangamahu and Fordoll, to which place also waggons go and return every sneond day. The hall is the centre of tho local business. 