old West Coast friends,' eic. Then called for Ward, who took off his hat and showed his bald spot and gashed a bit of nothing, and called for Carroll. ' Jimmy ! Where's Jimmy ?' sang out Seddon ; bnt Jimmy did not turn np. So, after a dog fight, and Dick had tonched a conple of babies under the chin, and made a few rather broad remarks to the mothers, the band struck np, and the whole party crossed the swing bridge to Byanla Hall, over the creek, where a spread was laid in real Waitefeauri style by Byan jan. We did onr best with the eatables and drink ables (an important item in a Ministerial trip) ; then Long Barry, the chairman, Galled for toasts— 'The Qaeen,' of coarse,

with Dick's lungs as a lead to the everlasting first verse. Then Coun cillor Stackpole gave us ' The Minis try,' off by heart. We drank it ; so did Dick, before reply ing. Didn't he lay the jam on Mr' Chairman, as he called Barry, and the Waihi Company when he said it was

the greatest m the world, and had made everything (that Dick hadn't made), and boasted of hia great works, talked about Pariwaihi and Karakaka— meaning Paeroa and Karanga hake — that he had constructed 256 miles

of railroad, and would continue until he was called to a ' better ' world — as if Dick could find a better world than this — and that the Seddon Ministry was made by a miner, and the New Zealand people would not have another Premier unless he was like himself — good constitution, good physique, good lungs, and a good speaker, and a good 1 no, not that. What a majestic figure was Dick's, aa|his leonine head shifted from side to side. A deep frown was above his Roman nose, and his grey blue eyes glistened in the noonday light ; a nicely-brushed bang just curled down hia forehead far enough to leave a noble expanse of knowledge wall, and the hand some red colouring of his cheeks and nose tip showed up his white pointed beard and whiskers to advantage. 