" Kaipara," by Mr P. W. Barlow (London: Sampson Low and Co.), is the narrative of a civil engineer who came to New Zealand in 1883 and settled in the North Island, in a part which has nob yet been overwritten. Mr Barlow re lates his experiences iv a pleasant, good humoured fashion ; but eorno of his remarks upon the various openings for industrial eutt-r ---priss in the colony ought to be noted. For in stance, he buil'c himself a fishpond and stocked it with valuable fish from the Kaipara beach. The price of these dainties in the Sydney market was sometimes 80s a dozen, and yet he tells us that " They cau be caught line fishing iv the Kaipara at ther«te of 60 or 70 an hour per line of two hooks, and cf the average weight of 9ib." If a ship fitted up with refrigerating chambers were ocspatched to Sydney with these fish, Mr Barlow is sure a good trade might be opened up. In the same way be observes that New Zealand is the only country i Q the world which produces lsauri gum, which is so important an ingredient in varnish. Yet. it is all sent away in its crude state for other countries to deriva the bent-fit and profit consequent on manufacture. " New Zealand of. To-day," by Mr John Brad shaw (London: Sampson" Loiv and Co.), is a more ambitious work than that of Mr Barlow, being, in fact, something between a guide book aiula blue book. He is an enthusiast on behalf of toe colony, foreseeing for it a great future, and he enlarges with pride upon the rapid development which, despite its public debt, it is undergoing. He is vt-ry severe againsc JVTr Froude, an-1 makes an able defence of the colony and its institutions from the insinuations of that gentleman.
