the house tntiat iook bright and cheerful when the flowers are in bloom. The soil appears somewhat thankless and poor, but with working the results were far from bad. The primrose and the forget-me-not and one or two early flowers were out, and all the plants had put on their bright spring foliage. Old Sol, steadily progressing on his journey (I believe he doesn't progress, now->a-dayS, but that doesn't matter), warned us that it was time that we did ditto, so, mounting our gallant steeds, we bid good-bye to Mrs Cross and proceeded onwards to Davenirk. The road passes throdgh two or three large natural clearings, where the soii is rifiji rthd deep* The natives hold most if not all of these clearings^ and though they plough sufficient to gr"ow corn and vegetables for themselves, the land otherwise remains in a state o( nature. Olover has 1 , ho'weveri Bpvead all over it, and all the parts' of the. bifsli which border on the road are also thickly carpeted with the same plant. Danevirk was reached after a brisk ride of six or seven .miles. The settlement is in tho midst of a splendid totara forest, but hundreds of acre 3of fine, up-stand ing trees were standing merely as, black ened stumps; their life destroyed by fire. They seemed like grim skeletons giving warning of New Zealand's fufu're if her" timber resources be thus destroyed. Had these trees been left until the railway came within a short distance they would have found employment for half-a-dozen saw-mills, and would have furnished mil lions of feet of splendid timber. Now they supply only railway sleepers, stacks of which lined the road. There is still, I was informed, a good extent of totara forest left at the back, and I hope that this will not be destroyed in the same wanton manner. It seems to me a mis take to have settled people in the midst cf a totara. forest before they had means of sending the timber to market. They must now burn it off to get grass for their cattle. Danevirk, though, I believe, an older settlement than Norsewood, appears to be much more backward. The land also seems of pcor quality, which may be the cause of this backwardness, though those who have compared the two greatly prefer the Norwegians as settlers. 