The intelligent globe-trotter who chances to visit these parts in hia perambulations round fctio civilised world seldom fails to carry away with him some memento of old New Zealand in the shano of triilea generi cally designated as ' Maori curios '-mostly genuine, but some with a very palpable ' made-on-thepremises ' stamp. The busi ness done in bheso relics is larger than is usually imagined, and prices that would surprise many an old colonial hand are paid for such specimens of old Maori art as have not yet been presented to departing Governors, or raked in by tho enterprising tourist. Tho latest yarn anonb Maori curios readied mo from somewhere down the Bay of Plenty way. One day a Bay settler mob a friend who was about to (cave tor Auckland on business, and entrusted to him a greenstone mere to sell, with the injunction, ' Don't lake than twenty six bob for it, old man, for a blanked Maori got that much for it out of me last night v?hen 1 was too blanked drunk to know better.' The friend came up to town, leaving his mate kicking himself at tho thought of his own verdancy, and took tho thing to the first) curio shop. lie could scarcely credit his ears when he wan offered £8 for it. Being a Scotchman lie did not close at onco, but stuck out for £10, and gob \h, Then, with tho notes safe in Wμ pocket,he made a bee-line for the telegraph oJneo and wired urgent to tho bay of Plenty boy :—' Dot drunk and buy another.'

So Munro, tho perpetrator of the Tau ranga tragedy, haa boon brought heforo tho judge and jury of our Suprome Court, and committed to the Avondalo Asylum on the grounds oE insanity. Why tho man was over allowed to leave that institution I will loavo for wiser heads than mine to solve, but,judging from the ovidenco given at the trial by the several witnesses, Munro should never have been liberated. J am given to understand that the Court proceedings wore thrilling in effect on tho minds of those present, and when poor Munro was removed from the dock singing the words ' Praise God from whom all blessings flow," there was a painful silence. 