From what he had seen ; of the present brigade, he felt sure the team W would, ,as it Had, give a good accounti j of itself South, and up to 1875 he con-., j sidesred w_ had no better equipped Fire ■ Brigade:" His Worship the Mayor pro prosed, tie' toast: of the,-, even ing. namely • I "Foreman Ansell, ( and the Tcani." His J Worship -said- lie ""'could trace "hack tlievj career of .lieißriga'de to its infancy, and -.as | i pleased to notice: the great progress which I £ had been made. -He had known the late] j Mr BraidwOod in London, and had studied^ 1 tho organisationl^ of the London Fire | .Brigades, Noblemen Avere proud to belong^ j to those Brigades, which were only equalled I throughout the world by the Brigades of | New York. He would recommend all 1 Auckland;Vfiienien to read Bfaidwcod's. 1 book. The Insurance Offices dc-sen _d great: 1 praise for, so liberally siipporjjng the trip, E and the team must be congratulated on. 1 beating such a trained body of _ men as .lie 1 Ballarat Brigade, who he heard had taken | off several valuable prizes at the Caledonian 1 Sports. His i Worship concluded by'.a.f .reference to,.the victories which Auckland; 1 had:• already won in the field against the,■ 1 South, and expressed a conviction that the B .Auckland firemen would yet further d_s>?fi tinguish themselves. The toast was repeats M edly cheered. Foreman Ansell, in returning; I thanks, described the most interesting incl'l dents of their visit to Dunedin. They had; | been hospitably entertained 'every.here. E they called in on their way down and back): ffl and at Dunedin. they, we're treated splem | didly. He could bear testimony to* the I zeal which had actuated every nian in the | team.. They mot plenty .-"of friends of g Superintendent Hughes at Dimcdin, and;-'! these had stuck to them like bricks. The I Mayor next proposed the health of Super- I intendent Hughes, whom His Worship '_ characterised as a thoroughly efficient '_• officer and well fitted for his position. He j had often admired the wav he grappled-w_| I the difficulties he had'to contend nguin.st, | The toast was most enthusiastically .fo m ceived and honored. 