else would make me run such a risk," said Mike again, as if anxious to impress it on the mind of the Captain. "Certainly, Mike; I feel sure of it.

It's eleven now."

But at what time do

you close?

"Generally at twelve, Captain. I keeps good hours. Some, as is less respectable round here, are open till one." "We must wait till they are all closed.

About three o'clock, Mike,
Have the trap

'll be the hour; there'll be no one stirring at that time.

open, and the passage clear, so as not to hinder. We shall have to come twice with the fellows. Leave the door unlocked, and keep a light handy. I'll be off now at two I'll be here again." The Captain rose

as he spoke, and moved towards the door, when Mike said

"But the money

“Shall be paid when the fellows are safe under hatches," said the Captain, who saw what Mike was about to say. "Remember, Mike, your oath. You have me in your power; you can save me or ruin me." "Not a sound, Captain; I'm dumb as a stone. You know Mike Standish too well to doubt his word."

"I do, Mike; too well to doubt your honor," replied the Captain, in a significant tone.

"I'd not peach again' an old friend for ten times five hundred dollars," said Mike, in the tone of a man of honor, as nearly as he could assume it.

"Hang me, if I believe you will when I whisper in your ear what I know of you," said the Captain to himself, as he left the place.

"I've

"Let me get the five hundred dollars in my hand, and I'll square up accounts with you," whispered Mike to himself, as, now alone, he rubbed his great hands, and chuckled in the greatest apparent delight. got him in my power, sure enough; and he'll find out how honest I can be with honest men like him. I'll set the fellows free; and have him where he won't see daylight till there's a noose round his neck. It's all gammon, what he told me. I believe he murdered the man in cold blood, and now he wants me to run the devil's own risk of my neck to save him. Humph! I'd tie the noose myself, for that matter. Curse me, if I don't think he'd as soon go pirating as privateering; but he won't leave this port again. I've got him, and I'll have my revenge of him now. No, no, Jack Holmes! I haven't forgotten that of you; and when you hang, I'll tell you of it."

Mike said this in a tone somewhat savage, and as if he fully meant it. He passed into the outer apartment; it was empty, with the exception of the man whom he had placed in charge, and who sat apparently as inanimate as the chair beneath him.

"Drank anything, Joe ?" asked Mike, looking hard at him.

"No, I ain't," answered he.

"Sold any ?" inquired Mike, pulling out the till drawer.
"Nine glasses," drawled Joe, apparently more than half asleep.
"Trust any?"

"No!"

"All right!" said Mike, in a highly satisfied tone. twelve. No more sales to-night. I'll close up, I guess. shutters, Joe, as you go out, will you? Good night!"

In a few minutes, the tap-room of "The Best Bower all business for that night.

"It's nigh Throw on the

was closed to

COLONIAL EXPERIENCE.

To the newly-arrived settler in New Zealand, there is probably no greater blessing than a friend possessed of real colonial experience, and there is no advantage more rarely to be met with. I am aware that this want cannot be adequately satisfied by anything short of the living friend and adviser; but I also believe, that much advantage might be reaped by newly-arrived settlers from a little practical and friendly counsel tendered to them through this Magazine's pages, as the results of a long and close acquaintance with the difficulties which beset the first steps of the new arrival, towards a satisfactory settlement.

In the present number I propose making a few practical remarks upon the best course to be pursued, on first arriving in this country, by the various classes of emigrants who come here.

A peculiar, and very colonial phase of experience is met with generally before the anchor of the emigrant ship has been fairly dropped. You will be sure to find, as I did, that the first shore boats that reach the vessel after she drops anchor invariably bring a certain number of individuals—settlers, they will probably call themselves,-whose sole intent appears to be the rendering the unfortunate new-comer, who listens to their professed friendly information, as miserable as the temperament of the man will admit of.

I cannot forbear to reproduce the sort of thing with which I, in common with hundreds of others, have been greeted as soon as I cast anchor. Of course we looked at the first settler who came on board with curiously-mingled feelings of awe and curiosity, feeling a strong desire to speak to him, to examine him, or even to touch him; but withheld by a feeling of respect for a real live settler in New Zealand-the thing that we ourselves have been hoping for, and looking forward to, for months. Some one ventures to ask him how trade is in Auckland. "Trade, my good man! Why, it's as dull as dull can be. Not an article doingeverybody wanting to sell, and not a soul to buy. have any thoughts of going into business!" possibly undergo a visible change for the sadder. good land to be got?" asks some embryo farmer. what everyone's crying out for, and Government can't get a bit from the Natives. Why it's only last week there was a land sale, and every bit of land that would grow anything, was sold at from two to three pounds an acre !" This is said with an air of irresistible sincerity; and all the rest of the audience, not nearly interested in the state of trade, are at once depressed to a point some way below zero.

I hope none of you Twenty enquiring faces "Is there plenty of "Land! Why that's

Whether it is malice, or the mere pleasure of hoaxing people, that induces this sort of thing, it is very difficult to say. Certain it is, how ever, that it must be undergone; and very fortunate are those persons who have some relative to meet them, and disabuse their minds at once of such false and cruel impressions.

As a rule, the less new-comers place reliance upon board-ship reports as to the state of the country, the more likely they are to come to a just conception of the true circumstances of the case in a short time.

The emigrants from Britain to this country may be divided into three

classes-the first, those who have a fair amount of capital in money, say from six to eighteen hundred pounds; next, those who have some capital, but not so much as the former class, say from one to six hundred pounds; and, lastly, those who come possessed of no other capital than is embraced in strong hands and willing hearts. For each of these classes a different course is expedient; and it will be my endeavour to point out as far as possible what my own experience has led me to think most advisable for each.

At first, however—and it is only of the first days of colonial life, that I propose to treat in this article, a certain similarity of action may be observed by all three classes with advantage, although, of course, with minor modifications. Two rules there are which can scarcely be too strongly borne in mind by the new-comer. The first, of which I have already spoken, viz., never pay any attention to ship-board intelligenceat all events, from any other than official sources. And, in the second place, when once fairly on shore, neglect no means of obtaining information on every colonial subject, from persons of good standing and long experience.

Nothing is much more common, and nothing can be more foolish in new arrivals, than to form strong and decided opinions upon really difficult points of colonial practice, after a few weeks' residence in the city, and without the guidance of one really trustworthy authority. There can be no doubt that the habit of listening to everybody, which some new-arrivals have, is productive of much trouble and loss to them afterwards; and so long as it is easy to find out what persons are really both able and willing to give good advice, the practice is, at least, a waste of time.

One point cannot be too strongly enforced upon the attention of the new arrival; that whatever he has, or whatever he is about to do, his expenses should be curtailed as much as possible on his first landing. If he is fortunate enough to find anything to do, of which he is capable, he will be wise to avail himself of it at once. If his intention is to carve out for himself a farm, in the unsettled districts; he will find it infinitely for his advantage to wait for a year or so before taking the irrevocable step of going to settle. Indeed under ordinary circumstances the man who does not rush to the land office to purchase waste lands, until he has spent a few months in the country and obtained some experience for himself, and also a knowledge of some reliable friend, of much greater experience, will, in nine cases out of ten, find himself greatly the gainer by the wise delay. I would not be understood as advising any man to linger about the towu, unless he is really unfit for any country work; in which case, unless his capital is considerable, he has made a great mistake in becoming an emigrant. To the intending settler who brings his two thousand pounds or so, I would therefore say; do not stay in town! Put your money out at interest, and go into the country. You will there live more cheaply, and what is of still more consequence, you will there daily learn something, which may hereafter prove useful to you, when you settle on your own land. To the labourer also I would say, go at once into the country. A thousand evils beset the living in town, of which you will there be free. Do not be ambitious of at once obtaining the very highest wages. Even if you are a good workman, you will find that you have yet much to learn, of what con

38

stitutes a valuable servant in the colony. Do not be afraid of going to a distance from town. After all, it is a matter of no consequence whether you are fifteen or thirty miles off; for the less you see of it the better. And besides, if you have come out here in the hope of one day being able to occupy your small farm, and so leaving an inheritance to your children, the further you are in the "Bush" the more will your work resemble that which you look forward to doing on your own account, and the better will you be prepared to do it.

The third class, namely, that of small capitalists, is the most difficult of all to advise. He cannot live on the interest of his four or five hundred pounds, especially if he has any family; nor can he, in many cases, do anything by his manual labour to support them. He often seems in consequence to be driven to one of two things, either buying and at once settling on his land, or staying in town for months, gradually eating up his little capital. Either alternative has proved most injurious to many. The man who buys or selects his land from what he sees, as not yet not taken up in the land office, and goes at once to settle, in all probability finds himself engaged in an unequal conflict with a barren soil, which he has no idea how to manage; and in the end is obliged to desert his farm when all his money is expended, and no return forthcoming. The other plan is still less satisfactory. A man finds that a larger proportion of his only small means has ebbed away, and left him scarcely enough to settle with upon his land, with even the smallest chance of success. Both plans are clearly beset with difficulties. Yet I . believe the last if subjected to some modification, to be by far the smallest evil of the two. Let every member of such a man's family, who is able to do anything, endeavour to earn something while they are obliged to wait. If there are any boys, let them learn as much as possible of what may afterwards be useful to them. If any member of the family is competent, let her become for a time a governess. If it is possible to obtain it, rent a house at some distance from the town; you may there get the means of keeping a cow, some pigs, or at least poultry; and thus save something in milk, meat, or eggs. This state of things need not, in all probability, last long; and at the end of from six to twelve months, yon may obtain and settle upon your own land, with some experience of your own, and a good deal more obtained from others with whom you have become acquainted.

In the selection of land, one thing ought always to be borne in mind, that a few shillings per acre difference in price is a mere trifle as compared with the difference in value between good and bad land, or even between fine land, and that known as "fair." Another caution is worthy to be observed; never be too anxious about water frontage or existing roads. These things must not, it is true, be overlooked; far from it; but it is nevertheless a fact, that in New Zealand, the best land is rarely on the water frontages; and that as most persons are afraid of going far from a made road, much of the best land is the last to be taken up in a block.

I have thus endeavoured to say as briefly as possible a few words on the preliminary difficulties of new comers; I hope hereafter if the Editor of the "SOUTHERN MONTHLY" can afford me space, to give the results of a somewhat extensive experience, as to the best mode of procedure, with different kinds of lands, and various amounts of capital.

Upon your cheek, I may not speak,
Nor on your lip be warm,

I must be wise, about your eyes,
And formal with your form;
Of all that sort, of thing in short,
On T. H. Bayley's plan

I must not twine, a single line,
I'm not a single man.

A watchmans' part compels my heart

To keep you off its beat;

And I might dare, as soon to swear
At you as at your feet,

I can't expire in passions' fire,

As other poet's can

My life (she's by,) wont let me die-
I'm not a single man.