lassitude and debility in its train. The only disadvantage of an
unusually hot season with us was, that our already embrowned
complexions took a deeper shade of bronze; but as we were all
equally sun-burnt there was no one to throw critical stones.

What surprised me most was the utter absence of damp or miasma.
After a blazing day, instead of hurrying in out of reach of
poisonous vapours as the tropic-dweller must needs do, we could
linger bare-headed, lightly clad, out of doors, listening to the
distant roar of a river, or watching the exquisite tints of the
evening sky. I dwell on this to explain that in almost any other
country there would have been risk in remaining out at night after
such still, hot days.

On this particular evening, during my first summer in the New
Zealand Malvern Hills, after we had watered my pet flowers near the
house, and speculated a good deal as to whether the mignonette seed
had all been blown out of the ground by the last nor'-wester or not,
F--- said, "I shall go eel-fishing to-night to the creek, down the
flat. Why don't you come too? I am sure you would like it." Now,
I am sorry to say that I am such a thorough gipsy in my tastes that
any pursuit which serves as an excuse for spending hours in the open
air, is full of attraction for me; consequently, I embraced the
proposal with ardour, and set about gathering, under F---'s
directions, what seemed to bid fair to rival the collection of an
old rag-and-bottle merchant. First of all, there was a muster of
every empty tin match-box in the little house; these were to hold
the bait-bits of mutton and worms. Then I was desired to hunt up
all the odds and ends of worsted which lurked in the scrap-basket.
A forage next took place in search of string, but as no parcels were