This brings up yet another subject.  When attending, four years ago, the very successful and most interesting meeting of the British Association at Montreal, I was very curious as to the possible prospect, now that this body had made so good a first outside step, of a like meeting in Australia.  But, not very long after, an invitation to the Association was actually sent from Melbourne.  The year asked for had been pre-engaged for Home.  My distinguished friend, Mr. Service, told me, when on his late Home visit, that no doubt the invitation would go again.  I may usefully mention here that the Association is usually engaged, or as good as engaged, two clear years in advance, so that the third year, at least, in advance should be dealt with for Melbourne.  This besides would afford sufficient notice for the busy men of all classes and all vocations at Home to arrange conveniently for the necessarily long absence.  I do not doubt of complete success.  Indeed, it is such a further chance as that which might tempt even the oldest of us into visiting the far-off but bright and sunny South.

MR. FROUDE’S “OCEANA.”

I feel that my introductory medley would still be incomplete if I did not allude, somewhat more than I have already done, to Mr. Froude’s recently published “Oceana,” a work which, in its vigour and high literary style, marks quite an era in its Australian field.  I had regretted before embarking that, from the pressure of other things, my acquaintance with it had been limited to the reading of many reviews and the hearing of much criticism.  But I have been well compensated by a perusal during the peace and ample leisure of this long voyage.  I must confine my remarks to two points only, which, however, are amongst the most prominent in the book.  These are—­first, the terms in which he has alluded to the present condition of New Zealand; and, second, his ardently loyal remarks, so often repeated, upon that rising question of the day, the political unity of the empire—­a subject which had been advanced at the time into a most significant importance to the Australian colonies by the apparent imminence of war with Russia.

NEW ZEALAND.

I am not inclined to repeat the scolding which, it is understood, my zealous friend, Sir Francis Bell, Agent-General for New Zealand, under his high sense of duty, administered to the brilliant author of “Oceana” for this sole dark spot of his book.  I see no sufficient cause.  On the contrary, he has given us such a charming account of the aspects and prospects of this, the most magnificent of our colonies—­for I agree with him in believing that it is to be “the future home of the greatest nation of the Pacific”—­that certain loose or inaccurate words addressed to him about the finances, and which he had deemed worth recording, may well be expected to have in comparison the most