estate. Rumours here, as usual, persist, and your name is not allowed to escape. Neither can I see any chance for you until you become plural. I have made the following extracts for you, as a "Wandering Bushman," and hope they will be acceptable:- "The Fancy Dress Ball of Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Wynyard, which took place at their residence on Tuesday evening, and which had been anticipated as a feature in the gaieties of New Zealand, far surpassed the expectations, even of the most sanguine. It was brilliant to a degree. Although the guests fell far short in number of the invitations issued; yet those who did attend, evinced neither poverty of indention, nor lukewarmness in their industry, to do honour to an entertainment as novel as it was pleasing. If the great difficulty of procuring the material for equipment discouraged some, it appeared to have only the more excited perseverance in others, and familiar as we have been with Balls, in every quarter of the Globe, whether as Balls of the usual order, Fancy Balls, or Bals Masque, we can confidently aver that, as a whole, we have never been present at one of a better or more attractive description than this, the First Fancy Ball given in New Zealand." (from "Southern Cross" July 19th. 1850.) "It will be matter of little surprise to our readers to learn that Heke - "The Lion of the North" the fierce uncompromising opponent of British, supremacy, is no more." The death of Heke took place at Tautoroa, on the 6th. of the present month. He had been declining, although little beyond 40 years of age.