D.—2d

14

II. 1. On 10th August I left Edinburgh, and had rather more than a month's good work before harvest, which is very late this season. I went to Aberdeen on that day, and on to the fertile Garioch on Saturday. The Bev. W. Brown, one of the clergymen in Eayne, helped me to arrange meetings for his parish, and in Inscli. I did duty for him on Sunday, which, besides helping him, brought mo before the people, among whom, indeed, I had acted as curate for a few months about eighteen years ago. On Monday and Tuesday I had very good meetings at both places named ; appointing at village of Insch a Mr. Bisset as agent. This was quite necessary, as we were quite unrepresented in a large, fertile, and populous district. 2. Hence to Rhyme and Lumsdeu, two villages four miles apart, a good way westward in a different direction of Aberdeenshire. In these villages, considering the dreadful weather on the Friday, and the fact that it was quite impossible to give proper intimation from various causes, I had very fair meetings on Thursday and Friday. Knowing you did not wish too many agents, I did not think of appointing one here. But the Otago agent made himself known to me, and I thought it needful to ask a confirmation of his appointment. This was for the largo district round Ehynie. 3. Thence I came to Huntly (population 3,000), in Strathbogie. I could not economically have a meeting there, but I appointed a Mr. Simpson, bookseller, as agent, as it is an admirable centre. Thence I passed on to Forgue, where on Sunday, 18th, I took duty, and had, partly no doubt in consequence, a first-rate meeting on Monday evening. About forty people went from this parish to America last spring. I was told here that I was creating a considerable sensation as to New Zealand. 4. Thence.on "Wednesday I went to Badenscoth —part of my native parish of Auchterless—where I had a meeting ; four months ago I had held a meeting in the centre of the parish. During the next fortnight I had meetings at Pitsligo, Byth, Fyvie, and Eothes ; the three last remarkably good, in spite of most lamentable weather, especially at Byth, and the difficulty of making arrangements in several cases. In nearly every case I was indebted for kind aid to the clergy, most of whom I knew, and when I did not know them I acted on a sort of clerical freemasonry, i finished my tour at Grantown on the Spey, taking duty, and giving a N.Z. church address on Sunday, and holding an emigration meeting on Monday. 5. At Fyvie it would be most desirable to appoint James Mackie, Esq., bank agent, to act for our scheme. It is a large parish, with a land rental of £20,000 or so, and the Americans are represented by Mr. Mackie and, I believe, another ; 40 or 50 left last year for the States and Canada. Mr. Mackie is willing to act, and having a very large store as well as a bank agency, people are constantly coming about him. At Eothes, on the Lower Spey, Mr. Adam Sharp would act. This appointment is very desirable. At G-rantown, Mr. "William Fleming, bank agent, solicitor, &c, would act. He is much interested in the scheme. Grantown is the only town on the Biver Spey for fifty miles, and is an important centre. Mr. Grant, the former agent, wished much to resign the agency, which I was glad of, although he was a decent man. 6. At TurifF I saw Mr. Michie, and learned from him how strong the current flows to America. Before intending emigrants come to him they have made up their minds where they will go, and he can do little or nothing to turn them New-Zealand-wards ; besides, it is all one to him where they go. Ho told me, however, that a good many had asked for New Zealand application forms ; but they had never come back with them, and of course he could not tell if any were sent on to London or not. Some such may have been picked up by American agents, who are not over-scrupulous in their ways, and who, I can suppose, will ship them quickly from Glasgow, without much trouble about certificates or anything else. 7. During this tour, I sold about 350 of my tracts on New Zealand. A great many of these were sold by some one at the door at the close of my meetings ; others were sold at Is. per dozen to country shops ; and since my return I have made arrangements by which 200 or 300 more may bo sold throughout the districts I went through—Forgue, Grantown, &c. Of course I gave away not a few All this tends to put New Zealandism into tho atmosphere of Aberdeenshire, which is Americanized to an alarming extent. 8. Harvest is now going on, and nothing can be done in the country. Immediately after harvest I think of taking a fortnight for the country towns of Inverurie, Kintore, Meldrum, and Huntly, and such places as I can put in Aberdeenshire. Aberdeenshire is very large —20,000 square miles, —and contains a large number of desirable people. Thereafter, I think of Gairloch, Poolewe, Lochalsh, and Shieldag in the west of Eoss-shire. In this backward season, I fear there will be few potatoes and little grain in these parts, and tho people may be glad to go, especially if we can arrange to send them from Glasgow ; for to them London is as far away as Pckin, and the difficulty is not entirely met by the remarkably low fares from Strome to London. It will be necessary to meet those American agents in every possible way. It seems unnecessary to say more at present. If I think it can be done to advantage, I shall have a meeting or two in this city, and also in Glasgow during the ensuing weeks. Tours faithfully, I. E. Featherston, Esq., London. P. Baeclat.

Enclosure 2 in No. 36. Mr. Jas. Seaton to the Agent-General. Sir,— Glasgow, 18th September, 1872. I have just returned from a long tour in the Highlands, but I am sorry to say without having succeeded in securing any emigrants for New Zealand. In the middle oi August I arrived at Stornaway, as on my previous visit a promise was made that I should do so (indeed the people made