THE OCEAN AS THE RESERVOIR OF HEALTH 31 



world's Eden, so exquisite is the climate and so wonder- 

 fully rich the soil. Its position is ideal, as is its con- 

 figuration, and yet its population, all whites, and all 

 passionately fond of their country, is less than that of 

 one of our overcrowded provincial cities. Its one 

 handicap is its distance from the world's great markets, 

 and it must be admitted that this is indeed a heavy 

 item on the adverse side of the account. It, again, is 

 a standing proof of how great a blessing to a land is 

 its being set within the embrace of the life, health, 

 and wealth-giving ocean. 



Farther east and south, set in lonely state amid 

 the turbulent waste of the world-encircling Southern 

 Ocean, lies the Britain of the south, New Zealand. I 

 only know Tasmania by report, although I feel certain 

 that in my somewhat glowing description of that lovely 

 island I have done it less than justice. But New 

 Zealand I know well, from the Three Kings to the 

 Snares, and I feel constrained to say that, much as 

 I love this dear mother- land of ours, of all other 

 lands beneath the sun that I would choose to live in 

 New Zealand is the first. In many ways it is to be 

 preferred before our England. Beautiful as is the 

 climate of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and South Wales, 

 due, as I have pointed out, to the benevolence of the 

 sea, their sweetness cannot compare with the super- 

 lative qualities of the north island of New Zealand, 

 which I shall always maintain possesses the most per- 

 fect climate in the world. We rave about Italy, and, 

 doubtless, the soft Italian airs are charming, but she 

 is subject to the sirocco and the mistral, venomous 

 blasts which find no counterpart in those Southern 

 islands of the blest. The New Zealander, indeed, has 



