A SUPEKINTENDENT OF THE OLDEN DAYS. 
was not one of teetotalism, ” olid not proceed from 
any moral convictions of the evils of drink, ” merely 
as drink ; but solely and entirely from his firui convic- 
tion, proved and confirmed by his own practice, that 
intoxicating liquors, instead of being necessary, are 
hurtful in a tropical climate. As a rule, many tropical 
climates are much more healthy for various constitutions 
than a temperate one. If in a tropical climate one 
could or would always bear in mind where they are, 
and take reasonable care of themselves, we would hear 
less about the evils and dire diseases of the tropics. 
People take care always to accommodate their clothing 
to a change of climate, and why should they not also, 
in the same manner, be as careful in altering their 
habits of life ? The real fact of the matter is, men, 
everywhere, in all climes, ars always ready for an 
excuse for a drink. It is so in the old country. 
Every day may be heard, “ Have a drink because it’s 
so cold,’^ or “ because it ’s very hot ” — “ quite chilled with 
wet” — “dried up with heat.” But they never say, 
“Let ’shave a gill because we like it.” But in the tropics 
they don’t trouble with so many excuses ; one is 
enough, and that one invariably is, “ A tropical climate, 
you know: one must take something.’^ But it might 
be added, there is no compulsion, no in the case; 
you just take it because you like it, it refreshes you 
at the time, and you fancy it does you good. It pro- 
bably would, if you took it occasionally, at intervalSj, 
and with caution and discretion It is not the use you 
have to guard against, but the tendency to abuse. What 
would you think of one, who was alw^ays swallowing 
quinine, James’s powder, &c., whether he required it or 
not, in order to keep away illness ? W'ould n’t yoi^ 
have small compassion for tiiat man when he got s-ick, 
struck down hp the very medicines that would have 
cured him, had he only used them as required ? 
Mr Kenneth sailed for Australia in 1848, and has 
never since been heard of. It was hardly the country 
for a man of his habits to reform ic. But if he has 
reformed, and has made his fortune at the ‘ diggings/ 
reads the Observer, and recognizes this brief sketch of 
his early days, is indignant and calls upon the editor 
to authenticate,, we have merely to say his name was 
not Kenneth, but it began with a K. If iMs will not 
satisfy him, our friend the editor can joft refer him 
to the neighbour, the fellow whose watch );elost and who 
broke all the bottles of liquor under his bed. We au- 
thenticate, for that neighbour, and that fellow, is — of 
(bourse you knew it all along-— 
P. D, MilliFs 
