17 April 1872

Next day Mr Brunton took us through the Town the site of which is very good. Some of the buildings are fine, as for instance the Post Office, now the University and Museum, the Hospital, several of the Banks &c. The streets are laid out in a peculiar way, having no reference to the hills, – they go in a most absurd way against a bluff, and stop there. Most of the original settlers were Scotch Presbyterians, and Scotland still continues to contribute her fair share of the Immigrant population of Otago. In Christchurch on the other hand, the first settlers belonged to the Church of England. A great difference in habit and page 94 general appearance is observable between the people of the two places. Otago is about half as large as Scotland, and is not unlike it in its natural features. Dunedin is the capital with a population of about 15,000. The Province contains fine lands for wheat growing, and it has the advantage of being readily cleared. There is a greatly great quantity of Gold found in the Province, which is brought to Dunedin for sale by the Diggers. There appears to be more life and business activity here than anywhere else in New Zealand;- and on Sundays Scotch habits prevail so much as to reduce the town to a miniature Glasgow. I was pleased with the Museum, altho’ it is not yet organised. The University Professors, however, will now remedy that; and as the whole is new and well appointed, it would appear to give hopes of great success.