Taranakey.

Och, faix we're tould av Athens ould,
Where Soak-red-tays the anshint flourished;
An' sure wid Rome we're all at home,
Where gods an' goddesses wor nourished;
Amerikay lies far away,
Twas there they grew the first tobakey,
It's lovely clime don't claim me rhyme,
Me thaime to-night is Taranakey.

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Faix that's the place me muse can thrace
The ilimints av grate progresshun;
It's quite as nice as Paradise—
So Thomson tould me in the Session,—
Its fertile lands an' iron sands
For profits baite grate Paryhakey;
The divil a spot, begog there's not
On airth to aiquil Taranakey.

Let Auckland blow, bedad we know
It's jist like Christchurch an' Dunaidin
An' Wellin'ton, its day is done;
Sure Taranakey now is laidin'.
First in the race, ther's not a place,
From Bay av Plinty to Moerakey,
Can take such rank; 'twould rob a bank
To furnish tin for Taranakey,

Be the time me ditty was inded, the kittle was bilin' agin', and the glasses wor impty, so they wor. Round afther round followed one another in quick succession, an' the long an' the short av it was that Molly had to make up a shake down for V. P. on the sofey, while I had to sind for a spicial ixpriss to take the rest o' the boys to the Oxidental, where they got beds for the night, Av coorse this little ippysode ixplains the small scene in the House ou the following evenin'. People who forsake "John Collins" in the mornin' afther a swarry an' tuke to Absint (this is a Frinch biverage) are likely to get Absint-minded an' forget thimselves, so they are. Ye'll see be the tiligrams that the Session closes to-day, and ye'll also lam that me collaiges hadn't spunk enough to resign afther bein' baiten on the Beer Bill. 'Pon me sowl, av it wasn't that I don't want to see the counthry go to rack an' ruin, I'd lave the Kabinet at onced, so I would. Sir Hercules wants me to go along wid him to the Cape, an begorra I'm betwixt two minds whether I will or not. In the manetime I'm goin on a visit to Kawau wid Sir George, and it's likely to be a month or so before ye hear agin from yer obaijint sarvint,