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of Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Southland, later reduced to eight by the merging of Southland with Otago, and again increased to nine by the formation of Westland (which was originally part of the Province of Canterbury), remained as integral parts of the Constitution of the Colony until November 1st, 1876, when they were abolished by an Act of the General Assembly, and re-created as provincial districts. It is worthy of note that the originator of the name Westland was John Rochfort, a pioneer explorer, who had applied the name of Westmoreland to the country lying west of the Southern Alps. It is interesting here also to mention that among the instructions given to Captain Hobson on his appointment as the first Governor of New Zealand was one that the Colony was to be divided into “Counties, hundreds, and parishes.” Very little was done towards giving effect to these instructions, and the first administrative County was Westland, separated from the Canterbury Province in 1867, and granted a system of local government in the following year. Known as West Canterbury, prior to attaining the dignity of being made a separate Province, Westland is bounded on the north by the Province of Nelson, on the south by the Province of Otago, on the east by the mighty Southern Alps, and on the west by the tempestuous Tasman Sea. It has an area of about 4,500 square miles, the greater part