BOOKS FOR TOURISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2026, 22 December 1892, Page 37

BOOKS FOR TOURISTS.

CAMP LIKE IN FIOBDLAtfD, NEW ZEALAND/

A TALE OF THE SUTHERLAND TALLS.

By WittrAM M'Hutcheson : author of " The Pew Zealander Abroad," " The Jubilee Colonist," &c.

In one respect the Bub-title of this book reminds one of the chapter, on •' Snakes " in the book about Iceland : there are no snakes in Iceland. In Mr M'Hutcheso/i's book there is not much about the Sutherland Falls, but a good deal about the journey thitber via Te Anau, and back again. This is perhaps as well. Everybody who has had the good fortune to visit the real wonder land of New Zealand receives an impression which lasts as long as life, and it creates in some an irresistible desire to describe it for the benefit of other?.

It is not vouchsafed to every one to succeed in imparting to others tbe feeling which is experienced on witnessing natore in an alternate passion of rage and teais Some attain more or less success, but this much may be said : All, or nearly all, have so much to tell of adventures by the way, and even the most unimpressionable succeed in recalling some portion of their feelings, that the invariable determination of the reader is to make this wonderful pait of the \colony the rcene of his very next holiday. We confess that we never experienced this feeling so Btrongly as after reading Mr M'Hutcheson's racy account of the adventures of a party who dashed over M'Kinnon's Pass from the Te Anau side for a few moments' peep at the fall?, and then hurried back again. The fact that the stupetdous falls made little or no impression on tbe writer is easily accounted for. The party were delayed at the Pompalona huts by bad weather, and were compelled to* go to the falls and return in a single day. Consequently the eye and mind were sated with this particular kind of sight-seeing, and the falls made little or no impression on tbe jaded imagination. This is not the case with those who luxuriously make the journey by sea in the Union Company's steamer. The m-giificent scenery of the Sound merely whets the appetite, and when'eme'ging from the mossy avenue which leads thence from tbe Beech Hut tbe full grandeur of this mar vi 1 strikes eye and ear ; it is felt that the pilgrimage to Nature's heart has been consummated. The overland party had seen so many wonders by the way that they bad lost the capacity of being surprised. . It \& r in describing the vicissitudes of the party, and. tbe demeanour 01 tbe various

members of it under them; that the charm of Mr M'Hutoheson's book exists: The narrative delightfully proceeds from point to point invested with a personal interest in the welfare of the way-farers, and yet leaving behind such a practical recollection of the incidents and the needs wherewith to meet them, that one almost feels when he has concluded the narrative that he has been there himself, and lays down the book mentally bidding good-bye to a party of friends who have just emerged from a never1 to-be-forgotten conpanionship. For this we can even forgive the introduction o£ 1 various " chestnuts " which have been repeated 'over the fire at intervals on the route. The author has either a retentive memory or a prodigious note-book. Every detail of tho journey is noted, and told withal in a racy way which divests bis work of anything like the appearance of recapitulation. Tbe adventures and foibles and sayings oE bis comrades are narrated with a freshness which is quite a relief ; the minutiae of camp life is so accurately desoribed that with the book for a guide anyone whe choses to make the jonrney can equip himself and accomplish the task. That task is not a herculean i one. There was a party of townspeople, endowed with no special amount of athletic activity, of mature ag<>, yetr blessed with health, the members of which made the journey to the falls without other inconvenience than getting very wet and — very hungry.

The sketch is like a schoolboy frolio told by a man. The writer's powers of narrative excel his ability to describe, yet there are gems of description scattered here and there. Here is a " bit " as a sample :—

The clinging, feathery moss of emerald green, tremulous with its myriad, sparkling dewdrops, transformed tho grotesque bush into a veritable fairyland. Every mis- suivpen stump, spreading bough, and broken limb was an exquisite picture of scintillating, verdant beauty ; every twisted trunk and crooked stem was a monument of living, shimmering green ; along every branch and sprout ran a jewelled fringo of delicato laoe ; and from bough to bough, from leaf to twig, fairy festoons of the most exquisite form and texture were artistioally draped by tho unapproachable hand of Nature. Through all this cunning tapestry, this delicate tracery, slanted the golden sunbeams, irradiating with the gleam and Bparkle of life each tiny sprig of the trembling, dewy moss, till the whole danced and shone with a gleam and radiance that was perfectly bewitching.

And he oonoludes thus :

And that this wonderland of ours should lie at our very doors, as it "were, and be so easy of access, is not the least charming part of it. To view his Yoaemite or Garden of tho Gods the Yankee crosses a continent, and considers himself amply repaid for so doing, as, indeed, he undoubtedly is. But the New Zealander — the southern New Zealander — has only to take train to Lumsdcn, or start as we did, to he landed in Wonderland next day. As for the expense, considering the quid pro quo the cost is a merej bagatelle. If three weeks and L2O can be spared, tho "round trip" per one of the sounds' steamers can be accomplished in absolute luxury. If LlO and a fortnight be the limit, still no essential comfort need be relinquished or famous sight withheld. And if even less be the limit — as doubtless it must be with hundreds of frugal-minded holiday-makers— still, I say, for much less than LlO a party of able-bodied New Zealanders willing to " rough it " ever so little may sample much of that glorious country between Lakeland and the sea.

The work bears the imprimatur of the Government, and has been printed at the Government Printing Office. In this case the fact is a positive recommendation, hecause we gather that it was tot written to order, but was accepted after perusal and approval. It is enriched with photographs by Messrs Burton and Oozhead, and maps by tbe Survey department ; and is not only an excellent itinerary guide from Te Anau to Milford, but an entertaining book of adventure. We should have mentioned that the book is sold at 2s 6d with paper cover, and 3s 6d in cloth.