A Violinist at the Antipodes.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 9

A Violinist at the Antipodes.

Under this heading M. Ovide Mußin baa been contributing to a French journal a series of articles on the Australasian colonies. Aucklandera who have pleasantrecollectious of the talented violinist who delighted their ears over a year ago, will feel interested to know what AI. Musin thinks of their city and New Zealand generally. It would seem that he did not pass through this country with his eyes closed, and from the minuteness of some of his descriptions we would even infer that he had taken notes of what he saw. His narrative should be of interest to his stay-at-home country-men, who, it is to be feared, are not very cognisant of the countries in the South Pacific, and to us too it is interesting to learn how the colony appears to a native of la belle France. Although M. Musin is certainly more at home with a bow than with a pen in his hand, his note 3on New Zealand are very readable, Of Auckland he says :—

' The town of Auckland is situated on the bay of Waitemata, on a volcanic isthmus seven miles wide. This isthmus separates the town from the Manukau harbour, which is situated on the west coast. Auckland has a population of 60,000 inhabitants. Two suporb roadsteads and a haibour, which is sheltered from all storms, make it the entrepot of one of the richest and most fertile provinces of New Zealand. Since 1864, Auckland is no longer the scab of Government, bub she will always keep over her rivals, Wellington, Chribtchurch and Dnnedin,iß marked superiority, due greatly to her natural advantages. From the top of Mount Eden, situated scarcely two miles from the centre of the town, whilst enjoyiug a beautiful panorama, one can under stand exactly tho unique position which the city holds. The harbours of Waitemata and Manukau, dotted with islands and rocks, stretch majestically on both sides of the isthmus. Tho clitl?, whose slightest details are visible.are sharply outlined, and more than sixty volcanic cones can be counted with the naked eye, whilst in the background are clearly seen the estuary of the Thames and the Waitakerei mountains. The whole forms one of the grandest and most beautiful sights in the world. Auckland is the rendezvous of tho numerous tourists, who, attracted from all countries by the natural beauties of New Zealand, visit both the hot lakes of Rotorua, Rotomahana, and Taupo, and the volcanic rogions of Tarawerajßuapahu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.' His description of the wonderland of New Zealand, although containing nothing new to us, will not fail to convey to his compatriots some conception of the weird region that lies in the centre of the North Island. Speaking of the Hot Lakes, M. Musin proceeds :— ' Making use of the numerous hot mineral springs, the Government has established, a large sanatorium at Rotorua. Tho Maoris, like practical people, use the boiling water to cook their food and curiosities of all kinds abound at every step. The tourist has only to choose between mud geysers, fumarolos, green lakes, boiling springs of all tastes and colours; heap 3 of mud, cone-shaped, emitting steam, and silica incrustations in delicately-tinted shades of mauve and violet rise like terraces. The Waikito geyser springing from a cone which form 3 the summit of a white terraca throws its column of water to a height of 40fb. Thi3 little geyser has a history. It is in its boiling waters that the Maori chiefs cooked the brain 3of their enemies. Here Sodom exists in the shape of a confused mass of sulphur and mud, and, here, too, the black lake ot Gomorrah exhales its odious vapours.'

Bub although our French visitor found much to admire in the wonders of the Hot Lake region he seems to hare felt that he was in an uncanny quarter of the globe. He wa3 clearly of opinion that life on the boulevards of Paris,- for instance, was preferrablo to an abode where geysers and hot springs monoplised the face of the land. 'It would be dangerous,' ho says, 'to venture in this region without a guide perfectly at home in the country, and in spite of all the sinister beauty which surrounds you, and though every point is worthy of interest, one is glad to leaye geyser and mud volcanoes, boiling lakes and fumarolos. If, by chance, some narrow-minded individual chose to make his home in this strange country ho would find it easy to spread terror among feebler intellects; therefore, this trip is only recommended to those who enjoy a perfectly quiab conscience.

' The Wairakei region, near Lake Taupo,' he remarks later on, 'is justly celebrated for the great number of natural marvels grouped in so small a space. The first point of interest is "The Champagne Pool," a great boiling cauldron emitting great-' quantities of gaseous vapour. Quite near to it a large geyser ejects every six minutes a column of water 25 feeb high, and two wonderful cones of boiling mud, one white and the other pink. Among the other geysers the principal are the " Prince of Wales" and "The Twins." They are all surrounded by silica incrustations moat beautifully tinted. Let us not forget to mention also the " Huka Falls" which have been compared by over-enthusiastic tourists to the Falls of Niagara.'

His own enthusiasm rises high when he comes to describe the Blue Lake.

'At length wo come to the Blue Lake, whose azure waters are of the colour of turquoise. Although one may find faulti with an existence passed in boiling water, and among hot and bad smelling vapours where one v deafened by unexpected* and unheard of noisea coming one knows nob whence, this excursion to Wairakei is nevertheless one of the most charming that one can make in New Zealand.

'As tor ourselves, we shall preserve for a very long time the remembrance of the short time we passed in the North Island of New Zealand. In Auckland we have formed many good and lasting friendships ; united under the flag of art, nationalities are effaced, prejudices of the first meeting are dissipated, and jealousies have disappeared. Permit us now, from beyond the seas, to galuteour good friendMrHenry Brett), President of the Choral Society of Auckland. Mr Brett has taken to heart the intelluctual and artistic development of his young country, and, outsido of his own business affairs, no one knows better than ha how to devote all Mb energies and exert his influence to serve those whom he judgea worthy of his confidence and esteem.'

After enlightening his countrymen on the origin of the Maori raco and their cannibalistic propensities, M. Musin hazards a conjecture that it was perhaps owing to the fact thab human flesh appeared in their meim thab the Maoris were such a superior race. This superiority he points out as being visible in the stata of civilisation they had attained to before the adrent of the Europeans. The major part of the article before us is devoted to the Maoris, a subject thab would no doubb be more interesting to the French than a description of the European colonists. It is not till near the cloae of his paper that M. Musin resumes his account of the white population of New Zealand and their way of life.

'We have visited,' he says, ' all these pretty little towns of New Zealand, New Plymouth, Hawera, Wanganui, Palmerston, Masterton, and Napier, and everywhei'6 we have met a hoppy people, in the midst of fertile fields cultivated with care. We arrived at the fascinating little town of Napier in the midst of a terrible hurricane, the torrents of water pouring from tha heavens rendered the streets almost impassable. Yeb, after a slight and short clearing up at the hour appointed for the concert, the hall was filled as if by enchantment. During the entertainment the storm raged with renewed force, the sea washing over the maritime pmmenade and inundate-

ing the city, bub enraptured with the music, the audience applauded frantically, without) disquieting themselves with the thought! that shortly they musb return home, when the toilettes de theatre of the ladiea undergo a rude assault Th« concert once finished, we were obliged to camp on tho spot, though I proposed telephoning to the harbourmaster asking him to come to our assistance. A frigate could very well have been used as a means of conveying us to our respoctivo homes; but the inhabitants of Napier—very practical people—organised an impromptu ball, and I am even yet undecided whether tho graceful dancers did not prolong their forced stay for a considerable time after the waters had retired from the inundated streets.'