LONDON GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 209, 4 September 1893, Page 4

LONDON GOSSIP.

(FROM OUB SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

London, July 21. ARRIVAL OF THOMAS SPURGEON AND THE WATSONS. Mr Thomas Spuroeon arrived in England last Wednesday, having crossed from New York by the Majestic. He proceeded at once to his mother's house at Beulah Hill, and will, I imagine—though I am not sure of this—enter" on bia pastorate of the Tabernacle the day after to-morrow. The task before the young man, which is nothing loss than to weld the quarrelsome elements of which his huge congregation is now composed into a peaceful harmonious whole again, might well scare a far older and more experienced minister, but 'Mr Tom,' being a true son of his ever militant sire, will doubtless tackle it with enthusiasm and determination. Mr H. B. Marriott Watson's mother and sisters will arrive ,at the Royal Albert Docks by the Austral to-morrow morning. Mr Watson has taken a furnished house for them for the present on the heighths of Norwood and within easy reach of the Crystal Palaco. THE AGENT-GENERAL. Mr W. B. Perceval has received an invitation from the Rev. J. E. Symes, Principalof Nottingham University College, to contribute an illustrated lecture on New Zealand in October as one of his usual series given in connection with the Institution during the autumn and winter every year. The Agent-General, it is perhaps needless to state, has consented to do so. He never misses a legitimate opportunity to advertise his colony. Tho lectures are entirely free to tho general public and are always well attended by a good class of people. Mr Symes is so well pleased at having secured Mr Perceval that ho contemplates approaching the remaining Aus* tralasian repiesentatives in Victoria-street, with a view to making up a complete series of papers on tho Southern .Cross Colonies, which is a good idea and worthy of success. PARAGONS ON PAPER. With Lord Onslow and Mr Peter Cunningham to help him, the AgentGeneral commenced on Thursday afternoon the thanklosa task of selecting a headmaster for Canterbury Agricultural College. After carefully considering the testimonials of some score of applicants, the Selection Committee decided to invite livo paper paragons to personal interviews. These took place during the present wook and in tho opinion of the Committee not ono of tho men interviewed had sufficient personal qualifications to warrant them in allotting the post. They, therefore, decided to invito some of the rejected applicants to undergo the personal test, and it is quite possible the Committee may advertise the appointment again. Last week, Mr Perceval had also to interview several candidates for tho post of Dairy Expert-in-Chiof to tho Now Zealand Government. Amongst the aspirants for the place, there was not one who, in tho Agent-General's opinion, was calculated to be a success—that is, who could command j the respect of tho farmors and inspire confidence in the public mind, though one or two possessed high paper qualifications. FINISHING TOUCHES. By ivay of putting a finishing touch to his New Zealand Couro, at the Instituto, Sir W. Buller is now erecting on the massive pillars which separate the Now Zoaland section from the Ceylon Toa Kiosk, two ancient and very interesting carved Maori effigies representing two fighting chiefs woll known in Maori history, To i Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata. These ! carvings in wood will bo in the portion 01. i the Court devoted to woods useful and i ornamental, and will tharcfore bo quito congruous as exhibit... They will, too, bo inclose proximity to the group of Maori. in costume (modelled in wax), which continuo to interest the public keenly. I understand that Sir Walter will shortly leave for Scotland, whore ho will bo the guest of Sir John and Lady Burns, at Castle Wemyss. His daughter is already thou;, having gone North a fortnight ago in order to participate in a yachting ci'uu-e along the coast, in Sir John's beautiful steam yacht, the Capercailzie. It is quite time your Commissioner ! to the Imperial Institute gave himself a I holiday, lie has boon unceasing in his de--1 rofcion to the Now Zoaland Court over sinco his arrival in London, indeed ho has boon there every day and oftenor' than not all day. The colony is fortunato in being able to command this sort of servico, which is! absolutely gratuitous, Sir Walter refusing i to accept even his out of pocket expenses. ADVICE GRATIS. j | Ono of tho well-intentioned but not particularly perspicuous persons, who from time to iimo ore kind enough to obtain my ' address from Mr Editor and send mo good I j advice, writes to complain that I have j j •'' two much 1,0 say about Perceval and j l Buller." I'm very sorry, but I hardly eeo \ | how that's to be avoided. Besides being j i tho two most prominent Now Zealandor. j 'in England, both hold official positions and ; j are constantly doing this, that and the \ j olher which must must of course'bo j ; chronicled. An a matter of fact, instead of j I saying too much concerning the good work ; ! achieved by both these public .runted ' gentlemen, my impression is v/o hardly do I them justice. Ono ought, poriwips, fo: quote the laudatory artiolfi.. and "pars"j (especially concerning the Agent -General's j j assisted emigration scheme) which ire- j i quontly appear in tho provincial I S papers, only it would lake up so j ! much room. This week, for example, I " Sala's Journal," contains a three column i j interview with Sir W. Buller. G.A.S., : after giving an outline ol your Commissioner's career, sums him up as "a most genial conversationalist, a man of tinallected manners, and one who enjoys the friendship and confidence of tho loading men of all sections in tho colony which ho so ably represents." Sir Walter was encour aged by G.A.S. to hold forth on the Imperial Institute, and this being his favourite hobby just now, he was soon mounted. DR. AND MRS FIIsDLAY'S TOUR. * I had a pleasant chat tho other day with Dr, John F. Findlay, L.L.D., of Dunedin, who is now in London for a fow weeks with Mrs Findlay, prior to a continuation of their tour round the world. Sinco leaving Port Chalmers in tho Mararoa early in April, Mr and Mrs Findlay have undergone a very severe course of sightseeing. They came as far as Suez (or, rather, Ismailia) in the Oceana, but of this part of their trip have little that is agreeable to record. It was the unlucky voyage of which Mr J. B, Russell and others have complained so bitterly, when the vessel happened to be uncomfortably crowded, when all sorts of eatables ran more or less short, and when the weather proved extra trying in the Red Sea. Mr Findlay doos not seem the man to lot trifles discommodo him, and complained less about tho matter than any of the passengers I have seen. He confesses, howover, ho was bitterly disappointed with the P. and 0. Company, and considers that tlie Union Company's boats are in evory possible respect bettor found and managed. I may interject) hero that tho golden rule in ocean travelling is to avoid largo and fashionable steamers. They are nearly always, like the Oceana, overcrowded and uncomfortable. Good accounts have reached us of the Messagories' Polynesien, of several of the Gorman liners, and of the smaller Orient boats, but you never can bo sure from voyage to voyage. Passengers' comfort depends entirely on tho experience and capabilities of the purser and (more particularly) the chief steward.!

When a good chief steward sticks to the same steamer for a number of voyages together, one is sure to hear of the ship, though, as a rule, the captain gets the kudos for its popularity. But to return to Dr. and Mrs Findlay. From Ismailia they, of course, went to Cairo, did the sights of Egypt, took a trip up the Nile, and (submitting themselves to the tender mercies of the—in this part of the world—all-powerful Cook) spent a week in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. 8 Mr Findlay narrates an instructive incident which occurred at Jaffa:—"Cooks asked their flock 3s a head for landing them there. One of the party (a Scotchman) demurred to this charge. The boatmen plyfng around the ship would, he had I somehow discovered, take him for a Is. Nevertheless, urged Cooks' man, 'I advise you to pay 3s and come with us. I know the place, and lean assure you it will be cheaper for you in tho end.' 'Certainly not, I decline to yield to such extortion,' said Mr Scotchman, with dignity, and presently started off in a shilling boat by himself. Jaffa is not a pleasant place to land, but more or less wet, Mr Scotchman at last found himself ashore, and in the midst of a yelping crew of beggars demanding ' backshush.' He was pushing them aside when a gorgeously-attired official accosted him. After interminable misunderstandings, it appeared this gilt-edged Mussulman required the Britisher's passport. Mr Scot had not got one, and was, in consequence, promptly marched off to duranco vile. Tho authorities detained him 48 hours and fined him £1. Altogether, his economy cost him about 50a. Meanwhile, Cooks' party landed and, untroubled by Customs officials, did their sight-seeing in peace. It subsequently leaked out that 2s oub of the 3s charged them for landing at Jaffa went to these blackmailers, who, in consideration thereof, waived passports, etc., etc. From Palestine, Dr. and Mrs Findlay proceeded to Italy and visited Naples, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Milan, the Italian lakes, Switzerland and Paris. They landed here in the midst of the cab strike, which was a little awkward, as for the first time sinco leaving the Oceana rain fell. Whilst in London, Dr. Findlay has been attending the Royal Courts of Justice, and heard all tho principal advocates hold forth, barring Sir Chas. Russell. He was also present on a most interesting night at i tho House. Mr and Mrs Findlay leave England for tho States, including, of course, the inevitable Chicago, about throe weeks hence. It is not, however, likely you will see them again in New Zealand before November. Lady Harriet Wentworth has been so charmed with the ornamental woods exhibited in the New Zealand Court of tho Imperial Institute, that she has docided on decorating part of the interior of Went-, worth Castle with variegated kauri and puriri, both of which superb specimens from Auckland are to bo soen here. They tell me at Scotland Yard that the statement is almost certainly incorrect which represents Noel, the Ramsgate butcher, as about to emigrate to New Zealand. He is free now, certainly, to go anywhere, but till the ownership of the pistol which killed his wife is decided he will be advised to stay in England.