ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 247, 25 October 1897, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, September 17, PERSONAL NOTES.

The Hon. W. P. Reeves returned to Vic-toria-street on Monday last, after a fairly satisfactory holiday cycling with Mrs Reeves in Brittany. At the request of Lady Diike, Mrs Reeves accompanied her to the recent International Congress at Berlin, and finding she Avas expected to take an active part therein, spoke on several occasions with acceptance.

, Lombardi and Co., of Pall Mall, have taken a particularly charming and characteristic photo of Mrs W. P. Reeves. Tiie steel plates for the new stamps are being hurried on by Messrs Waterlow, and it is fully expected that both, they and the special Christmas post cards will be on sale in the colony early hi December. The Agent-General seems thoroughly satisfied with the stamps, the designs of which have been considerably improved by the engravers. They will make a most attractive set, and Mr Reeves expects to be able to sell several hundred pounds worth to j stamp merchants and collectors at this I side.

When last heard of the Bishop of Dunedin and Mrs Neville were at Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, but it is understood they have now ijone much further north.

Amongst tho .New Zealand medicos walking the London hospitals just now is Dr. Kendall, of Hokitika, who appears to be devoting considerable attention to obscure cases of eye trouble in the Eye and Ear Hospital in Moorliclds.

The " British Australasian " says : — "There has just departed for New Zealand an aged but very energetic little woman named Mrs Cadwallader, who journeyed all the way to Fngland by herself to be present at the Jubilee. Mrs Cadwallader is an enthusiastic cyclist and represented her colony at the recent bicycle meet at Battersea Park. A short time ago she received a cable from Christchurch stating that her husband, to whom she was much attached, had just died and she departed for New Zealand at once."

.Mr F. E. N. Crombie purposes leaving next month for Auckland, and will probably hook his passage by the Kaikoura, which sails on October 14th.

Lord and Lady llopetoun have been entertaining "the dearTecks" and a distinguished party of smart folk at Hopetoun House. On Saturday Lord Kosebery drove over from Dalmeny with his guests, the Duke and Duchess of York, ami the royal and serene highnesses took tea together. Those interested in the subject will find the sermon which Mr Haweis preached last Sunday evening oa "The New Sayings of Christ5' in the current issue of the " Christian World Pulpit" (September 15th).

Ada Crossley, who will be the principal contralto at Birmingham Musical Festival next month, is at present ' resting' on the Continent.

The personality left by the late Sir William Jervois has been sworn under i'l4l 10s od. As Mis ex-i'.xcellcncy was understood to he fairly well-to-do, though he lost a lot of money a few years ago in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, it is conjectured that he disposed of his property when alive to avoid death duties. Miss Mabel Lane, the Melbourne actress who played ail through the long run of ' Charley's Aunt' at the Globe Theatre, starts for a tour in South Africa to-morrow with Mr Geo. l..dwardes' ' Secret Service' Company.

Bishop Mitchinson, the assistant Bishop of Peterborough, and formerly Bishop of Barbados, expressci his opinion in a local paper of the practical utility of tin; Lambeth Conference. He lias attended three, and says that the President this time won his way into the enthusiastic loyalty of the bishops, '* excepting those few whom he mercilessly snubbed." But while he admits that the Lambeth Conference-, appeal-' to the religious sentiment and stimulates the sentiment of Churchmen, he says that the net result is disappointing, for nothing is settled, no perplexing problem solved, no burning question bravely grappled with. He says that possibly the Conference has become too large to lie a workable assembly, but there are certain bishops, especially the Americans, who arc determined that the members shall only talk.

Mr and Mrs J. G. Wilson, of Kangitikei, and their two daughters, return to the colony next month.

Captain Coyle and Mrs Coyle called on Mr Beeves on Tuesday to bid him good-bye, and they sail to-day for Wellington. The captain'departs in a highly business-like frame of mind. He told the Agent-1 Jencral he looked forward eagerly to travelling about and seeing something of the colonies

but did not expect to be able to do so. " There will be a lot of work to get through to begin with," said he, ''and 1 anticipate having to keep my nose pretty close to the grindstone for the first two years of my stay in New Zealand." However that may be, Captain and Mrs Coyle should he acfjuisitious io the beau mondc of Wellington.

SIR GEORGE GREY UNCONSCIOUS

The feeble (lame of poo;- old Sir George Grey's life burns very, very low, and it seems hardly humanly probable his marvellous vitality can again iiicher up. He has not recognised anyone savo Miss Aston for several weeks now, and for some days lain apparently unconscious. At the same time one cannot confidently say Sir George knows nothing. Throughout bis long decline into senility be has clung with restful confidence to .Miss Aston, refusing to lot her out of his sight, and complaining bitterly during her brief absence.!. Even now, though seemingly senseless, he begins to moan and move uneasily if his secretary leaves the room for long. Of course, this is fearfully trying for the lady herself, and she looks completely worn out. Lady Grey cannot take any part in the nursing, being a complete invalid, and requiring constant, careful attention. BISHOP COWIE. Bishop Cowie was in London for a day i this week, and 1 was fortunate in finding ! him at the new University Club. When! I last saw him at Lambeth Palace some weeks ago, he informed me that he in- j tended taking* a thorough holiday with Mrs > Cowie in Scotland. 1 expected to hear a [ little about this holiday, but my questions j the other day extracted from the Now Zealand Primate hardly the tale of days quietly spent that i had anticipated. "The'first Sunday after 1 left London,'"' said Bishop Cowie, " and while I was staying at Keiburne, Lord Glasgow's estate, I preached at the church, afc Largs." This I thought'was not ihe right way to begin a thorough holiday but I said nothing and the stream of preaching engagements went on. If I remember rightly there" was one at a .church'in the historical valley of Glencoe, two at St. Mary's, Stafford—the line old church of which the Bishop was rector before going out to New' Zealand, one at Trumnington Church, Cambridge, and another on the coast of Suffolk at Southwold Chinch. . The list- came to an end at hist with a preaching engagement last Sunday at the historical old Tillinghaui Church in Essex, which was endowed by King Ethelbert. The truth about colonial bishops i.s that they have to take one preaching engagement every Sunday to allow them a legitimate excuse for refusing other invitations to preach, and a quiet holiday, however much thoy may want it, is out of the question for them. Bishop Cowie has perforce to finish up his visit in the manner in which he commenced it. Next Sunday he preaches at Scale Charte Church, Tun^ bridge Wells, and during this week will

read a paper on "The Colonial Clergy Act" at the annual Congress of the Anglican Church, which this year is to be held at Nottingham. On October 3rd Bishhop Cowie has consented to fill the pulpit at St. Augustine's Church, Brighton, and on October 10th will be heard at St, Mark's, Marylebone. The Bishop, Mrs Cowie and their son, Mr J. P. Cowie, leave on the following day, October Uth, for Paris, Genoa and Nice en route to catch the P. and O. Australia at Brindisi. Mrs Cowie, who, by the way, is in excellent health, is not a good sailor, and an overland route is, therefore, followed as much as possible. From Adelaide they proceed by train to Sydney, and if present arrangements are not upset by unforseen circumstances, will be back in Auckland on November 26th.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROTORUA.

The New Zealand Government have determined to make a resolute effort to further develop and popularise the famous hot-springs at Rotorua and to this end the Agent-General lias been undertaking a tour of the most famous similar spas on the Continent. What he learned there has more than ever convinced him a great future lies before the Antipodean health resort. The waters at Rotorua are not merely far hotter but far more various and potent than the most famous springs at Aix-les-BaiiiH, and the physicians and experts at the latter seem to consider miracles could be worked with them. The first stop clearly is to send out an experienced doctor well up in the latest modes of treatment and every recent novelty in vogue at the European baths. To (md such a man is difficult, but Mr Reeves does not despair, lie had long consultations with Dr. Heinz, of the School of Analysis at Wiesbaden, and by his advice investigated Leukerbad, Aix-la-Chapelle and Baden Baden. The waters at the latter are weak, but it is a model otherwise of what a lively health resort should be. Mr Reeves believes that if the Government can carry out their designs efficiently the number of tourists to Rotorua from the Southern Hemisphere may be doubled, and also a fair number of chronic cases of various descriptions tempted from Europe for the combined advantages of a sea voyage with a " cure" at the end.