THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 299, 24 December 1897, Page 5

THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

EXCURSIONS AND AMUSEMENTS,

Auckland streets are afc present crowded with visitors for the holidays, and there is no lack of excursions and other amusements for young and. old for Christmas and Boxing Days. Should the weather remain fine there is no doubt that the holiday trips, especially oni Monday, will be very largely patronised. To-morrow Christmas services will be held in several of the churches. The Devonport Ferry Company announce some very attractive excursions, one round the islands of the Hau-raki Gulf, in the steamers Osprey and Eagle, leaving the ferry tee at 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. The p.s. W*akatere will also run a vt.ry attractive excursion, starting to-morrow afternoon for an excursion round the islands in the Tamaki Straits, via Waiheke and Man-of-War passage.

The Orakei native hack races will take place at Orakei Bay to-morrow, and the Ferry Company will' run steamers to the Bay during the afternoon. The natives will have a brass .band in attendance during the day. On Boxing Day the Devonport Ferry Company will rim excursions to Lake Takapuna, Rangitoto Island, St. Helier's Bay, Pine Island and Motutapu, and a fishing excursion. _ The Northern Company's steamer AVellington will leave for Waiwera at 10 a.m,, and the Clansman for Mahurangi Heads afc 10.30. The p.s. Wakatere will leave for Coromandel at 7 a.m., and the Waiotahi will make a trip down to Waiheke, and the Coromandel to Ruth's Island.

The s.s. Akaroa will run an excursion to Motutapu, and the s.__. Kiaora to Putiki Bay, while the Rose Casey will run down to Kennedy's Bay, Waiheke. On Sunday, the s.s. Vivid will run an excurson to R_verhead, leaving the wharf at 11 a.m,, aud on Monday the s_s. Despatch will run to Howick, leaving the wharf at 9.30 a.m. On Boxing Day the s.s. Weka will run an excursion from Onehunga to a Maori settlement and the Blowhole at Manukau Heads. A brake will leave Auckland in time to catch the steamer. Messrs Paterson and Co. announce special 'bus trips to Vv aiwera to enable visitors to spend their Christmas holidays there.

His Lordship Bishop Cowie will preach at St. Paul's Church, Symonds-street, tomorrow morning.

At St. Benedict's R.C. Church, Newton, mass will be celebrated to-morrow, and festival vespers in the evening. Mozart's " Twelfth Mass" will be performed by the choir to-morrow and on Sunday. To-morrow evening at the Opera House, the Christmas festival and pictorial concert arranged by Mr P. R. Dix, takes place. From the programme appearing in another column it will be seen that a most enjoyable and appropriate Christmas entertainment has been provided, and there is little doubt the Opera House will be well filled to-morrow evening.

At the Foresters' Hall on Christmas Night there will be given a service of sacred song entitled " The Desire of All Nations." Mr Aldridge is the reader, and every item is to be illustrated by aid of a powerful limelight. On Boxing Night play-goers will no doubt throng to see and hear Bland Holt, who reappears in the Opera House on that date. The opening play is "For England," a new military drama, which has been played with great success in the South P>xKl in Australia. __ -- A kmematograph exhibition with a number of new pictures is to be opened in the Agricultural Hall to-morrow for a short season. The prices are 3s, 2s, and Is.

Mr Wybert Reeve will exhibit for a short season in the City Hall, commencing on Boxing night, the original and most successful cinematographe-Lumiere living pictures.

On Sunday evening a Christmas service will be held in the City Hall at 8 p.m.

An illustrated service of song will be given by the Church of Christ choir in the Foresters' Hall, Newton, on Christmas evening. On Boxing Night Phyllis Perrier, a clever child mimic, who has been appearing in: the' South recently, will make her first appearance in Auckland, in the Choral Hall.

The annual picnic of the Baptist Churches and Sabbath-schools will be held on Monday (Boxing Day). P.s. Terranora will convey picnickers to one of the islands in the Gulf.

A steam merry-go-round has been placed on the Reclamation Reserve, and will start this evening and will continue to run for some time.

A wrestling match between A. Skinner, of Scotland, and .J. W. Sutherland, of New Zealand, for the middle-weight championship of New Zealand and a stake of £40 takes place in. the City Hall this evening. The styles are to be catch-as-catch-can, Greco-Roman, and Cumberland, the best of three falls in each style.