MARK TWAIN'S NEW BOOK

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1898, Page 5

MARK TWAIN'S NEW BOOK

HTS NOTES ON AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY AND ITS HARBOUR

'ThisC snys Mark, 'is a harbour which is the darling1 of Sydney nntl the wonder of tho world. It is not .surprising1 that the people are proud of it, nor that they put their enthusiasm into emphatic words. A returning1 citizen asked me what I thought of it, and 1 testified with a cordiality which I judged would be up to the market rate. 1 said it was beaut iful— superbly beautiful. Then hy a natural impulse. ! srave God the praise. Tho citizen did not seem altogether satisfied, lie said: —

'it is beautifill: of course, it's beautiful --tlu» harbour. lint thru isn't all of it; it's only half of it. Sydney's the oilier half, ant! it hike;; both of them toy-ether to ring the supremacy bell. (iod made the harbour, and that's all right; but Satan made. Sydney,'

'Of course. 1 made an apology, and asked him to convey it to his friend, lie was right about Sydney being halt" of it. It would be beautiful without Sydney, but not. above hall! as beautiful as it is now. with Sydney added. 11 is shaped somewhat like an oak leaf —a roomy sheet of lovely blue water, with narrow off-shoots of water running- up into the country, on both sides between lony fingers of land, high wooded ridges with sides sloped like graves. Handsome villas are perched here and there on these ridges snuggling amongst the foliage, and one catches alluring glimpses of tlTem a.s the ship swims by toward the city. 'The city clothes ji cluster of hills and a ruffle of neighbouring ridges, with its undulating masses of masonry, and out. of these masses spring towers and spires and other architectural dignities and grandeurs that break the flowing lines, and give picturesqueness to the general effect.

'The narrow inlets which 1 have mentioned go wandering' out into the land everywhere, and hiding themselves in it, and pleasure launches are always exploring them with picnic parties on board. It is said by trustworthy people that, if you explore them all you will find that you have covered 700 miles of water passage. But there arc liars everywhere, this year, and they will double that when theirSvorks are in good going order."

AUSTRALIAN MANN 13US.

'Tn the Australasian home the table talk is vivacious and unembarrassed. It is without stiffness or restraint. This does not remind one of England. so ranch as it does of America. .But Australasia- is strictly democratic', and reserves and restraints are things that are bred by differences of rank.

'English and colonial audiences are phenomenally alert and responsive. Where masses of people are gathered. together in England, caste is submerged, and with it the English reserve; equality exists for the moment, and every individual is free- —so free from any consciousness of fetters, indeed, that the Englishman's habit of watching- and guarding himself against any injudicious exposure of his feelings is forgotten, and falls into abeyance, and to such a degree, indeed, that he will bravely applaud all by himself if he wants to —an exhibition of daring which is unusual elsewhere in the world.

'But it is hard to move a new English acquaintance when be is by himself, or when the company present is small and new to him. He is on his guard then, and his natural reserve is to the fore. This has given him the false reputation of being without humour, and without the appreciation of humour. Americans are not Englishmen, and American humour is not" English humour, but both the American and his humour had their origin in England, and have merely undergone changes brought about by changed conditions and new environment. About the best humorous speeches I have yet heard were a couple that were made in Australia at club suppers—one of them by an Englishman the other by an Australian.'