PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 22, 27 January 1902, Page 2

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

{From Our London Correspondent)

LONDON, December 20

Loyal subjects are just getting used to "God Save the King" and no longer boggle over "God Save the Qu —ing." But there still seems considerable uncertainty as to the proper beginning of the National Anthem. "God Save our Gracious King" is what the man in the.street is naturally inclined to shout, but it would seem that he is wrong. The first printed version of. the Anthem is found in "Harmonia Anglicana," published about 1743 or 1744, and runs thus — God save our lord the Kins:, Long live our noble King, God save the Kins?. The words in Dr. Arne's autograph score, sung at Drury Lane Theatre on September 28, 1745, were— God bless our noble king, God save great George, our Kins, God save the Kins. In Queen Victoria's reign some loyal subjects preferred "God save our gracious Queen," others "God save our noble Queen." It is believed that the "k'rect card" for the Coronation will be— God save our lord the KinsSchool choirs, please note. The Agent-General has obtained 155,000 salmon ova from the Eiver Tay through the Tay Fishery Board. The. ova have been sent to Howietown to be prepared for shipment by the Gothic in the middle of January. The Duke of Richmond has also given 50,000 ova from the Eiver Spey. As the preparation of the ova for packing and shipment always involves a certain amount of loss, the net amount of ova resulting from the consignments from the two rivers should be about the 150,000 ordered by the Government, The Agent-General haa been fortunate in getting so good supply from the best river in Scotland, as the Tay salmon are deemed by experts superior to those from other rivers, and enquiries made in other quarters proved that it would be impossible to obtain any ova from the other Fishery Boards, as it is anticipated that salmon ova will be scarce this year. Experts here seem inclined to think that further attempts to acclimatize salmon in New Zealand waters are doomed to failure, but perhaps the latest little lot may fare better than their predecessors if made the subject of Mr Ayson's suggested estuarine experiments before proceeding out on the deep.

Messrs Cadman and Smith left by the Karamea yesterday perfectly satisfied with the result.of their mission and confident that before very long a flourishing iron and steel industry in New Zealand will be an established fact. Mr Cadman paid a brief visit to Sheffield this week to. complete his arrangements there. I had the opportunity on Wednesday of putting the razors manufactured from Taranaki iron sands to a practical test and can bear witness from personal experience to the fine'edge the steel takes. I trust that the firm with which Messrs Smith and Cadman have just concluded negotiations will be able to get tog-ether the necessary capital when the time comes.

Among the welcome invaders of your London offices this week was Mr Thomas Brown, of Christchurch, the local manager of the Westport Coal Company, who after an extensive "wallaby" east oC Suez arrived Home late last month, bent on mingling- business and pleasure in the manner usual to New Zealanders. MiBrown left Maoriland in August last and, after a visit to Sydney and trips to Brisbane and Townsville, joined the Himalaya at the former port for Colombo. Thence he made for Calcutta, where he visited the Black Hole and did the usual "lions" of the city, and next took the overland route to Bombay, doing Cawnpors, Benares and Agra en route. That part of the trip he enjoyed greatly, in spite of the heat, and he advises tourists with time to spare to take that roundabout route homewards. From Bombay Mr Brown made for Port Said, and, crossing the Mediterranean thence to Brtndisi, did the usual Italian round, which comprises Naples, Rome, Venice and Milan, with other little places in between. A few days in Paris broke his journey to London, where he arrived on November 24th, and after doing a little business in town he went on fco Edinburgh to see his daughter, who is studying there, and to meet other members of his family circle domiciled in and about Modern Athens. He came south again at the end of last week and, having! now transacted most of his business in the Metropolis, will hie him north again for Christmastide. He will probably remain in Edinburgh until the eve of his departure for New Zealand by the Gothic on January 16th. Whilst in Queensland Mr Brown had ample opportunities of discussing the future of Federated Australia. Among the trading fraternity it seems he found that a good deal of dubiety exists as to the wisdom of Queensland halving joined forces with her sister States, and one prominent public man, at least, who took a leading part in advocating Federation Is now wishing that he hadn't. Whilst in Bombay Mr Brown paid a brief visit to the Boer prisoners' camp at Mount Lavinia, where about 150 of our friends from South Africa are held in mild bondage. So far as Mr Brown could see, the unwilling guests of H.M.s Government were happy as sandboys, and far better off than prisoners of war could very well expect to be.

The numerous friends of Miss Lena Mendelson will be sorry to hear that her troublesome cough, the result of the cold weather of the last few months, has become so serious as to necessitate a sojourn at Davos-Platz, whither. she has gone, accompanied by her sister, Alice, whose wedding with Mr Burton will take place very quietly at the Alpine sanatorium.

Mr F. R. Woodhouse is standing the cold very well, and has already been testing his voice in a few quiet, concerts. He seems so fit that I trust we shall have an opportunity of hear ing him in the Metropolis before lon£- . .—■<..

Viscount Kelburne, Lord Glasgow's eldest son, is en route for China to join the Alacrity, of which he is flaglieutenant. He will probably be on the Chinese station for the next three years.

Mrs Howie, who was one of a number of colonial singers at Miss Bertha Bird's concert, will probably 'give a concert next February. The New Zealand bell-bird is looking very fit and none the worsel for the/ .cold weather.

Dr. de Lisle (Wellington) who arrived by the Wakanui is working in the bacteriological laboratory of Guy's Hospital, with a view to going up next April for the examination of the English Diploma of Public Health. After a few weeks with -his delations in the Channel Islands he will probably leave for the colony again next May.

Mr Harry Rountree (Auckland) is anxious that his native city should commemorate the Aucklanders who have fallen in the South African war by the erection, of a monument at the junction of Upper Queen and Grey streets. He is sending- out by this mail a very spirited design as his suggestion of the form the memorial might take. A typical New Zealander is represented as standing over a wounded Regular comrade and keeping off the foe by a revolver. The wounded man's rifle with fixed bayonet, helmet and expended cartridges lie by his side, and raising himself painfully on his eiuow he takes a draught from the water bottle which the New Zealander hands drawn to him. The figures which symbolise New Zealatcl coming to the aid of the Mother Country might well represent an incident at New Zealand Hill, when Maddocks and his brave boys came in the nick of time to the rescue of the Yorkshires. Mr Rountree's idea is that these figures in marble should stand on a square jjedestal of black marble or some similar substance, which would be approached by steps. On the sides of the pedestal would be placed the names of those commemorated.

Of Mr W. H. Webbe's (Auckland) bulky but surprisingly inexpensive " Pianist's Primer and Guide," published by Forsyth Brothers, the "Times" says: "So far as such a compendium can be tested in a short time, the information Is wonderfully accurate, practical and up to date, and the whole book is a treasure house of useful things." The "Times" thinks it would have been better in the fingering of tf'e copious examples to adhere to one system and that which is obvioxisly the better of the two.

Among the recipients of the Royal Red Cross from the King's hands at the investiture held at St. James's Palace last Tuesday was Nursing Sister J. W. M. Williamson of the New Zealand Nursing Service

Australian and New Zealand papers are. asked to note the. death in her 78th year of Mrs Mary Anne Bennett, second daughter of the late Mr Samuel Kidd of Ivelvedon, Essex, and of BouLogne-sur-Mer. Mrs Bennett died on 13th December at the residence of her son-in-law, Mr Thomas Baker, of 8, Albert Terrace, Edinburgh.

Mr 11. W. Richards, organist of Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, who has been conducting musical examinations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for the Associated Board of the R.A.M. and R.C.M., returned home last Wednesday.

Miss Ada Reeve made another hit last Monday night in the name part of Kitty Grey, on the occasion of its 100 th performance at the Apollo Theatre, in a new song " Why," by Paul Rubens, she scores' v a big success.

A much needed political reform, viz., the carrying- over of all uncompleted bills that may have reached a given stage from one session to the next was the suojeet of an address delivered last night by Sir Edward Clarke to the Parliamentary Procedure Committee at the Hotel Cecil. This proposal, he said, was made as long ago as IS4B by the late Lord Derby, it would effect an incalculable saving of Parliamentary time, obviate underhand and discreditable obstruction, ensure the passing- of Bills in a well-considered form, and enable the House of Lords to take a real and effective share in public legislation instead of as now having either to- accept a bill or waste altogether the time the House of Commons had spent upon it. Sir John Cockburn opened the short discussion that followed and• testified to the thorough success of "carrying over" in the Legislature of South Australia. Mr George Beetham of New Zealand also joined in the geuenil chorus of approval of the proposition.

While the red deer of New Zealand have so increased and developed a? 1o enable that colony—in the view of the "Westminster Gazette"—to offer the finest red-deer shooting in the world, there has been a gradual deterioration of the red deer in tne Highland deer forests. Tnis is ascribed mainly to the continuous inbreeding of years, and the introduction of the repeating rifle which allows the stags to be cleared off before they have had time to produce fine heads. The remedies proposed are the influx of new blood and further restrictions on the numbers shot. The King is sending several stags from Windsor and Balmoral. and his example Mall probably be largely followed. The credit of the introduction of red deer into N>w Zealand is given by the "Westminster" to the Prince Consort, who half a centur-n- ago presented the New Zealand Government with the animals, which may y4»t become as =erious a scourge as the rabbits or the Californian weed.

■\ Of the fresh batch of 2000 Yeomanry which, with the new contingents of Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. is to take part in the final rounding np of the Boers, the roost effective corps ought to be that which Lieut. — Col. O. ,T. Yonnghnsband, C.8., lately in command of the Third Imperial Yeomanry is rate-

ing. The corps is to be composed entirely of old Yeomen and Colonials who have, already served in South Africa. Every effort will be made to group in troops and squadrons Giftceis and men according to their counties. Tne regiment will be mobilised at Shorncliffe and sail directly its complement is complete. Over 100 men have already joined, md their example is expected to be speedily followed by other veterans anxious to "be in at the death."

Mr Bennett Burleigh, in a recent letter from South Africa, tells this story; "In one of the kloofs of The Slangapies, three Boers were being bunted by a squadron of West Austral'sns. The horse of one of the burghers was shot. Afoot the burgher waited for the first trooper. When within five paces of him the Boer levelled his rifle and shot the Australian through tiio lungs, bringing him to the ground. Then the brave (?) enemy dropped his rifle, crying to the man's comrades, 'I surrender, you see! You must take me prisoner"!' Could they? Did th«make him other than the prisoner of death! Later on the other two Boers were caught, the third, who tried much the same sort of villainous trick, being disposed of."

•Mr Soames, M.P. for South Norfolk, is making a trip to Australia and New Zealand, on the advice of of his medical attendant, returning to England soon after Easter.