THE SOCIALIST ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Issue 38, 14 February 1929, Page 22

THE SOCIALIST ABROAD.

A DREAM OF THE 'FORTIES

MB. THOMAS ARNOLD'S STORY. Nl<:\V ZEALAND IN THE LONC ACO. (Bv S. SAUNDERS.) In his "Pa>-ages in a Wandering Life," which was mentioned in this column last v. cek. Mr. Thomas Arnold recorded many of his experiences in New Zealand, extending over a period of le.-s than 1months. wliicit have io-t none of their interest by the lapse of some SO years, nor. I tru-t. by frequent iteration. Mr. Arnold, my readers may be reminded again, was a son of Dr. Arnold, of Rugby -chool. and a younger brother of Mr. J'atthew Arnold, of literary fame. Attvr graduating at Oxford in ISlti he was elected by his college to a university scholarship, which, "in no long time/' as he records himself, "would have led. without competition, to a fellow-hi p." and to a comfortable sufficiency of the good things of life for the remainder of his days. At that particular stage in his mental development, however, lie was imbued with the higher ideals nf the French Communists and with his mind turned towards Xew Zealand by the fact that his father li ad purclia-ed land in the young colony, he conceived the idea that the distant isles might become the birthplace of well-ordered British Socialism. '"The descriptions of virgin forests, suowclad mountain-, livers not yet tracked to their sources. and lakes imperfectly known." he wrote fifty years later, "fascinated me as they have fascinated many since. And joining the two lines of thought together, my speculative fancy suggested that in a perfect 'locale' such as New Zealand it might be destined that the true fraternity of the future—could founders and constitution-builders of the necessary genius and virtue be discovered — might be securely built Up." Similar (lieams to those that possessed Ml'. Arnold brought many other a-piring spirits from the Mother Country to New of those sturdy pioneers who held fa-t of la -t century, and succeeding generations always must remain the debtors ot tho-e sturdy pioneers who held mast to the faith that was within them. The Oxiord graduate's contribution to the subjection of the "glorious wilderne--" was only that of the pa--inir \i-itor. but jt- revival to-day is not without historic interc-t. The Adventure.

lu November. ISI7. having -;it i-fi.>d liim-elf that New Zealand offered .1 possible tield for the e.xploitat inn of the particular brand of Socialism dear to Ins heart. Mr. Arnold, then in his J Ith year, took passage on the ship .lolin \\ ickliffe. which was carrying rlie first instalment of .Scotch settlers to Ota go. under the leadership of Captain Cargill. The budding Socialist, whose ultimate destination was Wellington, seems readily to have ingratiated himself with his fellow voyagers. On his part he appeal's to have been particularly impressed hv a little service rendered him by one of Captain Cargill# younger sons, who afterwards becam* l a prominent figure in the commercial and political life of the young colony. "When I appeared on deck, the ship being then somewhere in the mouth fit the Bav of Biscay.'' he wrote 50 years later." "it was plunging up and down huge rollers of bright purple sea. on the" tops of which were little wavelets sparkling and breaking in the sun. while between them was deep shadow. Young Cargill came forward, and. seeing I was still far from well, recommended a glass of Ba-s. The composing and invigorating effect of this was wonderful. I 10-t all feeling of sea-sickness and have seldom been troubled by it since." Another incident of the voyage recalled by Mr. Arnold threw some light upon one of the perennial reproaches cast up.ni tin; British mercantile marine. One morning the trade winds having faded away, the John \\ ickliffe and a Dutch barque lay so close together in a calm sea that their officers and passengers were able to exchange several visits. The voung apostle of democracy naturally" was struck by the accommodation provided on the Dutch vessel for its crew. "Kadi man," he wrote years later, "had his comfortable curtained berth, with bed clothes spotlessly clean, two or three little pictures hanging beside it. and plenty of light through large portholes. One could but think of that dog-hole — the forecastle of the John Wickliffe— with its hammocks, griminess and gloom, which was the sleeping and living quarters of our poor fellows." And report has it that a similar comparison might be drawn to-dav.

The Reality. The John Wickliffe was detained in Port Chalmers for nearly two months, unloading supplies and material required by the Otagu settlement, and it was not until toward the end of May that .Mr. Arnold found himself in Wellington — then boasting of eight years of existence to be welcomed by such sturdy friends as Alfred Domett, Frederic Weld, W illiain Cole, the Anglican clergyman ot the province, and several other adventurers, who held his father's name in high regard. That the young man was made of stuff worthy "of Rugby and Oxford may be judged from the fact that within a few days of his arrival

J from the >outli he acted upon a I tion from .Mr. Cole that In-fore making up hi- mind a- :,i what in- would do I next he -houhl walk out to Oraki. tiien a mere Maori -e! t ffiiient. -ome .Mi milealoiiir the we-t coast, with a letter to the Anglican mi —ionary then- and l>rimr hack a lior-e to After tlii- c.ituniis.-ioii with exemplary [i re.-is ion. under enmli limi- tha.t miulit ha\e di-niayc.l any -ea.-oned ,-ettler. he turned hi- attention to hifat'aer's land intere-ts in the province. Here, however, there were diflicultiewiiii'h only time and capital could overcome. and as the latter reipii-ite was not available at the time Hi- accepted a -chola-tie position in Nelson. olVereil to ii i tn through the •rood ofHces or' Mr. Domett. To reach the -cene of his new activities hi- had to accept the escort or Sir Frederic Weld to Klaxhourne and the hospitality of his friend while waiting the mean- of completing his joiirnev. It vva- during his enforced sojourn at Klaxbourne. the out-.station of Sir i-'rederie. that he suirered his lir-t experience of an earthquake. The uncaiiliines- ot the commotion is told in his "Reminiscences"' — another story — and only one paragraph from his ijiaphie do

MTii-tioii ~f the unjili-a-a nt vi-hathm need In- . | i; o 11 • 1 here. ">i\ . i a \ - aft--r thf earthquake." hi- wrote. "ue walk-'d t" ; lit- t ->j. .-t" • lie 11 n!1111:■ •.• 1- . a h : 11 a : •. ■:i: llllMli't lliuh. . . Wiliie illf'i- U I- di--tiiiitlv -a >v the to;- of tlif iiiil hea\e in ami fro." .lu-t upon a week a f t--r :t hail 1 iet-n ,-et ill Hint Ion! That illil-t have been -nine earthquake. Nelson and Australia. US 1: . Arnold illt i:uately made hi- \\ a\. to X.M-on l.y Imat l!"iu l-'iaxb-■uriie t.i Purr I inli'i'wo,„l, in tjuc-.-n ( iiarlot;.Sound. and then by hor-e ; ra ut i hrotijji tillekiy wooded \ alley ~ at!'! hillto tin- Waiinea Plain-, which -.ave a -ee — to Blind Bay and the -nul lie \\ a - -cekill*_r. The whole journey < ■>-t-ii;>ic< 1 i-I day-. and \\a- regarded at the time a- a hiirhiy ereditalile acliicvenieiit. To-dav motor ear-, following a dili'creut route, lmt -till < ■ i i 1111 > i 11 a -ucce —hm of foruiidaMe hill-, ran tra\el from F'a\hoUl'lle to N clm Hi coin fol'ta Illy in three or four limir-. The wanderer did not remain very lon-j; in Xel-mi. a |.r« — illlt invitation from the (loxeriiMr of 'I'a--mania to aeeejit the | >■ >-i t i • >u of in-peetor ot -rliool- in that M'ttlenn-nt drauini; him aero-, the Ta-man Sea and to a new outlook upon life. He hail -ecu eiinimh of the count rv in — 11 i 11 on the

-hurt'-. of I"'i I;■! v r.. a ;ipivciate it« J iiea Ht ii - .11 ' • - 11:: •i' .-. " I lit' ■ ■ -<. 11!: tr \ .1 i•>m ;• i N- J-. n • f -: r . : l llf W' ■ I;!!.- MM!- • I : <■!•■ " ; I: .: ■•! i.-u . .«• c. I. ke , Ail:-!:-, r li.- tow nt • <\* .ii-l- the j mm an-! tin- liii■ It:,iy -mi. Blind Bay. I t ii. ■! i_ Ii ii:' ii■.i: -. - Bri:i-h i'ii -vpt ii m- 1 i:a\i i•, \\x with that n:l\ . c\en . ■ - ;i!ini;ii ; • i- i i- !m v I>-— beaut i- ' fn! 11 •. 11: t;ii- >iii «• (.ii!;'. >• .i inl ini: <>n j "li.- Ki-i't Hill, in tiic 111i< 1 ■'i*• of rhi' ;-wn. 1 alii !•> <. k. ill -_r vv r-t ward. oi'f -,i» a ranue! •a- i. ». •; t i: t,. < ■ i li. .• :-pa rent!y | ab.-ut Jiii'n:! hi•_li. a' .i i«'i ■ i•::ithe' u i n In ai in la i y Hi' ' h ■ i-a \ . . . . Th ■■ ! 11' -: ■ ■'<<■■ Hi ■; : him .• : /■ •:: tilled 1 w>'ii I'in'ky a I'.l !i• rll \ i. • iiuj in I ;hi' i. i" P'l ' r\i ilr I- la nil. aini due! 11 1 -1 tll -trcti-hcd ;ln- Mm- wali-r- of tin' I bay. I 11; i\ > • -.1 ii ]-a n.-i-a in.i - more lii-au- I titul. -i r I i-t' \ -pcakim:. than th: tut", i n-t .1 iiff. tin- la 1m- an-i -h'Ti— --f (,I'lno li*i>in above T.• >i;iuii» —hut never one , ni"!f humanly «{•* liuhtful and i-m-ha nt iirj. when the -lift in• —i and delicacy nt the air. tlic 1.-in<l in view t-«r human need-, aHi I tin- va-tne-- .. l" tin- aifa nt vision aif taken int-i ui-idera t-n."' An-1 -u the hiirh claim-, of ">!i-<-i>v Hollow", -t-Mill in the eyi-s of tile world ili-ioric- | u lly \ indicated.