TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9330, 3 February 1896, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Among the most pleasant Our cf the many fine characAlpine teristics of Zurbriggen, the Playground. Swiss guide, who waa here last year with Mr FitzGerald, was his unaffected pleasure in this colony, and especially in the variety of climbing afforded by the Mount Cook district. Almost the last words he uttered in Christchurch were a promise that he would come here again, and we are glad to hear that he has been as good as his word, and that before many days have passed ho will once more be at work among the monarohs of the Southern Alps. After leaving here last year, Zurbriggen returned to London, where he was lionised by the English Alpiue Club, and then crossed over to his native Switzerland. Having spent theseasoncli.-nbing there be turned his face southward and set out for New Zealand with an English tourist, an Alpine climber, to whom ho <vill act as guide in the New Zealand Alps. Mr J. J. Kinsoy has, we leara, received a cable message from Zurbriggen statipg that he is now on his way here from Melbourne with this gentleman. On their arrival in Christ church a party, consisting of Mr aud Miss Kinsey, the visitor and Zurbriggen, will be formed to visit Mount Cook. Zurbriggen is not bringing any Swiss guide with him, preferring to make use of the excellent material to be found here, and it is probable, therefore, that either Adamson or Clark, or perhaps both, will be requested to join the party, The fact of Zurbriggen. return to New Zealand is most satisfactory to all who appreciate the great benefit likely to accrue to the colony from the beauties of ou Alpine scenery being brought under the notioe of Alpine climbers from the Old Country and elsewhere. It is to be hoped that the Government will be induced to make proper arrangements for visitors at the Hermitage, and thus encourage an increasing flow of tourists. To.ohing the Hermitage, we The notice a lengthy refereuoe to Hermitage the place in an interesting again. article ou "Adventures in the High Alp 3 " in the Otago Daily Times. The writer's description of the Hermitage, as he found it recently, ia nob inviting — " a shambling, noudesoripb kind of building," the new part looking " as unpicturesque s a it woll can," and the whole place striking one as "undrained and forlorn." A few flowers, we are told, struggle for existence iv a patch that was once a garden, bub " whoever laid out and planted the grounds chose to" ignore the most glaringly apparent conditions of plant life iv the neighbourhood." The trees which have been planted are quite unsuitable for the place, whereas there is abundant choice of beautiful native trees and shrubs, which flourish rampantly all over the neighbourhood. " At a mere trifling expense," says the writer, " the Hermitage grounds could be made the moafc interesting in Otago. (The Hermitage, we might say, is not in Otago, but in Canterbury, but that is an unimportant detail, and does not affect the value of the suggestions.) If specimens of the alpine plants growing in the surrounding mountains were planted, and carefully protected, th.y would be au exbanatless source of interest to visitors. As it is, the Hermitage is nob attractive— is, on tha contrary, a blob on the landscape where it should be a beauty." ! We entirely agree with the writer when he ' expresses the hope that the Tasman Valley, with the mountains, glaciers, and rivers in its neighbourhood will in the future become i a great national recreation ground for the whole of Australasia, and with his assertion ' that it is bound ultimately to become a most valuable colonial asset, the whioh has been said many, times in this, column. But to bring < this about the Government will have to ' administer the reserve more .wisely than they have hitherto, done. , , . , .... i At present the writer ( A Rumour referred to above is of < and some opinion ,a serious mis- i Suggestions. take is being made. ; "* "The intention of the ' Government, I am told, is to let the Hermitage in connection with the Birch Hill station. No doubt they may get some per- i son who. will undertake both, but I shall be surprised if they find anybody who will ; manage the combination successfully. The \ Birch Hill station is a poor affair, which can i be made to pay only in the hands of a ahep- 1 herd owner, prepared to be his own manager. ' The Hermitage want- quite another sort oi j persou—one who knows how to supply the , place with the comforts and refinements that travelled visitors expect even at Mount I Cook." He then suggests two ways in which the Hermitage might be made to . yield a good return. The Government i might either put a capable manager in ab a < : fixed salary, providing him with the neces- I sary staff of household servants, guides, ' and so on, and requiring of him an exact ! account of all receipts and expenditure, or , they might give the Hermitage to some , capable person, at a nominal rent or no ■ ; rent at all, stipulating that it be (kept : open for travellers during the proper ' season. The drawbacks are that witb re. \ gard to the first suggestion the expense i would be considerable, and in the second case i it ia pointed out that it is more than ' doubtful whether anyone who kept the '. Hermitage as it ought to be kept could, for , several years to come, make it pay, even if i he got it rent free, and this would mean a t Government subsidy. The Mount Cook ' tourist traffic, we learn, has gone down ( to the lowest ebb, the totat number , of visitors so far for this Beason being i eight, and before the Hermitage pay,) t it most make a reputation. This it can i only do by being well managed aud j widely advertised. Unfortunately the Government have put the cart before the • horse. They appear to have advertised the i plaoe to some,extent, but have not'troubled 1 themselves much aboutitsnoauageme-dt. Itia j Dot bad of its Bort —all visitors speak highly . of the efforts of the A-amsons to. make them . comfortable—but its sort la not likely to • attract many Australian tourists, and it t

would probably, as the writer S-ygTD-* better for the prospects of the Hermiu -1 ii the eight people who have visited it"th* "I season had stayed away, tor their aoco. • 1 are not calculated to iuduce others to '„i, "1 their example. w w>-0» I Pl-OFRSSOR MORRI 9 • Ift New Zealand Melbourne Univ_ rßily J f fcngl.sh. engaged iv § rial for a dictionary „» Australasian English, which he defin-, * v all the new words and new use. of w or ? added to the English language io *? ; tralaaia." During bis recent visit to JJ colouy he has been trying to com D lni a collection of New Zealaud words, most-! which he finds are taken from the Maori aud in a letter to our Dunedin cdntW rary he asks the assistance of those * terested in tbe subject to enable, him/?! make this collection as full _ n _ * possible. In the dictionary which he *' compiling it is, he says, «'ad ?il|b J* not only to give the words *;-,„ an explanation ot their meaning Rn _ if possible of their origin, bub to '„«,,_ instances of their use, arranged in cb.ro ogioal order as in the "Oxford Dictionary. I want now," he adds ««t ask the kind assistance of som.. Rm ' your readers in collecting from book, periodicals, or newspapers quotations to 1 illustrate the uao of the varions words in | the following list. Such quotations should i vary from one to a few lines, from eight or ( ten up to fifty words, unless a lo_g ef 1 passage should offer a very clear explanation ' I of the thing described. If in the list a date 1 precedes the word, a passage cf earlier dats § is wanted ; if it follows, then a later pas-jagey,' if there is no date at all, any passags will be welcome." The list referred to is M follows:— Miscellaneous List— Ambrlte. Captain Cooker. Copper Maori. Duuite. Fuuah. Go-ashore, 1849. Goodletite. Haerctn&i 1892, Hani. 1873, Hapu, 1873. Hot* (money or payment). Kai, 1845. 1889, I Kapu. Kinaki, 1873. Kohua. Kokowai 1 1845. 1881, Mana. Maon-head. Puke' • I Papa (clay). Pateka, 1845. Paua, 1820" ' PiEC-doe, 1845- Pipi, 1820. 1345, Por«u.i' 1845. Rua, 1845. Taiaha, 1831. T_iu o ' 1883, Tohoro (whale). 1893, Tohang*! Tipuna (or tupuna), 1845. Tuatara 1803 Umu (oven), 1845. 1845, Utu, 1855. Vlmo* 1863. 1873, VVaipiro, 1873. 3874, Waka' 1874. Weta. 1869, Whale-feed, 1869 Wbata, 1545. 1845, VViwi (French), 1859.' List of birds—Blight-bird. 1888. Canary (N.Z.), 1873, Creeper (N.Z.). 1888, ftra' bird. 1888, Laughitig jackass (or owl), Kakariki. 1869, Kea. 1872, koritnako (or bell-bird), 1872. 1872, Kukupa (or wood Eia*eon), 1883 1888. Miro (robin). Muttonird. Parera (dock). 1863, Parson-bird. Piwikawaka, 1835. 1883, Rifleman. Ron. v ' 1888, Saddle-baok. 1888, Silver-eye. 1888, Stitch-bird. Whio. Whekau, 1869. List of Fish—Butter-fish. Buttoi ily-fiah, Cock-a-bully. Elephant-_*h. Groper. 1884. Hapuku. 1872, Hoki, 1872. luanga, 1845. Kahawai (or kaw&i), 1845. Kauae, 1820, Kelp-fish. King-fish. Mako. Picton-hoc-. ring. Maori-chief. Moki, 1820. Oar-_°h, Patiki. Piharau, 1845. Poddly, 1872. Skip-jack, 1872. Smooth-houud. Spotty, Tainure, 1845. Warehow. Yellow-tail, List of Trees, _c. —Broad-leaf. Builybul, Christmas tree (pohutukawa), 1867. Hotji. Iron-heart, 1872. 1873, Kahikatea, 1888, l.alca-bill, Kai-mai, Kareau (.ripplej-.ok), 1845. 1835, Kauri, Koraddy and variations, 1872, Koromiko. 1845, I-umera. Lace* bark. 1863, Mahoe, matagory. Maori, cabbage. 1845, Manuka. Mapau. 1883, Mai (or matsi). 1875, Miro (piue), 1875. 1833. _.eiuei. 1888, Nikau. Ngaio (or kaio). Pitau. 1845. 1892/ Punga (or bungev). Grama. 1854, Rata. 1845, Raupo. 18-5, Kewarewa. Spauiard, _paav-gr_ss. 1867, Supplejack. Tarata. Thousandjacket. Ti (not tea), 1845. 1857, loot. Tooted. Some of our readers, no doubt, will be able to supply Professor Morris with some of the information he desires, and will thus ;■ assist him in getting out what should.be a livery interesting dictionary. The Professor, V!we may say, suggests certain regulations, which he would like to be followed oub by |hU helpers, which we shall Joe,•• glad to supply to any who may desire fo-__ve them.-