LONDON CHAT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12867, 27 July 1907, Page 2

LONDON CHAT.

(niOM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, July 14,

Much moro China tea is asked for than it was five or ten yearp ago. In the opinion of an' expert, the awakening taste for China tea, which is certainly less harmful than the Indian or even the Ceylon tea, is largely due to such places as the A.B.C. and Lyons's depots selling good China tea at cheap rates. As the same time, the other teas have made no perceptible decrease in consumption. Whether or not we are going to see a general return to the drinking of China tea is another matter. On the one hand, some of the tea-growers in Ceylon aro growing more and more rubber-trees, to tho exclusion of the tea-plant, because their soil is so suitable to the rubber, which pays them better than tea; so that the day may Jio coming soon when there will be no Ceylon teas. On the other hand, it is tho firm belief of this expert that the British consumer has grown so much accustomed to the stronger flavour of Indian teas, especially among the working classes, that the more delicate China teas will never oust them. It may bo that we shall see the' middle and upper classes turn to drinking China teas—when Ceylon has ceased to produce a marketable quantity that will sell alone—because of their finer taste; while the working classes will have to depend entirely on Indian and Indian blends.

Tho English pressmen travelling in Denmark have been taken to Elsinore. "They looked in vain," says one of them, "for its wild and stormy steeps as for the battlement where a famous ghost appeared. It is not that these poetic scenes have vanished —they never wore extant. On the other hand, our confreres saw the Tomb of Hamlot. This must have consoled them, unless they wero so injudicious as to ask questions; and for most it had the charm of surprise also. That Hamlet was buried under a cross of stone in the public garden of Marienlyst ranks among things not generally known. But there's no doubt about it for guileless persons who believe the evidence of their own eyes. If tho cross i? broken, and tho inscription nearly effaced, those effects of age go to prove its authenticity, if proof can be needed. The record of the year also is lost, but we still trace the day of the month—'October 32nd I'—which harmonics with the well-known eccentrij city of the deceased in a very pleasing I manner. Some worthy souls, Danish j as well as English, indignantly protest [against this standing joke, perpetrated, f or at least sanctioned, by the municii pal authorities. But the wise know that the vulgar person loves to be deceived : Hans Andersen, who told so many fables, left an account of this. He went to school at Elsinore in the twenties and thirties of the last century. The precious tomb had not been invented or thought of then. But at : thi> port the famous Sound dues were collected and every vessel had to 6top at Elsinore. They were British mostly, and skippers, passengers, and even crew, says Hans Andersen, pestered the inhabitants with questions about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. There was, i and is, a small barrow in the garden of a handsome villa just outside the town. Somo humorist told the enquiring Britons that this was Hamlet's grave. They streamed thither daily, and the householder, a merchant, dared not be rude fo his best clients. But the persecution became unbearable, nnd at length he conceived the happy ■ thought of setting up a real tomb, with an epitaph, on a bit of waste land in the neighbourhood. The diversion answered* perfectly. Afterwards this waste land was included in ; the public garden of Marienlyst." i A few days ago I attended by special • courteous invitation a trial trip of one I nf the co'ossel new Great Western ex-

press engines, which bears the number 4001, and the name "Dog Star'_— the latter after a locomotive celebrity of the "forties." But whereas the old 'Dog Star" weighed only 16 tons, the new one weighs no less than 76 tons, exclnaiv© of tender, and is-the heaviest engine yet placed upon British metals. The task imposed on the present occasion was to run from London toiSxeter, 174 miles, with *a train ireighing nearly 300 tons, exclusive of engine and tender, without intermediate stop, in the even three hours, averaging 53 miles a.i hour from start to stop, with several fairly steep grades—such aa 1 in 80—to climb on the way. The task was performed with complete .success three minutes under the prescribed time, in spite of a heavy side-gale with drizzling rain having to be battled with throughout. A speed of 60 to 67 miles an hour waa mainteined for many miles up rising grades, and a maximum of 83.7 miles an hour was touched. On-arrival at Exeter we hod just six minutes in which to cross the station and join the return train, which was hauled by the second built of tho new mammoths, number 4002, "Evening Star." The "up"-journey was very similar to the "down," but the road differs in beginning ivith a persistent climb of twenty miles from the Exeter start. "Evening Star," however, mado nothing of this, but attained a rate of 60 miles an hour in two minutes from tho start, and reached the top of the twenty-mile bank in 201 minutes, a very fine performance. The fastest downhill speed was not to exceed 80 miles an hour, but 77, 78, and 79 were several times attained. The total running time for the 174 miles waa just 174 minutes—i.e., 2 hours 54 minutes, exactly 60 miles an hour from start to stop, and it must bo borno in mind that there was no attempt at "record-breaking" or extra speed, the object being to show what tho now engines could do in the ordinary daily course with heavy express trains. The run was often impeded by the furious side-gale, but tho -net outcome was that leaving home directly after breakfast I -was back in town again early in the afternoon, having travelled 348 miles in 5 hours 51 minutes between breakfast and afternoon tea, the distance being 15 miles farther than from London to the Scotch frontier at Berwick, 50 miles further than from London to Carlisle. This will give some idea of what modern railways aro like. Imagine being able to get from Christchurch to Dunedin in 3 hours 50 minutes, or from Wellington to Napier or Wanganui in 3 hours 20 minutes, or from Wellington to New Plymouth in 4 hours 10 minutes, as you oould were a similar rate of travel feasible in New Zealand.

More than once I have strongly advised intending New Zealand visitors to London to mako a point of hearing, at th© Royal Opera Houso, Covent Garden, the marvellous young Austrian prima donrua, Selma Kurz. Last night the announcement was made that the delightful Kura will make her welcome rentree at Covent Garden next week. Lest you should think that in my enthusiasm for one of the greatest singers I ever heard, I may have overrated her quality, permit mc to quote tho entirely independent opinion of a Paris Press correspondent who is a recognised authority. This is what under the heading "A New Patti," he says:—'<Mme. Selma Kurz, of the Imperial Opera of Vienna and one of the idols of Covent Garden, has been hoard in Paris this week at several concerts, and has completely captivated her hearers. Her reception hero was <-xtraordinary. She sang throe times, in French and, German, and yet the enraptured awlienoe clamoured for more. In response the artist trilled as the birds do. It seemed aa if a nightingale wero singing. iShe recalled Patti absolutely. She attained the greatest effects without th** l-*"*ist apparent effort. Tliere is something extraordinary aerial, fluid, and i. material in her voice. At other times it .and. caressing,, vibrant-as the cord of a violoncello. Hit crystalline notes prolong in trills which are astonishing. Mine. Kurz sang again, yesterday, at tho Trocadero,' and again her glorious voice awakened tho immense enthusiasm of the audience. Some admirer compared her to a nightingale singing songs of love on somo balmy night in June." Another welcome announcement that Dr. Joachim, the veteran violinist, was to visit us during this season and lead his famous string quartet, has unfortunately been falsified by adverse circumstances, as happened fast year when he -was struck down by influenza. The nature of his illness in this case it not specified, but we have the regret to learn that he is ill, and at the age of 78 -years no illness oan be regarded as a light matter.' -So we ehnll havo to do without him. Another instrumental veteran, Muhlfeld. the greatest of all clarinettists, will also bo badly missed, for he has left us for ever. It is doubtful whether the present generation will again havo the opportunity of hearing the glorious music which Brahms wrote for tho clarinet, play*** as Muhlfeld used to play it. On the other hand, Mischa Elman is still with us, but he gave his last violin recital for the present season three days ago. 1 need not enlarge upon his perfor-' manco. I have done so abundantly on former occasions. It may suffice if I repeat that he once more proved himself to have no living superior among violinists and but few equate— very few indeed! He is of ooureo no longer regarded from the "prodigy" viewpoint which view, indeed, he hirneelf never encouraged—but is recognised on all hands as an artist too really great to need any mere meretricious decorations of description. Tho same indeed, might be said of that little miracle, Vivien Chartres, who has just returned to London after her tour of absolutely and literally unparalleled triumphs in Italy and Germany. Cricket continues to bo marred the cold, chill, showery weather. This olimatic phase, however, has given the long discouraged and oppres£«l bowlers a chance of winning many brillia-nt triumphs, tlie batting scores being almost invariably srnau'l. Tho South African team bas continued mp to the present its victorious march, having won every finished inaltch played as yet, and having in the last of these amassed, in spite of sfcnangly adverse conditions of weather and ground, the largcisit score of the season up to date, viz., 404 for mine wioke'ts, and this against the splendid bowling of Tarrant, Trott, Mignoni, and' Hearne for Middlesex. Northamptonshire, the latest admission to the ranks of firet-olaes counties, has just distinguished it-foil" rather unfortunately by sotting up a new record in oounty cricket, this consisting in the smallest score ever made in an inter-county contest, viz., a first innings of 12 runs all told! Tlie "next worst to this was the 13 put -together by Notts a few years ago against Yorkshire l , when -Rhodes amd Hirsrt were in their prime as bowlers. This recent 12 of Northamptonshire was made against the Gloueeisteiwhire bowlers, Dennett (6low left hand) amd Jesßop (fast right). At present Notts and Middlesex tie for first place in the championship list, while Dert-yshire, Leicestershire. Gloucestershire, nmd Northants similarly tie. birt for the "wooden spoon"—the bottom place of all!