UNDER THE YELLOW FLAG.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3140, 21 July 1881, Page 4

UNDER THE YELLOW FLAG.

LIFE AT A QUARANTINE STATION,

The special correspondent of the Star on board the mail steamer quarantined at Auckland, thu3 describes tho experience of the passengers : —• _ Since my last letter, there has been very little change in the mode of existence at the Quarantine Station, but still we can hardly grumble. The mean 3of amusement an'l recreation which we have adopted serve to pass the time pleasantly, and although some are very well satisfied with their present mode of life, none will be sorry to see Auckland at the end of the week. All the passengers, officers, and crew still rem lin in excellent health, and I think the Health Officer will have no objections to r-'lfusr-them. Your readers in general, and mor<> particularly tbe friends of those unf■>riunates here may be pleased to know hnv we spend the time, and so I have forward.-d the following : —The passengers turn out about 7 o'clock and play quoits, jump, etc., m; deck till tho bell is*rung at 8.30 a.m. That over, the boats are brought into requisition. and nearly everybody transferred to >hore, where they separate and scatter over the island. Some of the ladies and gentlemen go off in pairs, taking their lunch with them, and only turn up again in time to catch the last boat to the ship. How they spend the day is best known to themselves. Shooting. fishing, digging out rabbits, and gettins? Oysters, are also carried on, but the product of these sports is very small. A few of the ladies spend their time in knitting crochet. We had a very good game of football yesterday morning, in which some of the officers took part, and although the playing was not first-class, all seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly, some playing till they were quite knocked tip. After a good swim some started races and leap-frog on the sand, to dry themselves, which was quite a novel sight. The children return to dinner at 12.30, and the adults immediately afterwards. 34 sit down to dinner in the saloon at 2 p.m., after which they are again landed, and spend the afternoon the same as the morning. All are on board by 6 o'clock, and as soon as ten is over spend the evening at reading, playing whist and euchre, skipping, and music, which consist of piano, cornet, and some very good singing. Lights out, in saloon, at 11 p.m. The buildings on the island consists of two large two-storey houses, one for saloon, and the other for steerage passengers, and are each divided into four rooms, two on each floor, with lavatories, &c. The only difference between the saloon and steerage building is that the upper rooms of the former are divided by partitions into about 20 sleeping apartments which are more like horse-boxes than bedrooms. The buildings inside are not painted or papered, and look very dismal. A few trees planted about the houses would be a great improvement. The kitchen is Bituated between these two buildings, and contains an old rusty range, which has to have sacks put in the various holes to make the oven heat. The hospital ; s the mosi. comfortable looking building, and is Bituated at some distance fiom the others, but is only used in case of sickness. There are also two sheds for storing blankets, &c, a wash-house, and the fumigating oven. which is built of brick, is air-tight and heated by iron pipes running under the floor through which the fire passes from the furnace to the chimney stack. Mr Barnsley's residence completes the number of houses on the island; and is a very comfortable little cottage. N.B.—ln your issue of the sth instant you state the letters are passed through the oven in bundles-of 50. This is a mistake. each bundle of 50 letters is untied and spread, out on wire trays, and the newspapers on a sheet. Each oven-full is kept in over an hour.