OUR LONDON LETTER. (From our London Correspondent.) [By Telegraph from Auckland.] London, 2lst September.

Evening Post, Volume XXVI, Issue 112, 8 November 1883, Page 4

OUR LONDON LETTER. (From our London Correspondent.) [By Telegraph from Auckland.] London, 2lst September.

Shaw, SaviU'B steamer Triumph, which Bails from thedooks at daylight on Sunday morning next (23rd Soptombor), is literally orammod fnll, and already second oabin rates by this lino have been rawed two guineas Should tho Viotory (as soema probable) fill equally fast, larger boats may bo chartored. Nearly all tho big steam companfos aro doing a groat bnsinesß just at proaont. Tho Oriont Lino have not a berth to lot in ono of their next throe steamers, and people who wish to secure qooA cabins in any of tho P. & 0. boats bofore Chriatmaß will have to bring influence to bear as woll as monoy. Tho New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer lonio sail* from Plymouth to-morrow. It is needless to say sho oarrios a large cargo and full complement of passengers. Among the latter is a gentleman whoso name I am not at liberty to mention, but whose income exceeds £JQ,WO a year. Ho is accompanied by his wife, and has booked to Auckland, but does not intend to do more than spend the English wintor in your part of tho world. It is, however, something to be ablo to tempt notables like Lord Kosebory and this gontloman to make a tour of tho colony— one novor knowß what may oome of it. , A man namod Summors, a sailor on board tho s.B. lonio, summoned Captain Hallotfc tho othor day for Bs, wages alleged to be due to him as bos'n's mate. It seems Bnmmors shipped aboard tho lonio in tho last-named capacity, but Boon Bhowod himself so incompetont and insolent that the skippor disrated him. Complainant called no witnesses, and sevoral of tho ship s offidorß oertifiod to his incapacity. The Magistrate expressed an opinion that Sumroors had beon vory properly disrated, and dismissed tho case. Tho Society papers announoe tho engagement of the Hoh. Ivo Bligh, who captained tho last Gontlomen's criokofc team in Australia, to Miss Florence Morphey, of Melbourne; and of Mr. Tylocote anothor orioketer) to Miss Clark, daughter of tho millionaire baronot, Sir William Clark. , Ono of tho Baloon passongers by the Lacly Jooolyn to Auckland has kindly furnished mo with tho following narrative of his oxporionoe during tho foarful gale whioh disabled that vosaol in tho Channol on Sanday, 2nd inst. Ho says :— ' ' Af tor a dolightful day gpont aboard , I rotirod rathor lato to my cabin. Tho vossol at that timo was gliding qniotly through tho calm summer sea. Prosently tho ship bogan to roll and pitch heavily, but nfl I am a fairly good sailor I thought nothing of this, until tho noise on deok, the shrill whistling of tho wind, and tho occasional thundor of a groon sea forward proclaimed that the woathor was growing vory dirty indoed. Mattora grow oonnidorably worse nftor midnight, and I half resolved to tarn out and havo a look up tho oompanion laddor. Kemombering. howover, tho door ¦would probably bo looked, I lay still, and was just dropping off to sleep whon I felt a torrino shook, whioh made the great ship tromblo liko an aapen, and followed by a most alarming smashing of glass, crockery, lnggago, and cabin furniture around mo. Water was pouring down everywhere. My state room had threo feet washing about direotly, and all my luggago, Bavo a Gladstone bag, lay soaking therein. My fellow-passengers had by this timo assembled in the saloon, wondering what would happon next, and natnrally much alarmed. We spent tho reßt of tho night as best we could upon tho few settees that romained dry. It was a miserable timo. The vossol rolled so heavily that it of ton aeemod as though sho wguld never right herself again. Moving abont was an impossibility. Even those sitting or lying down had to oling on tightly to Homo safe fixture. Tho ohiof steward fell down the companion ladder, and was badly hart, and covoral passengers got moro or loss bruised. Wo wero right glad next day to find ourselves safely anchored at Spithead, and thanked Providonoo for our merciful escape when wo saw the dook. Tho eoa had made a oloan sweep of everything aft. Yards of the bulwarks aro gone from both Bides of tho ship, and sho looks as battered as tho Flying Dutchman after a threo years' cruise. Mr. Arohibald Forbes arrived Home about a month ago and is now busily engaged preparing a sories of leotures on his Antipodean expononoos. One leoturo will bo wholly devoted to New Zealand. TheEov. John Aldis, of Weatburgh, Wilts, father of Professor Stoadman Aldis, the newly-appointed Principal of tho Anokland University, was tho proaeptor who gave the Bight Hon. John Bright hia first losson in oratory, Mr. Bright acknowledged tho obligation in ono of his recent speeches. Mr. Olaronco Holt, father of the Melbourne manager, Mr. Bland Holt, and himself a well-known actor, has just been the hero of a domestio drama inreallifo. Some six weeks ago he met with an acoident in his theatre and was conveyed to the neighbouring Angel Hotel. Hero he was tended most assiduously by tho principal chambermaid, and an attachment sprang up between them with the result that tho other day Mr. Holt lod his nurso to the altar of the Pariah Church of Morrio {Islington, and her made his " till doath do them part." Tho happy conple have gono to Margato for their honeymoon. Mr. Booth, tho loader of the Blno Kibbon movement, has decided to visit New Zealand on a proselytizing tour. He will bo aooorapanied by Mr. T. W. Glover, Southampton agont of tho United Kingdom Alliance Ho must not bo confounded with Booth of Salvation Army notoriety, whoso stylo of working he strongly disapproves. Mr. Stead's Splendour did not ran for the Donoaster St. Logor, whioh seems rather a pity, for on his best form the Now Zealand owned colt would havo noarly won. At Newmarket in tho Spring Meeting Splendour met Osaian at even weights, and boat him by a length and a half, and last Wednesday Osaian won tho St. Loger by three lengths. Tho jaokot of Mr. W. A. Long, the antipodean turfite, is becoming nnito familiar to regular race-goers in England. Hib colt Candour was one of the four that ran for tho timo-honourod Champagno Stakes at Donoaster, and Tonana is supposed by good judges to havo a ohanoe %t winning the Cosarewitoh. According to a London sooiety paper, a brother of the Queen' b deceased body servant, John Brown, is a farmer in tho Middlo Island of Now Zealand. The journal referred to Bays that all Brown's brothers found their way into the Eoyal service except the one who emigrated to New Zealand and settled on a little farm he had mado for himself on the West Coast of tho Middle Island. Some years ago, at her Majesty's instanco, tho emigrant roturnod Home, and was installed as a gillie of Balmoral Home Farm. This was great promotion indoed, but Brown, whom colonial experience had emancipated from the gillio traditions of hisraoe, roundly swearing that he was stifled in the atmosphere of sneaking and flunkoyism that tainted the Deeaide air, shook tho dust of the Home Farm from off his honest feet, and hied him baok to Now Zealand and freedom. Mr. Vesey Stewart's new hand-book, "Notes on Stewart's Special Settlement, No. 4, with a short history of previous settlements and futuro prospeots " (sic), is out. Ab an advertisement it is pretty well done, but I oannot loam that Mr. Stewart has lured many people into pledging themselves to become farmers at Te Pake. The Northumberland will sail full, but the majority of tho passengers are more likely attracted by the cheap fares than by Mr. Stewart's blandishments. Mr. J. Peppercorn, a retired London bntoher, who is much interested in the New Zealand frozen meat trade, and with a large fortnne, leaves with hia wife and family for Anokland in November. Hia objeot is to plaoo his older sona in the frozon meat bade. Captain Bono, lato of the Rakaia, who was sooond officor on the lonio on her first voyage to Now Zealand, has boen transferred to the new steamer Tongariro. On Wednesday last four new torpedo boats, ordered by the New Zealand Government for defence purposes, were tested in the presence of a large and distinguished company of Anglo-Colonials, inoluding Sir Sanl Samuel, Sir Julius Vogel, Mr. Murray Smith, Mr. Bramaton, Assistant Under-Seo rotary for the Colonioa, Messrs. Bolfiold (late of th» Timaru Herald), A. Baker (of Wellington), Farmer (of Auokl&nd), G. V. Stewart, Strickland, Coster, P. Cunningham, Brown, P. Bunkley, Jollio, Dr. Eou3 (of Canterbury), Sir P. W. Julyan, Mr. D. Larnaoh, Profoasor Stoadman Aldis, and Mr. C. Strode Sir Dillon Bell received the visitors, and regret was oxprossed at the absonco of Sir J. Hall, who has always taken a great interest in tho colonial defoncoa. Tho trial was moat satisfactory, and was followod by a lunoh in the Trafalgar Hotol, Greenwioh. Tho torpedo boats aro to be sent by the Shipping Company's vessels almost immediately. The Opawa, Captain Mathers, with 6500 carouses of mutton, from Southland, arrived at the Docks on 15th September, after a passage of 113 days. The greater part of tho moat was landed in good condition, but fetched only 6id per pound wholesale. The carcases woro very mixed— some old, aome young, some large, some small, and several wont bad, which is attributed to tho meat boing frozen in the ship's chambers and not ashore. The time when the shippers of Now Zealand frozen mutton should striko a decisive blow in favour of their industry has now come. Thepricoof meat all over Wales is exceptionally high, and the minors in the south, at a rocent moeting, resolved, " That a conference of Wolah Members of Parliament should bo held to consider the retail sale of foreign moat, and the best means of reducing ita price to tho consumer." New Zealand mutton, as snoh, is unknown in London, but if a cargo were shipped direot to Cardiff,