A DUNEDINITE ABROAD.
The following extraots, which wj have been permitted to make from a private letter received by yesterday's mail from Mr W. J. MaoLaughlin, late of the Dunedii Postal Department, should prove interesting : We had a quiet trip across from tie Bluff and a nice lot of passengers. I got off a< Hobart and was delighted with the city. It htß a fine harbor, the River Derwent running into the Be*. It is forty miles from the Heads to Hohtct, and the river varies in width from two jo eight miles. You seo full-rigged ships and smaller ones all beating up the rivor. The wafer close In sho-e is from 12 r t to 100 ft deep. Tlere are ya?hts of all sorts and sizes in hundred, and I believe the boating men have a rrgataeveiy Saturday. F. and I went from H6art to Launoeston, a distance of 130 miles, >y rail, which is done in six hours' fine, easy travelling. Imt t several Dunedin Exhibition fellow. The Launoeston Exhibition is only half tho size of the Duned<n one, and not to bo comp >rd to it. Launoeston has also a fine river with a tdalrlse and fall of 16ft. I ppent fire days li Launcostoc, and then left by a. p. Hotomahna for Melbourne.
Hob.ion Bay is a groat expanse of witer, in Bomo paits no land v'siblo on either she. As we steamed up the Hiver Yarra the Btenii from the river was feaifu', and I reilly wonde; there ii not more sicknesa in Melbourne arisig from tho fai! odors, which undo me quiti a'ck. Th re is cot the least doubt that Melburne is a wonderful city for its age lam d<ighted with everything I see, especially the jardeno, museums, and picture galleries. I wrat to a popular conceit on Monlay. There was a fine orchestral band playing, and 1 heard some of the best artistes in Auatrala king, including some of the Italian opera slniers. I also heard Beaumont, ? took well, Kiel), and Buzz! sing. It was a treat. I only x&llsed that night what an instrument the vdln is when played properly. The hall the tcooert was hold in is an immense building. There were about 4,000 people there that night) and they did not half fill it. All the Bhops b the main streets aro lit with electricity, met of them keeping alight all night on account >f the barefaced robberies that take place, whjh are dreadful. The police go about in pars at night. There wa9 a robbery last night, then a safe was lifted bodily out of a shop. The other night as F— and I were ooming home ve saw a girl talking to a man a bit " boozed," and we saw her take his watoh and chain. This vas in a main street, and nnder tbe electric light We passed on, as there were some Beventteu or eighteen loafers watching, and we wouH have been '' smashed " had we intar fered. The unemployed are a sight hero just now. I saw a meeting of 2,000 of them. If thry rise it will be a hot time, I can tell you, it Melbourne. Beggars here are plentiful—and pitiful sights. At ten ©'dock every night some <f the butchers and restaurant-keepers give away their meat and scraps. The restaurant-keepers give tickets to the starving mou to go in and eat. It is really an awful Bight to see these ma,wi'h gaunt faces and glaring eyo», who are mire like wolves than human beings. People somso used to the Bight they take no notice of them; but it strike* ua New Zealanders very forcibly, as also does the existence of so much vealth and poverty in the same city.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 8769, 9 March 1892, Page 2
Word Count
627A DUNEDINITE ABROAD. Evening Star, Issue 8769, 9 March 1892, Page 2
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