PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME

Evening Star, Issue 12365, 1 December 1904, Page 2

PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME

[Psost Ora Special CoßEssroKDEfrr.j LONDON, October 29. To those who know Admiral Rojestvensky one of the most inexplicable features of what one journal has euphemistically called the “egregious blunder” of the Baltic fleet is that it should have occurred in connection with his name. Tho admiral has the reputation of being one of the most coolheaded and scientific naval officers in the Russian service—a man of iron nerve, not in the least likely to lose his head in an emergency, and one whose proved personal courage and coolness are utterly out of harmony with the perpetration of such a cowardly outrage aa the bombardment of,the North Sea fishing fleet undoubtedly was. That ships under Bojcstvenskys command should have got completely out of hand seems to be the most inexplicable feature in an inexplicable incident. That under the command of an officer trained in tho scientific methods of his profession, and one who has had actual experience of naval warfare, and, personally, a man of proved cool-headedness in the face of danger, such a disaster should have occurred is no doubt A hitter blow to his countrymen. Bom in 1848, Rojestvensky made guffnery bis apodal study. His first chance of distinguishing himself came in the Russo-Turkish War In 1877, when his attack, under Baronoff, on the Turkish ironclads in his gunboat Vesta made him a popular hero and laid tho foundation of hia career. Promoted to the rank of commander in 1885, he was appointed naval attache to the Russian Embassy in this country, and spent several years in London as a student of our naval affairs. Later he was promoted to the command of the. battleship Peresviet, and during the Chino-Japanese War he was AlexeiefFs second in command of tho Russian squadron in the Far East. Promoted to the rank o» reai>cAmiral, he was in ISO2 in command of the Russian squadron at the meeting of tho Russian Emperor with the Kaiser at Revel, and his brilliant handling of his ships was recognised by his appointment as aide-de-camp a la suite to the O/.ar. On the death of Admiral Tyntoff, Rojestvensky succeeded Admiral Avetlan as chief of the naval headquarters staff, and in this capacity be was head of the Intelligence Department. Consequently the equipment of the Baltic fleet, such an it is, was mainly Lis work. The Agent-General for New Zealand was in capital form at the Navy League’s dinner on Trafalgar Day, and in proposing the principal toast, "The United Empire,” made the speech of the evening. His description of the size of the Empire was rather neat. It amounted, he fancied, to “about one-fifth of the earth and most of I Ik; sea, except perhaps such portions as v, we swept by our gallant allies of Japan.” 'LI- Reeves told a story to illustrate how :ba sentiment underlying tho celebration of Lrah.lgar’s anniversary appeals as strongly tho Briton overseas as to his brethren in ••.ngla-nd. A New Zealander, an old schoolnrrte of his, once called in to see Mr Reeves m hile on a visit to the metropolis, and told t o- he had found himself in front of the kelson column on Trafalgar Day. “It was my firrt day in London,” said the man from Ac* Zealand, ‘and as I stood on the steps or tho National Gallery and looked np at the little man in the cocked hat, and looked down at the crowds that stopped in the .square to see the decorations on the co--1;::; ■. T just thought to myself: ‘By the I.ii .!. I’m proud to feel that I belong to thk too!’” So long as that sentiment prevailed, added Mr Reeves, “no »tet 0 f annhs and mistakes—official or oWpTse would separate the Motherland and the colonics.”

v } lr William Murray, secretary of tho Refrigerating Company at Dunedin, came Home by the lonic in Sentember, and will probably return by the'Ruapehu, which leaves Plymouth on November 5. His visit is a business one, but he has found time to visit various relatives in Norwich and the South of England. _ Mrs* William Smyth and Miss Clarice Ram (Christchurch), who arrived from New Zealand last year, have been on a pleasure trip through Great Britain and on the Continent. They' purpose sailing for New Zealand on November 3 by the Ruapehu, and hope to reach home in time for Christ mas, Mr and Mrs H. Reimere (Auckland), who arrived by the lonic last month, returned last week to London from a motoring tour through Devonshire and Cornwall. They left again on Saturday for Berlin, with the intention of going up the Rhine and visiting South Germany, tho Swiss raid Italian lakes, the Riviera, and Paris; thence to Marseilles, where they take steamer for Cairo, changing there to a vessel which runs down the East Coast of Africa to Durban. They will visit Johannesburg and other places in South Africa before finally taking ship at Cape Town for Australia and New Zealand.

Mr A, R. Malthus (Christchurch) arrived in London on September 5. He was a passengy by the Waimale on her recent eventful trip. Before clearing Auckland the steamer ran aground, but got off without damage; five days later she encountered a severe storm, which kept her company all the way to the Horn; before reaching the tropics she struck another storm; and finally, while waiting for the tide at Gravesend, she was run into by a German boat am] injured about the bows, luckily above water. Mr Malthus says he was put down ns the “Jonah” of the voyage, but as there was attempt to make him share the prophet’s fate his equanimity was probably undisturbed at the allegation. Mr Malthus hus_ come to England to gain experience in engineering, and' hopes to return to Now Zealand in about four years’ time* Miss Ivy Ansley, a young contralto singer who hails from Auckland, has ccme to London to have her voice further trained, with a view to taking up oratorio and concert work. She is at present under the tuition of Maaame Fischer. Mrs Cnssrenß, her aunt, accompanied Miss Ansley to England, and will remain with her during her stay in London, I have to record the death of Mrs Annie Blacke, widow of the late Mr David E, Blacke, of Dnnedin, and mother of a wellknown colonial artist, Miss Annie Blacke. The deceased lady, who was living with her daughter at Cheyno walk, Chelsea, had been in poor health of late. She died suddenly on the 19th inst. 7 Mr J. K Watson (Invercargill) is at precent on a visit to this country. During his trip through America Mr Watson was laid up with typhoid fever for eight weeks, but he appears to have quite recovered now and ia looking well. He will return to the colony by way of the Continent and Suez. Mr Watson took a prominent part in forming the Invercargill branch of the Navy League, and being in London lost week he availed himself of tho opportunity of attending the annual banquet of the League. One jolly old “sea dog” who was unable to attend the Navy League’s annual dinner last week sent a very breezy and Unconventional apology. Admiral Farquhar, for he it was, telegraphed that “as his age was nearly ninety, and he had had three broken legs, ho was now unable to do maoh talking”! Captain Lascelles (Napier), who is an officer in the Third Dragoon Guards, is now stationed at Ballincollig, County Cork, whither his regiment has been transferred from Harrieraith (Orange River Colony). He was in London last week attending a “welcome homo” dinner given by the old officers of the regiment. Captain Lascelles hopes to revisit the colony za about three yearn Mr Brownlcrw Horrocks (New Plymouth) haa returned to l&gland, after nn absence of thirty years spent in the colony, to place two new inventions on the market. He has invented a new coin-fed automatic machine for vending small goods, such as citrars, tobacco, cigarettes, etc., which Mr Horrocks thinks will prove especially popular for the bar trade of colonial hotels, though it is adapted for Use in tnafiy other places. A company has been formed in Isew Zealand, with a capital of £2,500, to exploit the invention. The inventor receives £250 in cash and forty fully paid-up shores, and the balance of shares unapplied for 6re now offered to tho public

for subscription. Mr Horrocks while in London will tat© preliminary steps to float a larger company, to which the interest of the. present company would be sold. The suggested capital is £IOO,OOO. Mr Horrocaaalso proposes to float another company on behalf of Mr Richard Chambers, of New Plymouth, who has invented an automatic leaf-turner for music. The invention is adapted, for either a piano or a music stand. The machine is operated either by the knees or by pedals for the feet, and will turn tho pages either from left to fight or from right to left—one, two, or more at n. time as re-; quired. Mr Horrocke, who came Homo by the Euapehu last week, hopes to find time for a round of visits to his relatives in England and Germany, and to his birthplace at Ostend. Mr Gordon G. Brown (Wellington) has come to London to study photography and photo-engraving. Ho arrived by the Ortona on August 27. Tho length of his star in this country is indefinite. Mr George F. Powell (Tbkomaru Bay), who is making a brief visit to the Old Country,' returns by the Ophir, joining the vessel at Marseilles on November 10. Since arriving here at the end of August part of his time has been spent with his brother, Dr Powell, of Stoneri Stratford, where ho had some good cub minting. Afterwards Mr Powell stayed with friends in Yorkshire, and paid a short visit to the Sooth of Scotland, the shortness, of his holiday preventing him from accepting on invitation to go further north’ for a week's shooting. After two or three days with Major §. Powell, A.M.C., at Aldershot, Mr Powell will remain with his family at Tunbridge Wells until his departure for New Zealand. Mr H. C. Watson (Wellington) and Mr F. A. Quin (Hawera) have been touring America and the United Kingdom, and are at present in London. They left Auckland by tho Sonoma at the end of April last, spent three weeks at St. Louis Exhibition, visited the leading cities of the United States and Canada, and then crossing to Liverpool toured through Scotland and Ireland extensively, returning to London via Birmingham, Oxford, and Stratford-on-Avon. About November 20 they will leave London for the Continent, with the intention of visiting France, Belgium,* Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and if time permits the Holy Land will also be included' in their itinerary. They expect to reach New Zealand about the end of February next. Mr and Mrs John Wiseman (Auckland), who are on a visit to England, are at present in London. Mr Wiseman is combining with business, and has visited various parts of the Kingdom. The date of his return to Auckland is not yet Battled. Callers at tho Agent-General’s office this week: —Mrs Cussens (Auckland), Mr E. H. Pope (Wellington), Mr Thomas Black (Opotiki), T>Tr F. Pndnev (Christchurch), Mr Claude B. Welsby (Wellington). Mr P. A. Quinn (Hawera), Mr H. C. Watson (Wellington), Miss Clarice Bain and Mrs William Smyth (Christchurch), Mr G. G. Brown (Wellington), Mr J. Drake (Wellington), Mr Birney Stevenson (Wellington), Mr G. F. Powell (Tokwnaru Bay). Mrs Dorothy Fleaher, widow if -fee lata Mr W. Fleshes, of Christchurch, ia rertsflv ing the Old Country after an absence in the colony of forty years. She came here by, tho Suez route last May, and intends returning the same way at- the beginning of next year. Since landing Mrs Flesher hag visited Thirsk, her native place, and also the English lakes and many of the Northern towns. She is now spending a month in London, whence rile returns to. her brother at Leeds, having still a number of friends to visit in Yorkshire and Lancashire.