SOUTH AFRICA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1911, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICA.

MR PROBERT’S LECTURE-

There was a' large and appreciative audience last evening in Trinity Hall to hear Mr Probert’s lecture on South Africa. His Worship, the Mayor, A. C. Russell, Esq., presided and briefly introduced the lecturer. He said that Mr Probert was a stranger to Greymouth and a gentleman who had travelled much in different parts of the world. He would have something interesting and instructive to say to them in reference to South Africa and could speak from his own experience, having been a resident and having seen the places which he was about to describe. He said that such lecturers as Mr Probert deserved encouragement and lie was glad to accord him a welcome to Greymouth and an introduction to such an excellent audience. He was also pleased to learn that Mr Probert intended to take up his residence in our midst.

Mr Probert, who was received with applause, prefaced his lecture by saying that he intended to give a description of a recent visit that he made to the Zambesi Falls and to the Matopo’s and by means of some views to give his audience an idea of the grand scenery of the country and the people who lived there.

The lights were then turned down and Mr Scriviner by means of his powerful oxy-ether lime light projected the views on the screen. The views which numbered 100, were a splendid collection and included a map of Africa, some of the principal towns and public buildings, Kaffir Tints and compounds, Zitlu warriors, types of African belles, pictures of Livingstone, Paul Kruger, Cecil Rhodes, Dr. Jamieson and other South African celebrities, monuments erected to commemorate notable events, tomb of Cecil Rhodes, the Zambesi waterfalls taken from various standpoints, the course on the river rowed by Arnst and Barry, the huge suspension bridge, the highest in the world, and views of the ruins supposed by archaelogoists to be the “Havilah” of Genesis and the remains of King Solomon’s Mines. The lecturer has a pleasant manner and a good flow of cultured language with considerably descriptive ability and he managed to impart a considerable amount of interesting and instructive information regarding the various scenes depicted of the wonderful country and people. He expressed great admiration for the late Cecil Rhodes and lingered fondly over his memory and his tomb. He looks forward to the time in the near future when- it will be possible to make the journey from the Gape to Cairo by railway and he reckons that the most difficult engineering task of the whole route was accomplished when the Zambesi was bridged and now that South Africa is under British rule and Boer and Britain on friendly terms the country has a great future before it. Before the lecture and during the interval songs and music were kindly contributed by Miss Gertrude White and Mrs York, Messrs.G. Stanton and Mr Bray and were much enjoyed. Archdeacon York proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, to the singers and to Mr Scrivener which was carried by acclamation and a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding concluded a very pleasant evening. We understand that Mr Probert has been appointed a canvassing agent for the A.M.P. Society for Westland and intends to reside in Greymouth. We wish him every success.