NEW ZEALAND FEAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 January 1929, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FEAST

HELD IN SAN FRANCISCO. A feast was served recently in San Francisco, evqry item of which, except the water, came from New Zealand, 6200 miles away (says a message from San Francisco). This “Feast of Lucullus” was as complete even as those feasts of the Roman general who spent his wealth and declining years in sumptuous entertainments, fox - which he combed the world to obtain titbits for his tables.

That the dainties came “on ice” did not detract from their quality. Oysters, prime lamb, lobsters, cheese, butter, cream, fruits, whitebait, mint, orange marmalade, biscuits, coffee, nuts, tobacco, all were products of New Zealand. A score and one sat down to the table as the guests of William (“Bill”) Browne Gray, bon-vivant clubman and naturalised Californian of 40 years standing. The feast, served at the Union League Club, was the result of a “josh,” out of which grew a feud that was only settled when last night “Bill” Gray served the “Canterbury plains prime lamb” that had come all the way from New Zealand. Three years ago Dr. H. S. Bettis, Idaho sheep raiser, gave a dinner to a group of friends, including Gray. Idaho lamb was the “piece de resistance.” Gray, to get a “rise” out of his host, asked, “Do you call this lamb? Why, it looks like squirrel compared to the famous lamb of my native New Zealand.”

Frequent references to the taunt during the last three years bore fruit last evening, friends of Gray in New Zealand having arranged to send the “makin’s” for the feast by steamship. Those who enjoyed the treat were Peter B. Kyne, William Chatham, Robert D. M’Elroy, • Martin Uldall, Elmer de Camp, C. E. Camp, John P. Cleese, Philip Gordon, Charles G. Johnson, Louis Oneal, Max Goldberg, Hugh M. Cockran, Dr. H. S. Bettis, Samuel M. Fulton, P. W. Williams, Lewis Byington, Albert A. Rhine, Janies T. Ryan, Colonel C. H. Murphy, Clarence C. Wooster, arid J. E. Wansbrough.

Peter B. Kyne acted as toast-master. The menu bore on the cover page the words “Tenakoe te Pakeha e te Maori” (greetings to my white friends and the Maoris). The menli was as follows: —

Foveaux Straits Oystei* Cocktails. Timaru Sheep Tongues in Aspic. Potage Mahuta Toheroa Onehunga. Opihi Inanga en Buisson. Dunedin Lobster Gourmet. Roast Temuka South Canterbury Prime Lamb. Waitohi Mint Sauce. Nelson Peas with Taranaki Butter. Hon-Takere-nuku Kumeras; Nelson District Fruit Compote. Otago Central Fruit Tarts. Auckland Orange Marmalade. Akaroa Walnuts. New Zealand Coffee. Taranaki Butter. Waikato Cheese, Waitohi Cream. New Zealand Biscuits. Cavendish Pipe Hawkes Bay Tobacco. “Kia Ora, Kia Ora, Tatu.”