An Interesting Letter.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 150, 6 July 1901, Page 3

An Interesting Letter.

MR H. DeCOSTA ON TOUR,

A Gisborne friend of Mr IT. DeCosta Las received the following interesting letter from that gentleman :

R.M.S. Ortona, Red Sea, 28/5,01

Dear ,As you will see by the above address I am in a pretty hot part of the world ; in fact while I am writing we are passing a place known as “ Hell s Gates, so you can guess it must be pretty warm. As promised? I will try and give you a short description of my travels since leaving New Zealand. Wo left New Zealand by the Tarawera on Saturday, 13th April, bound for Sydney (to catch the R.M.S. Ortona, on a short trip to England). The passage across was anything but a pleasant one, the Tarawera being on her worst behaviour, which made me lie low (in my hunk) for two or three days before we reached

Sydney. I spent six days sight-seeing in Sydney, after which we sailed for Hobart, and had another temptestuous voyage, so much so, that we had to slow down from 16 to 10 knots, which made us 18 hours late in arriving ; in fact I was dead to the world from the time we left until I arrived in Hobart. Having had nothing to eat during the trip across, the first thing I did, was to go ashore and have a good meal of steak and eggs, which seemed to square , matters so far as hunger was conccined. The next item on the programme was to go and look for my old friend Bull, who 1 am sorry to say, was away, acting as purser on one of the U.S.S. Company s boats, and arrived back in Hobart the day after we left. While there wo enjoyed ourselves very much, driving round the country, and" seeing places of interest such as “ Mount Wellington,” and the Cascades,” where you can get a lovely glass of Cascade beer. Mr Jar'dinc, of Gisborne, caught the vessel at Hobart. Arriving at Melbourne at 11 a.m on Monday, 29th, we left again at 1 p.m. next day for Adelaide, and went ashore for a couple of hours’ run. Fruit was very cheap in Adelaide. With regard to fruit, just

fancy grapes selling at Id per lb (the sauio could be procured in Gisborne for os per lb); apples Id lb (no codlin moth, or as Pat says “no botfly ”); beautiful eating pears, Id per lb, and all Other fruits equally cheap. Returning to our ship we left for b remantle. When we got there it was 8 o’clock at night, still for all that I went ashore and had a good look around the town by gaslight, but could not very well form an idea of the place. 1 may mention that at every port we entered in Australia, the Health Officer boarded the steamer, so all the passengers

had to undergo fin examination, but the idea of finding plaguo on board a boat of the Orton a’s stamp was simply out of the question, as we had no use for it. After leaving Fremantle wo formed a Sports Committee, who drew up a programme for concerts, dances, cricket, races etc. Lottie Collins (Mrs Tail) sang at one of our concerts, and I can tell you she is the best comic singer I have ever heard. She sang “ The Coalman’s AVife, and was encored threo times ; indeed tho passengers would not let her go, without giving her three cheers, About three days before we arrived at Colombo wc had a burial at sea. A stecrago passenger named Robert Doull, of Dunedin, died from the heat experienced after wc left Fremantle. It is a very sad business “ a burial at sea ” ; nothing but ; a piece of canvass, a weight, and overboard you go. It was a very dismal affair to watch.

When we readied Colombo, it was a lovely sight to see the harbor, between 30 and 10 steamers being in port, and as soon as we got moored to a buoy, hundreds of coolies, in small rowing boats, catamarans small steam launches, etc., clambered on the Ortona’s deck, and there displayed their different wares for sale.

They do not forget to ask fancy prices for their goods. For instance they asked 12s per 100 for a box of cigars, and 7s 6d for a fancy box. I said, “if you like to take five bob for the lot you can have it.” At first lie would not hear of accepting it, but he soon came to my terms, and went on his way rejoicing. The business is done on the principle of a Dutch Auction. Ask a large figure, and then tako what you will give them. Let ho who visits Colombo, insure his life (in tho A.M.P.), for if he be not drowned, the odds are 10 to 1 he will bo roasted, as the weather is so terribly warm there. The coolies who come oft to the steamer entreat of you “ Die ! ” In fact I was on the point of hurling a small boy who was standing near, at them, when some one explained to me that they themselves wished to dive for money, but owing to the lack of free education they were unable to pronounce the word properly. Just as we left the ship’s side for the shore it started to rain, and how it did pour. I never experienced anything like it in New Zealand. It simply teemed in buckets, and what a soaking we all got 1 In fact, if we had not been active in dodging the drops, we would have stood a chance of being drowned. "W hen we got on shore wo waited to see if it* would stop raining, but to no avail, the only thing to do was to get in a rickshaw, and get to the nearest hotel. After a while it cleared up, and then we were repaid for all our trouble. . , Certainly Ceylon is one of the most beautiful sights ‘in the world, Wc went round by the cinnamon gardens before dinner, and one of the boys who could talk a little English, showed us the difderent kinds of trees, amongst which were the sacred tree of tho Buddists, mangoes and bananas. We returned to the Metropole, and had a dinner of ten courses, and for want of something better to do, grumbled because wc did not get eleven. Dinner over, we went round the fruit market, and all through the native quarters. Eventually we got back to the vessel, and are now three days from Fort

Said. . , 24th. —The atmosphere is somewhat cooler to-day, although it is pretty warm. T always sleep on deck, as it is impossible for vou to remain in your cabins. We have got His Royal Highness the Maharajah of .Todleporo on board, ifnd ho is a a real good sport ; in fact he is known as one of the best sportsmen in the world —no side about him. Ho is going to give us a champagne supper the night before ho arrives in Xjondon, and he has in\ited me to be present. We expect to arrive at Port Said on Monday about- two o'clock, and in mv next I will give you a short account of the place and its people. Trusting you and all Gisbormtes are still plodding along in the same old groove, and that all are in the best of health. Believe me, yours most sincerely. Herbert H. DeCosta.