MR OLIVER BAINBRIDGE, M.A.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10297, 31 May 1899, Page 4

MR OLIVER BAINBRIDGE, M.A.

(Novelist, Artist, and Ptcss Corres-

pondent). Friday evening at 5 o'clock the famous pedestrian tourist will arrive at the Post. Office, and receive the imprint of the date stamp, which goes to prove that he has visited the places he has upon his map. Mr Bainbridge, « ho contracted to walk the tremendous distance of 60,000 mi es in six years, left St Martin's Le Grand nearly five years ago, and up to the present time has covered over 47,000 miles. After leaving England he traversed the ■ whole of Europe, Asia, Africa,, Australia, Tasmania, and a- number of Island?. He is now en route to Auckland, Samoa, Honolulu, America, lieland, Scotland, and then home. Mr Bainbridge is an author of considerable repute; among his works may be mentioned the drama "Esna," novel?, '■That Rustic Queen of Roses,"."Marionette," etc, aUo the composer of the songs, \VU Remember Thee," and ''I'll Love Thee." As an artist he is lemarkably clever, and our exchanges apeak of him as a bright,, eloquent, anJ wonderfully humorous speaker. He desires to impress upon the public that he is not walking under any impossible conditions or wagers, but his purpose in touring is to write and illustrate a four-volume work upon his travels', giving the most interesting features in connection with each country. He is producing the work in four languages, namely, Russian, French, German and English. To-morrow, morning and afternoon he will visit the local schools and deliver some of his impressive and amusing addresses to the scholars. The Otago and Canterbury papers say that the . scholars and teachers of each school, received Mr Bainbridge with marked appreciation. The innumerable presents and addresses, etc., which he possesses show the great esteem in which he is held. He is known to press people as "genial Oliver." Mr Bainbridge's picturesque costume is that worn by the Bulgarians, and is certainly very striking. With his long flowing auburn locks he reminds one of the men of "ye- olden time" — but despite all this our romantic and distinguished visitor is a most interesting and btilliirit ( conversationalist. He seems to have weathered his many thrilling adventures little the worse; amongst them may be mentioned that he was "arrested as a spy in Turkey," "lo.it in India," and "tortured in Russia," A. lady in Waitati has in her possession "a letter giving the full - account of Mr Bainbridge's experience in India, which proves clearly that he is the "real Mackay." Mr Bainbridge is further, a gentleman of title, and is brother to the Hon Emerson Bainbridge, M.P., of the House of Commons for the Linconshire Division of

Gainsborough. He will deliver one of his most interesting lectures on Thursday night in the Public Hall. Admission Is. His lecture, says the Hobart Hercury, is not a dry discourse but a most enjoyable recital of adventure, interspersed with sparkling humour and clever lightning sketches. Our exchanges speak in the most fluttering terms of his lectures. We trust that the people of G-reymouth will roll up in goodly numbers to greet our visitor with a bumper house, us we feel sure a most enjoyable treat will be experienced. Visitors will be received at the Gilrner Hotel. Mr Bainbridge is specially desirous of meeting arliits, literary people, and natural history people, as he is a Fellow of a Naturalist Society. Appointments, will be attended to by Mr C A Paterson, Mr Bainbridge's private secretary.