IN THE WILDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 September 1924, Page 8

IN THE WILDS.

LADY ARTIST’S ADVENTURES. PAINTING WHILE LIONS ROAR, During one of her visits to the British Empire Exhibition Queen Mary accepted a picture, showing brilliant bougainvilleas groAvmg in a Natal garden. - The picture, one of a collection which is on view in the South African pavilion at Wembley, is the work of an Englishwoman, Miss Mabel Withers, Avho for the past 14 years has been painting in the “Avilds” of Australia; South Africa, and New Zealand. It was in 1910 that Miss Withers left England for South Africa, Avhere for four years, she traA'-elled un aud doAvn. She spent five months at the Victoria Falls, painting their Avonders. “Of all the things I saw during the 14 years I was away from home, I believe I liked the Victoria Falls best of all,” she told a Daily Chronicle representative. Miss Withers had many adventures. One day, accompanied only by a little black piccaninny “about the size of a thimble,” as she put it, she painted away happily for hours. When she returned in the evening she Avas told that two lions had been prowling all day round the spot Avhere she Avas painting and had killed cattle there. Another time her terrified servant pointed out two lions passing at some distance. “He seemed trying to tell me something very important,” said Miss Withers, “but as I did iiot understand Avhat he was saying I Avas not disturbed. It was not until later in the day that it Avas explained to me that the servant had been trying to Avarn me of the presence of lions.” One day Miss Withers Avas separated from her friends by a troop of baboons, which capered and gibbered and barked like dogs. * About the time the war broke out M/iss Withers left Afrijia )f)>r Australia, and took the opportunity to travel extensively in NeAv taking in Tasmania by the Avay. She visited the extreme north of Australia, including the Baron Falls, and was caught in a bush fire in the Blue Mountains. Miss Withers is so entranced with the green magic of her first English spring that she is painting pictures of its mist-yeiled beauty to take to South ’Africa at the end of the A-ear.