NINE MONTHS ABROAD.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1802, 19 December 1912, Page 4

NINE MONTHS ABROAD.

A PLEASANT TRIP

Nine months ago a party of wellknown Palmerstonians set out for the Old World. Yesterday some of them—Mr and Mrs J. Bett and Miss Bett and Mr and Mrs Balsillie—returned. They were met by a large number of friends. Mr J. O. Batchelor and Mr J. Liggins, others of the party, are returning by the Orontes. Mr Batclielor was temporarily indisposed and unable to travel across Amreica with Mr Bett'* party.

Yesterday Mr Bert spoke briefly about the enjoyment of the trip. On the Homeward stretch, he said, they left the boat at Naples and travelled to Florence, and Venice. From Venice and its lagoons they went to Lucerne, and cut across to Lyons, Cologne, and Paris. After a brief week in Paris they went to London and here established their headquarters. Subsequently Mr Bett got a lti-20 horse-power Wolsley motor car and the party did 4,500 miles on the roads of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Not one stoppage did they have with the car all that distance. Mr Bett is having it brought out to the Dominion with other valuable motor car agencies he lias secured. Mr Bott's was a business as well as a pleasure trip and in each respect it was equally successful. After a most enjoyable time in England, visiting almost every county, seeing the country in its summer best —speeding along magnificent roads and down pretty lanes, and through quaint villages—the party left for home, via America. They visited New York, Buffalo, Detroit. Chicago, and other cities; and then trained across to Vancouver. At Chicago they entered Armour's great meat works. Here 5.000 pigs, 2,400 head of cattle, and Hi, 000 sheep are slaughtered daily. "Talk about pig sticking," says Mr Bett—"and they use every part of piggy but the squeal, and they are getting even that for gramophone records—so they sav!"

Vancouver appeared a most progressive city to the voyageurs. The price of land was very high. A great lioom seemed in progress. At Vancouver they unexpectedly met Messrs Copeland and Montgomery, late of Palmerston, who are now'' settled there. The voyage out was via Honolulu and Suva to Auckland.