"AUGUR" IN NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 106, 25 April 1876, Page 4

"AUGUR" IN NEW ZEALAND.

The following is an extract from one of tbe letters by " Augur," the Australasian's sporting correspondent, who has recently been making a tour' of the Middle Island : — "lu Dunedin I saw that fine old sportsman, Henry Redwood, and his numerous friends in Australia will be glad to learn that he is as hearty aud us well as ever, aod he hopes to visit Australia again with

something even better .than Manuka or Lurline. After gaining certain information relating to the Dnnedin meeting I left for Port Chalrnere by the 2; 30 p -tn. train, and, at 4 o'clock the Ricgarooma was steaming out.of the harbor, to Lyttelton, another -of thoße pretty little p-rts that are so numerous on the eastern const of New Zealand," ond which we reached at! a quarter to 9 a.m., on the following morning. Fort Lyttelton ia to Christchurch whatJPort Chalmers is to Dunedin, :and is situate upon the sides of hills which assume shapes of a most fantastic kind, tbe result, no doubt, of some great upheaval of the earth during the occurrences of an earthquake,:a strong shock of which, By' tbe bye, bad been felt at Oamaru and Dunedin only a few days previous to my arrival. Entering the train and passing through a tunnel nearly two miles long, the visitor reaches a country presenting a striking contrast to that which he has just left behind him, for instead of wild-looking bills, the eye meets nothing but vast plains, extraordinarily fertile, ; ani consequently of great value to those who are fortunate enough to possess an! area in the neighbourhood. The rich nature of the soil is at once observable after the ranges are passed, and the long lines of hedges and general appearance of the country must, be particularly gratifying to the Englishman, as ,,it is said to be far more Euglish in character than anything to be seen in Australia.' The first.thing that struck me upon arriving in Christcburch was the very inadequate system of drainage, and from a sanitary point of view it is well that the country is not thickly populated, for the stagnant water that lies in every gutter would soon create disease; in fact I'm told that lew fever- is very prevalent at times, and I'm not surprised at it. The town is larger, I think, in actual ar€ja ; than Dunedin, but i^ does not possess many fine buildings, yet the absence of these is amply compensated for when you go into; the suburbs and drive through the charming lanee; bounded on either side by bawtlnrne fend gorse, stretching away, for miles and miles, and the like of which I have, never aeefc before. Canterbury is undoubtedly the premier province in the matter of sport, .the Canterbury Jockey Club beiug the most important institution of the kind in New Zealand, albeir, it is conducted on most peculiar principles. It is composed of nearly a hundred members, who pay five guineas per annum as subscription, for which ihey receive no benefit whatever, a member of the elub hiving to pay for admission to the enclosure just the sam.e as a non-member;^ nor is. he allowed the.privileg'eof a ladies' ticket. This appears odd to a Victorian, but I believe the system works well, though I fancy the funds of the club would be further enriched if the members were , placed upon the same looting os the ! members of the V R.C. are: at Plemington. '- *'