OUR LONDON LETTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 201, 31 July 1906, Page 4

OUR LONDON LETTER.

.(From our own correspondent.). PERSONAL NOTES. {VISITORS FROM AND TO NEW ZEALAND. J Juno 7th, 1906, Mr A, A, Brown, editor of the: -'Red Funnel,'* is on business in : connection with his magazine. He will return about July Ist, , via Liverpool, Montreal, (Vancouver, and the South Sea Islands. He says the- industrial , conditions prevailing in England seem appalling. The rato of wages paid to unskilled labour, women and children, he declares to be not only cruel but criminal. Compared with wages in Australia and New Zealand, the workmen in that far-off land are supremely pleased in their industrial life. Mr Brown' says ho will return to New Zealand with a greater • appreciation (of its laws, its industrial .conditions, and its possibilities. Mr James Mills, Managing Director of the Union '-".Steamship • Company of New Zealand, is here, and will remain some months directing the London interests of the Company. He will also overlook the building- of four now vessels, one an 8000 ton turbine intended for the Wellington-Lyttclton trade, with a speeding, capacity of 17 knots. The building of this steamer was delayed pending- tho 'demdnstratien of the efficiency of the turbine. ' Tho Company have had experience with the Loontrana and the HMabeno, and the results .obtained are so highly, satisfactory that they have np hesitattdh in adopting the turbine for the new steamer. Mr Aobert McNab, M.H.R., ofMataura, arrived , by the Baltic, and |is retuirniinj' by the Oceanic from. Liverpoal via. Canada- and Vancouver. Ho has been to Kilmarnock to at tend, the 100 th) .birthday celebration " of Mr Matthew Fowlds,. the father ..'of Mr Fowlds, M.H.R., of New Zealand. From; Kilmarnock he visited Edinburgh, and Aberdeen; where some of his relatives reside, then putting in a week in London in the Recond Office, following up his investigations into early New Zealand history. His short stay is .due to the fact that he came from America to/attend .the Kilmarnock celebration only. His last and only former visit was. in 1897, at the Queen's Jubilee, arid he finds a big change in the . City,,; brought about by the street improving- and other works being carried' on. . During his stay in London: he ' has - been residing with his brother, Dr Angus McNab. Mr J. Gordon,- of Dunedin, came by 'way of Melbourne,' arriving 15th May. - His account of the journey being of general infierest, I giv;e it in some detail :— "We had over 1000 passengers . of all classes (s.s. Bremen) ; a real cosmopolitan crowd, there being no less than 15 nationalities on board. )The passage was a fine one throughout. Most of us embraced the opportunities presented for (sroing ashore and sight-seeing at such ports as Colombo, Aden,. Port '.Said, ' Naples, and Genoa, • I had previously callod at Colombo 'nearly 15 years ago. There are, however, great changes and improvements to be seen in Colombo— 'The 'Eden of the past as it_is somewhat felicitously callod-sinee then. A large' and magnificent breakwater is the' first and most, striking and probably the most useful thing that meets one's F°' j,° had '«■ really pleasant drive through, the '.cinnamon and tea gardens of, Colombo, which we appreciated to the full • we visited ciV:,, v a -,i" uscum '' a finc > handsome SS l ° buildmg. wiih a ..-remarkable collection .within its walls n great .deal of which, is Oriental in tW^V' ■ 1 b . u *- certainly a credit to the capital of Ceylon. Some oi our _ number ..went on to Karidy by fe'»f ter f" tl "3 r "rtsited the Buddhist Temple of the Sacred 'Tc^th, the tea.^ardens, and other places hf Tf"*!- T hore tt ' as very little in Aden to. entice one ashore, and but few went, but those who did, went as far as the Tanks, where tho ! V- Wat^ r is *»*• In Aden cond^'i c haVe t0 de P^ d «P°° oart '! SBa 7 ater for the mos * pait 10. domestic purposes. On &^ ; Aclen ive witnessed a most ilT%tJ^ Ara S da " coast toward! the. Straits of .Babel Mandab', and S; * c , . h '°«rs before reaching Penm Island, the sun went down between two mountain peaks which reared their tall summitr to the *£& !* c the teeth of ' a cross-cut „7' " ™? , a splendid .spectacle of a distorted sun-set, for, as Phoebus dropped out of sight he just resembled the shape of. Spear anf, dU l lly if" l^ squeezed vsmaUer cSit ?^" er ,is he.sUrik oiif of wf?Hm«. h( ? Rowing ; , West., .:There ™ lt f Blse - of note on the way. The most superb scenery during the .whole passage was, probably that witnessed in -the Straits of Messina, between the mainland of Italy with the city of "Rizzib on the hand.^and the island of Sicily with -the city of Messina on the other. The volcano cones of Mt. fctnajind StrOmboli were emitting a slight column of smoke as wl passed the. lsland of Capri with its famous grotto, and then entering the famous Bay of Naples, we saw m the background to the right Mt. Vesuvius emitting volumes of smoke from large fissures all round the cone. A night's steam brought }° ? enoa > where we had a day and a half ashore. During that time we ,v-isitod a great many cathedrals most of which, were of a very ancient order, and possessing .most beautiful paintings executed by the master PAmters of Italy. I also found myself accidentally within tho :precincts of the fortifications surrounding the city, and o* going near a soldier to ask a question was hailed up at the point of . the bayonet and beckoned to clear, which, neediccs to say, I ilcf °f ."Vi^'"^ Possible. iThe -last poiaV^Tvisit was 0a San ® to, tho greatest cemetery in the -world. . Time. forbids me just here to give anything of a ..descriptive" account of this veritable Colossus of the sculptors' art. I might just say, m passing, that tho sanitary .arrangements of both Nap ( les and Genoa are deplorable in^the exSSi'" another ' Ga i'i'baldi is sorely '^^fi. *° come: forth Phoenix-liko from the ashes of a heroic past ■ and stalk abroad sword in hand over the land in a mission of sanitary reform. 1 note 'here in Scotland certain items of interest. £anish butter seems to have fairly . puted. to various . causes ; the but*' ter is perfectly Solourless and ' al-' : most tasteless, and speaking gone- ■ rally X ,ail to see how it cSn hSld its own for long against the real article manuf&tured in the colonies and Great Britain; however the farmers her?;- seem to have given up butter making to a" great exuK amd a, so cheese.' much of which comes from America. Mr Gprdon, tells mejio will be visiting . Canada in about a month's time j Mi-. iJustice' Williams and Mrs' Williams arrived in London about 18th May. They "will pass some' time in. Italy, en route for 'New ■ Zealand. " . J : Messrs.C. V. rflasson and C.---B. { Tendall. of Christchurch, came over . via- America, and' intend spending several months--, visiting diflerent { parts of En.glarid, , Ireland,- Scjot- j land and the Continent, returning 1 to New Zealand via Suez. j Miss Flora Faiilka, of Dunedin, I has just arrived, :and will remam J here about a year. - She will get as V much training; As: "possiWe in - the : theory and. practice of kindergarten work. ■"-'■■ ■• -' 1 - Mr. W.;.H. Atack, manager of the Press Association of your 'coloßjy, came via San .'Francisco. . His ' wasj^ an eye witness' of the disaster "at that city.^and .was -closer by it to- ; the extent of his luggage and pa- -- 1 pers, :and fonnd himself in "the no- \] vei position of in London ! almost without a change of rainent. At\.the time of the earth- < iuake ' he, was -&y Santa Cruz, ! '.'.'" ' i . . . I^ *■ 11

where tho shock was very severe, j In travelling to Chicago, he very 1 narrowly missed two railway ■ ac- 1 cidents ; he then spent some time in (Now York, coming over by the "Lucania;." Mr Atack hopes to bo a/t(le t|o/ put in' some time on thej Continent, as' well as hcroi and ex- .] pecta to return about the (end of the year, Mr H, L. Christlo had been) so- . lected by the High Cotoimissioner for the post of Art Master at the Technical School at • Wellington.'. Owing to the ill (health of a near relative 'he, is unable <to sail, and has been compelled to resign the . appointment* The following New Zealanders distinguished themselvos over here lately :-• The Mabel Manson, of Dunedhv who sang a set of '.'Toy Songs' l -atQueen's Hall, Mr Harry Farjeon, sone of tho . novelist, of Dunedin, who wrote • the "Toy Songs'* referred .to;. . Mr Francis Hutchens, of din, who won the Stefhdale- Bennett Scholarship, at the. Royal Academy of Music/ The Rev. G. Blackburn, a brother of Mr S, S, Blackburn, of ' Chris- ■ ■ , church," has accepted the' Cure of i 1 Lowcliffe, near Ashburton, in the , ■ Diocese of Christchurch. vHe. is to! ■ be married at Harrogate, . at ' the ' ■end of ; June, and Mrs Blackburn ' ' that will be, who Is a sisif/5r of s Mrs S. S. iJlackbfirn, and a dau'ghi ter of the late Dr Lanphier,' of Lincolnshire, will accompany him. 1 The rev. gentleman was born in . Auckland, where his father was . Principal! of St. John's College in that city, but, leaving there at two years of age, he has spent most of •^ his in England. He was educ ated at St. Michel's School, Teh-t s buryj at Cam-bridge University, I. where he graduated with .honours ;. - and at. Ely Theoloigiical College, - where ; he was prepared for ordination. Aenbury, where the well- , known' composer of Church music, s Sir (Frederick Aihsley, Was tho Warden,, he received a first-rate 5 musical -training. ; in virtue of t which he was, shortly 1 after his or- . dination, appointed a minor Canon . of. Bristol Cathedral. Whilst, hold- ' ing this appointment, he had a ; serious illness, in consccfuenco of I which ho went out to New Zea- ' (land ;■ and for three years. he • was \ -Vicar of Rotorua. Having recovered his. health, he left Rotorua, two I years ago, to return to England ; ! but after his experience of New ■ Zealand, he finds he. does not 'take 1 reiadily again to Engilish life, and ' he has decided to' go out once morq fto New Zealand, and settle there. ■ A cable received from tho B(ishop • of Christchurch has, altered the arrangements previously made, and 3he will now leave in the '■'Rimur taka" on July 12th. \ Mr W. 'J. Napier, .the well-known j barrister * and late member for 5 Auckland in your House of Repres sentatives, has not been idle latej ly., Ho has been entertained at . the Devonshire Club, by some members of the Navy League. He has ' been elected a member of the National Liberal Club and of the \ Australasian Club, and has. "• tteen 3 invited' to Dungannon.by Lord' Ran" furly. Hospitality has also been extended to him by Lord and Lady * Onslow, Lady Mimborne, and Mr c Yoxal. M.P. On behalf of the J Auckland Harbour Board he has =' visited Bristol, Cowes, Manchester, ' and Southampton, t The centenary of Mr Matthew i Fowlds, father of. your Mr. Fowlds, 9 M.H.R., was celebrated by a .dint ner. Among the guests thero were 1 Messrs J. E. W. Aitkens, Geo.rgo 3 Fowlds, M.H.R... and Miss Fowlds, 1 Mr R. McNab. Sir Joseph -. Ward, 3 and Mr B. Wilson. On behalf of ; tho King, Lord Khollys sent the v following, telegram : — " Please cona vey the King's congratulations to , Mr Matthew Fowlds on the attaihf ment of his hundredth birthday:" ,' Your 'Premier also sent a telegrato . of congratulation. A painting by Mr M. S. Orr, showing 'Mr Fowlds ' senior at work at his loom, was presented to , him by Mr John If Brown, in -the name of the subscribers—this is naw on exhibition ■ in GJasgow. j. Miss Ward, daughter of Sir [. Joseph Ward, was presented by the Countess of Crewe at the second i Court of the season. She wore a , graceful gown of embroidered selijno » de sole, trimmed with Mechlin lace, ] ttie jupon arid corsage made in soft J pleats, with folds of satin at the » foot. The Court train was trinv--1 mod with ruches of white chiffon. 1 'Mechlin lace, and rosettes of white 3 eclatant satin ribbon. A pearl ; necklace and pendant were the or--1 naments worn, and she carried a > shower bouojuet of white roses and 3 lilies of the valley.