NELSON THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7272, 21 October 1891, Page 3

NELSON THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO.

Tim Rev. A. B. Todd, of Oamaru, pronobod ab tho Presbyterian Church yesterday. At tho conclusion of tho morning service he stilted that ho h id preached his first sermon in New Zealand in the Presbyterian Church, Nelson, ,'J2 years ago. Ho read n portion of a letter which he had written to Dr John Bonar, of Scotland, giving his iirub impressions of New Zealand, The following aro extracts from tho letter : "For several days aftor sighting land we were almost becalmed in Blind Bay, at the head of which Nelson is situated. As our vessel tacked about from one aide of the bay to tho other, we had a good opportunity of observing the aceneiy on either side, with which the passengers appeared in general to bo greatly delighted. Nelson is situatod at the head of Blind Bay, partly on a flat, and partly in narrow valleys, sloping gently from tho shore and onoirclud by hills and mountains. T am very much pleased with tho appearance of tho town. Tho streets are wido, and laid out in regular order ; the houses ure chiofly built of wood, and are very neat in their appearmco. Wo were delighted in seeing tho hips and haws growing by tho wayside, the furzo in bloom, nnd the fuchsias, geraniums, mignonettes, etc., in tho gardens in front of the houses. Wo rocoivod a cordial welcome from Mr Calder and his frionds, . . , There is little doubt that tho worldly circumstances of tho people in general are much hotter than in tho old country. Of this I had a striking proof when a number of German colonists, who aro sotfcled in a village in the neighborhood of Nelson, c>uno on board our ship " The Monarch" to welcomo their friends and relatives from Germany. About fifteen years ago theso s.tmo people were earning only eighteenponco 11 pay in Germany, and now they aro almost all possessors of houses and lind ; they ride their own horses and drive their own bullock carts to town. . . I preached yesterday for Oaldor ta a large and attentive audience. Besides Presbyterians, there were a number from tho other congregations — except Roman Catholics— present, Episcopali ins, Mothodists, and Baptists. A stranger here is rather a rare occurrence. I could scarcely divest mysolf of tho idea that I was preaching in a place of worship in Scotland— everything soemed so similar to what wo are accustomed at Homo. I was very much struck with thueuperiority of the paaltnody ns comparod with that of vory many of our home congregations. Altogether, I was favorably impressed with tho people. — Nelson Mail.