PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

tI'ROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

London/ November 11. Mr A. Horton, ■of Auckland," has just obtained his M.A. degree at Oxford;

I hear that Colonel Penton has been laid up-for some time by low fever, but his condition is not "serious. . ~

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mandei (Wellington) and tlieir family have ar-'ived in London from Hungary, whither they travelled from New; Zealand.: " -

Mr. Lionel Gisborne, sea of the late Hon. W. Gisborne, is a passenger by the Orotava. He is going on a visit to Wellington. Mrs. Lionel Gisborne accompanies her husand. '■■■ - ; -'-

The Rev. Leonard Williams, who is engaged on a new edition of Williams' Maori Dictionary, with Mrs. Williams, has started ion his return; to New Zealand, after a very pleasant sojourn, in the Mother Country.

The only son of the ex-Governor of New Zealand .has ;been getting into trouble through "motor scorching." Lord Northland, son and heir of Lord Ranfurly, was brought up at the Bow-street i'olice" Court on Wednesday, - charged with driving a, motor car at excessive speed in St. James' Park. The charge was proved, and Lord Northland was fined £3.

I have been asked to make known the news of the death of Mr. Henry C. C. de Renzi, M.R.C.S., L.S.A., who passed away on the Bth . inst. ; at w, Brodrick Read, Upper Tooting, London. The deceased gentleman, who was only 36 years of age, was the youngest son of'the.late Reverend G. B. de Renzi (formerly chaplain of H.M. prison, Wandsworth) ana Louisa de Renzi.

The last issue of the Ibis, the leading London ornithological magazine, contains an interesting article by Mr. Ogilvie Grant on the collections of New Zealand birds formed by.Lord Ranfurly during his Governorship of the colony, and presented by him to the British Museum. The collection is a valuable one, and some of Lord Ranfurly's descriptive notes accompanying it are very interesting.

The most recent callers at the ' London office of the New Zealand Government have included: Mr. William Brittenden (Dunedin), Mr. and Mrs. T. Walter (Hamilton), Mr. J. Gruar (Chri'stchurch), Mr. and Mrs. Newman (Rangitikei) and Miss Newman, Mr. Leonard F. Hursthouse (Wellington), Mr. and Mrs. J. Barrett (Marlborough) and Miss O'Sullivan, Mr. H. Sheppen (Timaru), Mr. E. Middleton (public health inspector, Nelson).

, Mr. ..A. P. O'Leary (Taranaki) and his eldest daughter called on me a few days ago. They travelled from Australia by the P. and 0. steamer Macedonia to Marseilles, whence they journeyed by rail to Leipsic, where two other daughters of Mr. O'Leary are now at school studying music. Mr. O'Leary has come Home mainly on business. He expects to be about three months in England. He will then leave for the United States, before he returns to New Zealand. . .'

Owing to the critical condition of Mr. Percy Buller. his medical attendants in the colony cabled to his father in London advising him to go out to New Zealand. Sir Walter- Bullet's own health, at the moment, made this impossible, so he decided to send his eldest son and to follow himself as soon as his doctor will allow him to travel so far. Accordingly, Mr. Leo Buller left a few days ago by the Orient steamer Orotava, and he expects-to be in Wellington about December 10.

Referring to the death of the late Captain Hutton, on his return voyage to the colony, that veteran scientist, Sir Joseph Hooker, writes in these terms to a friend: —•" Hutton's loss is a very serious one indeed for New Zealand. I wish ■ I could think that the colony would realise its force and take a more liberal view of scientific research, in respect of which New Zealand is—whether in respect of its area or its population—far away at the head of all other colonies in the amount, value, and far-reaching results of its scientific labours."

A number of New. Zealanders and quondam New Zealanders were present at Blaekheath last Saturday to see the football match, New Zealand versus 'the "Heathens," as the Blaekheath players are called. Among others I saw Lord Ranfurly, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Reeves, Dr. and Mrs. Angus McNab, Mr. and Mrs. H. K. Bethune, the Misses Beauchamp, Mrs. H. B. Vogel, Mr. J. Vogel. Miss Vogel, Mr. Kennaway and the Misses Kennaway, Mrs. and Miss Felton, Mr. P. A. Vaile. Miss Rees George, Mr. Cyril Blundell, Mr. H. F. Richardson, Mr. F. G. Bolton, Miss Wallace McKenzie, Mr. and Mrs. Robison, Mr. C. Wray Palliser and the Misses Palliser, Miss M. C. Ledger, Mr. J. Augustine Mason and Mrs. Mason, Mr. H. C. Cameron. -

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walter ("The Lake," Hamilton, New Zealand) have been in the Mother Country for some- months. They broke their Homeward journey at Tenerift'e, where two delightful months were spent. Unfortunately, three days after amvul in England, Mr. Walter was attacked by typhoid fever, and was completely laid aside for three months by a very serious illness, at his brother's home, Bear Wood, Berkshire; After recovering from his long illness, Mr. Walter, accompanied by hi'? wife, has been travelling extensively about the Mother Country. According to present plans, Mr. and Mrs. Walter will remain for at 'east another year in the Mother Country; they have made satisfactory arrangements for the education of their daughter in the meantime. ■■' • ,

"I am indebted to a New Zealand correspondent," says a writer in M.A.P., for this interesting account of New Zealand's Governor:—Lord Plunket, who is gaining colonial experience in the capacity of Governor of New Zealand, lias been making himself very popular out here. Since his arrival he has been indefatigable in presiding at the laying of foundation-stones, opening bazaars, church and Salvation Army meetings, and social functions of every description. Lord Plunket is a man of few words, but if he is brief he is certainly to the point, and he has established quite a reputation for himself as a humorist. Those who appreciate a good thing never fail to read his speeches to see his latest joke. • He was recently presiding at a dinner given by the Yorkshire Society of Wellington, New Zealand, when, in the course of his remarks, he said that though not a Yorkshireman, he could, at any rate, say he had been there. When in York ha had the pleasure of visiting its beautiful cathedral, and admiring its magnificent East windowperhaps the finest stainedglass window in existence. But he had another experience not quite so pleasant, for when he returned to the railway station he discovered his dressing-bag had been stolen—presumably by a Yorkshireman. In spite of all efforts he had never recovered it. ■' He now made a final appeal. If it was left at Government House no questions would be asked.