DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1037, 15 January 1892, Page 37

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.

the EARL AND COUNTESS OF MEATH. Amohg the passengers to Wellington by the lonic are the Earl aurl Countess of Meath, and a N»w ZbaUKB Mail reporter on Monday intsr viewed bin Lordship on SbitV. “d with the object intentions in paying a visit to Lolou/. We found his Lordship in the saloon of tne vessel—a quietly dignified, courteous gent.e man, just over 50 yours of age perfectly willing to tel] us his reason for WittiLt object they left

London in the Coptic be,ore the cold weather had thoroughly set in, and landed at Teneriffe. After a short stay there that climate was also found to be unsuitable, the result being that they decided to come right on to New Zealand. “We had a splendid voyage,” said his Lordship, “ fine weather, most comfortable ship, theatricals, aud various kinds of amusements to make the time pass more. pleasantly, and her ladyship’s health is already improved by tho sea voyage. A a to the particular part of New Zealand be would first visit, his Lordship was not quite decided ; Napier he had heard good things of, and would probably go there for a short time, after which he would in all likelihood pay a visit to the Hot Labes. As a matter of” fact, he was in search of health for the Countess, and if he could not find it is one place ha would try in another. He particularly enquired as to whether influenza was still prevalent in the country, and seemed pleased when we assured him that it had, for the present at anyrate, quite disappeared. He had a copy of Monday 7 s New Zealand Times in his hand, and referred to the sub-leader in its columns relating to tbs supposed discovery of the influenza bacillus by the Chinaman Chew Chong, at Taranaki, and by Dr Pfeiffer, in Berlin. The epidemic, he said, had been very bad at Home, and he sincerely hoped not only that the bacillus had been found, but that its discovery would lead to the eradication of the disease. The conversation then merged into enquiries on hi 3 part as to the means of communication in New Zealand, whioh we answered to the best of our knowledge, and left him with a hope that her Ladyships health would bo considerably improved by her visit to a country which could boast or a climate second to none in the world. It may be added that our visitor is tho twelfidi Earl of Meath, and that his othsr titles ara Lord Brabazon of Ardee and Baron Chaworth, by which last title he holds hia seat in the House of Lords and Privy Councillor in Ireland. He was born in 1841, and in 1868 married Lady Mary Jane, daughter of the Earl of Lauderdale. He was for some time in the diplomatic service, and is honorary colonel of the sth Battalion Boyal Dublin Fusiliers. He succeeded to the titles in 1887. The family is descended from Jaques le Brabazon, whose name appears on the roll of Battle Abbe . GENERAL SHIPLEY.

Another distinguished visitor to these shores by the lonic is General Shipley, of Her Majesty’s Service. He is on a pleasure excursion in company with Colonel Wethered, of the Buckinghamshire Vol “ n ' teers, and comes directly f'om Teuenlie, the object of both gentlemen in leaving the Old Country being to “dodge the winter there. The General was seated in. the saloon of the steamer, engaged in writing letters for Home when our reporter was presented, but he at once suspended his occupation and entered into conversation. He is tall and rather spare of figure, between 60 and 70 as to age, and very genial m manner. “lam not altogether a stranger to New Zealand or to Wellington,” he said. “I was in the Colony 40 years ago with my old regiment, the 58th, bub I was only a subaltern then- a lieutenant. In tbis very harbour I lay for six weeks before joining my regiment in Auckland, then the Seat of Government. I arrived m tho ship True Briton—there were no steamers m those days—along with some drafts for tho 65th, which we dropped here, but o noo in port it was no easy job to get out again, ana I therefore spent my Christmas here. J.ho oausfe of our detention is easily explained. Our whole ship’s crew mutinied, and wa could get no sailors to navigate the vessel up the coast. At last the captain lured ten men at £lO each, but the soldiers practical y worked the ship to Auckland, d-ing nearly all the deck duty that was required. By Jove * how Wellington has changed since that time, I well remember that the tide flowed right up to what is now your principal street, Lambton quay, while Government House was a small wooden bunding somewhere up the hill above where your Houses of Assernb'y now stand. No, it> Wa* not altogether dull, although so small .a settlement-, I met Mr (uo;v Sir; Dnlou Bell here, and also the Governor, bir Georg© Grey and the time passed pleasantly enough. Of course, there was more life, and there were many move Natives to be seen about Auckland. Although I have been for 35 years in Her Majesty's Service 1 have never been engaged in active warfare. 1 have never helped to kill a single person. Sad thing to think of, isn’t it?” added the General with a quiet smile and a twinkle in his eye, which belied his words, “ I have been m India,” he resumed, “for 17 years on aud off, but I do not pretend to any special knowledge of the Pamirs, where, I see by the papers, that the movements of the Russians are attracting some attention. They would have to traverse a good deal of desert country before they could reach India from that direction.” Touching upon his present intentions, the General said the plan of himself and his travelling companion was to proceed from Wellington to the West Coast Sound?- and after doing them, pick up the lonic again at Lyttelton three weeks hence, and return Home in her. He explained that he had already “ done ” the North Island. He paid a holiday visit to the Colony three vears ago, and on that occasion visited *he ports from Port Chalmers up the East Coast to Auckland, whence he went to the Hot Springs. The General concluded by warmlypraising the lonic and Captain Kidley. He said this was his seventeenth long voyage, but he had never before been in so comfortable a ship. As for the captain, he wa3 a. capital fellow.