PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 15

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 29. I wonder if any old residents in the colony remember William Squire, who died in New Zealand away back in the sixties? Squire figured with Thomas Carlyle in an incident which ranks among the notable curiosities of literature. The story is told in the introduction to a new edition of Carlyle's “Cromwell,” which P has just been issued. In 1847, Squire, who was by profession an antiquarian, was living at Yarmouth, England, and after the publication of Carlyle's “Cromwell” he informed the eminent biographer that he possessed the journal of an ancestor, Sam Squire (one of Cromwell's troopers), and other contemporary papers. He sent Carlyle, after some correspondence, copies of thirtyfive letters, purporting to come from Oliver's pen. These Carlyle printed in “Fraser’s Magazine” for December, 1847, with a personal guarantee of their “indubitable authenticity.” The letters were attacked, but Carlyle described Squire as “a person of perfect veracity,' a-nd even of scrupulous exactitude in details.” There was, in fact, nothing to vouch for the letters, and Squire, ivhen he sent the copies, announced the burning of the originals. He was interviewed later by Carlyle, who. found him “a man of round rosy face, large grey eyes, full of innocence, yet of unquiet vehemence. . . . Something radically honest, even brave aaid benevolent, was in the man’s look, nay, something blowsy and almost jolly.” Squire pretended to be half-mad, and explained bis mental state by the fact that as a boy his skull had been broken “into thirty-seven pieces.” The whole thing was a monstrous practical joke. Carlyle had been taken in by a-n imposture which did not deceive the dull antiquarians on whom he had poured such scorn. The sharer of shame had seen the imposter face to face, and taken him for a true man. Squire’s ignorance was merely assumed. Squire's craziness only a device for avoiding inconvenient question-

ings. The thirty-five unpublished letters of Cromwell were as fictitious as the thirty-seven pieces of Squire’s skull. And that eminent humorist, having avenged Dryasdust, emigrated to New Zealand, where, some twenty years later, he closed in peace those “large grey eyes, full of innocence.”

The statue of the late Mr William Rolleston has at length been completed, and on Wednesday afternoon the High Commissioner for New Zealand paid a visit to the studio of the sculptor. Mr Hampton, of Maida Vale, in order to see the statue before it is packed for shipment to Christchurch. Mr Reeves ivas accompanied by the Hon R. Oliver and Lord Hawkesbury (an old friend of Mr Rolleston's). They were all exceedingly pleased with Mr Hampton's work. “It is extraordinarily good,” said Mr Reeves afterwards to your correspondent. “On the whole, it is the most satisfactory statue I have had anything to do with during the nine years since I came to London. It is not only an admirable likeness of Mr Rolleston, as be was about fifteen years before hie death, but it is also a most dignified and impressive statue. I consider it a real work of art. Mr Hampton himself is very proud of his work, and is -only sorry that he cannot keep it to exhibit at the next Royal Academy Exhibition. “I ought to know whether it is a good likeness or not.” added the High Commissioner. “I knew Mr Rolleston from my childhood upr wards, and sat opposite to him in the House of Representatives for yeans.” The same afternoon Mr Reeves drove to the studio of Mr Pegram, at St. John's Wood, and there inspected the life-size clay model of the statue of Sir John Logan Campbell, the “G.0.M.” of Auckland. This model, after which the statue will be fashioned, depicts Sir John as he has looked within the last four or five years. He is wearing the Mayoral robes, and with these, and his patriarchal beard, the effect achieved by the sculptor promises to be rather picturesque. Mr Reeves considers the likeness a very good one, and he is also pleased with the lines upon which Mr Pegram is carrying out the work. The Hon W. P. Reeves received his official letter of appointment as High Commissioner for New Zealand by the last mail from the colony. An interesting variation from the’ conditions of his former appointment as Agent-General may be noted. One of these conditions was that the Agent-General must never go outside the confines of the United Kingdom without obtaining permission from the New Zealand Government. Presumably it was “ultra vires” for him to spend a week-end across the Channel unless he cabled to New Zealand for permission. However, this condition has been omitted from the terms of the High Commissioner's appointment. Sir John Hall has presented to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers, “in recognition of much kindness,” a beautiful casket of greenstone and silver. The framework of the casket, which is supported at each corner by a silver kiwi, is of finely chased silver in Maori design, and the lid and sides are formed of large panels of greenstone. The lid opens in the centre, and carries the arms of the Leathersellers Company, and the crest of Sir John Hall, done in silver. The opening knobs on the lid are in the form of a greenstone acorn and silver fern-leaf. The four kiwis on whose backs the casket rests stand on. an ebony base, on which is a plate with the following inscription:—“Presented to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers by the Hon Sir John Hall, K.C.M.G., New Zealand, in recognition of much kindness. Elected Master, 1903.” The casket was designed and manufactured by Mr Frank Hyams, of New Bond street, and formerly of Dunedin. Mr Kyte Collett, a, Cardiff provision merchant and importer, who has been spending the past eighteen months in New Zealand and Australia, has just returned to Cardiff. One of the objects of his long stay at the Antipodes was to endeavour to set the trade in dairy produce between New Zealand and Cardiff on a better footing. Sir Joseph Ward informed Mr Collett that he was trying to remedy the long delays caused by the slowness of the present West of England direct service, and hoped to reduce the rate from three farthings to a half-penny per lb. on butter. Mr Collett expresses himself well satisfied with the outcome of his journey, and he is convinced that as scion as the colonial government effects the necessary improvements in the West of England service, so soon will there be a verv large of trade, to the mutual benefit of the New Zealand producer and the British consumer.

Mr and Mrs J. R. McCullough of Christchurch, arrived on the 20th inst. by the Ruapehu, and since then have been sightseeing in London. They leave to-day for Belfast, where Mr McCullough will renew acquaintance with friends and relatives whom he has not seen. for twenty-one years, and afterwards they will visit Cork, Mrs McCullough's birthplace, which she left eighteen years ago. They hope also to tour Scotland before returning to New Zealand. The Rev Walter S. Bean, Vicar of Addington, Christchurch, who is on leave of absence for the sake of his health, arrived in London this week. He had a three months' voyage to Bristol in the s.s. Morayshire, travelling via Atistralia and South Africa and the long spell at sea has completely restored his health. Mr Bean will spend a week or two in London, and then will visit friends in the Midland's and Lancashire. He returns to New Zealand by the Morayshire, leaving Liverpool on September 11th. Mr Frank Salter and Mr Leo. R. Langdown, of Christchurch, arrived bj’ the Himalaya on June 25th, and expect to return by the Marmora on September 29th.

Captain J. R. Beamish, of Wellington, who came Home by the Corinthic on her last trip, intends to remain in this country for the winter, and if the climate suits him may possibly remain here permanently. Major D’Arcy Chaytor, of Blenheim, who is on a visit to England, took, part in the Elkington Long Range Match at the Bisley Rifle meeting last week, and won a £2 prize. Miss Crawford and her sister Miss Essie Crawford, of Dunedin are spending a holiday in England, They arrived

by .the Orontes last May. and have been residing in- the Midlands for some time, touring the country on bicycles. At Sheffield they stayed with their brother, Mr W. J. Crawford, B.Se. They propose to visit Scotland and Paris before returning to New Zealand by the Orontes, which leaves London on October 6th.

Mr and Mrs Sidney Weetman, of Auckland, have been spending tn© past two months in London. They came Home three years ago, and after travelling about Great Britain, went to the Continent, where they remained a year, spending three months in Paris, about the same time at Geneva, and six months in Italy, chiefly at Rorpe and Naples. At the end of last spring they moved on to Florence Venice (wiiere they spent Easter), and Milan returning to Switzerland through the St. Gothard tunnel —a never-to-be-forgotten journey. They stayed at Lucerne a short time, then went on to Lausanne, Dijon, Paris, and England, arriving at the end of May. At present they have not made any definite plans as to future tours.

Mr J. A. Hughes, of Westport, who came to London as extra engineer ou the Turakina, in search of experience in his profession, has been sight-seeing in London and the South of England, and has now gone north to Glasgow. He intends to follow up engineering on the Clyde for eight or ten months. Mr R. Sandilands, of Dunedin, arrived by the Ruapehu last week. He has come Home to represent the Good Templars of New Zealand at _ the International Lodge of Good Templars, which meets-at Belfast on August Ist. Mrs Cummings, of Christchurch, who travelled by the Gothic, has come for the same purpose. The gathering will be large and representative. The Americans present at the lodge will number no fewer than 140, and Sweden is also sending many delegates. Miss Constance Barnicoat, a lady journalist in London, who comes from New Zealand, last week succeeded in making the ascent of the Aile Froide, about the worst oeak in the Oisans district of the Dauphiny Alps. It had never before been done by a woman, and was last reached about three rears ago by an Englishman with the same guide, Jean Baptiste Rodier, who accompanied Miss Barnicoat last week. She left La Berarde, the well-known centre for mountaineers -in the Dauphiny district, on Monday afternoon, slept at the mountain bivouac on Monday night, and. the weather being very bad and unfavourable on Tuesday, Miss Barnicoat and the guide left the bivouac at 3.45 on Wednesday morning and reached the summit at 10 o'clock. The weather on that morning was magnificent, and the view from the peak was sunerb. The descent was very fatiguing, but the lady and ner guide arrived safely at Aile Froide village at 9 o’clock ou Wednesday evening. Miss Florence Brandon, of Wellington, who arrived by the Orontes on May sth, has been spending a couple of months at Barton Grange, near Taunton. She is now staying with her aunt, Mrs Woodthorpe Brandon, at Barnes, in order to have some sight-seeing in the metropolis, and will remain there until the mid lie of August, when she starts on a three or four weeks’ tour in Switzerland. Afterwards she will return to Barton Grange, and remain there until her departure for New Zealand on October 6th. Mr and Mrs F. W. Moore, of Oriental Bay, Wellington, arrived by the Ormuz on a holiday trip and are now spending a fortnight in London. They intend to visit Paris and the English provinces, and will then tour Scotland and the Isle of Man, returning to London for a few weeks in the autumn. They leave for New Zealand in November by the Orient (Suez) route. It is thirteen years since Mr Moore was last in London. • Mr and Mrs Job Cook, of Rangiora, and their son, Mr Fred. J. Cook, who arrived by the Tongariro on May 26th* are staying in London at present. They are re-visiting' England on a nleasure trip, after an absence of twenty-three years, and since ineir arrival have beeii staying at Brighton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and other places in the South of England. Mr and Mrs Cook will leave for New Zealand in about a montli or six weeks' time, while their son will remain longer—probably about a year. When Princess Henry of Battenbere arrived at the Royal Opera House last Friday, to distribute the prizes won uy students of the Royal Academy ofMusic,. a handsome bouquet was presemea to her Royal Highness By Master Francis Hutchens, from New Zealand, one of tne jmungest students. Miss Claudia Price, of Wanganui, is studying at the Royal College of Music, taking lessons on the violin from monsieur Rivarde, the pianoforte from Mr Herbert Sharpe, singing from Mr Gustave Garcia and harmony and musical theory from Sir Walter Parratt and Dr Gladstone. During her vacation she intends taking private lessons from two of the above-mentioned professors. • Callers at the Sigh Commissioner's office this week:—Major Whitney (Auckland). Mr and Mrs G. H. Scott (Wellington), Mr F. A. Green JDunedm), hr T. M. Laing (Waimate), Tvnss J. Laing (Dunedin) Mr W. E. Reynojds (Dunedin), Mr J. Porter (Oamaru), Mr J. McGimpsey (Oamaru), Mr and Mrs J. R. McCullough, fChristchurch), Mr D z D. Moore (Nelson), Mr F. Salter (Christchurch), Mi L.* R. Langdown (Christchurch), Mr E. A. ITeesing (Auckland), Montgomery (Palmerston North). Messrs Jas. Copeland and H. M. Copeland (Palmerston North), Mr A. W. Holmes (Itaxaia), Mr R; J. Owen (Auckland). Mr Edgar Hustin (Wellington), Miss Crawford and Miss Essie Crawford . (Dunedin), Rev W.‘ S. Bean (Christchurch), Mr A. G. Hawthorne (Wellington), Mr and Mrs.F.H, Wilkie (Upper Hutt), Captain Beamish (Wellington), Mr G. S. Hawke (Auckland), Mr B. Heinemann (Dunedin).