OUR GANTERBURY LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7194, 7 March 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR GANTERBURY LETTER.

Chkistohukoh, March 4. Peace and war, tho sword and the sickle— no, tho raaper-and-binder—the Soudan and the harvest have divided honours in tho way of claiming public attention during tho past fortnight. The Press Association have no doubt told you as much as you cars to know about the Gordon momorial service at the Cathedral,'and other kindred manifestations of the grief which is so really felt here, as everywhere else, for tha dramatically tragic fata of the bravest and best man who over fell in trying to uphold a lost cause. A wrong cause, moreover, in my mind; for against what did tho Mahdi and his ferociously-gallant Arabs revolt except against Egyptian rule, a yoke imposed upon them by unjust conquest, nud which, ao Gordon himself over and over again testified, meant one of the most stupid, cruel, and brutal tyrannies to bo met with in the world. However, Gordon

is dead—peace to hia ashes, —and certain brave colonists must needs bo anxious to avenge him

by joining in the slaughter of a few more thousands of those "poor people fjr whom my heart bleeds "—(sao the Gordon letters). Captains Hamersley and Martin, Volunteer officers of Christchurch and Timaru, represent tho warlike spirit of Canterbury. Opinions are divided about them and their offer. Some

laugh at the whola business, sneering at the cheap valour which is anxious to make sacrifices which it knows will not bo acceptesl; others feel an honest pride in the gallantry of these fellow colonists of ours who are ready to

face the hardships of war in the awfulrSoudan climate with tho solo hopo of striking a blow for England and showing tha Mother Country that her grandsons are not unworthy of thoir fathers. I truly beliovo in .tho bona fides of the offers mado by Captains Hamersloy and Martin and others, candidly as I confess

that I should bo vary sorry to soe theso gentlemen depart for Suakin. Anyone who has known personally tho Rod Sea climate —and I havo had that doubtful pleasureknows that a month in that part of tho world means that oven if tho traveller's bones do not remain thoro in perpetuo, a considerable portion of his flesh will do so, aa lard to tho very loan earth of Nubia. In the coolest month of the year (January) an aver-iga European cannot walk 10 yards oa the sliorsa of tho southern Red Sea (it is much cooler at Suez, of course) without breaking into a perspiration, nor can ho write a page of manuscript without drops of the same fluid trickling down from his forehead on to the paper. As for tho glaring heat, with its accompanying thirst, opthalmia, and fever, they go without saying. Doubtless the3e|facts sra partly at least known to our bravo Volunteer?, and the more credit, therelore, to them for voluutaering. In tha casa of Borne, too—that nf Mr Martin in particular, who is entitled to wear wig and gown .as well as shako aud sword-bolt—tho pecuniary sacrifice entailed by sn absence in Afiica would ba vary groat. Mr Martin has boon acting Crown Prosecutor hora for the last two years, and is a candidate for the office, now vacant through Air Duucan'a desitb. In his case,, too, as in that of other Volunteers, thare would bo wife trad children to bo left behind. I must say that, in the unlikely event of a Now Zealand contingent departing to Lord Wolaoley'a aid —a man, thank Hoaven ! generally abla to aid hhncelf—l should like to see it composed as far as possible of unmarried men. Widows and orphans in our midst .ire

unpleasant things to contemplate a? the first fruits of tha "military federation of the Empire." To turn to tbe harvest. Until Monday week last the weather continued to ba all that could ba wished. Thou came sume heavy rain, and since then the weather has beea unsettled. I crossed the Selwyn County plains on Saturday

last, and on Monday passed through North Canterbury, and say dotting tho country everywhere clusters of stacks, whose numbers must be considerably increased by this timo. Tha rain and moist atmosphere of the paßt few days, however, must have done some damage. A good sign of a successful harvest is that farmers have concentrated their grumbling for the time, and have brought it to boar on the one topic of low prices. Yes, they are low enough, goodness knows! Tho Canterbury Art Society's annual oxhibition opened on Monday evening. Tho room choson for the purpose is a large chamber over Mr Simpson's new bookshop, in High street. A better selection could not have been made, Simpson's ia so situated that everybody whom business or pieasuro brings into the central part of Christchurch has to pass it at least once a day. In faci it would be as difficult to move about town hero without passing Simpson's door as to traverse Dnnedin without passing by Wioa or Wilkie, the Simpsons of Dunodin. Hence I venture to predict that a great many people will"dropin !1 to pass an hour in the Art Exhibition who might otherwise have put off doing to with the usual result, The usual result is aa oxclamation some morning when reading the paper, " Why, bless me, the Art Exhibition closed yestorday, and here havo I boon meaning to go every day for tho last fortnight." At least this is the explanation given annually by those many patrons and virtuosos in Christchurch who fail to find time to pay tho exhibition a visit, " Out of sight out of mind " is a very true proverb, and of a par-

ticularly wide application in scattered Christchurch, where it is so easy to get out of sight and out of the way. You havq only to go two hundred yards from tha Triangle and the thing is done. Hence the Society's wisdom in pitching their tent fairly in the centre of the town. As for the pictures on exhibition, sufficient for the present to say that the now contributions are at least up to the standard of former years; while the loan collection, part of which comes from Auckland, is of considerable interest, There was no loan collection last year, and it was much missed. Mr Hodgkins, of Dunedin, has contributed some new works of his brush, as also Miss Wimperis. The Hon. Alexander Stuart, with his family, spent some days in Christchurch aa quietly as the sight-showing efforts of certain local digniterios would permit. Mr Stuart's son " did " the West Coast road as far as the Otira, but the delicate health and brief stay of the Premier himself prevented Mr Stuart from doing so likewise. While on tho subject of the West Coast road, 1 may mention that thia summer has brought even moro tourists than visual from Australia and elsewhere to see tho far-famed gorges and valloys that lie botwaen Porter's Paes and Hokitika, Amongst others, your correspondent wandered in that direction last week. The weather amongst the ranges has lately been extremely hot and dry, far more sp than on the plains. I amused myself by inquiring among3t the road's habiluis an to which was considered tho best of the many published descriptions of tho road. I found the palm given to that of the " Vagabond," above Mr ArchibaH Forbes' and others. Mr Waddall'a account in " Mn.oriland " is objected to cv account of his saying that tho real scenery of the road only begins at the Bealey and endn at the Otira Hotel. 1 certainly thiuk Mr Waddoll's limits far too narrow. Tha North Canterbury Board of Education has been considering the subject of home lessons and over-pressure generally, and has recommended teachers genorally to give attention to the matter. One member of the Board, Mr Cunningham, spoke very (strongly, and gave a specific instance of death from overwork, the'victim being a young girl from near Rangiora. The teachers, however, who have also discussod the subject, seem to think that ovorpressure (which undoubtedly exists widely) is duo to tho excessively high standards insisted on by tho inspectors, and 13 therefore beyond their power to prevent.