THE PREMIER OF ENGLAND. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7326, 8 August 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PREMIER OF ENGLAND. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—lt is, perhaps, not generally known that the present Premier of England was the first nobleman.to visit the Colonies of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales.

Having visited Adelaide and Melbourne, Lord Robert Cecil took passage for Tasmania on board tho schooner Mariposa;, in the month of March, 1852. Tho schooner was anchored several days in Hobson's Bay, waiting for sheep. In those days of the gold fever " Jack was as good as his master," and the difficulty was to get boatmen or sailors to put the sheep on board. During the detention the writer had the privilege in spending much time in the company of the noble lord. Among reminiscences it is one of those bright spots—an oasis in the wilderness of life. The vessel that brought Lord Cecil from England to Adelaide was at this time at anchor in Hobson's Bay, and the captain of the Mariposas ■kindly lending his boat, a gentleman belonging to Hobart, myself, and the nobleman pulled away among the crowded ships in the bay till we found the vessel. His lordship was right heartily welcomed, and we were introduced by him to the captain and his wife. Even in those days of jolly independence his lordship commanded genuine respect from his unostentatious manner—allowing no one to make a fuss about him, and from his regard for i the feelings of others, which stamped him the true gentleman. | The rank is but the guinea-stamp, The man's the gowd for .V that. ' Lord Cecil truly was the " gowd for a' that." I have an undying recollection of his kindness when at sea. Suffering sickness, and helpless in my cabin, he frequently made inquiries if there was anything he could do to help mo. The other two berths in the cabin—No. were occupied by Lord Cecil and a gentleman for Hobart.—l am, &c, A. B. August 6. •

—'From some experiments made at the University of Kansas, it appears that the average person can taste the bitter of quinine when one part is dissolved in 152,000 of water. Salt was detected with one part in 640 of water, sugar in 288 of water, baking soda in 48 of water. In nearly all cases females could detect a smaller quantity than males.