A DUNEDIN TOURIST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19969, 10 December 1926, Page 14

A DUNEDIN TOURIST.

i VISIT 'TO ENGLAND. At a meeting of the members of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce last night, Mr Adam Paterson,gave some details of his trip to England, via Australia, Java, and Palestine. , , Mr Paterson said the route he had taken was not one usually followed by their citizens. They were a party of five, and they had . caught a . Dutch-owned, boat ih Sydney in December last. At Sydney they had got a couple of men to carry two portmanteaus on "the boat. They had given them a couple of shillings each, and one of them had said, “What’s the goon of this? Ten bob won’t hurt you.’ (Laughter.) He thought that was a very good start in the way of tips.—(Laughter.) They had travelled -by steamer up the coast of Australia and across the island-strewu ocean north of Australia; The ocean trip was a quiet one, and a traveller had plenty of opportunities for rest. ’ The captain and officers took special pains to care for the wants of the passengers. The speaker referred to the many coral reefs, and said the palms which grew on them were, very pretty. The captain took a boat in wherever opportunity offered to allow the passengers to get a good view of the , islands, with their beautiful trees. The islands gave one a sense of peace and rest. They had seen the pearl fisheries at Thursday Island. At Gladstone they had take aboard 60 horses for the Dutch army at Java. Some 22,000 Dutchmen governed the island of Java, with approximately a population of 45,000,000. The Japanese seemed a contented and happy people, without much ambition. A contractor whom they met was paying Is per day for their labour. A Javanese would not work once he had earned 2s or 3s, and another gang of men had to be taken on. At Macassar they had taken on board coal, tobacco, and rubber, and had unloaded chocolates and biscuits from Sydney. Java was an island of 60,000 square miles. In New Zealand they had a population of 12 to the square mile, and the Javanese were 800 to the square mile. Australia had a population of two to the square mile. There appeared to be nothing in Java but rice fields. It was a wonderful island —not more than three-quarters the sie of the South Island of New Zealand, and it grew many things. The Dutch engineers who had made the roads had acted wisely. The roads were first-class for motoring, and they had teak and other trees planted on each side. The Dutch Government insisted on the natives growing two crops of rice per year. The Government did not seem to take a very great deal of interest in the education of the Javanese, who seemed quite happy and contented to be left as thev were. He thought that in New Zee-land, alter what he had seen, they had got the pearl of the whole Empire. —(Applause.) Singapore was visited, and also India. They had visited one of the wonderful palaces of the Rajah of Mysore, and were much impressed with the magnificence of the palace and its surroundings. They had had a particularly interesting trip to Palestine. All through Palestine they noticed the growth of new settlements. They could tell the new houses —thev nearly all had red roofs. The crops seemed to be splendid in several of the localities Orange groves were plentiful, and provided a splendid signt. Manv new buildings were being erected outside of Jerusalem, probablv because the place was now under British protection. The party returned to Port Said, and had taken another Dutch boat to England. Iney had been on four different Dutch boats during the trip. On all these boats they received great courtesy, and the wholeof the service was exceedingly good. une night after leaving Port Said the crew had celebrated their queen s birthday witix a dinner, and they had a unique experience The lights had all been turned put, and the stewards had marched in bearing blazing ice creams-a sight he had never seen before- The speaker concluded by_ stating that he would advise anyone desmng ot getting out of the beaten track when visiting the Homeland to follow the route up the east coast of Australia, thence Java, India, Palestine, and on to England. The speaker was heartily applauded at the conclusion of his address.