A Trip Abroad.

Opunake Times, Volume XXX, Issue 1648, 24 June 1910, Page 2

A Trip Abroad.

(BtG.P.A.) The P. and 0. Company's 10,000 ton s f eamer Mooltan left Sydney on May 7th, just prior to which the news was fhshed abroad of the death of the King. The first port of call was Port Melbourne, which was reaobed on the morning of the 10th, and we left the following day at 6 p.m. The city-is about fifteen minutes' tram run from the port. Boats of about 5000 tons go up the Yarra, but anything above that remains at the port- The oity is spacious, with a population ot about 10,000 less than Sydney. Some of the trams being cable trams, they are lighted with the old-time kerosene lamp. There are the electric cars in some directions, which have the eleotrio light. There is great jealousy between the Sydney and Melbourna people, and although the latter place prides itself on its press, Sydney people speak in disparaging terms of it. To them Sydney and its newspapers are the "hub of the universe." Adelaide was reached before breakfast on May 12th, and from the outer harbour to the oity is forty minutes' train ran. The breakwater is an open 1 roadstead, and the land in the vicinity is barren and wasteful looking, An attempt has been made to grow trees, but so far little success has been , attained. Adelaide has a population of 180,000, and is known as the "cultured city," and the "city of the churches." All the public places of interest are well arranged, and, commencing with Government House and grounds, a visitor can visit the reading room, library, art gallery, museum, old exhibition buildings, and other places in the same locality. The Cathedral is prettier than those in either Melbourne or Sydney. We left Adelaide that, evening at 6 o'clock. The weather was a little rough during the night, with the result that next morning very few appeared at breakfast. Crossing the Australian Bight was also on the rough side, and is considered to be the roughest part of the voyage. One night the wind got up, the ship rolled, the chairs were swept into a heap, and a port was broken, the cabin being swamped, but no serious damage was done.

On the 16th Fremantle was reached. This is a commercial port of 21,000 people. It takea 40 minutes.to train to Perth, the "Golden City of the West," with a population of 60,000. It is a place that is now thriving, and the people have the reputation of being more homely and sociable than those in other parts of Australia. About 80 per cent, of the passengers remained there, being returned holiday makers. The boat left the same evening at 7.80, being in port f6r seven hours.

Leaving Fremantle, there was a nine days' run to Colombo ahead, and the passengers then set to work to organise sports, concerts and card tournaments. The second day out the weather got warmer, and awnings were put up on the upper deoks. , On the 20th all sport was postponed on account of the funeral of the late King, but no service was held. Every Sunday morning the captain conducts servioe, and the offertories, which range from £2 5s to about £B, are donated to seamen's charities.

The Mooltan (named after an Indian town) is a 10,000 ton boat, and one of the steadiest of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, costing about £BOO,OOO to build. The acting captain is Mr W. H. Sweney, and he has a crew of 821, including 119 Europeans and 215 colored men, mostly natives of India, and comprise about a dozen dialects. The majority of the crew work long hours —from 5.80 a.m. till 11 p.m.

The passengers, are well looked after, as the following will show: — 6 30 a.m., tea and biscuits or fruit; 8 30, breakfast; 11, beef tea and biscuits; 1 p.m., lunch ;4, afternoon tea ;7, dinner ; 8.80, coffee. The dinner menu is always in Frenoh, whioh seems an absurdity, as the courses are never ordered from it, but the waiters hand every dish round, and you take what you fancy. The only difference in the menu of the first and second saloons is one or two additional courses for dinner ; but the first have the distinction and inconvenience of evening dress for dinner. The life on a boat is a lazy one. There is nothing to do in particular, and "feeding" seems to be the only thing to look forward. To know that the vessel is steaming serenely on her way, and the passeugers are well, are all that concerns the traveller. Sow the great machinery is being worked, or how the culinary department is managed seldom appeals to anyone. An hour in the engine-room when ten hours from the line is an experience not to be forgotten. In descending the stairs, yoa get such a wbiff of hot air that makes you wonder where you are going to, and when still further down, the iron rods of the stairway are that hot that you cannot grip them without a piece of waste. It makes one wonder how the poor wretches who are running the machinery manage to remain there for a shift of four hours. There were thirty furnaces- at work, out of thirty-six, and twelve tons of water were being used every twenty-four hours. The amount of coal consumed is 110 tons daily. The heat at times shows 184 deg down amongst the machinery.