THE EXCURSIONIST

Otago Witness, Issue 1754, 4 July 1885, Page 25

THE EXCURSIONIST

AN AUSTRALIAN'S HOLIDAY IN THE ISLAND COLONIES.

• By J. MC, Meimrolujnk.

Frederick M. Innes, who has also died within the last few years, was an important actor in the theatre of Tasmanian politics. He had a greater faculty for marnlia I " • icables than any public speaker whom 1 \v.v. • ever heard. His speedhes were scholarly and fluent, and were delivered with an easy, graceful gesture, but his sentences were built up with such complexity that it was a matter of great difficulty to follow him. In a grammatical analysis of one of his speeches, I have found in half a column of small type only six principal clauses, the rest being subordinate sentences of attribution, explanation, or limitation. His style was very verbose, but all these complex sentences of which his speeches were made up, were wonderfully well balanced, and for grammatical exactness would stand ajiy test. In his favour as q politician, I regret that X cannot s,ay a word. He was the greatest political weathercock of any man with whose public life I am. acquainted. The brightness qf his political honour will he blackened, and that of those who'soduced him from his allegiance will be tarnished, when the candid historian comes to write of him that he walked out of the H.iUi.' i\{ the faiil of one session of Parliament the recognised leader of the Opposition, acquainted with their plans and proposals, and during the recess, having accepted the position of Treasurer from the Government, he, without in any way consulting the Opposition, was found when the House again assembled, sitting on the Government benches. In any other place but hum-drum Tasmania, such an act would have meant instant political death. There, however, he was allowed to linger on, but from about that time I think his power began to wane. Sir Valentine Flemming, once Attorney-gene-

ral here, and afterwards Chief Justice, died in ' England last year. He was always spoken of as a man of great exactness, probity, and ability as a Judge. When he and Thomas Georges Gregson — a man of patriotic spirit — were in the House together, they frequently crossed swordh. Sir Valentine — who was a very small man and quite a gallant — had on one occasion annoyed Gregson by calling the Speaker's attention to the fact that — " the hon. member for Richmond was addressing the House outside the bar." On the same evening, while an important subject was being discussed, some lady friends of Sir Valentine, presented themselves for seats which were placed on the floor of the House. >Sir Valentine left his place to receive them, and while chatting to them outside the bar of the House, called out that he seconded a certain motion." Whereupon, Gregson, who was watching his opportunity, convulsed the House by exclaiming — " Sir, I beg to call your attention to the fact that the cock-sparrow is off his perch !" I shall conclude my remarks on the public men here by a brief mention of Mr W. K. Giblin, who has been recently raised to the bench. He is a native of the Colony, and up to the time that he had been made Attorney-general had, not, I think, ever held a brief. Politically, I lost respect for him when, being at the head of the Government, he belonged to the party that tempted Mr Innes to cross the floor of the 'House, but he is a brilliant speaker, and as a clever, insinuating, eloquent, criminal pleader I have not heard any man at the Victorian bar whom I consider equal to him Mr Dalley of Sydney has a .great reputation as a speaker. I regret that I have not heard him. I have listened to all the best speakers here, but there is not one among them who possesses in so high a degree the natural talents of an orator as MiAy. R. Giblin. He has a fine presence, a splendid voice, is of prompt and decisive thought, and to the charm of eloquent expression, indicating a perfect knowledge of the art of articulation and inflexion, he has added those graoes oi" gesture that win upon assemblies and that help to form a perfect orator. It is a great pity that a man with the oratorical power of Mr Giblin has had his effort circled within so narrow a limit as that of the little island of Tasmania. In Viotoria he would have won fame and fortune. I think that he has gained the latter where is, and perhaps thf* crown in the pinnicle of his ambition has been reached by his elevation to the bench. Hobart possesses a capital public library, stored with books. It this particular it completely surpasses Dunedin, where, as far as I could ever find out, no such public institution exists. The Museum is a building stocked with many curiosities and Is well worth a visit. The Town Hall, Post-offlce, and the banks are all good, substantial buildings. The theatre has outlived its time, it is away on the outskirts of the city. It should be turned into a " model lodging house " and the new theatre should be built at the angle of Liverpool and Murray streets. Tasmania is famed for its scenery. River, plain, and mountain form a very five panorama. I should be deemed ungallant if I did not say too that praises of the beauty and ohanns of the fair maidens of the island have been sounded far off, The. Tasmanian girl outrivals her Victorian sister by her clear, rosy complexion, her modesty — the brightest jewel that shines on woman's forehead — and in aaivcte; hut in wit and satire, in grace of deportment, in artistic neatness, and elegance of dress, the Victorian girl is facile ■princtpn. But helas pour moi, what have I said ? Whom will my decision plense ? With 'respect to Tasmania, I think that It will become a great resort by-and-bye for holiday seekers, and that more steamers at reduced fares will soon be sailing up her noble river during the Christmas season. I must say farewell to Tasmania for the pne-, sent with the advice to those who propose to make tho Now Zealand tour to call at the " tight little island" an their way. The trip from Hobart to the Bluff occupied four days. The weather was remarkaly fine all the way. We steamed quietly in one Sunday morning, and were met by the' health officer and the policeman. The Bluff is a cold cheerless-looking headland. I have clambered up the hill to the flagstaff many times. The great problem that always presents itself for solution to me when 1 enter the Bluff is how the four large hotels manage to exist. I have been at this question for some years, and I have not solved it yet ; but, labor omnia vincit, some data may be forthcoming later on. One of bhese hotels, T notice, was established in 1854. Robert Heir, a once well-Jmown actor, died going into the Bluff. He was buried away in the cemetery on a shoulder of the hill, and a suitable monument was erected to his memory. Jt would be. a kindly act if some of those in the profession of which he was fonce. an ornament would make arrangements for the. preservation of the monument, wb,ich now requires attention Qr clsr it will fall into decay. On Moiylay we all started off for Invercargill, whioh is distant about 18 miles. The country through which we passed was very level, and in most places appeared well adapted fo,r grazing purposes. Ido not know whether all the trams travel like the one by which I was a passenger, but the journey through occupied nearly an hour a, -half. fc Of Invercargill I have nothing to say but what is commendatory. The city is capitally laid out, the streets wide and well formed. Here, as elsewhere in New Zealand, there is a multiplicity of banks and hotels. The conclusion which is forced upon a visitor here is that the people of Invercargill must be very rich, always supposing that the banks confine themselves to legitimate hankers' husjness. Here too, there is an arcade which, although it does not rival our own Cole's, is the best stocked and best fitted up of any general £ook and fancy emporium that I hiive seen in the Colpnies outside of Melbourne. I visited Invercargill some years ago, and, judging from the large number of build-, ings remarkable for solidity of structure and elegance oi design that have- boon ©rooted in tho interval, this city ipruisb have made rapid progress. As I take, my scat in the train on my way back to the Bluff I cannot help thinking that there are good times in store for Invercargill. Steaming out of the Bluff the Te Anau takes about 12 hours to reach Port Chalmers. There are few points of interest on the way. Everyone, of course, rushes to the vessel's side to see the spot off which the Tararua was wrecked. Everyone wonders now how such a disastrous accident could happen there. At daylight we are at the Heads. My thoughts fly back to the past when I, a very small boy, was a passenger in the American barque .Seaman's Bride that had sailed from Melbourne, and that was lying off the Heads, waiting for a tug-boat or a f.«ir wind. I remember that the Samson towed us in, and that the charge was £50. Port Chalmers is far different flow from what it then was.

Most of the vessels use3£b lie" out in the stream. Now there are fine piers and a dock. The face of the hill near the station appears to have been cut away. Foundries have been erected, cottages built, and the railway connecting the port with Dunedin has been formed. (To be continued.)