THE TRAVELLER.

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

THE TRAVELLER.

A VISIT TO THE AULI) HAME.'

J have been spending a month in Scotland, and it may be of interest to your readers to know how the "auld hame" looks. I have visited Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Laurencekirk, Banchory, Amoyne, Ballater, Stonehaven, Inverurie, Dalkeith, Hawick Jed-bui-gh,. Dundee, Perth, Crieff, Inverness, and I'raserburgh. I am glad to see that there is less agricultural and commercial depression apparent than exists south of the Tweed. Indeed^ if one might judge from the palatial buildings rising up in all the leading cities, and the new kirks in even small towns such as Crieff, where I found a cluster of three new Presbyterian churches within a radius of . five hundred yards, I should say that Scotland never was more prosperous. All the grand old historical monuments retain their wonted interest. Stirling Castle, perched on its rocky eminence, is still almost the premier antiquity, a veritable "monarch of the landscape;" Drummond Castle, with its unique gardens, and its magnificent approach through miles of avenue ; the weird rums of Melrose Jedburgh, and Dryburgh Abbeys, with the grave of Sir Walter Scott in the last; the fine old tower of Cambuskenneth Abbey— the only remaining vestige of probably the largest of Scotland's Abbeys; the Wallace Monument, perched upon the Abbey Craig and overlooking the ever-memorable field of Bannockburn ; the statue of "Robert the Bruce" on Castle Esplanade, Stirling ;— all these, and a thousand other objects of interest have passed before my eyes. Perhaps the most interesting half-hour was the one spent at Abbotsford, ,gazing over the rare collection of curiosities accumulated by the immortal bard. • I cannot enumerate them. Suffice it that within the space of some half-dozen roftns are found objects of interest and historic importance enough to enrich a nation. One comes to understand not only how the money, went with our great novelist ' and poet, but how he became so idolatrously attached to the charming homo. The old ohurohyard at Edinburgh, redolent of martyrology, is as fragrant of inspiring memories as ever, and it was with an almost tearful eye that one gazed on that exquisite monument, erected in the Stirling churchyard, to the memory of Margaret M'Lachlan and Margaret Wilson, who suffered martyrdom at Wigton in 1685, hy being tied to stakes beyond the tide mark. The tomb of James 111, renovated by his illustrious descendant, Queen Victoria, stands still in solitary grandeur on the site of Cambuskenneth Abbey. One comes to understand the fondness of Scotchmen for their homo when one sees how worthy Scotland is of their love. As an Englishman I have learnt respect for the .Scotch in their new home. The wondrous, metamorphosis at Otago is eloquent of indomitable perseverance, but it is here that the story is told in all its grandeur. The fine farms, of Midlothian and elsewhere, the fabulous wealth represented by such citi(js as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, and the immense factories of Dundee, Hawiok, and other manufacturing centres, testify to, a spirit of enterprise and industry certainly not exceeded by any of the. children ofmen. ( I hear great complaining among agriculturists as to the high rents "of their farms, and many are 'anxious tq be released from the burden. The universal 19 years' lease system is ruining many. I heard of one farmer who had offered f 5000 to be released from his -tenure, and .mother who had offered £1000. In yesterday's paper at Dundeo I saw that a farm, hitherto let at £1600 a-year, had been let for £900. It is hard to be living on your capital, but it is hardor still to have wealthy and luxurious noblemen living on yawr capital. The mystery to me is how men can. be found willing to pay such hea.vy ronts." A farmer called to see me at my hotel in Eduabnrgh and assured me tha.l, he had fox Years paid £2500 a year rent, and to. ?»}> tivo climax he told me that his brother, fc\\A paid nearly as much rent yearly, had. \}oen practically driven out of his farm as well as out of his mmd — fw the anxiety had actually unseated his voason — simply because he had disjjleased his landlord in the matter of voting at an election ! Hear this, ye freeholders of Otago ! When you are tempted to cast a lingering look at the fleshpots of Egypt, think of the price — your inrfiviclvxtl Wuniy. As I heard this Scotch farmer's stov>\ and looked across Queen's square at Thojuas Campbell's statue, 1 thought of his Hvies, descriptive of a Colonial settler's free «iad independent life : — ! The pride to rear an independent shed, And give the lips we love unbtwrowed bread.. To see a world, from shadowy forest won, In youthful beauty weeded to the sun ; To skirt our home Avibh harvests widely sown, And call the blooming landscape all onr own, Our children's heritage, in prospeoi long — These are the hopes, high-minded hopes and st rong, That beckon England's wanderers o'er the lirine, To realms w)s,eie foreign constellations shine. Bu,t Scotch f armeva, like the English ones, hug their chains. To be the subservient lacquey, tenant of niy lord this or that,, is. reward enough for sinking their capital in improvement of the estate. A Lincolnshire fariioj&r assured me the other day that he had sunk £8000 of capital oa one of the late Lord Yarhorowgh's farms ; in other words had ".dded so roany thousands to the already immense wealth of that nobleman, at the cost, of his awn impoverishment ! Thousands of formers have been doing likewise. Tt\o. infatuation is simply marvellous, and one wonders how sane men could have acted so inconceivably absurdly. t The lamentable part of the story is that it is now too late for most of them to repair their blunder by a transference of their skill to the Colonies. I have been lecturing on the openings in New Zealand for practical agriculturists, and hundreds of farmers have met me with this piteous cry — " Too late ! our capital is gone." There are, however, many hundreds of exceedingly valuable men — sjwdl working capitalists — who might be attracted to the Colony if some system of assistance in the matter of passage out could bo devised by the New Zealand Government. Mr Macandrew, of Aberdeen, a hy^her of the respected member for Port Chalmers, at whose charming house, a few miles out of the city; 1 spent an evening a fortnight 1 ago, suggested the loaning of say half the amount of th© passage money to men >of the right sort, or> th,e secui'ity of the land they might

take up. I think'somcthing of the kind might be done, and immense future gain thereby secured to the Colony. I commend the suggestion to the attention of the present able Premier, Mr Stout. One word more in conclusion. It is of the nature of a revelation to find how thoroughly alive Scotland is to the worth aud import ance of New Zealand. J am told that some ton millions sterling of Scotch money is invested there. Everyone has a brother or cousin there, and all have boundless faith in the Colony. At my Edinburgh msetiug I had capitalists on the platform who had many thousands invented in New Zealand securities ; and it was uo small satisfaction to be able to reassure those gentlemen as to the soundness of their investments. — I am, etc., Arthur Clayden. Perth, May 1. pg, — I had forgotten a glorious day spant at Balmoral Castle— the Queen's favourite Highlaud home. Loyal Scotchmen — and what Scotchman is not loyal?— will b?, glad to hsarof the charming retreat of thuir Qu" in. rt is one of tho choicest spots in Scotland. As 1 strolled along a retired walk by the side of the Kivor Dee— her Majesty's favourite walk— l came to understand hat- joy at baiug at Balmoral and her reluctance to quit it. Not the least interesting objects are the statues of Prince Albert and John Brown. Tile. Prince is represented as patting a favourite stag-hound, and on the pedestal of the latter is engraved these words, — Friend mow than servant, loyal, truthful, brave, iS-ilt less than duty, even to the grave.