THE RUTORUA'S EXCURSION TO THE SOLNOS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 11

THE RUTORUA'S EXCURSION TO THE SOLNOS.

(By One of tub axcußSiosisrs.)

Hitherto the Wesi Coast fio ands h&va been reserved for the fortunate few to whom time and money are roino'r considerations. This season has been marked by a new departure on the p'\t'o of the Union Company. Chiefly for tha be: efiS c-f £cho>' teacher?, whosd annual conference is b^iuj held iv Da«edin this week, it wa.3 arts-urged to rua the s s. Boiorua over the course of fehe famous Tarawtra excursion?. Ths trip was to be accomplisbtd within ?even days for the reasonable charge of £6.

The s.s. liotorua sa-led from the Dunedin wharf on Tuesday, ire 28th uitr.j arid returned on Tuesday morning.

THE EXCURSIONISTS

Over 70 persons, including an equal number of ladies and gentlemen, took advantage of tbid favourable opportunity of seeing the wonders of the Sounds. With the ex"( ption of 10 or 12 outsiders, the party was cemposed of puMic schorl teachers. Every provino al district in the coiony was represented. Probably never before has such » repnsenlative githeringof pedagogues bern drawn together, or more intimate relations been established between fcLe various grades of the sch 1 li&tio profession.

Our education .&y«!em len'ln to divide the body of teachers into parochial aeotious the interests of which are foreign to each other, and the organisation breaks up the ranks iut:divitions which are mutually exclusive. But on this trip the grave head master found himself billeted on eqoal conditions with tue fligh'y young pupil teacher, and fhe longcxperienced mistress, whose li f e had been on« continued txemplifieation of all the proprieties, had to accept; 'he fellowship of the gay youn^ nicni* r* ss to whom life has as yet proved obl/ a joke with variations But never was there a more successful harmonising of contraries and combining of oppopites than on boaid the s.s. Roiorua curing the past seven days. A latent seu<-e of kinship in service together with a spirit of abandon to the pleasures oi! the truing crtatvd an afc-heme family feeling, which was nfcver disturbed by a single jar of discord throaghoufc the trip. The most amue reference to pupil?, schools, inspectors, committees, boards, or book's wav instantly suppressea, and smiles of approbation rewarded the man or voman Trho could contribute the largest amount of merriment, no mattes 1 how ridiculous or ludicrous, to the social iutereou'Si.

THE Snip's COMPANY.

Captain Anthony was ir> command. When it is known tbat. he has now complettd his twenty-seventh excursion to the Sounds there can be no doubt as to his fitness tor the position. But '.he captain charged himrelf withmuch more than the nav.gition of the vessel. He seemed to anticipate every wish of the most exacting > c-xcuisionist, and to be resolved that nothing ' should be lacking towards making his passengers enjoy themselves. Were it not that marvellous ' modesty is one of the most characteristic traits , o? tbia geoial skipper, it would be p'ea.«ant to , expatiate on his many exeelletcies. Suffice it j to say that were he free from matrimonial i bor.ds he cou'd have we'll nigh two score of j glowiug gentle hearts ready to sut render all to ; him, and an equal number >-f creatures of the ! sterner stuff ready to swear that "he's a jolly J good fellow." The lead given by the captain ' was well followed by his officer?. No trouble j seemed to ba beyond their good-tempered con- ( sent. Save their attention to the details of management, they became to all intents and ' purposes mea-bers of the party, and entered with zest into all their jollity. Although quite familiar with all the features of tha m untaiD, ' lake, and forest scenery, they were second to none in their expressions of admiration. On i more than one occasion when some exuberant ,

young lady had piled up descriptive adjectives as high as the Hvtre, an officer replenished the exhausted vocabulary by contributing a few 1 words from the stock of former word-painters. It is certain that friendships have been formed on this trip which will be lasting, and there is more than a possibility that; in some instances j the parson's everlasting cement will complete . the acquaintance just begun. j And yet perhaps the part of the ship's com- j pany which did most for the excursionists were j the stewards. Although the cabins were all , full nothing was neglected. After the first j few hours of inevitable penalising under old Neptune, When th? passengers' complexions Turned to hues not known before, And each felt an inward something StiiviDg, struggling to be free, | the mountain and sea air developed appetites which were perfectly " tigerous " in their demands. The passengers were divided into two services, known as the "piuks" and the " greens," which sat first at alternate meals. It was a rare study to contrast the lucky "firsts" with impatient "second?," and the speed at which the loaded tables were lightened was lit tie ! short of magical. Still the stewards smiled benignly, and seemed to be honoured when asked to supply "just a little more of that." The chief steward was a bountiful provider and very resourceful. A special word ! of praise is due to "Joseph," of the forecabin. > He is of a distinctly Hibernian type, with a ' mosb delicious brogue. He ruled his ' crowd of matculine wits and witlings with the most imperturbable serenity. ( Only on one occasiou did he fail, and even that was a b.illiant effort. A Caledonian had been unusually severe on Joseph, who at length retaliated by telling how a friend of hi 3, ' having returned to the Emerald Me, wa? salted, whether there were any snakes in New Zealand. "No," replied Joe's friend, "there are no snakes, but there are plenty of sanguinary j Scotchmen." There is no doubi that Joseph

has earned ior liimself r gruen spob in tha Jiismory of his fchreo dozen torrnenson". ' ENTEHTAI'^MSXTS. I Whenever the anchor was dropped in each J <^f th? souuds visited the steam lauuch and four boats were lowered and picaic parties c»raed abhote to "shady noeka and bosky ', dells." The amateur Jitfc mpts at; rowing, involving ccci-ionai ■' ecub-ca'cbers," and the • •' Sail yarns " of the sai'ora called iotih roars of , J&ugh'jer, which had no sooner died away tliau some roilickirig song was taken up, ar cl the mcuat'.in* reverbsraied with Uj« swinging chora.-es. Then followed the fishing and botanising *cd sketching. Enthusiasts fern gatherers filled their am 3 with bunfhes of ironda, and gay young geologists ' BfufE'id th'ir rockets with granite boulders and quo:lz lump*, f?Lile siveial foolhaidj JSTiuircds , spr&wl«d a' oat among tLe recks an.'l bushes I trying io \:sv. to earth young wskaa or breeding seagulls. Attor an hjur or two of this sort of thing k, whooping " cocey " announced that the i bi'ly was boiling. Judging by the avidity with , ■which the tea was swallows^ there can be no doubt as to the superiority of its brand and lis j brew. Oi'<!i':ary "os e-cu ; j>>;-rs" found it quite an e*sy matter to sbjocb live or sis pints, toge'Ler with solid concomitants, ab theie delightful wUer-e<lge picnics, j 1 The evening? ou b ard wers special seasons of grace. Mr Norman Gran*, fruin the U S.S. j i Oompai«y'* head office, undertook the preparation of the concert prcgraoam'j?. His per-suasivi-ues3 was irxosistible, and macy person) found thsrnv-lvos down on th>; j card and up on the flocr before they had | q.iite realised their own audacity. The musical cn.ntiibut'ions, hoch vocal and instrumental, were exeillent; but, as might have been expected froai a. body of tesoters, the e'ooutioLary j i'ein<s were 'aLtu^ually fine, and ranged from | :>ide-spisttiijg eoiuioal to eye-wipiog pathetical. I I) me ng, tao, was honoured by vigorous per- ■ f-jraiaLice?. Ooe youag man aerially sprained iiis auh'.e ta Ahii'uug through the in^zy figures :joS viseiy but coo weil. The New Year w&s ■wblcoaacd in by a syleodid pyrotechnic display in 'iJilf'>rd Sourd. Probably never before in all time ii.ul thes« mighty mountain walls thundered back in rauUJtiMuiouß echoes the his»ing rush of such mid'j'ghi; fjekets or ivikefc.'-d the nianycolouved rfleam of 80 many R.iioan candles and biilliant Sreballf. A grand climax was reached when the roar of the catinon lent the air aud 1 pet-Died to be rex^sated with tver-increasiug loudness from the 6ky~iiiercing pinnacles and vasty depths or the precip ; ces. The entrance of thi's year >A gf&c-i 1898 will be over tneaao- j rsble to the parly ihat aatled its coasiag Ust j i Saturday iuornin« iv Mili'ord Sound, A pleasing i feature of the jnbilatiors on board was the total j abserice of anjthing approaohiug iutuxicatiou. Oae youog man, with •' clubby " associations, ' was vei - y anxious to celebrate every occasion with " fizz," but he w»s simply laughed at. The others were singularly absteniiouß. 'IHE SOUNDS. Preservation hnei was entesred early en \ "Wednesday afteruooa. Atwr steaming blovriy up the channel about 12 miles the eh-p was > brought back to Cattle Oovs and aacaorud for > the night. Some o^ th^ pa&^engers v/e.vf. rajst kindly received on <«horo by Mr and Ihr< 11-hij, whj have been settled ?.l il^?i l^? Cove for several years. They empirically dtcihrH, Jms tbeir | lifa on the inlet. " ist fr. m fch-o in"lelirig • crowd's ignobJe ptrit-i," i= more >i.ui--factory to thems he* loan ..■■]£ be possible in *t,e 'iusj h.U'.{'> ot m^> A glance at the .;' jrfc'ic -.wny p»?l:s arcuiul ' their snog littlo cottage, a^f^ at ih»» 'lid; expanse of glassy bright aud smooth wt-ter spread before them, gives confirmation to theic j assurance that such a retreat constitutes an i iJeal environment. No one coald fail to bo i soothed by the deepcalmnesß and sil-jcan gran- , deur cf that snene. Unronscio'isiy the tones of j the voice are su^dutd and the fot-tfall is ' softened in these noble aisles yi Nature's \ grand catbe irsls, aud a feeling surely close • akin to religious worship overmasters all lesse? s emotions. Mr Henry has some interesting j stories to tell ahout his gold-prosp cling ex- : peditions and fishing adventures in the n<=igh- ! bourhood. He has confidence {.hat there are i rich aurifeious reefs and alluvial deposits ' around the inleb, and that the time is coming ( when there will be a great mining population | along its shores. Recently he found on the j beach a great sea monster of the seal family, } but quite distinct from every apecie3 of which ; he had ever heard. The creature was 13ft . long, covered with a rough, hairy skin, and pro- | vided with two encrmom fin-flippers. It greeted him vsith a snorting roar, snd tried to escape by wheeling itself iDto the sea. He killed it aud kept its skin and skull. The jaws are remarkably powerful. There are two strong tusks in the upper jaw, and two meetiDg them on the lower. The teeth, which are doublefanged and triple-pointed, are closely set along both jaw bjnes. Zoologists have an opportunity of gaining fame by research into the amphibian life of these soupds. There are also very accurate details given by reliable narrators of strange saurian monsters to be found in Milford Sound. DUSKY SOUND. At daybreak on Thursday the Kolorua left Preservation Inlet, and in three or four hours j entered Dusky Souud, and passed through ] winding channels from island to island. Again i aud again the entrances were lost to view, and | the vessel appeared to be quite land-locked, j The course is practically through a series of j lovely lakes. 1 Ths glorious morning sunshine j tipped the towering pinnacles of the mountains | with golden light, while the lower forest- j clad, slopes still rested in sombre shade. ! The water formed a peifect mirror, and the image of the mountains inverted was so perfect that it was difficult to distinguish shadow from substance. Nature seemed to smile at the beauty of her own reflected face. Relatively to the gigantic proportions of the BurroundiDgs,

the ship was but as a swan-like bird gliding orer the glistening wate>\«. As s,he entered Bowen Channel aud down Wet Jacket Arm the scenery | became still more imposing. All the weirdness and massiveness of the Bealey, Otira, and Manawafcu gorges were combined with the ; sdditicn of a charming perfection of beauty in the virgin fore&fc By-and-bye great fleecy flecks of mist gathered on the lorjg slopes, »ncs an indescribable sadnes3 settled over all. A £ilenb drip and drizzle shower followed, but this w{<B so congruous to the scene tb<tfc not a passenger declined hhe opportunity of an hoat or two in the boats, although it involved certain drenching to the akin. The desire of acquisition and possession is certainly universal to mankind, and is intensely strong in women. This wag manifestly evidenced by the eagerness with which some ladies clutched at the great pearly mountain daisies (ranunculus) growing along the margin of the bush. One impetuous maiden even commanded her attendant Lothario to bring to her two lively red-billed snipes which ware hovering arouud the boat in fearless curiosity. At night the mists rolKftl away, and the wazing moon shone down into that deep ravine froDi a cloudless sky. Never did the Qacen of N'ghfc appear in such peerless iplendcur. The rippling shimmer of her light ou countless wavelets along the sound formed a perfect counterpart to the brightness overhead. Little groups of passengers, inspired by the beauty of the acene, lingered long on deck, and only thfs knowledge that dawn would begin a. uew series cf experiences forced them to retire from the romantic cha*m of that mooa'ic yauoram», GKORQE SOUND. Acheron Pss^sge form* the gateway to tbe open sea. A fuw hours of tho ocean swell outside serves to emphasise the sense of repose within the sheltered waters of the sounds. Waile breakfast is still proceeding the whistle ou the bridge announces the entrance into another haven. It is & rsro sight to see the crovrd hurriedly swallowing enough food fee» appease tbe imperious demands of their quickened appetites, yeo fearful lest any p*rfe of the great wonderland should escape their sight. The st ; rring of one'a emotions by tha presentation of the sublime and beautiful such as is experienced in these sounds approaches the highest ecstasy. In George Sound, including the uppor reaches and side openings, the cliff j become bolder and more precipitous than t'co^fe jusfc passed. But danciog cascades and Mfreaoaiog waterfalls relieve the sternness of the £i-e.ifc rock faces, while a peculiar purplish haze softe&s the more distant views. Every Epaca between adjacent peaks is filled by another peak iv the rear, and tans the mountains rise, tier behind tier, like the gallery of a colossal amphitheatre. The ridges are greatly serrated, and most fantastic forms appear st» unexpected openings, and the dtflniteness of the outline suggests a sword-like sharpness of edge. By universal consent George Sound was declared to be the most beautiful of all. Although there remained the mstchlrss wonders of Milford, this general opinion remained unchanged. ( To be continued )