A VISIT TO IHE "LAND OF HEAVENLY GLOWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2497, 22 January 1902, Page 68

A VISIT TO IHE "LAND OF HEAVENLY GLOWS.

(By Oir. SoiTiiLvvn Cohkispovdent.) Most appropriately was Stewart Inland named "The Land of .Heavenly (Jlow<-."" Standing on the Bluff wharf at sunset one sees the King of Day slowly sinking into the azure depth«, not as a red ball of fire, but as a glorious blaze of amber light, suffusing the sky to the zenith, tinting all the little creamy clouds with a delicate tinge of pink, and edging them with a golden fringe. Bathed in this heavenly glow , the •distant islands seem to be veritable abode* of the blest, and one longs . . . there to wandei far away, On horn island into island at the gateways oi the day , iLargei) constellations burning, mellow moons and happy skies, Bread t lks of tiopic shp-cie and pairus u~> cjumci, knolls oi paradise. A most favomable opportunity to gratify this longing was afi'oided by 'Sir J. G. "Ward on Satin day, the 11th. The Government steamer Hmemoa, which 3iad been discharging slcneis for the Railway department at the Bluff, was detained to convey >Sn Joseph and Lady Ward to Wellington, and as the Minister had business at Stew art •Island, he invited a number of visitors and residents of Bluff and Invercargill to accompany him. A large v party, among •whom were Sir Frederick and Lady Sargood and members of theii family, who purpose spending a week or two at the island, took advantage of the invitation, Sir Joseph undertaking to "go to the Dogs'" ■■with them, and afterwards to "Glory" The day was perfect, and everything jombined to make the outing one of unalloyed {pleasure. A calm sea of deepest blue, a oloudless sky, waim sunshine, and just enough breeze to npple the surface and give an enjoyable sense of exhilaration The run across was accomplished in an hour and a-half, and as the Hinemoa approached Ealfmoon Bay, a delightful scene unfolded itself. The unruffled expanse of the emerald bay, the low, wooded hills, with their (gorgeous masses of rata blossom, beneath .■which nestled clumps of graceful fern trees, With their long, drooping fronds ; the rich pasture of the clearings, with pretty houses embowered in gardens of fruit and flowers , fjl£ ftuoxaroas cosy little coves v/itii tlfeir j

dazzling white beaches, and boat;, lazily risj ing and falling with the swell, and the perfume of the balmy breeze induce a delightful dreamy langour, and one murmuis: Dioops the heaij-blosoomed bower, hangs the he<ivy-fiuitc<l tree, « Summer' i^!es of Eden King in daik purpie spheres of sea. 'Die water is too shallow to admit of the Hmemod going alongside the wharf, but the -teamer is, well provided with boat-, and we aie soon safely stowed on board them, and towed ashore by the oil launch, which tootles its little toot and gambols along like a toy terrier out for a frisk. The entire population turns out to meet v- — | black, brown, more or less -white, and spotted. I interrogate a spotted sojouiner, j "You '-eem to have some sandfhes heie?" j '" I should viy so Why, two of them sat j up on their h.iunuho la^t night, and baiked at me like dogs" ""Or'h r ' s-iid anothei, " That's nothing Four of them tackled me ly -t night and tued to thiow me out of my bunk.' Sir Joseph gives i.> an hour and a-half here, and while he attends to his business we exploie and fi-h Truly, as someone has already remaiked, it is a small world after all. Here are gathered together representatives of " Glc-ca "' and Central Otago, Melbourne and Waikaka, parson and priest, lawyer and politician, the summer girl in print, and her young man in sweater and duck, all wearing an air of infinite content, i The little buttei ti^h s.w<irm here by thousands, and soon the wharf is littered with these spoils of the sea, but the blue cod and the white h<\\ tieat our lures with lordly contempt. Meanwhile Sir Joseph is inviting the inlanders to "' go to the Dogs," and it takes two tups of the tiansport seivice to take us all on boaid. Lunch, ho! Sir Joseph does nothing by halves, and the bounteous .spiead m the saloon below i<* m keeping with all his other proviMon^ for the ■•njoyment of ln< gue<.t.«. who are till at work when the steamer leaches Ringn-Ringa, i where the j elpb of the Sibeiwii pup* gieet our ears. j Another shoit run in the boats, ' a fanly feteep clrmb up the hillside, and we are in Mr Traill's garden, gazing on a scene which surely can have but few equals even In this beautiful land of ours. At our feet the placid bay, with the graceful Hinemoa, "a painted ship upon a painted ocean " ; behind \vi the cosy home, em- ' bowered in flowers and backed my masses of deep green foliage and blazing rata ; far beLaw: iiui, Aloiious karboui- of Paitrion's

Inlet, its vjiCice u muffled by a bieath of wind, mnroung the surrounding hills, the i^le of Ulv.i in the middle distance, and close below on our light the grave and tombstone of the heroic pioneer of CJnistnuiity in Ruapuke — the Miintly Wohlers. The air is languorous with the hum of insect life and the subdued twitter of bad«, and one is fain to give himself up to dreams, but the \oice of our host and leader recalls u». and most of us are once moie making for the boats, a few of the gentlemen electing to go overland to Halfmoon Bay — a 20 minutes' walk. Among our passengers this time are a number of the white-coated, docile Siberian pups, which are much admired and fondled by the children. Arrived at H.tlfmoon Bay, the islanders aie taken ashore in Ihe .steamer's boats making the lulls rewound with cheers for Sir Joseph and Lady Waid. and soon we are steaming homeward and taking with us memories of one of the mos>t delightful of outings. Arrived at the Bluff, Mr I. W. Raymond, as spokesman for the company, expresses the gener.il thanks, and calls for cheers for Sn Joseph and Lady Waid. t he courteous Captain " Harry " W T ood, the sprightly chief steward, and " Awarua Pat." If cheers can express anything, surely those cheers were eloquent. Throughout the dly had been one of unilloyed pit aassiduous in his attentions to all his guests and in this was ably seconded by the member of his family. He was lead'i everywhere, and his cheerfulness was contagious. Sir Joseph expressed himself as very gratified to know that his guests had enjoyed themselves. For himself and Lady Ward the day had been one of unallowed p'easure. He called for cheers for the captain nnd for " ouiidves," ■which were right cordially riven. Sir Jo«eph uvd Lidy Waid left by the Hinemoa for Wellington the ibi'ine evening.

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