THE CYNIC ABROAD,

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 76

THE CYNIC ABROAD,

DIPRESSIONS OF SOUTHLAND.

I BY BtXGALEV.

I.— IXTERCABGILL AXD THE BLITF. The.agi-icultural, dairying, and pastoral qualities of the Southland country aie too well known and self-evident to need any comment, but a pacing gbiuce at the towns and townships might be of jiileresr. Inveicargill, the leading town, is bound to keep its place in the v.m. It is -well l^id out, with a jjuud country aTi luuud. and its pioxiniiiy to the coa--t, position, and otlier ud\diit^ges all point to its prosperous fiuuie. There aie a good manj sub(■•act'al buildings to be seen, the Bank of Vt.v Ze.iia.r-d and the Post oui"e benv ..rnnn,' the mo^t prominent. Ai, the fiis: glance the m>un streets appear to con'-'"t mostly of small diapeiy establi^!mien;<;. in a chiouic state of belling off at startling reductions, fruit and loll} .'hops, aivlpub^., the last-named being fiow&y oi.es as a luk. leekmg with the odour of stale tc-'bacxo and ether abominations-. A good deal of the main business is in the hands of a few large iiims and cumpjii'3*»; in fac-t, New Zetland prom ses to be notliing el--c — only a seiiee of c<jmj)aaies' and combine. The town will, no doubt, crawl a'ong by degrees — <-!'jv. ly but surely. One of the principal relaxations of the inhabitants is attending prayer meetings, evangelists oftheToirey aiH Al'xn/idcr t.ip c — also their imitators — finding Xew Zealand, and Invercargill in particular, a happy hunt'ng ground for their pniticular vocation. The two 'cute Amt-r.cans mentioned mtu.t nave scooped in a good deal of fU'hy lucre and sold a lot of hymn bnoks. Piobabh* they now hold the rccoi-tl as hymn book canvassers, and the re-li sh of Hankey and Moodv's music has taken on. An army of book fa'ends could, not have done the business in the time. The ladies of Invercargill are demure-looking, seiious, ajid as a i-ule in excellent condition, and muny fine strapping men are to be seen, proving that the cl mate is suitable for rawug a good cli'fcs of human beings as well as oats and dairy pioduce. On Saturday night it seems a point of honour for all and simdiy to parade the main streets, and to watch the crowd plodding up and down Dee and Tay streets as if their lives depended on it remincl'S one forcibly of a funeral procession on the rampage. The hoodlum element is not v. iii.ti'ii;. but not very piom.nent ; louti*hne«s would be the correct term. The only thea. le in the town is being turned into a biif-inesjs place — a proof of the prac- I tical natuie of the p.eople— and private eitei prise seems a bit backward in coming fonvaid to build a new one. A> one time ilia city fathers contemplated buildaig something of the sort, but the opposition WrfS. too strong, some thinking that it would be a "suifu' waste o' siller' to build a place in which high kicking and other demoialisin:z pastimes might be indub/ed in. Football seems to be the national game of New Zealand, and in Invercargill the Rugby game is in great favour. It speaks well lor the pluck and silaniina of the young fellow sto see so many players. No m. stake, they have sumo willing bout* on the Union and other grounds. Another good point js the geneial good nature with ■winch the p'ay^rs give and t;ike pretty lough usage. Many of the cigareite-smok'ng, tilly dudes who affect to look down on the f( otballeis ■would be better men and more useful mc-m-b'eis of society if they were to don a jersey and go into a scrum There i.s not much fear of British prestige be ng affected in any way whatsoever if the ming generation s;t ii k tv Rugby football and other manly games. in biisiness ciicles there is a ffi.!r amount of eumpet'tion, but i he old identities and their descendants are end-owed with the qualities of the limpet, and hold on. The chosen lace are quite outclassed by the native article, so they are not much in eudence. Althcrugli the Inveicargillites are dead nails at a. bargain, m.my of them have le.Ulv good points, and they improve on acquaintance by degrees. The water tower is one of the sights of the town, and it also ha? a handsome hospital, with a splendid sljti' of nursw- and a mat ion. This invtitut im be , credit to any town or dikinct. Bluff, tlic port, is chiefly remarkable for nothing in particular, but when a, few ve.sscl.s .ne in loading oats, f i ok .1 muttf.n, and dairy pioduce it is cjuite a busy little place. In sp te of the gene sal godliuess o f New Zn\.'id, a ti.nn niiii to tlie Bluff on .Sun(1 1. ?, ]iiobdbly because th le > mpn"v i" t'lt, ' and many of the Inv 2 oigill ]>co|j!e lun down to get a breath of the fi<"-li salt :nr. It gives the 1 .diip a show to a'-toni'-h the Bluffites with their Sunday luV.s. The coirect tlung to do when the tia'n arrives at the Bluff — on Sunday, at least — is to walk in .solemn decoious pro-cs'-ion to the wharf and storm any unfortunate st 'Miner that happens to h;>ve her gangway out. On one steamer nnaded this way recently the crew looked a bit amu°«d arid took things as a matter of course, but one gentleman, who was eAidtntlv an offi ■cer or someone in authority, \< oked as if he did not altogether leh-'h the v, iw his domain wauS taken possession of Tl>.wcver. two of the Invercargill lad cs sn^led sweet- on him a<~d he lel-ritrd, bu l <« owled savajeK- u 1 - an o:d'>t.2v iv.,11 crea'nre Th"'Bb*T is 1 tiled r,"-i l« - ie.iwjril.lv safe ha'b«,.r. a- id c\<iuhnj i> d.i-ie tt> ;is-]-l the- < -l'i]i'i" o ' i!i tli" \\j7 if light iiuil'-i.-.

— Kigii' iliim'.cs Law Kood on the t.tc of .St Paul"- Catliedial 'lhe> first one «ii Lmk m r>.e jtai ad 2"- 1 !. Anvorr that I>p« eoio Iltro-t 1 Mi'-t k' ow lioV cauiht a c,At\ ■ Oi.r 2-ood advice li fl t'if>n 'hou'd rotc\ And do w'^at lie U MJ. \\ )i f1!f 1 ! jc ,f }i C hhue; u c rrot tllC J-CriC — To lid-t"ii to p'ocuie The thin? that m!1-s frr ci .'litre: r rr:: . Sonip - ( "Wood's' Ueeat I'i.rrLr.itiM Clpe.