A ROUND-THE-WORLD

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 85

A ROUND - THE-WORLD

DTJNEDIN TO GREAT BRITAIN, VIA ' -'-T SUEZ CANAIi.-"- -

RETURNING- -"V3A (SM?JIDIAS-YACIEIC THROUGH' ' CANADA AND THE ROCKIES. --

• By R. Chisholit. so. i.

All good-byes and farewells over, on a Iright, sunny Sunday afternoon the s.s. Wimmera loosed her moorings at the tongue wharf, Dunedin, and in water placid as a pond "glided down the picturesque harbour, amid the shoute of God-speed and waving of handkerchiefs by those whom years of friendship^ had drawn from their oomf ortabte homes to wish the travellers a pleasant and prosperous voyage and safe return; Bounding Cape Saunders, all

Nature seemed- to bear the impress of that " day of rest." The sea was calm, and the little wind gently wafted over the Peninsula rippled the surface, and gave it tho appearance, of a magnificent sheet of perfectly ruled' glass. ' The sun was setting behind Flagstaff- and Mount Cargili when we passed the- Ocean. - Beach, these hills throwing their long, shadows like a huge dark curtain over. Dunedin and- suburbs, obscuring the view of these places of interest -we hoped to see for the last time prior to our return^ The Bluff was reached early in .the morning, ' when we found ourselves fast 'to- the wharf, -with a stiff *' south-wester i' blowing, and thick, drizzjling rain. ;>-A'rfew; passengers 1 who had come by express train fro'rn Dunedin joined us here, and' after discharging and taking in cargo we .left for Milford Sound in the evening. -The morning J>roke with a comparatively calm sea.-and' but little wind, the Wiflunerai steaming 1 -~up the" West Coast •with the prominent headlands and 1 sound! full -in view, the majestic mountain tops penetrating the,-darjc clouds that hung like a pall fro,m the «kyj. above ; while he-re' ,and there, in .grafsefai'forrn, the white fleecy clouds were seen, rising and creeping athwart their sonibre sides. Rounding the- point and steaming for the entrance to "Milford Sound, the sight that presented itself was one of unparalleled ' splendour, equalled only by- the -magnificence of the scene that- bursts upon tite •view as one proceeds to the head of the sound. On both sides the ,irregulaf precipitous mountains, .rising, out of the deep, -.)ark, blue 'ocean, towered up -fco a .ucigjat of 6000 ft to -7000 ft and, reflected their giant forms in the, mirrored' waters. , The feeling of admiration, awe, and wonder that creeps across one's, soul as he gazes on such a scene *is intensified when the echo from, the cannon fired on board the steamer, like dista-nt thunder pr • roar,- of. artillery, rolls along "the mountain defiles from side to side, until in -£he distance" it dies away like the gentle sighing of ''the summer breezed Here the camera was called into requisition, and a number of snapshots taken to remind us of a pleasant visit under exceptionally favourable circumstances to one of the grandest sounds for •which the West Coast" of New Zealand is famed. Emc- ging from the Sound the scene changed. A south-west, wind * commenced to blow, and Jthe ocean, -^ which before -.was j>lacid as. a mill pond, rose .and danced likey myriad' 1 nymphs." dressed in blue,, with- long,' fleecy, -'white -tresses floating in the The gradual- disappearanoe ifromthe deck of many of. those who a short time- before had been drinking in the- marvellous sights of-/ lililford, Sound, and, the , pitching and tossing of our good•fceamer -evidenced that we were running into stormy "weather; and as morning broke, and - the lively air of the cornet Gounded the invitation to the first meal, the few occupied seats at €fie table proved conclusively that the ears of most of those on board were deaf, their appetites dead, to the usuaL charm of the cornetsteward's musical appeal. , That dreaded enemy to comfortaibde travelling by sea was busy, and only -the berths and cabins of the 5.3. Wimmera can truly tell how utterly incapable our animal organism, is under such conditions of retaining all that by perfectly legitimate means if has acquired, and how useless to control its complicated mechanism as you would fain wish. The person whose "inventive faculty can Buggest a certain cure for sea-sickness will, in addition to amassing* a fortune in an incredibly short space of time, he regarded as the voyager's benefactor, and will earn the lasting gratitude of all who have occasion to - travel 'by sea. Tha condition of things did not improve for the better until we got under the lee of the Tasmanian headlands Sailing ap the harbour to Hobart in theearly morning wa3 a pleasant relief to the xough experience of the few previous days, and most -of the, passengers prepared for' going 1 ashore*' in a goo<? spirit to various ' places of interest in the pretty little • town of Hobart, which in many, respects resembles our own City of Dunedin, although behind it in many things, xiotably i its electric tram system. The gua'ge is narrow and the line rough, while ihe cars (in many /eases double-deckers) areneither so handsome nor so comfortable. Boardirig one of these we ran out as far as Sandy Bay, and had a good view of the town and suburbs. The number of buildings and dwellings in course of erection and recently finished gave evidence of prosperity, and the blazg of colour in

' the gardens in front of the pretty, quaint residences with their tile and shingle roofs, gives an air of attraction and lends a beauty to the whole town. Here, lying in the harbour, for the first time we saw the stately s.s. Orontes, which we are to join in Melbourne, and which is to convey us to our destination. Leaving Hobart at noon, and proceeding down the Derwent River and harbour, the most striking feature of the landscape is the numerous" peculiarly-shaped rocks which like mighty cathedral organ pipes tower majestically • upwards to various heights. From here j to Melbourne the run was accomplished ■ under most favourable circumstances, the ; weather being everything that could be • desired, affording a fine opportunity of I seeing the Tip at "Port Phillip Heads, where . the ill-fated s.s. Australia wont ashore and j now lies a hopeless wreck, with a strong I list to starboard. In stormy weather this r-is a difficult point to navigate owing to the 'j strong cross currents that raise and toss the 1 waters into a seething, boiling mass, from I which it receives its appropriate name, i Night fell as we entered the Yarra, and nothing could be seen from the deck but i the bright lights from the distant city, which we reached about 9 o'clock. As this was . about an hour before our expected arrival, we did not" meet friends whom we expected to see there, but were agreeably surprised, after securing rooms and preparing to settle down for the night, to receive a visit from our friends, who had driven up to the door, and desired us to share their hospitality during our/ too^ brief stay in Melbourne. " If there is any occasion or condition in li f e | when one feels grateful for any attention { shown, it is when he is a stranger in a , J strange ,land,' and when that attention j assumes the form- of a great kindness then sensibilities must be dull or dead if they do not respond in appreciative gratitude. Two and a-half days in Melbourne , could not have been more pleasantly or profitably spent than was the time spent with our genial host and hostess, who were ' most unremitting in kindness and assiduous '' \ in their efforts to entertain us right royally jby driving us to places of interest and snowing us the sights of Melbourne. ' My first impression, of Melbourne is ' favourable. It is a fine city, well laid out. The streets and footpaths, which run ' parallel and at right angles, are wide, clean, and tidy, while the buildings in. the princi- ' pal streets are imposing in appearance. | .The cable tram system is extensive and ' Complete and traveling by same reasonable. I Amongst its various public institutions the | i Free Public Library, Art Gallery, and ', I Museum, contained within one well-arranged 1 and' commodious building, is worthy of ; 'notice. A large section of the community ll ' f seems to take advantage of the library, i which is supplied with a miscellaneous and x well-selected stock of literature, the books of reference in the scientific and theological ■ sections being most in demand. The Art j Gallery presents some fine specimens of j the. artist's brush. Conspicuous amongst j these is the -picture called " The I Crisis," representing ,. an anxious bus- j 1 band- -with care-worm features intently I watching his ; wife; who, with ' < death- I like paleness, - lies ,- on a couch near by. It would be difficult indeed to conceive of . real life and death being brought more -closely together and more faithfully portrayed.' The arrangement "and grouping of the- specimens in ''the museum, of which •" there is an endless variety, seem, almost perfect, while every provision is made to prevent their .destruction by moth or other insect. -Our drive to and -stroll- through the Botanical Gardens were pleasant, and to one who has taken some little interest in the .improving of our reserves and gardens in Dunedin an object-lesson in how much remains yet 'to be" done before we "can even -venture to compare our public garden with . those in Melbourne. One thing" I observe, . that the Town Council- of Melbourne in its public notices carefully considers the ; capabilities of the most illiterate to under- • stand "their meaning. Instead of requesting • citizens to refrain from expectorating on i the footpaths, the simple notice on the , lamp-posts runs: "Please do not spit on , the footpaths." 1 ,Oa Tuesday forenoon we drove to Port 1 Melbourne, and at noon embarked on board the' s.s. Orontes. The Orontes is „a fine twin-screw steamer of 10,000 tons burden,' and. capable of carrying a large 1 number of c passengers. Her complement on the present occasion was — first saloon, 136, | second saloon 160, third class 276. As a large- number of these 'joined her at Port Melbourne, it was not surprising to find the wharf in the " vicinity of our good ship crowded with friends' 1 of those on board, j Amidst farewells and the waving of handkerchiefs we left the fine, city of Mol- ! . bourne i behind and steamed out of Port ■ Phillip^Heads, making our course for Fre- • mantle,, which* was to be our next port of call, v Adelaide being passed over on account of' the dispute between the Federal Government and the Orient Company over the mail contract. The voyage from Mel-! bourne to Fremantle,- where we arrived , early on Monday morning, afforded oppor- ; tunity for getting acquainted, with passen- j gers and settling down to real ship life. The first thing that struck me was , the large number of New Zealandcrs ' on board, who, with the char- ; acteristio energy and resourcefulness , readily responded to an invitation to set up a committee for the purpose of organis- [ ing and carrying out sports and amuse- ' ments during the voyage. They did me the honour of electing me president, which office I was somewhat reluctant to accept, i .as I saw around me many my seniors in j years, and I doubt not in experience, j who would have filled the position with i dignity and credit to themselves and satisfaction'^ those on board. They would, however, accept no refusal, and so I had to do my little best to add to their enjoyment . and comfort during the few weeks we were to be together. As we were nearing j Fremantle, where several of the passengers | were to leave the steamer on her arrival , • early on Monday morning, and as no Sunday evening service had been arranged for, 1 it was . thought fitting to devote an hour 1 that evening to a sacred concert in honour of the occasion. < It was soon discovered ■ that we had musical talent of a no mean 1 order, making it comparatively easy to '■ prepare a suitable programme, which was ; printed on board and circulated amongst the passengers. Needless to say, the efforts of tlie various performers were- much appre- ' 1 oiated, -and the service altogether a pro- ' Bounced success. | Monday morning saw us safely berthed alongside the. pier in the harbour of Fre- j mantle. Breakfasting early, we were soon J on shore, and, taking an early train, three- { quarters of an hour's run through country that was interesting as showing how rapidly houses seem. to; b& going- up is all

directions found us in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Perhaps no place in the Australian colonies has forged ahead more rapidly than Perth. In a tew short years it has grown from a mere village to a town of considerable size and importance, with a population of 46,400, nearly equal to Dunedin and suburbs. At the present rate of progress the time is not iar distant when Fremantle and Perth v will be practically one extensive city. The two places in Perth visitors are strongly recommended to see arc the King's Park and Queen's Gardens. From the former, which is reached by electric tram, you get a fine view of the town, which is picturesque, being built on the Swan River, which lends a lustre to its setting amidst trees and shrubs that are tropical in their appearance. The little that ha-s been done in ornamenting and laying out the park is to gcod purpose, but very much remains to be done before it can be looked upon as having any special attraction to visitors. The chief object of interest in ' the park at the present time is the monument erected to the memory of their soldiers who fell in South Africa during the »time of the Boer war. The ' design is plain and neat—the bronze figure of a trooper, with rifle and bayonet fixed, standing over his dying comrade, who is raising the last cup of water to "his parched lips, the figures being supported on a square pedestal slightly tapering to the top, with a brpnze-ombossed panel on each side representing incidents in some of the fiercest battles that were fought in that dreary campaign. • ' | Tho Queen's Gardens arc laid off with exquisite skill and taste, the intricate, complicated, yet perfect designs in ponds and flower plots, with their graceful lines and curves, , encircling flowers of glorious beauty ■ iin brightest colouring set in beautifully- ' kept lawns of richest green — the ponds, ■ winding through the gardens, narrowing at ! , points, where they are spanned by footi bridges of rustic design, and dotted with ; waterfowl and clumps of pink, yellow, and i while waterlilies. No one visiting Perth ' should fail to ste these beautiful gardens, i i .Returning by train to Fremantle we were struck with the comfort of the second class l carriages — indeed, we thought we had got ■ into a first by mistake, as the second are 1 ' quite equal to our first in New Zealand, : having the advantage of being lit up with

Having tne advantage oi temg lit up witn electricity. Fromanlle is a smaller and less pretentious place, .jfith a good harbour, ' where a good deal of money has been expended, and is still being spent, to good purpose in necessary improvements. It has a population at present of a little over ( 24,000, and to all appearances is in a prosperous condition. A few passengers left us at Fremantle, while others joined us there. About 4- o'clock we steamed out of the harbour, and after rounding the extensive breakwater steered for Colombo. As we had 10 days' steaming before us the members of the Amusements Com- . mittee set itself energetically to work jto provide sports and games suitable jto the conditions and circumstances of those on board. As there were three classes of passengers — first saloon (numbering 128), second saloon (numbering 146), and third class (numbering 238) — each had to arrange its own amusements, an edict having gone forth that there was to be no mixing of classes — a principle which, to my 1 mind, is being carried out in too drastic a fashion. J-ust fancy an invitation from the second saloon to play a friendly gam© of cricket being cheerfully accepted by the first, and vetoed by the captain. I do not know much about the first saloon passengers, but I can say a finer, more considerate, and more respectable lot of passengers never graced the Orontes's second saloon, !or sailed the Indian Ocean, than the '.little community of 146 souls that was en board at that time, each passenger yieing with the other in the effort to make their brief stay tog-ether as enjoyable and happy as, under the circumstances, it was possible to be. If there is one spot on earth or sea more than another where individual characteristics manifest and assert themselves unmistakably it is on board ship. One pleasing feature in connection with our voyage thus far was the unanimity with which the Sab,bath day was observed as a day of rest and h complete cessation from all sports which were spiritedly engaged in on other days of ( the week. Divine service was held on the I deck of the first saloon on Sunday morn- ' ing at 11 o'clock, oonductcd by the cap- : tain, assisted by onejor other of the clergyman en board, the form of service being the Church of England. As the promenade deck of the first saloon was long and narrow, only those who were near the speaker could \ hear, thus limiting the attendance. In the evening, at 8 o'clock, the Rev. Mr Bissett conducted a Presbyterian fervice either in the second saloon or on the promenade deck of the second saloon, which was more suitable for the purpose than that of the first. This service was well attended, and I the singing specially hearty A gentleman , from Port Chalmers was the aocompanist ! and leader of the choir We had a gijand | concert on deck on the Wednesday evening prior to our arrival at Colombo on the following morning. The programme, which ! was an excellent one, was printed and , tastefully got up on board in the form of 1 a souvenir, and sold for 3d to pay the 1 printer. If anything had been wanted to ' evidence that we had talent of a high order ! in tbe second saloon of the Orontes it was found in the very capable manner in which every item on the programme was rendered. j Worthy of special notice was the recita- . tion contributed by a voting ladj'- whose ! easy style and graceful gesture won the ] applause of the audience, and received a rneril-ed encore. It is said that the hull of the barque I County of Ayr. wrecked at Sha° - Point on 1 the 19th ult.",_ is still intact. Three Shag I Point residents who visited the scene of I the wreck on Sunday last state that tbe j deck of the vessel is plainly visible at low water. According to a parliamentary return, for the 12 mouths ended June 30, 1905, 4351 gallons of beer and stout, 46 gallons of wine, 2238 gallons* of spirits (total, 6635 gallons of alcoholic liquor), were railed to stations in the Mataura. electorate. In addition, 929 parcels and 35 cases of liquor not otherwise specified were railed to j stations in the electorate during the same period. The following figures show the I quantities of liquor railed to stations in , the Ashburton electorate for the period ! under review : — Ale and stout — 461 cases, ! 169 hogsheads, 1009 kegs, 422 kilderkins, 58 '' jars, 13 casks, 36 barrels. Spirits — 1110 cases, 13 casks; 3 octaves, 249 jars, 33 parcels, 3 kegs. Wine — 71 cases, 3 jars, 1 kes. Cider/— l 2 kegs, 4 octaves, 2 cases.