The Traveller.

Southern Cross, Volume 13, Issue 5, 29 April 1905, Page 10

The Traveller.

MARVELLOUS MELBOURNE. (From a Correspondent.) Passengers from New Zealand by steamer arriving in Melbourne are, I understand, generally taken right up to the wharves under the curtain ot night. That was my experience at anyrafe last week. The smoothness of the waters inside Port Phillip had induced refreshing slumbers after the restless motion experiencedin Bass Straits, and the breaking of day revealed through the port hole the sights and sounds of a busy city. It was raining steadily, and Jupiter Pluvius was about to receive an imprecation from my lips, when I was reminded that this was not Southland by hearing a voice outside the porthole exclaim—“ This is a lovely rain—just what the country has been praying for.” A short stroll before breakfast gave us a view of

The Fish Market just opposite the U.S.S. Company’s wharves. Here were rows of small carts laden with fish of all kinds, displaying their commodities to the best advantage, and by degrees disposing of them to the various buyers. The number of trains passing and rapassing along the viaducts which intersect and converge in Flinders street attracted attention. These were The Suburban Trains which run on a double line all around the city. The service is very frequent, and competes largely with the tramways in regard to suburban traffic. We were not long in finding our way to the Victoria Coffee Palace in Collins street, which can be recommended as one of the most central and well conducted establishments of the kind in the city. A few hours here convinces one of

The Vastness of Melbourne, even without knowing that the population is just upon half a million, and a few impressions of “ Marvellous Melbourne ” may not be out of place, and to those who are fond of statistics and general particulars, I would commend Cole’s Guide to Melbourne, which is the cheapest shilling’s vvorth one can buy in that line. Without wishing to disparage the electric tram system, The Cable Car Service

of Melbourne seems to me the acme of perfection. The speed is certainly slower, but there is less liability to accident and no objectionable poles in the streets. The system extends along all the main streets, which are a chain and a half wide, and provide ample room for the double lines. These lines run for miles in every direction to the suburbs, and the service is so frequent that sometimes twenty curs may be seen at once following each other along the main streets. The visitor wishing to see the city quickly could not do better than take a seat in the grip-car, when he will glide quickly and smoothly along, passing most of the notable features in the way of buildings, parks, etc. The Zoological Gardens in Royal Park should be visited by anyone from our twin-island colony. For twopence the cars will carry you to the gates, where on a Sunday payment of one penny will secure admission. This is the cheapest show one could get anywhere, as may be gathered from the fact that there are 1400 different animals in the collection. The elephants, tigers, lions, bears, etc., are not of the maimed and broken-spirited kind that generally accompany the circuses that periodically tour New Zealand. They are well cared for, and have specially built apartments which, where necessary, are artificially heated. Under such conditions the animals need no prods with sticks to give them motion, but all, without exception, seem as much at home as if in their native jungle. On entering and passing the stalls and tea-

rooms where the children buy supplies of buns for the bears, biscuits for the kangaroos, and nuts for the monkeys, the visitor is confronted with a maze of avenues leading between the enclosures containing beasts and birds from every clime. As one strolls along the flamingoes croak and stick their beads through the bars for some edible, the kangaroos bound forward at the approach of footsteps; the elephants (fine specimens, provided with a large brick stable) thrust out their trunks, and will go down on their stomachs to reach a biscuit thrown short of the mark ; even the snowy white Polar bear, in his efforts to reach an apple core, will extend his foreleg and claws to an abnormal length through the inner bars. Then there are the lithe and restless pumas, four magnificent Bengal tigers, lions and lionesses and their cubs. The lions and tigers are in turns admitted to large exercising grounds, in which they gnaw at shin bones while crouching on the rocks placed in the centre. The hyena shuffles about in front of his bars, the sloth and black bears put their noses through the bars and beg for an apple All these dangerous animals are kept a safe distance from the public by a barricade a few feet in front of their bars. But the huge brown bears mast be more ferocious. They are kept in a bear pit about ten feet deep, around which is a high iron railway, through which the children throw buns to the bears as they climb and cling to a ladder pole in the centre, and catch the dainty morsel in their open jaws. Space will not permit of reference to the peculiar characteristics of the oppossums, lynxes, pumas, dingoes, wolves, weasels, and other animals of that class, nor to the camels, antelopes, ibex, zebras, llamas, guanacos, nor the reptiles, alligators, snakes, pythons, etc. The nimble and playful monkeys, of which there are several large collections, are a source of attraction to young and old. I have not laughed so heartily for a long time as I did at the antics of one which had been given a piece of a mirror. Its efforts to find out where the “ other fellow ” shown in the glass was, were irresistibly funny. B e held the glass at a distance, then bringing it nearer to his face, he would paw behind it and overbalance himself ; then he would place it in every conceivable position, and getting angry, smack it, and look to see what effect that had. The other occupants of the cage, seeing the flash of the glass, made a dart for it, and then discovering their reflection, would suddenly change their minds. Daring the afternoon (Sunday) the band played some Sacred airs, much to the enjoyment and edification, I should think, of the very orderly and decorous assemblage of young and old. I returned to the city by train, which leaves the back entrance —fare, twopence for a ride of several miles.