MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [FROM THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.]

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 73, 25 October 1884, Page 6

MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [FROM THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.]

London, September 12. A Dull Month. Throughout the" past IS months it has never happened to me to be absolutely short of items — more or less interesting — for my Anglo-Colonial letter, but I must candidly confess that during the last few weeks my resources have been pretty severely taxed. Thank goodness, however, it can't last much longer. Already the great heat has given out, and the weather shows signs of breaking. A few rainy days and stormy nights will drive Londoners hurriedly home from the seaside to their ordinary avocations, and by the end of September business should be wnat city folks call "looking up."

A Colonial Knight Swindled. Thotalk just now amongst such Anglocolonists as remain in town is principally about the fatuous folly of a well-known Australian knight who according to report has parted with £10,000 to a gang of swindlers, the latter promising to have his K.C.M.G. converted into an hereditary title. Of course, no sane man could ever have been imposed upon by such a palpable dodge, but this unfortunate gentleman's inordinate vanity has long made him a prey to " sharps " of all sorts. When he first came to England Croesus (as he is jocularly called in his own circle) imagined that he would be received with open arms by society. He spent money freely and waited. For once, however, society was coy, and it was not till he obtained the support of an impecunious but aristocratic Dowager Marchioness that he and his wife were admitted inside any really good houses. After this, people u sed to say that the knight paid for firstclass introductions. Accoiding to report he gave one great lady a priceless piece of Sevres china, and another a diamond bracelet. No doubt many of the stories told about him are false, but I fancy it is true that his habit of offering costly presents to comparative strangers has seriously prejudiced his social success. A vainer man never lived. He can swallow compliments by the cartload ; indeed, only the most conceited of mortals could have believed the outrageous story invented by the clever scoundrels who duped him. At present it is understood there will be no public scandal.

New Zealand as a Field for Emigration. The provincial papers are at present full of contradictory letters on the above subject. " Cosmos," writing to the Liverpool "Post," warns intending emigrant? to hesitate before investing in New Zealand land, and draws a dismal picture of the hard work and slow returns of a settler's life. His assertions have been contradicted by " C.P.R.," a believer in Messrs Grant and Forster's report, but I notice "An Auckland Gentleman " fouls his own nest in a similar strain through the columns of the " Sheffield Independent." On the other hand, Mr Robert E. Stevens, of Wanoa, near Napier, New Zealand, sends Home glowing reports of the colony to the '• Salisbury Journal," and the " Christian "World " contains a couple of yards of extravagant eulogy from our old friend, • ' A. C." (Arthur Clayden), who has also been "doing it" to some tune in the "Daily News." Unfortunately, indiscriminate praises do almost as much harm as censure.

Personal and General. Before finally quitting the stage in ISSS, Adelina Patti will make a rapid tour in the chief towns in India, Australia, and New Zealand, accompanied by Signor Nicolini and a carefully- selected concert party. This is the only opportunity people in your part of the world are ever likely to have of hearing the famous cantatrice. Mr Thomas Spurgeon, of Auckland, has filled his father's place in the pulpit at the Metropolitan Tabernacle for the last two Sundays. The Rev. C. IT. Spurgeon is suffering from a severe attack of rheumatic gout. Mr Keals, of Auckland, is in very indifferent health. A volume entitled " Recollections of New Zealand," by A. Cox, has just been published. Mr R. G. Halliburton, Q.C. (son of " Sam Slick "), who has started on a tour of your part of the world, is engaged on a stupendous work which aims at showing that most of the folks, customs, stories, and traditions of the whole world are substantially identical. A writer in " Truth " fears life is too short for Mr Halliburton to master his subject with the completeness he has set before him. The news of the wreck of the Lastingham and the loss of all her passengers was received in London last week, and created something of a shock in the New Zealand shipping circles. The voyage was an unlucky one from the commencement. The vessel had to be detained again and again, first for one reason, then for another. Her passengers grumbled ceaselessly, but stuck to her, little guessing that to accept the Company's offer and join another ship would be to save their lives. The "Gazette" announces that Mr Hermann Brown has been appointed German Consul for the province of Auckland, New Zealand. A very interesting marriage took place at Thorganby Church, East Yorkshire, on the 4th inst., when Mr Robert Donald Douglas McLean, only son of your popular Native ' Minister, the late Sir Donald McLean, espoused Florence Kate, youngest daughter of Mr Thomas Butler Stoney, of Portland Park, Tipperary County. The service was solemnisea by the Lord Bishop of Killalloe. Mr Walter Allbones, of Brigg, Lincolnshire, who landed 91 stoats and weazels (out of a consignment of 100) safely in New Zealand last April, has been engaged to catch and convey to the colony 200 more. It is estimated that each animal will cost your Government £6 before it is sefe free in New Zealand. Sir Francis and Lady Dillon Bell have returned to town from Scarborough. The Agent-General looks much the better for his trip to the seaside. Lord Londesborough is entertaining Sir Samuel and Lady Wilson and a large party at Scarborough for Doncaster race week. A filly named Dame Agnes, bslonging to Mr W. A. Long, the well-known Australian sportsman, ran in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on Tuesday. Although the English cricketers sail for Australia by the Orient to-morrow, the team is not yet fully and finally made up. Besides the promoters — Shaw, Shrewsbury, and Lilly white— the only men that are absolutely certain to go are Bates, Ulyett, Barnes, Scotton, Flowers, and Maurice Read. There is a strong probability of Briggs joining the team.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. The British Queen, s., arrived from Lyttelton on September 2, after an average passage of about 46 days. Her dates were : Lyttelton, July 17 ; Rio, August 11 ; Madeira, August 26 ; Plymouth, August 30.

She brought 8,175 carcases of frozen mutton, which have been landed in good condition. The Orient liner Garonne, s., took the following through passengers for New Zealand :— For Wellington ; The Rev. M. Kickham, Rev. P. Hurley, Mr and Mrs J. P. Baker. For Auckland : Mrs Shorthouso, Miss Stoddard, Miss Falconer. For Port Chalmers : Mr W. McLaren. Captain McLean, of the iron barque Firth of Lorn, which sailed from Lyttelton, N.Z., on April 26, and arrived at the London Docks on August 21, reports the following singularoccurrence: — On July 22nd, when in lat. 29.01 N., long. 39'4S W., a floating spar was seen, and being calm, a boat was lowered and the spar towed alongside. On examination it was found to be valueless, being worm-eaten throughout ; but a large shoal of fish which had accompanied the spar abandoned it, and commenced eating the barnacles from the ship's bottom. This continued until the 27th of July, when m lat. 35*36 W. the fish left after having cleared the ship's bottom, by which the speed of the vessel was increased about two knots per hour, enabling her to hold her own from that date until her arrival with any vessel she fell in with. The Orient Company's steamer Orient, which had to go into dry dock in consequence of an accident to her propeller, has been repaired, and will leave tor Australia on the 17th inst. The Orient will be followed by the Lusitania on the Ist October. The N.Z. Shipping Company's Ruapehu, which sails on September 25, is already full in the saloon. The follow ing are the .atest bookings : — For Auckland — Saloon : Mr E. W. Pay ton. Second saloon : Mr and Mrs Strong, Mr and Mrs Westwater and family (10), Mr E. P. R. Tregaskis, Miss Mutton, Mr and Mrs Andrew and family, Mr A. Hay ward, Mr Stanley Knight, Mrs A. Rews and family (5), Mr and Mrs G. Boulton and 3 children, Mrs James Sandi lands, Mr and Mrs John Sandilands, and Mr and Mrs Patrick. i The Lady Joceyln, for Auckland, is now full. The following saloon passengers have been booked since last mail : — Mr and Mrs Stosker and two children, Mr Cony, Mr Tucker, Mr W. A. Greg, Mrs Basket and six children, Mr and Mrs Rous. The following are the latest bookings per Coptic, from London, October 10th :— Mr and Mrs Hales and party (6i adults), and Mr David Jolly, for Otago. The P. & O. liner Carthage took two through passengers to Auckland — the Rev. J. B. Simeon and Mr Bui ton. Mr Charles Barker, an old Canterbury settler, returns to Christchurch in the Lusitania, which leaves London in three weeks' time.

Chambers's Refrigerator. Chambers's refrigerator, of which such high hopes u ere formed, but which has so far proved a sad disappointment, was conveyed from Stockport to London a few days ago, and is being repaired by a firm of metropolitan engineers under the personal superintendence of Mr Chambers. The concern will, Mr Larkworthy hopes, be in working order shortly, and rapidly repay all trouble and outlay it has caused.

The Auckland Pressed Beef. The directors of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Company are very well satisfied with the experimental shipment of compressed beef (Peach brand) sent Home by the Doric, and expect it to fetch about 6d per lb. None has been sold yet. Mr Larkworthy gave me a 21b. tin of the N.Z. meat, and a tin manufactured by Libby, McNeill, and Libby, of Chicago. I opened and tasted both together, and am of opinion that, though the American beef is showier and more tempting in appearance than the colonial, the latter is really superior, being far the juiciest and sweetest. Libby's stuff struck me as too dry and highly spiced for most palates. The chief fault to be found with the New Zealand meat is that it is fatter than it should be. The fat, no doubt, tends to keep the meat sweet and juicy, but in the two given me there was certainly more than a good housewife would care about. I have little doubt that the New Zealand manufacturers of compressed beef will in time be able to compete successfully with the best American brands. At first, however, it is usually not very easy to find a good market

Hugh Shortland. Thig unhappy man -wound up his erratic career in England on Saturday week by suddenly sailing for New Zealand, so that v^hen these notes reach you he should be safe in the company of friends and relations at Auckland. On the eve of his departure he despatched long and violent letters to the Kingsbiidge magistrates threatening them in unmeasured terms with criminal proceedings for having held him in custody without proof, and informing the coroner of the district that he means to demand a Parliamentary inquiry into the premature closing of the inquest. He also wrote a third letter to the Duke of Somerset, furnishing him as Lord -Lieutenant of the County with SO reasons for re-opening the investigation into the circumstances attending his wife's death. Whatever may have been Shortlands mental condition at the time of his unhappy wife's* death, there can be little doubt that he is now in a most unsettled state. I have no wish to prejudice the poor fellow's reception on his return to New Zealand. It should, however, be borne in mind that his conduct for the past four months has been of a most eccentric and inexplicable character. The Plymouth medical men aver that it is extremely unkind to talk to him about the calamity that has overshadowed his life— in fact, that every possible endeavour should be made to obliterate the past from his mind. Upon ordinary subjects he can converse quietly and reasonably, but even the faintest reference to Kingsbridge excites him grievously.

Death of Sir Robert Torrens. I regret to have to announce the decease of Sir Robert Torrens, G.C.M.G , who succumbed to a severe attack of congestion of the lungs at Falmouth on Sunday week. Sir Robert was one of the many prominent Australians whose names are honoured both in the colonies and the Old Country. The great public service with which his name will always be associated is the system of simplification of land transfers, which he originated, and which, under the name of the Torrens Act, has been adopted in ]New Zealand, Fiji, and all the Australias, In 1868 Sir R Torrens was elected member for Cambridge, but lost his seat in 1874. His intimate knowledge of all colonial matters and ready, intelligent counsel were often sought by Lord Derby, who had the highest opinion of his abilities. He was also very popular in social circles.

The New Commodore of the Australians. Notwithstanding the bitter opposition to his appointment. Rear-Admiral Tryon, C.8., the new Commodore of the Australian station, is an officer of distinguished service. He entered the navy in 1848, and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1866. He had charge of the Transport Department of the Abyssinian Expedition in 1867, and from 1871 to 1873 was Private Secretary to Mr Goschen, the first Lord of the Admiralty. In addition to the command of several vessels, he has filled the important post of Secretary to the Admiralty. Until April last, when he was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, he was an A.D.C. to the Queen. Captain Tryon was married in 1869 to Clementina Heathcote, daughter of the first Lord Aveland.

Launch of the Kalkoura. On Monday, September Bth, the fir&t of the New Zealand Whipping Company's new steamers was successfully launched from Messrs John Elder and Co.'s yard at Fairfield. On the same afternoon as the Kaikoura was launched at Fairfield, Messrs Wm. Denny and Co. were engaged in launching the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's steamer Tainui.

Tawhaio's Farewell Lettov. The sanctimonious farewell letter put into the mouth of the luckless Tawnaio by those blind guides, Messrs Spencer and Chesson, has, as might be expected, excited shouts of laughter and derision. There is scarcely a leading journal in the three kingdoms that hasn't commented unfavourably upon it. They all say pretfcy much the same as the " Vail Mall Gazette " and the " Globe," whose observations I quote. The " Globe " remarks :— " A sadder and wiser man, to judge from his somewhat sanctimonious letter of farewell to his English friends, returns the Maori King to the land of his tatooed forefathers. He arrived upon these Christian shores as merry a monarch almost as old King Cole himself. He was not, perhaps, quite as black as Cole, nor being a staunch teetotaller, did he call for any bowl more potent than lemonade, and his suite of three were not fiddlers. Nevertheless they sang and danced and played pranks to the great amusement of their fellow- voyagers, and on his first arrival, Tawhiao showed a decided bias towards the worldly tinsi-1 of the Alhambra. Shortly afterwards he was so completely bored by the comparative monotony ot a whole day at the Crystal Palace that he kicked his hat around and jumped on it. Now, however, wo have changed all that. He came to dance, and applaud while others danced ; he returns to pray, and to exhort others to pray. ' Oh, my dear friends,' he pleads in his touching farewell address, ' the outcome of goodness never varies from this. See Matthew, oth chapter, Oth to 10th verses.' Tawhiao has mistaken hit: vocation ; ho would have been better born a missionary than a monarch. But there are other characteristics which his sablo Majesty has marvellously acquired by contact with our civilisation, as appears from the same letter. There are convoluted and involved sentences and clauses in that valuable document irresistibly reminding the reader of a certain eminent statenian's knack of piling" up a mountain of words around a mouse of meaning. He could only have acquired tho knack by a careful study of the grand original. There is a sly sarcasm, too, in one sentence, wherein he exhorts his friends to ' dwell here in your own land, and among your own people.' He is consumed with love and affection and admiration and gratitude for his dear friends in England — provided that they remain in England and leave New Zealand alone. 'J'akeha nice man,' more epigramatitally remarked one of his compatriots at home, ' but nicer when ho go away. Me know.' " " Tawhiao's farewell to his English friends,'' says the " Pall Mall Gazette," " is a touching document indeed, but considering the way in which the poor savago spent his nights, is a little too highly flavoured with piety. "We have seen the peacefulness of all tho nation with their wives and children. Oh !my dear friends, the outcome of goodness never varies from this. See Matthew v., verses 6to 10,' the last of which begins ' Blessed c r iro they wnich arc persecuted for righteousness sake, a beatitude which hardly applies either to Tawhiao or to England. Tho cant of the epustle, however, may be forgiven for the subtle sarcasm of the prayer, ' Dwell here in your own land and among your own people, and may God who has shown me kindness keep you.' A prayer that tho English might be kept by Omnipotence from leavingtheir own land has no chance of being answered, but it is one to which a good many native races would say amen."

Postscript. London, September 9, 5.30 p.m. The New Zealand Shipping Company's Ruapshu arrived at Plymouth the day before yesterday (September 9), but owing to a fog in the Channel, has not reached the docks yet. Her run home was not a very good one — 43 days from port to port. A stained gla«s window to the memory of Sir Geoi-ge Ainey has been placed in the south transept of Salisbury Cathedral. Mr Vesey Stewart has not as yet ob tamed any "special settlement" passengers for either the Lady Jocelyn or the Northumberland, though the former is full. The sale of New Zealand frozen mutton at the Health Exhibition has been suddenly interdicted altogether. The retail sale was, as I told you, stopped some time ago, but this is a much stronger step, and will create great dissatisfaction amongst the subscribers to the exhibit, who looked to tho profits of the butcher's shop and New Zealand Grill to reimburse their outlay. Major Te Wheoro and Skidmore are living very quietly at Clapham. They have done no sight-seeing latoly.