MR. PERCY SMITH’S TRAVELS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144130, 27 June 1913, Page 7

MR. PERCY SMITH’S TRAVELS.

A VISIT TO OLD PLYMOUTH. In a letter to Mr. TV. H. Skinner, of Blenheim, Mr. Percy Smith gives some account of his experiences since he leit New Plymouth in March last for a visit to the Old Country. Mr. Skinner has kindly permitted us to make a row extracts from the letter, which will no doubt I>9 read with interest by -ivlr. Smith’s many friends here. Tho letter is dated from Plymouth, May 3, and Mr. Smith writes; — “We arrived here on tho Ist after a tedious voyage of 48 days. We had a most 1 splendi4l y smooth passage, for except a couple of hours after leaving tiro North Cape, and two hours after leaving Perth, the sea was so smooth that I should not have hesitated to cross all the way from New Zealand in my old Rol/Roy canoo. Even tho dreaded Bay of Biscay was as smooth as a lake. I particularly enjoyed our visit to Colombo, Bombay, and Gibraltar, though the time was so short at each port one’s appetite only got whetted and induced a longing to see more of those places. . “The Moldavia is a fine stiff boat, but we were so crowded "with passengers that it was uncomfortable. There wore 460 of them, and 380 of crow, etc.— over 800 souls on board; two editions of every meal and the decks so crowded with chairs one could hardly move. Over 100 passengers landed here, amongst them Mr. and Mrs. Pridham and Miss Gertrude Good, who all went on by the first train to London and other parts, whilst (on your advice) wo came to this excellent hotel, and I am glad to thank you for the good advice. -“Of course our first visit was to the Hoe, which, notwithstanding tho rqiny showers and thick atmosphere, is very beautiful and interesting. I called on the Town Clerk, Mr. J. H. Ellis, and be and his clerks gave me a lot ox useful information which I have yet to make use of. They are going to show us the old Plymouth charters, dating from tho 12th century, etc. The Guildhall is truly magnificent and full of historical and beautiful painted glass, to do with Raleigh, Drake, Hawkins, Grenville, and other Plymouth and world-wide celebrities. Wo have also seen the Art Gallery, with many fine pictures, and I have got to visit the Museum to see the archaeological remains from Dartmoor and other places. “After our rectangular streets, the crooked and narrow streets of Plymouth are very puzzling. Some parts of the old town aro very quaint. Tho trees are all putting on their spring foliage in the many little Squares, but what an absence of flowers! However, those there are have a, richer colour than ours—more like those of Dunedin. The queer little shops amuse us, places with a front of 10 or 15 feet to the street, but running back a great distance, like those of Marseilles,which, by the way, we thought a very beautiful city when onco <we got away from tho wharves. “We leave hore on the Bth for Torquay, and then pass through your people’s old homo, Newton Abbot, a place that produces tho most delicious cider. There are so many names on the shops here that remind us of our old Devonshire settlers that one feels quite at homo among them, and tho caste of countenance of tho people is so familiar that we aro constantly thinking we know the people. “After a week at Torquay wo go on to London and shall probably bo there a month before going north to our old county, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk, afterwards probably Edinburgh, but we have no fixed programme at present.” In a post-card dated a few days later Mr. Smith writes:—“ln Salthurst St. Stephen’s Churchyard I saw on tho tombstones tho following names, and many of them :—Pearn, Dingle, Collins, Pope, Hawkins, Rawlings, Billing, Brooking, Tait, Prout, Hawke, John Cock (died 1780), John Avery' (1847)-, and these all within 30 or 40 yards. I thought I had got back to Taranaki. The church is in a beautiful green country, typically Cornwall. We had a lovely day there, going up tho Hamaore through the Fleet.”