OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4682, 2 May 1883, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

[Bt Telbgbaph.] (Fbom thh «« Stab's " London Special] New Zealand Gossip. Fiji as It Is. Our New Steamships. Coming Friends* LONDON, Maboh 23. The Easter holidays oommence to-day, and moßt of the Agents-General and other AngloColonial notables are leaving town for a weok of quiet and refreshment. Sir John Hnll has not been heard of yot, but the Sorata, with the great Vogol on board, may arrive at Plymouth at any moment. The financial friends of Sir Julius are most anxiously awaiting his personal report. At the Bank of New Zealand the other day, a oynio was overheard to observe, "Yogel bas not squeezed the Colony quite so dry aB ho thought he would." I should like to tell you that oynic's name, because it gives peouliar significance to an otherwise commonplace sarcasm. Perhaps, however, some of your readers will guess it. Poor Judge Manning still lingers on suffering dreadful pain. His dootor anticipated that all the troublo would have been over long before this, but the patient's vitality iB wonderful. Hugh Carleton visited him the other day, and Mr Blacket has also been up once or twice to make enquiries. On Tuesday last, a young lady (the daughter of a gentleman well-known all over New Zealand) sent the Judge some flowers. He seemed much pleaßed with them, and had the bouquet placed where he oould look at it without moving. Then, after a time, the sick man heaved a deep sigh, and aaid, " The flowers are very nioe, and it is a great treat to ace them again ; but oh, I wish the young lady could spirit me baok home to that far off Colony where thoro are always flowers." [The news of Judge Manning's death has since been received.] A large and influential meeting waa held at the * Oolonial Institute on March 13, at whioh Sir Arthur Gordon and Henry Bose Judge, of New Zealand, were elected fellows. The principal feature of the evening was a paper by Bir John Corrie on " Fiji as it is," in whioh the Chief Justioe of that Colony extolled it to the skies, taking speoial care to slap heaps of " butter " upon one whom he said the Islands atyled " the great and good Gordon." Bir Arthur wae present, and reoeived his friend's remarks with lofty approval. Occasionally, when anything specially pleased him, he would pat a pair of loan white hands softly together, or nod his head benignly. Altogether your ex* Governor formed a beautiful picture of aristocratic oalm and greatness. In fact, if he had only held his tongue I should have gone home quite impressed with him. Sir John Gorrie read|the leoture in a clear ringing voioe, but so slowly that it was dreadfully tedious, and oooupiod far too long. The history of Fiji had beon gone through, and the enormous advantages which have accrued to the Oolony by the annexation had been dwelt on at length. Then, of course, the Judge gave us his views on the native labour traffio question, and finally we got some rather interesting information about the feasibility of Fiji as a field for emigration. The lecture over, Messieurs Lavillier, Moncrieff, Paul Jourdain, and A. M. Murray bore testimony to the rapid manner in which Fiji haa improved since its annexation. Mr Thomas Archer (the Agent- General for Queensland) created some excitement, and inourred *Sir George Campbell's shooked displeasure, by upholding the native labour traffio, and boasting "with pride" that he employed slaves himself. When ths islanders came to Queensland they could do nothing but eat ; whereas, when they were sent back they had learnt many things, the use of soap for one. Sir Arthur Gordon was (serenely) pleased to be able to confirm all that his friend, the lecturer, had stated. Ho oalled the attention of those present to the fact that siace the annexation of Fiji, nine years ago, there had been perfect peace between the natives and Europeans. Only on one occasion had there been an emeute of any sort, and that waß a tribal squabble between the Fijians thomeolves, and moreover proved of quite a paltry character. He begged the audience to oompare oarefully the first nine years of the history of Sew Zealand, aftor the annexation of that Colony, with the first nine years of Fiji after annexation. They would soe a startling difference. Mr Lavillier, in his speech, had suggested the annexation of the Solomon group' and other islands in tho Pacifio, but he (Sir Arthur) could not support any such scheme. Tho annexation of the Fijis had been successful, because the Natives desired it ; but the Solomon Islanders and others did not want anything of the kind. The British Queen, steamship, the Becond of the direct liners chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company, sails to-day. I cannot obtain a passenger list, whioh augurs that only emigrants are aboard. The Company have evidently realised that it would be folly to send out boats with suoh indifferent accommodation as the two pioneer vessels, and an arrangoment has been entered into with the White Star Company whereby their two steamers, lonio and Doric, tako up the trade till the ships now building are ready. I bave not seen these two boats, but if, ac the prospectus asserts, they fully equal the other American liners belonging to the same Company, thore will, I can safely promise, be no lack of passengers. The Westmeath left Plymouth on March 17 for Auckland. The voyage is expected to occupy fifty-Bix days. Captain Underwood (late of the Union Company of New Zealand) has arrived in England, in order (it is said) to superintend the building of the New Zealand Shipping Company's direct liners. The Wairoa reached Graveaend from Wellington yesterday, and the Otaki, homeward bound from the Bame port, was spoken off Diego on Jan. 9. The Forfarshire, with 300 Governmont omigrants, bmlb from Glasgow for Port Chalmers on March 26 ; and the Oxford, disabled last month, will, it is hoped, finally j get away on Maroh 30. Captain John I Bonowell, known at most New Zealand ports j as mastor of the Bakaia, has accepted tho berth of Becond offioer on board the s.s. lonic. By the s.s. Lusitania, sailing from Gravesond to-day, Mr and Mrs Bobinßon and sons and two daughters leave for the North of New Zealand. Their destination is Auckland, but thoy will stay Borne time in Sydney. Commander Spencer M. Medley, 8.N., will also leave for your Colony with his wifo and family by either the lonic or the Bomo. They intend settling in Canterbury, or, should thio prove impossible, at Wellington. In the House of Commons, on Monday, March 2, at the evening sitting, the Hon Evelyn Ashley (under (secretary of State for the OolonieB), in answer to Mr Brogden, said that the Maori chiefs To Whiti and Tohu, who were taken prisoners by a force of volunteers, under the direction of the Native Ministor in New Zoaland, had been Bet afc liberty. Their arroat had taken plaoo during the absence of Sir Arthur Gordon, and papers on tho subject would shortly be laid on the table. A correspondent, who signs himsolf •' W. 0.," has been writing to the papers demanding another issue of the Government handbook to New Zealand. Sir Arthur Gordon is preparing an exhaustive articlo on Fiji for the " Nineteenth Century Beview." Lord Normanby, heir to the Earl of Mulgrave, is seriously ill. Tho Daily News notes with sotisfaotion that ths visit of the Maori minion last summer, has roused up the Natives gonerally to tako action and look forward with interest to the presentation of the petition whioh its New Zealand correspondent says the whole Maori raoe aro at present engaged in signing. An emigrant named William Oheeßeman was arrested at Plymouth the othor day, while on his way io Wellington, and has boen committed for trial ' for bigamy. Ec seems to have boon moro sinned againßt than sinning, for his firat spouse was a drunken fiend. Dolisle Hay, the author of " Brighter Britain," lectured on "Commercial and Sooial Aspoots of New Zealand"

before the Society of Arts on March 21. I was present, but had I known the lecturer I should never havo wasted an hour and a half on him. Mr Hay is ona of tbose pretentious talkers and portentous exaggerutors who oome Home aud do the Oolony so muoh harm. Tho greater part of tho leoture could have been vamped up by anyone with the aid of official handbooks, and being delivered in a monotonous *ing-soDg, at least ten out of the twenty auditors were sound asleep. A Dead Meao storage Company is being started in London for the purpose of accommodating the vast quantities of frozen meat whioh come from America, Australia, and New Zealand now-a-days. Mr E. M. Nelson, of Hawke'a Bay, is one of the direotors and prime movers The capital is £100,000 in 20,000 shareslof £5 eaoh (£1 on application, and £L 10s on allotment, the reßt to be called up as required). Mifls Amy Bherwin, the young soprano who made such a sensation in jour Colony some years ago, has been engaged by Carl Bosa for hia Easter seaoon of English opera at Drury Lane, and may possibly create one of the principal rSles iv " Colombia." In addition to tho passengers before mentioned, Mr and Mra Knox leave for Otago. In the House of Commons on March 16, in reply to Mr Pease, the Hon Evelyn Ashley said that the Commiscion enquiring into the affairs of the Western Paciflo consisted of Sir Arthur Gordon, Roar-Admiral JUoskins, and BearAdmiral Wilson, and was at present sitting at Admiral Hoskins' office. Sir William M' Arthur was the only gentleman known to New Zealanders wo attended the loves on the 12th inst. Mr Chorion Stuart Bailey, of Her Majesty's immigration office, who was well known in New Zsahnd, is dead. The European Mail refer s at length to the slight outbreak of typhoid fever amongst the emigrants now detained at Plymouth, waiting for the Oxford. The water givon to the emigrants aboard Bhip is said to be the cause. A break down of the condenser compelled the passengers to ueo tank water. Cricket— A Battle Boyal. Ac a proof that the Australian cricketers attached muck importance to winning the toss, the World instances the practice Murdoch had of going through a preliminary course with a friend and a shilling in the pavilion, in order to ascertain whether head or tail would bo most likely to turn up next. The action savours of childishness, the World says, and sounds as little like cricket as do many other things imported from Australia by the team which Murdoch brought to England last summer. A few days ago a letter appeared in the Sportsman from an anonymous correspondent who signed himself G.S., declaring that the championship of the crioket field remained in Australia. Ho also asserted that the defeat of Murdoch's team on two out of the three occasions was due not to the superiority of the English Eleven, but to staleness, gross carelessness, and the like, on the part of the Colonials. This effusion naturally roneed the ire of many of the English ' crioketers, and a host of them wrote to the Sportsman about the matter. One correspondent only endorses the opinion of G. 8., and sajs that the average forms of the Eighteenß the Englishmen have met during their tour is little better than that of an English town club. This gentleman attributes the defeat of Murdoch's Eleven to the faot that they were utterly demoralised by reason of too free indulgence in such anti cricketing amusements as tails, picnics, and pigeon shooting. J. Wili on, on the other hand, states that the championship never left England at all, and maintains that the Cambridge University men have a better claim to it than the Colonials. Murdoch's Eleven were easily beaten by the University on two occasions. He also upholds the title of England to the championship, and remarks that the Hon Ivo Bligh's team was not really a representative team, consisting as it did of half a dozen of the youngest generation of amateurs, with two rather older and fonr professionals. A gentloman, who signs himself Et Denis, also indignantly oontradicts the statement of G. 8., and says, I feel with many others that the Hon Ivo Bligh's team . have decidedly over-reached their own ex-' peotations, aB in the first place thoy were not by any means a representative team of the Old Country. A Terrible Tale of the Sea* The winter of 1883 will long be remembered for the violence of its storms and the unparalleled number of great maritime disasters that took placo. Hardly a week seems to pass now-a-days, but we hear of come appalling wreck or collision. Only last month the papers were fall of ghastly . details about the sinking of the Oimbria and Kenmuir Castle. To-day tho mercantile folk can talk of nothing else but tho extraordinary disaster to the Navarre. This vessol was a screw steamer, about the size of yonr Union Company's Penguin, awl traded between Loith and Denmark. She left Copenhagen for the Scotoh port on March 2, with 82 souls aboard, the orew numbering 21, and the remainder being paßsengors, mostly through emigrants for the United States There wer9 also 60 head of cattle on the deck. The weather was wet and baisterous from the first, and did not become positively dangerous till March 3, when a stvere sale Bprang up which developed into a perfect hurricane. Blinding showers of sleet and snow prevailed during most of the night. On Tuesday morning, the 4th, the Navarro shipped a tremendous bob, whioh literally swept the docks clear, carrying away the bulwarks, cabin skylights, boats, and compass. The water poured below both into the hold and cabins, and the vessel soon showed a dreadful list to port. The survivors say that the weathor throughout this awful day was terrible ; that tons of icy water swamped the little steamer continually, and that on Wednesday morning the fires were put out. After this the crisis waa not long delayed. Both the foro and aft corncompartments quickly becamo flooded, and about noon the Navarre sank with all aboard. A ehort time before the steamer went down, a German fishing vessel hove in sight, and several of the sailors of the Navarre managed to launoh and man one of the remaining boats. Without in the slightest degree regarding the agonising appeals made by the passengers, many of whom were women, they pulled to the smaok and scrambled on board, villainously sending their boat adrift. The fishing vessel had none, and could not approach near enough to render aay assistance ; but an attempt waß made on the Navarre to man the laßt remaining lifeboat. Into this about fifteon man jumped, caring only for thoir own safety. The re6ult was what might have been anticipated. The boot got swamped, and her occupants disappeared under the aido of the steamer. Soon after this, two other fishing smacks, seeing the signals of distress, bore down and endeavoured to givo aid. Only ona of them, tho Sir Stafford Northoote, had a boat, and this the skipper and an Englishman named George Kilker, courageously launched. Unfortunately the painter snapped before the littlo cockleshell (for it waa no more) oould bo manned, and onca moro tho despairing souls on tho Navarre saw thoir surviving chav.ee drifts helplessly away. Soon after the laat named catastrophe the steamer sank. The smacks did their utmost to pick up her drowning passengers, but owing to .tho fearful sea, which ran mountains high, tho Sir Stafford Northcote could only savo five peoplo, and tho other smacks one. This, with the ten sailors who escaped to tho German vessel, brings tbe numbe^of survivors to sixteen, tho lives lost being sixty-five. Ihis terrible sacrifice was undoubtedly owing mainly to tho helplessness and incompetence of the captain, who lost all selfcontrol directly things began to look bad, and primed himsolf too freely with whiskey. When all hope was lost, tho passengers are said to havo satisfied themselves with clinging to what rigging remained, nnd waiting for the end. As the Navarre was going down, ten persons jumped overboard. She sank with about 26 or 30 persons aboard, all stand- : ing, as tho narrator said, "easy and : strangely quiet" to the vory lost minute. I Those saved, who witnessed these terrible '. moments, say that they heard not a single cry from anybody. Fivo minutes after the steamer went down, no trace was seen of the i disaster but broken wood and wreckage. 1 The Oxford and Cambridge , Boat Race. There was a time, and not so many years 1 ago either, when the race whioh annually ' takes place between the two Universities meant to Cooknoy 'Arry and his "happy -liza," almost as jovial a holiday as a Mcl- : , bourne Cup afternoon does to you Antipo- < deans. Of lato, howovor, this state of things ' has beon greatly changed. In the fint placo, < poopledo not really caro so much abou. tho contest as thoy did formerly, other i big aquatic events have Bprung up to interest ' tho Metropolitan boating fraternity, and I

ordinary folks do not fanqy leaving their ' beds at some ungodly hour in the morning merely to witness an affair the reiult of whioh is nine times out of ten a foregone conclufion. If, however, anything oould give the 'Tarsity boat race a fillip, and galvanise publio interest therein afresh, it would be the exciting circumatances surrounding the struggle just over. Never have thn watermen, aquatio authorities, and betting men roceived a greater and more unexpected slap in the face tlian they did last Thursday. Generally spfaking, the wagering indicates the result with absolute certainty. Indeed, there aro old ones whoJook forward to making a nice little nurse annually, by watching " which way the wind blows," and then Btaking the most they can afford on the favourito crew. This year the Oxford team aa winners in '80 81-82, were moßt fanoied when the rival blues first made their appearance on the Thames. Wost, the stroke, was known to be " a host in himself." Neithor at Oxford nor Henley had any boat to whioh he belonged evor known defeat. The cox (Lyon) wbb master of his art, and moreover could boast having steered three previous eights to victory over the course. These faots naturally caused betting to open at 7 to 4 on Oxford, and that price continued ourrent till up to 10 days before the contest, when some timo trials took place, and the wagering instantly veered to 2 to 1 on the light blueß. The reasons for the changes were various. Experts discovered that the Oxonianß had overtrained, and also that thoy were bo light as to be almost unable to aot in rough water. Tho Cambridge crew, moreover, seemed to improve extraordinarily f ast, and their heavy weight enabled them to propel their shell through rough water at a grest pace. Finally oame tho time trials, of whioh the light blues had far the best} and then, to wind up, a terrible report spread that No. 7 in tha Oxford boat had gone "stale." The dark blue orew themselves now gave up almoßt all hope, and people who had laid oddß on Oxford tumbled ovor each other in a vain attempt to get "put" by baoking Cambridge at 2 to 1. The odds on the «' light blues " rose rapidly, 6 to 2, 3 to 1, 7 to 2, and finally 4 to 1 bein*. tendered on all sides. Just beforo the start, a young gantlewan wearing a light blue tie on the Preaa boat was heard betting a pony to a fiver (£SO to £5) on Cambridge ; and we were subsequently told that he managed to lay the wager three times. What he felt 20 minutes later, deponent Bayeth not. But I am going too fast. Let me tell the history of the contest currently. For once in a way the boat race was fixed for the afternoon instead of the morning, the authorities having been persuaded to believe that half -past five a.m. in Maroh would be too absurd an hour to piok. Had the weather proved at all pleasant, the attendanoo would have been simply unprecedented, but a biting northeast wind, varied with icy snow showers, made the river banks anything but pleasant places to bang about on. Still, despite meteorological drawbacks (considerably aggravated by the rising mist and rapidly falling darkness), all usual points- of vantage were crowded to excess, and at half-past five, when the rival crewa launohed their boa's at Putnoy, and the starter took up his orthodox station, the scene was more lively than might have been expeoted. Only four steamers wore permitted to acoompany the race, viz, the Press boat, the umpires', and one for the members of each University. 11 here is usually a battle royal between these as to whioh shall secure the best position to mako a quick start, and this year the Press got tho worst of it. It was very galling, because we were unable to see somo points of the struggle, but I fancy the following resume of its leading features will be found correct. I am indebted for time, ko., to the Sportsman. The crews were made up as follows : — Oxfobd. st lb Bow— Bourn, New College ... ... 10 114 2. Dehavilland, Corpus College ... 11 4 8. Fort, Hertford College 12 0 4. Peiley, Brazenoas College 12 6J 5. M'Lean, New Collage 13 3 6. Fateraon, Trinity College 13 1 7. Roberts, Hertford College 31 1 Stroke-West, Chris'church College 11 0 Cox-Lyon, Hortford Collegi ... 8 11J Oaubbicgb. Bow-Gridley, Third Trinity ... 10 7 2. Fox, First Trinity 12 2 3. Moore, Christ's Trinity 11 13 4. Atken, Jesus Trinity 12 1 5. Churchill, Third Trinity 13 4 6. Swan, Trinity Hall 12 12 7. Fairhairn, Jesns Hall 13 4 Stroko -Meyerick, Trinity Hall ... 11 7 Cox- Hunt, Cavendish Hall 8 1 Oxford having won the toss oho.c tbe Surrey side, and at 20 minuteß to 6 the umpire gave the usual signal to let them go. The start was not at all a good one. The Cambridge eight either did not hear " go " cried, or else were very slow indeed, for Oxford had their oars in the water, and were well undor weigh before their opponents had even begun to move. This gave tho dark blues a slight advantage from the first, though of course it was but a trifling ono. And now the surging crowd* on the banks, and the ocoupants of the atra'-t'on send up an encouraging shout, which is repeated by tho friends of the Oxonians as thoy begin to realise that at any rate no defeat is likely to bffall their representatives ; for contrary to all prognostication, Oxford still keeps tho lead, and not only keepß it, but at Craven Oottage has drawn a good length ahead. The light blueß, however, are not ai; all anxious yet. A plunging pressman, who believes in them, offers 6 to 4 fruitlessly, and the idea that they will creep up shortly is evidently popular, lime however paesss, and this does not happen. As we travel up the long reaoh from Putney to Hammersmith, a blinding, marrow-chilling snow-storm sweeps relentlessly down, 'lhe boats can hardly be seen at times, but those who possess good eyos say the position is unchanged. With cute deftness tha Oxford cockswain gives his opponents the full benefit of his boat's wash. Weßt has settloU down to a long, powerful businesslike stroke, and as the two ore we approach Hammersmith bridge he increaßea the lead, so that fully three lengths divide the Oxonians from the Gantobs. Ihis is terribly significant, and layers of the odds begin to display an ominous disposition towards hedging. " I still think Cambridge will win," said an excited man near me, " but I have more than lean afford to lose on them, and so, just by way of a small gift to ono of you fellows, I don't mind betting an evon tenner on Oxford." Alas, for the poor plunger, there was no response. Ono speculator, indeed, offered to stick to the light blues if anyone liked to give odds against them ; but with only a I quarter of the distance travelled, ond rough I water ahead, this did not scorn good enough. Boon after paesing Hammersmith bridge came the ohance of Cambridge. The water grew rough, Oxford's high boat folt it seriously, and Meyrick, the Cantab stroke, recognising the opportunity, put on a spurt. Now it was evident that the most exciting moment of tho contest had arrivod. If Cambridge oould overhaul Oxford, tho light blueß would have the best of it in the rough water ahead. They were seen to be distinctly lessoning the gap, and for a few minutes clearly held their opponents. "I told you it would be all right," said my Cantab friend ; " you Bee they are winning easily." Poor fellow, his good spirits were short-lived. No sooner did West realieo that Cambridge was challenging than ho, too, put on a slight spurt, and again drawing ahoad with the most apparent ease, showed that he held the race in the hollow of his hand. "I'll lay 4 to 1 on Oxford," bawlod an Oxonian from the paddle boxeß, and tho silence that followed stowed the situation was at length realised. From this point the struggle ceased. Cambridge rowed wi'h the same desperation, but Oxford continuod to lead easily, and passod tho winning rjoafc three and a half lengths to tho good, never having been headed. Aotonishment wbb universal. The day was favourable to tho light' blues, and thoy were as confident of success as Oxford was doubtful. Tho timo 21min 18.cc, is thought excollont. Last year it was 21min 12sec. Tho year beforo 21min sscc. Betting on the raoo waß unusually heavy, many people who think it sinful to baok horses laying odds because tho result would bo suoh a certainty. In the train coming back we mot a parson with a face as long as a ladder. "I never made a bet boforo," he lamented, " but one of tho men in the Oxford boat told me thoy oould rot win; so I thought it would be just liko pioking up money to lay £15 to £5 ou Cambridge."