MAKARETU.

Waipawa Mail, Volume IX, Issue 882, 19 January 1886, Page 4

MAKARETU.

[from our own correspondent.] There is a prospect of the fire being subdued now as rain has set in this morning, and there may be a good deal of it. There is no mistake but the fire has caused a lot of anxiety and drawback in many respects, even in this remote part of the country, for instance, the Wesneyans intended to have had a tea-meeting on New Year’s Eve, which had to be postponed. According to what we hear, wc are not the only ones who have suffered by the fire. One thing can bo said in connection with the Makaretu conflagration, namely, that it has not caused much loss to the insurance companies. As far as I know, no house insured has been burnt, and in my opinion some of the settlers that had their houses insured deserved compensation for the way they acted. Not only were they working night, and day, but they lost their valuable property to save their houses. A local committee was formed last night to aid the Central Relief Committee in Napier. I need not state any of the proceedings, as I believe you will get them through the secretary. I think that a committee is needful, and has the best means «at its disposal of forming estimates. It must truly be said that our English friends who have assumed such a favorable attitude towards our distress, deserve our gratitude. I intend to send Home to a leading paper the report given in the Hawkes Bay Herald , of the meeting held in the Municipal Council Chamber, either in an original or translated form. It caused some amusement last night at the committee meeting, when Mr Ilowlett related a statement that a gentleman at the meeting in Napier had made to the effect that we should be treated like visitors meeting with accidents in our houses, who received our attentions. As it may interest some of your readers to know what England thinks of Norway, I will give you the following article which is taken from the Newcastle Daily Chronicle , and inserted in a Scandinavian paper :—“ The greatness of Norwegian nature has already attracted many thousands of travellers. Before the beautiful fiords and mountains of the country were generally known, enthusiastic fishermen knew that there were brilliant draughts of fish nearly in every river and every lake in the centre, as well as in fjords on the coast, and they went ov.er thither to satisfy their desire for fish sports. Now, when a Royal Highness has given the last impulse, it is to be expected that Norway will be perfectly over-run by travellers, and become as noted as Switzerland. The pure Norwegians, are, as a rule, of middle height and strong build, with light skin, light or yellow hair and blue eyes. He is free in his manner, and though a little backward, perfectly polite. The English traveller feels himself attracted by the reception he receives among the Norsk, and it must be noticed that the politeness of the latter always is coupled with dignity and self-respect, free from all kinds of flattery. The farmer sticks faithfully to his old national costumes which, for the most part, are very picturesque. The women go about in their white woollen skirts lightly fastened and adorned with breast-pins of silver or brass, and the men are as peculiarly dressed. Those suits they carry only because it is their natural costume, and because their fathers and mothers have used them before. “ Wliat he produces,” says Mr Jurgensen of the Norst farmer, “he doth use. His own as well as his wife’s and childrens clothes are made of the stuff which is spun at home. Strict as is his living, and limited though his means, liis. wishes are not too many or too lofty for him to keep himself and his with a moderate income. It is certain that lie is satisfied with his lot, happy in his surroundings, and Independent in his conduct before the other members of his race.