A MASTERTONIAN IN JAVA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5715, 19 August 1897, Page 3

A MASTERTONIAN IN JAVA.

MB 0. JIOOIiK WHITES FIiOJI II.UNJOEWAXGI.

Tho following letter from Mr 0. Moore, eldest son of Mr I l '. G. Mome, of Masterton, has been kindly placed at our disposal, and will be read with interest by many of the friends of Mr and Mis Moore:— Baxjoewaxgi, June 2:1,15H7. Deaii Alutiikii,—lt has been very wrong of me lo leave you so long without any news of myself, and 1 must now columella' to make np for it. We have been very busy for the last month Selling up a dance lo celebrate the ijuecn's ilubilee. It lias been very hard work, and we were all nearly dead by the l'Jlli, which was the date on which our ball was held. We decorated the billiard-room with couts-of-arms and lings, and portraits of llie English and Dutch Jioyal Families, and tool; the table out, so that il made a nice room for dancing. We Itinietl the library into a drawing-room, which, with the help of the ladies, looked very pretty, The mess-room was lixed up with refreshments for the ladies. The large upstairs verandah mpdea cool card-room, ami lite Superintendent's large drawingroom was transformed into a supperroom. We invited everyone who had the slightest claim lo being a European, and managed lo gather a good crowd, about ninety people altogether. It went oil' very well, though not without oneor two Itilclies, most of which were amusing Hum otherwise. For instance the band, which was supposed to play the Ditlcli Anthem when the liesidcnl arrived, and whom we were all waiting for, struck up on the arrival of a greasy little black gentleman who trades in cocoamils or something, and of course everyone slood up to receive him. Oh, the faces of the assembled guests. It was awfully funny! More supper we had complimentary speeches and toasls, and lite Hesitlcnt dashed his glass fo the lloor in real good old style after drinking Queen Victoria's health. We all cheered heartily except the owner of the ulass, and she looked mud!

I danced every dance, and we played a friendly game of football, after the ladies bad cone, with somebody's opera bat. I scored two goals before it was reduced to an linkickable pulp. Some of us have been nearly dead ever since, but on the whole it was a great success, and something new for Jianjoewangi. The quarters were lit inside with dectrie light, and outside by four hundred Chinese lanterns.

I started housekeeping on my own account about two months ago with a fellow named Irving. I managed to get hold of this house, which has two large bedrooms, a sitting-room, two small back rooms, and verandah in front, with a large square verandah behind, which we use as a dining-room. The outbuildings consist of a coach-bouse and stable (empty at present), two servant's rooms (or store-rooms), good-sized kitchen, bathroom, etc. The house is wellshaded with large trees and bamboos, and is surrounded by a clean grass compound. Irving left me a month ago and went to live with a married member of the stall', and Jim Pitt has come here from Dutayia and has joined mc; so we arc now pretty comfortable. We keep a cook, gardener and two boys.

We arc within two minutes' walk of the Ullicc, and it is the most healthy situation in tin- town, and I think it is the nicest house (at any rate the rent is very high), M'e have got a good deal of furniture, and will soon he able to make ourselves comfortable in a bachelor sort of way, and it is much nicer and quieter than living in quarters. I have been pretty well lately. Felt n little off color during the rainy season, but went up (he hills for a week. . . . —I remain, etc., OOLK lIOOHE.