LANSDOWNE NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 8942, 17 December 1907, Page 6

LANSDOWNE NOTES.

{Special to Daily Times.^

Mr David turner, artist, has kindly given a large framed oil painting to the Mastertou Hospital. Tho picture is a view of Mount Holdsworth, a valuablo memento, aud the artist's own work. I believe Mr Turner is tho first to donate a picture to the new institution. I hope others will follow his generous example.

Mr \V. Bennett, junr., who is en tour in some of the Australian States, writing to a friend at Lausdowne, says some of the country he travelled through is very beautiful, and not unlike Taranaki. Other parts resemble Auckland. Hundreds of miles are volcanic. Rabbits and grasshoppers are there in millions. The grasshoppers are so numerons that, they stop the trains, and, when flying, they look like snow falling in countless billions. Mr Bennett thinks the rabbit problem will exterminate the squatter in New South Wales and Queensland. At Burke, Mr Beuuctt met a gentlemau who had just returned from Now Zealaud, aud one thing ho regretted was that ho did not got tho Maori haka and its translation. To use his own words, "I told him I could supply him with it, and, well, I did not have to pay for any more refreshments that evening, although tho thermometer was 101 in the shade."

Iv Melbourne Mr Bennett met three ex-Mastertou residents, Messrs Snowden, Crombio aud E. Kellihor, all of whom used to be on the survey staff in this district, aud all wished to be remembered to their old Wairarapa friends. On Saturday evening there was the most brilliant sunset this season. The sky presented a gorgeous appearance, with the most brilliant of colours, vermilion predominating. At Eketahnua raiu was falling during the afternoon.