MARLBOROUGH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 11, 12 March 1892, Page 254

MARLBOROUGH.

Deak Bee, February 25. If I were an artist I should portray with a few pencil strokes a great deal of the scenery through which we processionists passed on our way to and from the Nelson Jubilee, but not being endowed with that most charming attribute, I must leave all descriptions—to which I could not possibly do justice—to your imagination. The Kai Valley is indescribably beautiful, and for miles you drive through a natural and perfect avenue of all sorts of beautiful shrubs, creepers, trees, and rare ferns, the majestic Pelorus River flowing peaceably along, whilst the tremendous rocks in its bed show only too plainly what it is capable of in flood time. Plantations of tree ferns grow along its banks, and here and there a gully spreading out, in which the nikau-palm grows plentifully and unmolested in all its native glory. I should show you the road winding up the Kai and Wangamoa saddles, and the deep gullies full of supple jacks, brambles, mighty rocks, apparently tumbled one upon the other by nature’s unsparing band, and the rushing water which looked like silver specks here and there down in the ‘ Unfathomable Depths,’ as one particular gully is named. But, alas ! I can only write, and space is valuable even if I could do justice to the theme. For days the exodus from Blenheim and the surrounding district had been going on, the travellers’ faces all set in the direction of Nelson. We went in all manner of vehicles, coaches, vans, sulkeys, buggies, expresses, some went by steamer, and some followed John Gilpin’s illustrious example, and went ‘on horseback after we,’ till there were between four hundred and five hundred Marlborough people at the Nelson Jubilee, and I think we all heartily enjoyed ourselves. I can speak for myself at any rate. Our particular buggy was warranted to hold three, our horses warranted to go, and our Jehu one of the whips in Marlborough, a statement which was proved by our beating the record and doing the distance—about ninety miles—in • eight hours, not counting stoppages, of course. No wonder a poetical looking individual came out and quoted Scripture to us at one of the fou r half-way houses on the road. ‘ I knew who it was,’ he said, ‘for the driving is like the driving of Jehu, the son of Minohi.’ In Nelson I saw Mr and Mrs C. Watts, Mr and Mrs F. Richmond, Mr and Mrs Macalister and Mrs Allen, Mr and Mrs Richardson, Mr and Mrs C. H. Mills (of Havelock), Mr and Mrs A. P. Seymour, Mr and Mrs Jackson, Mr and Mrs Hanna, Mr and Mrs Clouston, Mrs Mowatt (of the Awatere) Mr and Mrs G. F. Watts, Mrs and Miss Mullen, Mrs and Miss Farmer, Mr and Mrs J. Bell, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs and the Misses Gillespie, Mrs Draper, Miss Duncan, Miss Hay, Miss Clare, and so many others, that we were meeting, smiling at, and shaking hands with Marlborough people wherever we went. I believe we are all returned now. The Ringarooma paid a visit to our pretty harbour after assisting at the Jubilee, and Picton was en fete for the occasion. Many of our inland towners went down by train, making Picton look as festive as on New Year’s Day. Two dinners were got up in Blenheim, one for the officers and one for the men, but alas ! the liberal spirit which has actuated the lords of creation at the Nelson Jubilee, and later still in Wellington on the occasion of a farewell banquet to Lord Onslow—to admit ladies—has not yet found its way to benighted Blenheim. There was no dance got up, and we were debarred, as having no rights, from the little dinners. When, I wonder, will the lieht shine ? On board the Ringarooma were Mr and Mrs James Hodson, Mr and Mrs Hanna, Mr and Mrs Fell, Mr and Mrs A. P. Seymour, Mrs Mellish, Mrs Allen, Mrs Douglas Dobson, Mr and Mrs H. C. Seymour, Mrs Philpotts, Mrs Duncan, Mrs Smith, Mrs Speed, Mrs Beauchamp, and the Misses Dobson, Farmar, Speed, Mellish, Seymour (A. P.), Seymour, Scott, Allen, Gilbert, Hay, Beauchamp, Falconer, Kenny, Gordon, Mullen, White, Philpotts, and Western. The captain and officers were very kind in showing their ship and all the objects of interest on board, but I think an old man-o’-war like the Challenger, or the French L’lnferno, much more interesting. They seemed to have picked up so many curios in their travels, which have so many quaint histories attached to them and the men seem to have so much more to talk to their visitors about. A cricket match was the only excitement the Pictonians were able to get up for the visitors, and that the Ringarooma people won. Afterwards Mrs Speed rewarded the combatants and others with afternoon tea. One day was spent by the visitors in Blenheim rabbitshooting, and another game of cricket, which they won too, and at which Mrs A. P. Lucas and Mrs Snodgrass dispensed afternoon tea. The weather was showery, and there were not many ladies on the ground, and apparently very little interest taken in the game. The day was finished off with the two dinners before mentioned, at which Captain Bourke complimented New Zealanders generally on the purity of their English, and one of the diners then and there distinguished himself by calling out ‘ ’ear, ’ear,’ and wondered what everybody was laughing at. There was a garden party at ‘ Marshlands,’ the residence of Mr and Mrs Chaytor, in aid of St. Luke’s Church. Mrs Chaytor always manages to make a success of anything she takes in hand, and the garden party was no exception to the rule. Mrs Reynolds, Mrs Hiley, the Misses Chaytor and others were assisting at the various magnets on the grounds. The children belonging to tbe church of England Sundayschool had an enjoyable picnic up Esson’s Valley. Plenty of visitors, young and ‘ grown ups,’ joined in to assist in making the affair a success, which it undoubtedly was, though strangers expressed their unbounded surprise at there being no clergyman present. However, everybody enjoyed themselves, and the verdict was that this was the best picnic ever held by the English Sunday-school. Grattan Riggs’ Company have been performing here to moderately good houses, both in Picton and Blenheim. Many pleasure-going folks had not returned from the

■Jubilee, and others had had so much pleasure that they could not feel very enthusiastic over it, but it was worth going to, and Grattan Rigg himself is very good. At present we have Professor Artemus Colledge, the phreno-physiognomist, with us. He is very highly spoken of, and I hope to hear and see him before he leaves Blenheim.

We have invented quite an elegant bad-language code here, and coming home from the Jubilee, whenever the horses thought it was time for a rest, we could hear the gentlemen swearing at them in a most unconcerned way, flattering themselves all the time that we knew nothing at all about.it. But of course we knew quite well that, ‘Oh ! you hymenophllyum. javaincum asplenium bulbejerum, pteris aqulina,’ and so on, had no reference whatever to ferns, especially when accompanied by the whip application and a few interjections relating to an old cow or a pig. We knew our driver had to be cruel to be kind, especially when the horses thought seriously of taking up their abode for the night in the middle of a rather bad river, and we forgave the driver and pretended ignorance of its purport.

Jean.