Topics of the Week.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 50, 16 December 1893, Page 506

Topics of the Week.

H. M. S. Curacoa left Auckland on Saturday amid multitudinous wishes for a pleasant time in Lyttelton—where she will have arrived ere this—and a speedy return. Captain and Mrs Gibson and the officers of the Curacoa generally have made themselves exceedingly popular in the northern capital, and the regret is generally expressed that they could not be in Auckland to share in the festivities of the Christmas and New Year Racing Carnival. During the last week of their stay the Variety Company of the Curacoa gave a most excellent entertainment in the City Hall, an entertainment which the good people of Christchurch should use their most persuasive arts to have repeated in their city for one or other of the local charities. The programme was long, varied, and most enjoyable. The comic songs by Lieutenant Warren, Mr Denyer, and Mr Slowlby were particularly good, and so were the choruses as sung by an enthusiastic dress circle audience led by naval experts. Amongst the audience were Lord Kelbnrne, the Hon. J. G. Ward (Colonial Treasurer), and later in the evening Mr and Mrs Bland Holt, Miss Ireland, and the principal members of the Bland Holt Company. Dr. Purchas (senior) regretted that the audience was not larger, and proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Cura<;oa officers and men. This was carried by acclamation. The concert was in every respect most enjoyable, as was the dance with which the affair terminated. For some reason or another the] audience was fair only. Society has had rather much theatre and concert-going of late, but great regret is expressed by those who did not attend that there was not a second night. Should the entertainment be given in Christchurch, it has the warmest recommendation from Auckland It deserves and should draw a bumper house anywhere.

Watching the very admirable fooling of the blue jackets at the aforementioned entertainment, the single stick skirmish, the boxing, the knockabout nonsense and the nigger business, the patriotic individual of an imaginative turn might cause himself a satisfactory thrill of pride by suddenly transferring himself to the deck of H.M.S. Victoria during those awful three minutes before she sank. These men, apparently thinking of nothing but frivolity, flippancy, flirting and fooling, are the same as those who faced a fearful death with such calm bravery that we still catch our breath at the memory of it. These light-hearted, irresponsible, overgrown children—for Jack ashore is more like that than anything else—are those whom danger will transfer into the heroes to whom duty and discipline are more mighty than death in a most hideous form. How it affected other people I know not. Perhaps few thought of it, but in the case of the writer the remembrance of this put a vigour into bis applause which left its mark on his hands next day.

The Hon. J. G. Ward made the most of his short visit to Auckland, and, with his wonted energy, compressed a large amount of business and pleasure into a small space. Deputations ami visitors were deftly worked in with peeps at Mr Nathan's ostrich farm ; a trip up the harbour to Riverhead ; an afternoon at the Curayoa and Auckland Polo Club’s match ; a run over to Takapuna : watching the Wellington-Auckland cricket match in the Domain, and sandwiched in between all these outings were critical and commendatory visits to the Free Library, Gallery, Museum, and other places of interest.

Men may come and men may go, but Professor Carrollo’s popularity goes on forever. The steamer Eagle had need of every inch of her expansive deck and all her steadiness to accommodate with comfort and safety as she did the numbers of people —big and little—who Hocked to hie

pupils* annual picnic last Saturday. With the exception of an occasional shower during the afternoon, the weather was lovely. Arrived at Home Bay, Motutapu, a safe landing was accomplished by means of small boats, when the different family parties dispersed to picnic beneath the sheltering trees that border the beach. Racing and other athletic events, superintended by the Professor himself, proved an inexhaustible source of amusement to the small boys and girls. Paters and materfamilias derived enjoyment in tea-drinking and observing their children’s happiness, while for the bigger boys and girls there was, course, a distinct and separate view to see on every separate hill-top. All circumstances considered, it is not surprising that darkness had failly set in when the Eagle at length deposited on the Queen street landing stage a tired but merrv crew, which, before dispersing homewards, gave three hearty cheers for Professor Carrol lo and the success of the expedition. The only incident which occurred to mar the enjoyment of the afternoon, was the accident which befel Mrs Thos. Cotter. It seems that the large boat conveying passengers from the steamer to the small landing stage contained almost six inches of water. Natnially Mrs Cotter, not having waterproof boots on, elected to take the small dingy. The gentleman who offered to pilot her ashore was leaning forward in the small boat and bolding on to the steamer. With the slight list thus given, the addition of the lady’s weight on the same side caused the dingy to capsize, and immediately both occupants were in the water. It is not true that Mrs Cotter fainted. She behaved most plnckily. though she had a very narrow escape, and her many friends will be glad to hear is none the worse for her sudden immersion. Unfortunately, her day’s pleasure was quite spoilt, and she had to remain on the steamer from three o’clock until eight, as there was no other means of returning to Auckland.

An Athletic Carnival was held by Dr. McArthur’s pupils in the Auckland Domain on Friday afternoon. The genial principal himself was the life and soul of the proceedings, superintending the various events, and directing affairs generally. Afternoon tea was provided for the refreshment of the many enthusiastic lady friends who thronged the pavilion, while happy, familiar airs were wafted to their ears from the Artillery Band below. The list of athletic successes has already appeared in the daily papers. We will only add that all the races were well and fairly contested, and the youthful winners fully deserved the praise bestowed upon them as heroes of the day.

The visit of a duly-qualified medical lady to Auckland has naturally excited a good deal of interest. Dr. Eliza Frikart, who has established herself permanently in Wellington, has, at the request of many sufferers, left her practice there for the purpose of seeing patients in the northern city. Her stay will only be until December 22nd, so that those who wish to consult her should call at Mrs Cruickshank’s, • Sonomo,’ Princes-street, at as early a date as possible. Dr. Frikart has pleasant, re-assuring manners, and her quiet, business-like way of treating her patients must tend to establish a feeling of confidence in her, which will prove very attractive to the many who always s.eem alarmed at the idea of imparting the tale of their sufferings to a medical man. Dr. Frikart is sure to be very successful in Auckland, despite the excellent doctors that city already possesses.

Rough and boisterous weather, showers, and a chilly wind detracted somewhat from the enjoyability of the Judge’s Bay Regatta this year, that popular water carnival scarcely achieving so signal a success as usual. The stiff breeze blowing down the harbour made rowing next to impossible, and the results of the gig races cannot in any of the events be taken as fair and definite tests. The beaten crews in all cases complain of bard luck, and the wine scored are probably indicative of good luck rather than good rowing—so, at least, say the losers. But if death to rowing, the wind made the afternoon an ideal one from a yachting point of view, and the sailing races were well worth watching. Unfortunately, a lamentable amount of burgling occurred over the starting of the sailing races, more especially the second and third events. Whose was the blame is a very vexed question. On dit that the starter himself was late at his post, and that this caused the muddle. That the races were late in starting is certainly a fact, and that the starts were villainous is another. Great blame attaches to some scatterbrained idiot on the litgship who took upon himself to start the Annahera, informing her that the

others had gone. Nobody seems to remember who the addlepated muddler was, but be earned the hearty execrations of everyone present. The Rotomahaua was, unfortunately, the only available steamer for a flagship. She was not, however, uncomfortably overcrowded, and the stewards and men were most obliging in attending to the wants of the ladies at afternoon tea time. The arrangements on board were indeed excellent. The band played a fine selection of popular music, and there was a notable absence of that ennui and boredom which are so often characteristic of the tag end of a regatta afternoon, so far as the flagship is concerned. The greasy boom attracted several competitors and excited keen interest and great amusement. The affair soon settled itself into a match between Messrs Hull and Morton, who were both wonderfully clever at sliding. LHtimately Mr Hull won, Mr Morton deserving a big drink from the two gallon cask of beer which formed the prize.

On the beach at Judge’s Biy a very large crowd of spectators assembled, and Campbell’s Point and the cliffs round the bay were thronged with spectators. The scene in the harbour was a most picturesque one, and must have been admired by our American visitors on the mail steamer Monowai which lay at the Q ieen street Wharf all the afternoon. St. George’s had hard luck in the senior gig race swamping off the Railway Wharf. Great interest will centre in this race when the ciews meet on a fine day, and when neither suffers an accident. At present each club has its adherents, who declare their seniors would beat the other. On paper the Auckland crew is unquestionably the better, but there is a sort of impression that the St. George’s would pull off the race by the skin of their teeth, owing to superior training.

Given a fine night—almost a certainty with an almost full moon in Christmas week—the commodious Eagle will be hard put to it to find accommodation for the crowd who will flock to the complimentary moonlight concert to Mr A. Towsey, of the Auckland Orchestral Union. Dunedinites will be glad to hear of the unqualified success achieved in the North by their old friend. He came, he condncted, and he conquered. Like everyone else, I most heartily wish the genial musician’s concert may be a pronounced financial success. It should be clearly understood, by the way, that Mr Towsey is the recipient of a compliment. He did not arrange the concert for himself in any shape or form, and beyond the fact that it is tendered to him, has nothing to do with the affair.

A VERY pleasant afternoon was spent by members and visitors at the opening of the New Ponsonby Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon. There were in all eighty bowlers on the gronnd, half being members of the Ponsonby Club and half members of the Auckland Club, come over to give their West End friends a good ‘ start off.’ Afternoon tea was provided for the ladies in a tent erected on the ground, and something of a stronger nature was dispensed in the pavilion. The weather being fine, everything went off satisfactorily, and the opening of the new green was proclaimed by unanimous vote a complete success.

It is to be hoped that all Aucklanders will see their way to getting out to Potter’s Paddock next Saturday in order to recompense the Agricultural Association for their recent ill luck and heavy loss. To go will be the best way of encouraging the farming interest.

It is socially true that the wind must indeed be an ill one which blows nobody any good. The weather for Mrs Edwin Hesketh’s tennis party on Thursday, at ’St. John’s,’ Epsom, was most thieatening, and the wise hostess, seeing that outdoor amusements were likely to have more than a sprinkling of cold water thrown on them, sent word to all her invited guests, in Auckland and suburbs, telling them that an evening dance was to be substituted for the afternoon’s tennis. This change of programme created great satisfaction, for are not dances becoming as scarce as tennis is fashionable ? The impromptu affair proved most enjoyable, and there were no complaints anent the weather.

Mrs Cheeseman, of * Mtrmini,’ Mountain Road, Remuera, gave a large garden party on Friday afternoon. It was her first of the season, and though the weather looked threatening and stormy in the morning, it cleared upin the afternoon delightfully, leaving nothing more to be desired. Mrani Mrs Cheeseman were ably assisted to entertain their numerous guests by her two sisters, the Misses Keening. Duting the afternoon manyof the guests wandered round the beautifully kept garden and lawn, and admired the rare flowersand shrubs which bloom there in great variety, while others of the more indolent disposition rested on the rustic seats, which were picturesquely arranged about the lawn, and listened to the delightful strains of music which were rendered by many of the guests during the afternoon in a room that overlooked the lawn. Lord Kelhurn and several of the officers of the H.M S. Curacoa were present. The tea table was quite a work of art. Grass green silk was arranged in art folds, with vases of white and yellow daisies, a*nd laden with the most tempting viands—large red strawberries, tiifUs, jellies, sweets, etc. After tea a photograph was taken of the bouse and guests.