PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XII, 20 September 1902, Page 745

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, August 8

The following New Zealanders will •be present in the Abbey at the Coronation to-morrow:—Right Hon. R. J. Seddon and Mrs. Seddon, Miss Seddon, Miss May Seddon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dyer, Hon. W. P. and Mrs. Reeves, Sir Walter and Miss Buller, Hon. A. J. Cadman, Lady Douglas, Dr. and Mrs. Findlay, Major and Mrs. Nelson George, Dr. and Mrs. Hoeken, Mrs. Cecil Lascelles, Hon. R. and Mrs. Oliver, Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Thorne-George, and Mrs. T. C. Williams. Mr. Harold Anson and Mrs. Heaton Rhodes were also invited, but have already departed. The Earl and Countess of Seafield would have been present among the Peers had the death of Lady Seafield's father not necessitated their prompt return to the colony. Mr. and Mrs. Cathcart, Wason will be present by virtue of Mr. Wason being an M.P. Mr. Eden George, M.L.A., of New South Wales, who is not unknown in New Zealand, would have been one of the New South Wales Abbey contingent, but he also has left England.

After the whirl of London festivities the Scottish tour of the Misses Seddon was a great relief for them and they returned at the beginning of this week looking ever so much better for their change. The British Empire League’s excursion to the , Trossachs Tuesday and Wednesday was a pleasant one. On Thursday the Misses Seddon embarked on the Lord of the Isles at Gourock, and steamed through the Kyles of Bute, up Loch Fyne to Inverary, where they were the guests of the Duke of Argyle until Monday. The visit was quite a private and quiet one, and all the more enjoyable on that account The Duke of Argyll and his niece Miss Campbell took the New Zealanders for various excursions to the historical and romantic places in the neighbourhood. Rab Roy’s cottage was duly visited, and Miss Seddon presented with a couple of stones therefrom. Castle McNaughton up the loch dating from 1569, and the watch-tower at Duniquaich, were also inspected, and the Castle at Inverary and its treasures and historic MS.S. absorbed much of the visitors’ attention every day. Then there was the trout and salmon fishing to watch. Miss Campbell, who is an expert angler, being the first lady whom the New Zealanders had seen fishing. The days at Inverary were delightful and restful, and the visit to Inverary will be one of the most treasured memories of the Misses Seddon. On Monday they came up with the Duke to Glasgow, and thence took train to London, arriving at the Cecil on Tuesday morning.

Mr. George Winstone and his sister (Auckland) have been far afield since they left Auckland, roaming through Canada and the United States of America, Shakespeare’s country, and visiting the Wolverhampton Exhibition. Since the abortive Coronation Day they have toured in the Trossachs, visited the chief cities in Ireland, and are now in Somerset. After the Coronation they will tour on the Continent before catching the Orentes at Naples on November* 1.

At the meeting of the Royal College of Physicians of London last week the following had licenses to practice physic granted them:—W. C. Macdonald, Universities of New Zealand and Edinburgh; W. H. Neil, University College Hospital; A. C. De Renzi, M.R.C.S., L.S.A., King’s College. London, had the diploma in public health of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians granted him. 4

It is officially estimated that the damage to the Rangatira’s hull as the result of her collision with the Ardgowan is £5OOO, and to her cargo £15,000. This cargo was stowed in No. 3 hold, and composed of 17,000 prime lambs, shipped by the. Christchurch Meat Co., who are said to be fully covered by insurance. A percentage of the carcases was fit for boiling down for tallow, but the rest was so badly damaged that it had to be buried. The Ardgowan has been

arrested at the instance of the Shaw, Savill Co. The damage to her is estimated at £2OOO.

Sir George White, writing to the “Aberdeen Journal’’ explaining why he declined the sword of honour, says:—“The last incident in my career has been closed for two and a-half years. It is now rapidly merging into a matter of history, and it is better to leave it to the fuller elucidation of that calmer and wiser af-ter-time, when Imperial interests may be duly weighed without confusing influences of personal considerations.”

As the result of one of Mr. Seddon’s interviews with the Admiralty last week, the Board of the Admiralty have decided to call a new battleship to be laid down this year (a sister ship to the King Edward VII) New Zealand. Probably a second warship will be named Maori.

In connection with the appeal which is being made to procure a small vessel for the Norfolk Islanders to be a constant and reliable means of export, the Rev. I’. M. Aldous, who has departed for the island, via South Africa, has left the matter in the hands of Mr. F. H. Sikes, Manor Park House, Sutton, Surrey.

Mr Edmund George DupreZ, a “scallywag" of 22, who fought with Paget’s Horse in South Africa, and was a lieutenant in the Fourth Dragoons, before leaving for Ireland called to say good-bye at The Shanty, the Maidenhead residence of Mrs Evie Greene, of “Country Girl” fame, who in private life is Mrs Temple. Going up to town to Daly’s Theatre she left the dashing dragoon on the lawn. When she got home again sundry trinkets to the value of £l3l and £4 in cash had disappeared. So had Mr Duprez. The following day he was arrested, and the missingjewellery found in his pockets. The committed him for trial, in spite of the piteous pleading of his counsel, who asked that he should be dealt with under the First Offenders’ Act, in order that his parents might send him to “New Zealand.” “Not to-day, thank you.”

Bishop Cecil Wilson, cf Melanesia, has told the “Church Family Newspaper” that he needs more priests for his mission. ’the missionaries must, of course, be good Christians, but it is almost of equal importance, that they should be good cricketers, for the way in which to reach the heart of the Melanesian is to slog his bowling- all over the field, or to knock down his middle stump with a “yorker.’’ Bishop Wilson -said the Melanesians could play some of the English suburban teams, and that they were better bowlers than batsmen, because on the tough, stringy, lumpy grass the ball got up a good deal. The Bishop has £l9 000 out of the £20,000 necessary for his ship, but wants £4OOO a year to maintain, it.

Mr Edgar Wallace, the war correspondent of the “Daily Mail,’’ who sent through the “commercial messages” indicating- the progress of the peace negotiations, was informed by a letter from Press Censor Lieuten-ant-Colonel A. G. Duff, dated Johannesburg, July 1, that “In consequence of your having evaded the rules of censorship subsequent to the warning you received, you will not in

future be allowed to act as a war corerspondent, and further, you will not be recommended for the medal.”

This throws some light on jthe absence of “King Dick’s” name from the list of Coronation peers. He, too, evaded the censorship by his cryptic messages to Sir Joseph Ward, and of course he also must be deprived of his “medal.”

Among the appointments made by the Royal Commissioners for the exhibition of 1851 to science research scholarships for the year 1902, on the recommendation of the authorities of the several universities and colleges, appear the. names of four Australasian students. The scholarships are of the value of £l5O a year, and are ordinarily tenable for two

years (subject to a satisfactory report at the end of the first year) in any university at Home or abroad, or in some other institution approved of by the commissioners. The scholars are to devote themselves exclusively to study and research in some branch of science, the extension of which is important to the industries of the country. Jt limited number of the scholarships are renewed for a third year, where it appeal's that ttlie renewal list likely to result in work of scientific importance. In the appended list of Antipodeans appointed the institutions associated with the names of the successful students are the nominating university or college: Richard Hoaking (Melbourne University), William T. Cooke (Adelaide University), Matthew A. Hunter (N.Z. University), and John K. 11. Inglis (Edinburgh University). The following scholarship, granted in 1901. has been continued for a second year on receipt of a satisfactory report of work done during the first year: George Harker (University of Sydney).

Mrs Howie’s concert last Tuesday night in the Queen’s Hall was a notable New Zealand gathering. Te Rangi I’ai herself (in a handsome white embroidered satin dress, and a bunch of pink roses at the bosom), with her rich full contralto voice, was typical of the union of two races, of both of which New Zealand is so proud. Beginning in Italian with Mascheroni’s “Ave Maria,” she sang in turn an old Highland melody, American cradle song, and English ballad, and wound up with two songs in Maori. She was assisted by a regular galaxy of colonial talent, whose many contributions, coupled with the late start, due to the nonappearance of the Maoris, made the programme too lengthy, and necessitated the cutting out of several of the songs towards the conclusion. “Miss” Mabel Manson (Dunedin) was charming in two of Mal|inisonTs songs, and shows -steady improvement; Mr Arthur Edward's, an Auckland tenor, has a pleasant, well-balanced and cultivated voice, and was heard to advantage in Clutsam’s “Two Bright Eyes.” Mr Stockwell, of Dunedin, worked hard in

The Death of Nelson,” but gave aw impression of straining, and on co, or twice there was a suspicion of H ‘crack.” Miss Florence Schmidt (Queensland) showed far the. most training, finish and “go,” and received quite the most enthusiastic reception. Mr Toy (Queensland), and the Griffiths Trio (N.S-W.), supplied the instrumental music, and Mr Fagge on the organ, and Mr Toy oil the violin, accompanied Mrs in the “Ave Maria.” But by far the most appreciated item of the evening, however, was the Maori haka, by thirty of the contingent.