THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1289, 7 January 1915, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE.

Amongst the guests at the Grand Hotel, Auckland, last week were included: Sir G. Clifford, Canterbury; Mr. Percy A. Herman, Christchurch; Mr. J. Webb, Wellington; Mr. L. Rich, Sydney; Mr. H. S. Reid, Sydney; Justice Stringer, Christchurch; Mr. A. W. Bishop, Christchurch: Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Morton, Christchurch; Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Stead, Amberley; Dr. Walter Fox, Christchurch; Mr. S. J. McCormick, Whangarei; Mr. J. W. Abbott, Wellington; Hon. Mr., Mrs. and Miss Massey, Wellington; Mr. Thomson, Wellington; Mr. H. Lyon, Wellington; Mr. J. Hefford, Gisborne; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hussey, Wanganui; Miss N. Bradley, England; Mr. A. Wheeler, Dunedin; Mr. W. A. White, Christchurch; Mr. and Mrs. St. John Whitney, San Francisco; Right Hon. A. Fisher, Melbourne; Hon. J. Boyd, Melbourne; Mr. A. Bon, Melbourne; Mr. K. A. Murdoch, Melbourne; Mr. G. Horton; Miss E. McCann, Sydney; Mr. G. R. W. McDonald, Sydney; Mr. G. W. Jesse, Victoria, 8.C.; Hon. James and Mrs. Borthwick, London; Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Sternfield, Chicago; Mr. A. Edder, Melbourne; Mr. L. G. James, Wellington; Miss L. Betts, Sydney; Mr. W. F. Edmond, Dunedin; Mr. and Mrs. Grottin, Hawke’s Bay; Mr. and Mrs. Richard, Wellington; and Mr. Randall M. Martin, London.

The guests at the Central Hotel last week included: Mr., Mrs. and Miss Richmond, Hastings; Mrs. and Miss Duncan, Wanganui; Mr. and Mrs. Belgrave, Frankton; Miss McConnell, Frankton; Mr. and Mrs. Fraser Smith; Mr. K. M. Bairance, West Coast; Miss E. M. Lawrence, Dunedin; Mr. J. O’Neill, Blenheim; Mr. and Mrs. S. Rickards, Wellington; Dr. and Mrs. P. L. Foote, Thames; Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Johanson, Wellington.

Amongst the guests at the Royal Hotel last week were: —Messrs. Carruth, Whangarei; Mr. Fred. Hall, Gisborne; Mr. Gamblin, Hawera; Mr. Fullerton-Johnson, Hawera; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hunter, Tapu; Miss Maysmore, Wellington; Mr. Wm. Ross, Foxton; Mr. W. Millar, Hawke’s Bay; Sir James Carroll, Gisborne; Mr. Balfour, Morrinsville; Dr. Gordon, Hamilton; Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Hamilton; Mr. R. L. Banks, Morrinsville; Mr. A. A. Paape, Wellington; Mr. E. Cunningham, Wellington; Dr. and Mrs. Lane Fox, Great Barrier; Mr. and Mrs. J. O’SulLvan, Te Awamutu; Mr. Peterick, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Standish, New Plymouth; Mrs. and Miss O’Neill, Wanganui; Mr. J. Main, Hikurangi; Mr. J. O’Brien, Waiheke; Mr. and Mrs. Bray, Whangarei; Mr. T. Buchanan, Waitara; Mr. and Mrs. Hudson Hobden, Rotorua; Mrs. Bradley-Smith, Gisborne.

Mr. J. J. Steep, American representative of the 'Nippon Yusen Kaisha, at Honolulu, accompanied by his wife, left Auckland by the Makura last week en route to San Francisco.

The Rev. Canon McMurray left Auckland last, week upon a short trip to Sydney.

Mr. E. H. Rhodes, of Auckland, left for Sydney last week by the Mali eno. * .-l: V

The atmosphere in the Land of the Pharaohs is clear and dry, the temperature regular and exceedingly hot, though the heat is tempered during the daytime for nine months of the year by the strong wind which blows from the north, and which enables vessels to ascend the River Nile against the stream. The winter months are the most delightful part of the year, the air being cool and balmy, and the ground covered with verdure. In the middle of the year, especially in May, the ground becomes parched and dry, and the suffocating simoon begins to blow into the valley

from the desert plains upon either side of it.

New Plymouth has long been appreciated as a holiday resort, but of recent years its popularity has vastly increased, thanks in a great measure to the energy of an association that was set up with the laudable object of drawing attention to the undoubted attractiveness of the chief town of Taranaki and its surrounding district. From New Plymouth, the hotel on the slopes of Egmont may be reached by motor in about an hour. The accommodation is of the best, and the tourist who desires to ascend to the top of the mountain may depend on being able to get a tasty meal on his return to the house, which is at an altitude of between 3000 ft. and 4000 ft.

In Galicia, Vienna, the Austrian Government has a most valuable property in the salt mine at Wieliscka, eight miles from Cracow. Salt is a Government monopoly in AustriaHungary, and this Galician mine is one of its most prolific sources of supply. It has been worked for about a thousand years and the galleries extend for ninety miles.

Enterprising camera men of the “movies” manage to get to the front by some means, and in several instances have been even found fighting in British trenches.

The English record cast is 104 ft, with an 11% ft. rod, done in 1904, by J. Enright. H. J. Hardy has done 108 fit. in 1910, but the length of the rod is not stated.

Sir Thomas Sutherland has resigned the chairmanship of the P. and O. Company. Lord Inchcape succeeds him.

In London and all the big cities the hotels are divesting themselves of their German and Austrian waiters. The alien waiter is a much cheaper servant than the independent Englishman, and managers, wishing to present prosperous balance-sheets to their shareholders, are furious that they have to make these changes. In at least one instance, and this an ultra-fashionable hotel, the manager himself has had to go.

Lake Rotomahana has dropped some 6ft, and Lake Taupo and the Waikato River are lower than they have been for 18 years.

Mrs. Caroline Notting, Burfield, New South Wales, has lived in the reigns of six .British sovereigns, George 111., George IV., William IV., Victoria, Edward VII., George V. Mrs. Notting enjoys excellent health, and looks 20 years younger than her 97 years.

Milan and North Italy in general has for years swarmed with German and Austrian spies. On the actual frontiers the Italian authorities are very strict, but the revelations of the present war, showing the complete knowledge of the German General Staff not only as to military matters, but even as to details of the private fortune and affairs of the principal inhabitants, have proved that it is not only along the frontiers that watch and ward must be kept.

The authorities in Whitehall (London) are able to speak by telephone direct to General French. Messages are received almost from the battlefield itself without delay, and with as much ease as from Glasgow to London. Lord Kitchener can, as a consequence, sit in his chair at the War Office and speak to General French without any more trouble than if the

commander of the British forces in France was at Aidershot. This is the first time that science has permitted the British authorities at Home to possess such a close grip of the circumstances of any war in which they have been engaged.

Were this a normal year deer-stalk-ing would be in full swing in that portion of the Carpathians now being traversed by Russian troops. Here are to be found the finest stags in Europe, excelling even the Bavarian stags in weight and strength of antler, and far larger than any Highland red deer. When out stalking at Bukowinda, in the Carpathians, in September, 1896, Mr. Edward North Buxton shot one of the largest stags ever seen. It carried a head of 18 points, the antlers at their greatest length measuring 52in.

A letter from a New Zealand nurse at Rouen in France says; “Another 200 wounded French arrived yesterday, and some German prisoners. It is curious to us to find that so many of the Germans are wounded in the back! one of the German officers' speaks English well, and asked me if I knew Bishop Wallis' of Wellington, New Zealand. This is an experience I would not miss for a great deal, but the wounds are awful, especially those on the Germans made with French bullets.”

The destruction of Venice, declares | Grand Admiral Montecuccoli, of the , Austrian fleet, would be the first act of the Austrian navy should war break out with Italy.

When the newspapers got to work recently in San Francisco “boosting ’ a relief movement for the starving Belgians, £20,000 was raised in an hour, and in a few days a relief ship headed for Great Britain loaded to the Plimsoll with a collection of Californian foodstuffs.

The “King’s Oak” at Tilford, the age of which is estimated by some authorities at 1000 years, has lately become seriously decayed, and in danger of collapse. The decayed portion is being removed, and the cavity filled with masonry, under the supervision of an expert from Kew Gardens.

The percentage of loss is much less than was reckoned on before the war. Out of 4000 British ships engaged in foreign trade, only thirty-nine have been sunk by the enemy, or just under 1 per cent, in all. The rate of insurance for cargoes, which on the outbreak of war was fixed at five guineas per cent., has now been reduced to two guineas per cent., without injury to the solvency of the fund. For hulls, as apart from cargoes, the insurance has also been considerably reduced.