THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1324, 9 September 1915, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE. Mr. Corri Blatchford, son of Mr. Robert Blatchford, and one of the staff of the well-known Socialist organ “The Clarion,” has joined the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, the 11th Battalion, Lambeth.

Lieutenant Harold Gorst, the. only surviving son of Sir John Gorst, who has been invalided home wounded from the front, is a journalist, and was for a number of years the lobby correspondent of “The Standard,” and has been a Gallery man.

Dr. Fitchett, C.M.G., who has been laid up, has gone on a visit to the Bay of Islands to recuperate.

Mr. W. E. Barnard, a well-known professional man of Te Aroha, has arranged to leave by the Talune in October, and after a fortnight in Fiji will proceed by the Niagara to Vancouver. He will visit San Francisco and New York before proceeding to London.

Miss McDonald, Miss Alves, and Miss Anderson, of St. Cuthbert’s Presbyterian College., Mt. Eden, have gone on a trip to the Thermal district.

The completion of the Stead memorial in London is hung up for the time being. The panels are prepared, but at present they will not be placed in position on the site selected along the Embankment opposite the old School Board offices, or in New York, which is to receive a replica of the original.

Dr. Burnett, of Rangiora, has arrived in London, feeling very fit for his duty. He went Home as one of the hundred New Zealand doctors who placed their services at the disposal of the War Office.

A trooper (formerly a miner), now in the Dardanelles trenches, writing to his friends in Dunedin, mentions that he and his mates, when “digging themselves in,” struck what they regarded as favourable gold prospects.

His Grace Archbishop O’Shea, who is at present on a visit to America, is expected to leave Vancouver on his return to New Zealand by the steamer Makura. He will be accompanied by the Very Rev. Dean Tubman.

Mrs. John Studholme, of Coldstream, Hinds, Canterbury, has left for Egypt. Her husband, Major Studholme, holds a commission in the 6th Reinforcements.

Mr. Oswald E. Hugo, a well known character who for many years lectured throughout New Zealand on phrenology, died at Nelson recently.

New Zealand shipping agents report a great demand for third-class passages to England, owing to so many vessels that run to Australia having been requisitioned by the Imperial Government.

Lieutenant T. W. McDonald, who was recently invalided home from Egypt, has been appointed general staff officer in the Otago military district.

Miss G. Nest Davies, who is a dairy instructress under the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, is visiting her people in Wales, and leaves again for home early this month.

Mr. and Mrs. T. Hetherington, of Auckland, are at present on a visit to Rotorua.

Mr. Sinclair A. Rodger, of Christchurch, who went on the stage, is now at the Alhambra, London.

Dr. A. L. Singer, of Gisborne, is proceeding to England as surgeon of R.M.S. Tainui in place of Dr. Mcßride, who came out in the vessel.

A London newspaper reports that Captain Lascelles, of New Zealand, who fought through the South African war and was wounded at the Dardanelles, has recovered, and has been appointed to General Sir lan Hamilton’s staff at the. Dardanelles.

New Zealanders will learn with regret of the death of Mrs. Bowen, wife of Mr. Lambert Bowen, of the Federated Malay States, and daughter of the late Mr. William Rolleston, of Canterbury, New Zealand. Mrs. Bowen, who was only thirty-four years of age, passed away on July 17th at Sister Tait’s Nursing Home, Sheffield.

Dr. William C. Burns, of Timaru, has obtained a commission as lieutenant in the R.A.M.C., and is going to Aidershot.

There is a story going round the West End that in one of the Home commands a very secret order was issued that between certain hours in a certain day no officer in the command was to ride in any vehicle whatsoever, whether train, tram, or taxi; he was to trust solely to Ins own legs for locomotion. Then the authorities during the prohibited hours proceeded to arrest every officer who was found riding. They arrested 183 —all German spies!

The guests at the Grand Hotel last week included: —Mr. R. H. Gogwell, Sydney; Mrs. A. Johnson, Te Kuiti; Mr. Kahn, U.S.A.; Mr. K. T. Reed, Te Araroa; Mr. W. Dawson and son, Dunedin; Mr. and Mrs. L. Wright, Melbourne; Mr. H. C. Mathus, Dunedin; Mr. G. Tothill, Christchurch; Mr. H. Blackman, Wellington; Mr. A. Siipester, Wellington; Mr. H. Levi, Montreal; Mr. W. Bagnall; Bg.-Gen-eral A. M. Robin and Captain F. Hudson, Wellington; Lt.-Col. W. F. Shakespear; Mr. B. C. Aston; Miss Allen,

Hon. J. Allen, Wellington; Mr. F. G. Matthews, Dr. Pomare, and Mr. A. N. Polson, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Newton, Christchurch; Mr. E. F. Tilley, Belfast; Mr. H. B. Williams, Mangarato; Mr. G. W. Ruttell, Wellington; Mr. D. Andrews, Wellington; Mr. H. Nelson, Melbourne; Mr. H. Vial, Wellington; Mr. C. W. Mathus, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. E. Knight, Hawke’s Bay; and Mr. and Mrs. W. H. G. Norton. $ * * * The following guests were staying at the Star Hotel last week: —Mr. W. B. Ellis, Vancouver; Mr. Otto Collins, Sydney; Mr. Elias Martin, Te Kuiti; Lieut. Wilkes, Rangiotu; Mr. C. Worrall, Rarotonga; Mr. J. W. McGrath, Dunedin; Mr. Oswald Browne, Sydney; Mr. Mitchelson, Dunedin; Mr. C. E. Horton, Auckland; Mr. Whitson, Auckland; Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Kirk, Te Kuiti; Mr. W. P. Endean, Auckland; Mr. P. McNeil, Dunedin; Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Horn, Wellington; Mr. R. J. Eames, Whangarei; Mr. A. Kaye, Christchurch; Mr. Coverdale, Christchurch; Messrs. Coverdale, juns., Christchurch; Mr. and Mrs. Finlay, Christchurch; Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Darrow, Whangarei; Miss Darrow, Whangaei; and Mrs. Rawlinson, Whangarei.

Amongst the guests at the Royal Hotel last week were: —Mr., Mrs. and Miss Bamber, Wanganui; Mrs. and Miss Campbell, Auckland; Mr. and Mrs. J. McDowell, Hellensville; Mrs. Hudson Holden, Rotorua; Mr. J. R. Leggo, Neson; Mr. F. A. Cameron, Hastings; Mr. D. S. Thomson, Feilding; Mr. C. Wadie, Dunedin; Major Mackesey, Whangarei; Mrs. and Miss and Mr. W. Wills, Wellington; Mr. R. Hogg, Dunedin: Mr. W. H. Blundell and Mr. G. R. M. Blundell, Te Kuiti; Mr. and Mrs. Lord; Mrs. Dr. Tait, Ngaruawahia; Mr. Tellers, Wellington; Mrs. Mostyn Jones, Te Kuiti; Mrs. A. Mackay and Mr. E. Mackay, Te Kuiti.

The guests at the Central Hotel last week included: —Major and Mrs. H. H. Browne, Paeroa; Mrs. Brennan, Paeroa; Mr. F. Lomas, Wellington; Mr. Chas. Judd, Thames; Mr. Alex. Bell; Mr. C. MacCulloch, Hamilton; Mr. A. C. Mitchell, Wellington; Hon. A. T. Ngata, East Coast; Mr. A. Mackenzie, Wellington; Mr. R. McMillan, Hamilton; Mr. A. Morrison, Dunedin; and Mr. J. L. Perry, New Plymouth.

The present war reminds all Russia; the peasant sectarians as well as their friends among the educated classes, that whatever the shortcomings of the Government may be, it has its very palpable uses; and they feel that to exchange the yolk of their own Tsar for a German Kaiser would, even from their own point of view, be stepping out of the frying-pan into the fire. That is why one hears so much less to-day of Russian anarchism and so much more of Russia’s loyalty, which, after all is much the stronger and more general feeling.

Spain is making enquiries in the English markets for cycles. Spain, even backward Spain, has made application for the useful wheel. The machines required are in two categories, (a) the cheapest possible, and (b) a slightly better grade but cheap. Quotations are wanted for fixed sprocket machines and alternative prices for fixed wheels. Weight and date of delivery in Barcelona must be given.

Mr Edgar George Tate Gooch, who served as a midshipman in the Black Sea fleet during the Crimean war, died ■at Kaikoura, aged seventy-eight years. He arrived at Lyttelton in 1857, and subsequently proceeded to Central Otago, where he acquired a sheep run. After a lapse of years he moved north and assumed the management of the Swyncombe station, Kaikoura, which position he relinquished on purchasing The Point station.

Captain Cambridge, late manager of the Eastbourne Municipal Ferry Service, has entered upon farming pursuits in the Auckland district.

Mr. Hugh Owen, who was well known in Wellington shipping engineer circles as engineer of the steamer Arapawa, is on a naval patrol vessel outside Liverpool.

The Rev. L. Dawson Thomas, late vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Gisborne, and now of Dubbo, New South Wales, has volunteered for service at the front, either as chaplain or as a helper with the Army Medical Corps.

The cost of a Maxim landed in New Zealand is £'2Bo, but if a gun is purchased at Home and landed from there at the Dardanelles the price is £lBO.

The fact that many of the peaks in our Southern Alps bear German names was drawn attention to recently, and the Tourist Department is now considering whether it will or will not take action in the matter.

The Rev. B. Dudley, F.R.A.S., of Westport, has just been offered the honour of election as a member of the Societe Astronomique de France.

Miss Edith Storey, a writer from London, who has been visiting Christchurch, has now gone on a visit to the Edinburgh of the South.

The pride of Warsaw is its theatre in the Fazienki Gardens, laid out in a valley of the Vistula, and containing fine chestnut trees, beautiful shady alleys, artificial ponds, and excellent fountains. The gardens were gay with the smart uniforms of the military, the bright national costumes of the people, and were the resort of the Warsaw aristocracy.

Mr. H. D. Bedford, of Dunedin, formerly of the House of epresentatives, has received a communication from America inviting him to become a member of the Academy of Political Science of New York. Mr. Bedford has replied accepting the offer.

Major Norton Francis, who has been on staff work at Samoa, has returned to New Zealand.

, Dr. Teichelmann, of Hokitika, has been accepted for service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. • • • •

Mr. R. W. Lochhead, a well-known land owner of Hororata, has been nominated to fill the vacancy on the Canterbury Agricultural College Board caused by the death of Mr. A. L. Joseph. The election is by the Canterbury members of Parliament.

Mr. Arthur Alexander, the brilliant New Zealand pianist and composer, is returning to Wellington.

Friends of Captain W. J. Hardham, V.C., will be pleased to hear that in a recent letter to a member of the Rugby Union committee the popular ex-representative player reported himself as quite recovered from wounds received on June 3rd, and was expecting every day to return to the scene of active operations.

The Hon. Dr. McNab has receiived a cable message from his brother, Private A. McNab, who is training with the Royal Fusiliers on Salisbury Plains, England, congratulating ■ him on his inclusion in the National Government. Private McNab was an officer in the British Forces in the Boer War, and after the outbreak of the present war he stated that he had already seen something of an officer’s life on active service and wished to see how a private fared, and he enlisted.

American files report that Mr. J. C. Irons, manager for the Union Company at Vancouver, has been advised that the company’s new 13,000 ton liner Aotearoa, launched on June 20th from the Fairfield yards, has been taken over by the Admiralty and named H.M.S. Avenger. The engineers have been enliste dand given Royal Naval ratings. The Aotearoa was to have assisted the Niagara in the Sydney-Auckland-Vancouver service.

Mount Cook—“Aorangi, the Cloud Piercer,” as the Maoris poetically named the highest point of the Southern Alps—is one of the most perfect and beautiful peaks in the world. To reach this wonderful playground there is a motor tour which for uniqueness and beauty is unrivalled in the world. The Mount Cook Motor Company run a twice-weekly service, splendidly equipped, with 60 h.p. and smaller cars, all roomy and comfortable. They also supply special cars, and a special and unusual feature is that every car is equipped with a telephone apparatus, so that at any point on the route communication can be made by telephone. In this beautiful and silent world of giant peak, foaming torrent and grey moraine, the tourist could linger for months and the tired business man rest his mind in a world of perfect peace which knows no disturbing factor. Upon every hand the giant mountains raise their peerless heads into the speckless blue, while at their feet lie the soft, snowy spaces where ski-ing and other sports can be indulged in without stint. The Hermitage, which opens at the beginning of next month, has been re-built and brought up to the most modern requirements. The distance from Fairlie to the Hermitage is about 96 miles and a motor service, runs regularly. The first stage passes round the edge of Lake Tekapo, which is fed by mountain torrents rising in the Godley and Cass glaciers, and on to Lake Pukaki, from where first the “cloud piercer” bursts upon the view, a sight which can never be forgotten. From this same spot Mt. Sefton (10,350 ft. rises boldly into view. The new hotel at the Hermitage has been erected on a splendid site, which commands a magnificent view of Mt. Cook. Quite close are the Hooker Glacier, a view of Mount Sefton, adown which the avalanches are always falling, the Mueller Glacier and the Sefton Range. A full staff of competent guides and ski-ing experts (who will instruct the novice in one of the finest sports in the world, the national sport of Norway, skating and leaping down snowfields at an immense speed) are always on hand, and the Government

supplies a full complement of both ski’s and boots. The trip up to the Hermitage by moto rear and the pleasures of ski-ing around Fairlie are not the least to be desired of the great gifts the beauties of the Southern Alps hold out to- the tourist and the iired wayfarer in the hot ways of the city.

Mr George Munro, who died suddenly at Liverpool, recently, was widely known as secretary of the Christchurch Exhibition, and in his duties in tire Department of Industries and Commerce made many friends. The late Mr Munro had been in business in the frozen meat trade in England, on Ms own account for four or five years prior to his death.

The steamer Manuka, which arrived at Wellington last week from Sydney, brought £lOO,OOO in gold.

Next to Lodz, Warsaw is the principal industrial centre of Poland. Its manufacturers include metallic wareo, machinery, food products, chemicals, matches, spirits, and tobacco,- while the shoe Industry, carried on in small establishments, is in the aggregate considerable. The climate is temperate, with a mean annual temperature of 45 deg., the mean temperature of January being 24deg., and of July 66deg. Its population in 1882 was 382.904; in 1897, 638,208, of whom one-third were Jews; and in 1905 it was estimated at 750,000.

The Queen of Sweden, who appears to have been staying in the Margrave’s Castle at Karlsruhe when the French airmen made their “wicked attack” on the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden, was brought up in Baden, for she is the daughter of the late ruler and the only sister of the present Grand Duke. She is also a first cousin of the Kaiser, her mother being the sister of the Emperor Frederick, and therefore a sister-in-law of Qt'een Victoria’s eldest daughter. At the same time, King Gustav’s consort is the mother-in-law of a first cousin of King George, for her eldest son, now the crown Prince of Sweden, married Princess Margaret of Connaught just ten years ago.

Mrs Philip Shaw, daughter of Mrs Hayhurst, Temuka, South' Canterbury, Iras returned to England at Newcastle-on -Tyne, to be near her husband, who is a lieutenant in the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers.

Dimitri, who was a member of the Captain Scott expedition to the South Pole, as master of the dogs, and since his return has been in the employ of McKinsey, of Christchurch, has left on his return to Siberia, via Japan, to join the Russian army.

Some excitement was in evidence at the departure of the ferry steamer Monowai from Wellington on a recent Saturday night. It was dear that a good many intending passengers would be disappointed, and when the gangways were hauled up a large number wanting to travel were left on the wharf. One of these-a soldier on leave-possessing considerable agility, scaled the side of the steamer and clambered on board, to the accompaniment of loud cheering, both from those on board and on the wharf. Taking the cue from him, others, .including at least one member of the fair sex. assisted from the wharf and boat, climbed on board, the efforts of the police being quite inadequate to put a stop to the proceedings. By the time the time the steamer cast off quite 30 additional people gained admittance to the vessel.

The Australian officers are endeavouring to .ascertain the name of the first Australian who reached the shore of Gallipoli. The consensus of testimony indicates that it was a little Queenslander, who jumped into the sea in deep water and sank owing to the weight of his pack. When he rose he discarded his pack and swam ashore, where he rushed a Turkish machine gun, bayoneted all the Turks, and fell riddled with bullets. An officer at the time tried to remember the man’s personality, but the fury of the fighting and subsequently the heaps of dead prevented his identifiration. The fate of the Queenslander recalls the tradition that on the outbreak of the Trojan war the oracle

prophesied that the first Greek to land on enemy country would perish. A devoted warrior. Protesilaos, knowing this, jumped from the boats, and made his way ashore, only to die by Trojan arms. Tn recognition of his sacrifice the gods subsequently allowed him to leave the shades once a year and return to earth to see his wife. Laodimia. The story is embodied in Wordsworth’s famous verse. Laodimia.

The King of Italy’s splendid Alpine training during the last twelve years as mountain climber and chamois hunter is proving of great value in this mountain warfare against Austria. From the Monte Rosa, through' the Bernina Range, to the Stelvio Pass. an average elevation of 10.000 feet, the King knows t every mountain intimately. Near Turin he has his Alpine shooting-box, and in the Alpine valley of Aosta are his large preserves for game, especially chamois and wild goats. Nearly all his guides are now at the front, and the game will have a quiet season this year. The Dowager Queen Margherita often visited these mountain wilds in her younger days, and stayed as a simple Alpinist in the huts with other climbers. All the royal family of Savoy are Alpinists, and the King will find himself at home with his Alpine troops in this war.

Mr Malcolm Ross, official war correspondent with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, arrived at the New Zealand Headquarters in Gallipoli on 24th June. In a private letter written on the eve of his departure on 23rd June for Anzac Cove, Mr Ross stated that he was to make the trip in a “sweeper.” He also said that he had had difficulties about getting to the front.

The Tourist Department is making arrangements to hold a series of wintei sports gatherings at the Hermitage in the early part of the season. fl he completion of the hut alongside the Mueller ’Glacier has opened up a very fine ground for ski-ing, toboganning and ice skating. It is intended to open the Hermitage on October 18 instead of November 1. and special stocks of skins, toboggans and skates have been provided.

An Egmont Mountain Club has been formed at Kaponga, the object of the cluib being to disseminate information concerning what should be, and probably is. one of Taranaki’s greatest assets, he Kaponga Club will afford informatio The Kaponga Club will afford information concerning the best route to the Mountain, correct charges and any other necessary information. With judicious management and advertising the Club should be able to do much to popularise the Mountain.

With the exception of 200 or 300 doctors and some hundreds of nurses, there are no Japanese actually with the Allies, states a recent visitor to Japan, barring the artillerists mentionedI—but 1 —but the doctors and nurses are doing excellent work. So many .doctors have gone now that there is a shortage in Japan similar to what there is in New Zealand.

A lady w’ho reached London from Belgium recently reports that, when crossing the field of Waterloo a short time ago. she saw some 1500 German soldiers at work round the monumental lion erected to commemorate the battle. The soldiers appeared to be demolishing and removing the monument. ,

The Indian Cavalry Division in Flanders recently relaxed the tension enough to give a gymkhana. The place chosen for the gymkhana was a large plateau isolated in the midst of a broad and comparatively desolate valley running up to the wooded horizon, where here and there a village church spire peepe'fl out. The games opened with flat races for officers, in which General Rimington, commanding the Indian Cavalry Corps, competed amid general enthusiasm. Tent-pegging for British and Indian cavalry followed, both for officers and men. and the French peasant, notably the cavalry were delighted with the skill shown. But the “clou” of the afternoon was the display of trick riding given by an elite troop of a famous Indian cavalry regiment. The spectators fairly rose at the riders as they thundered down the course snatching up handkerchiefs from the ground, hanging head downwards across the saddle, standing up in the saddle or riding with their faces to the

horse’s tail, firing- off revolvers, and uttering shrill cries in their native tongue, to which their comrades round the ring as loudly responded. The wonderful horsemanship fascinated the French cavalry officers, the amusing antics of the riders, who entered fully into the comic spirit of the entertainment, delighted the stolid Flemish peasants. When finally the whole troop reined up along the course with panting horses and saluted to a bugle call the spectators burst into loud applause.

A good many people have been surprised at the cables mentioning the use of buffaloes by the Italians in their warfare against the Austrians. It was stated that the beasts were turned loose on the wire entanglemnts, and any that were slaughtered by mines or other explosives were later on used as meat for the Italian soldiers. “These buffaloes (states the Sydney Mail) are in large numbers in the swampy country near the mouth of the Tiber, west of Rome—the low lying tracts bordering on the sea. The population thereabouts is small, and very few people can manage buffaloes A few of the cows are milked, and a tasty cheese is made; but the principal, use of the 'herds that are under control is to keep the swamp-water channel open. Shallow channels have been cut to carry off the water, but they would soon become choked with rank weed growth if means were not adopted to meet the problem. That is where the buffalo comes in. At intervals a herd is driven along each' narrow channel, and the weeds are trampled down. A certain amount olf land is thus kept sweet for agricultural purposes. Beyond this the buffaloes are merely a curious and ilittle-knoWn feature of the province of Rome. They are very ferocious animals, and almost incredilbe stories are told of their strength when charging obstacles head down. There is little danger from their horns, which are curved backward; but their skulls are very thick and almost impenetrable. From their desolate swamps they have been driven northward, and in the cabled incident the centuries are bridged, for their presenc in Italy is traceable to the Roman campaigns In Africa.”