THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1353, 30 March 1916, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE.

Miss Stuart, daughter of the Bishop of Waiapu, has returned to New Zealand from a visit to Australia. * * * * Mrs. P. C. Corliss and her daughter, Miss Valerie Corliss, arrived in Wellington last week by the Arawa, after an absence of two years in England. * * * * The Hon. T. Dalton and Mrs. Dalton have returned to Sydney after a trip to the Dominion. • • • • Mr. Denniston S. K. Miller, governor of the Commonwealth Bank, who has been visiting New Zealand, returned to Sydney last week. • * » • Dr. Roland Aickin, of Auckland, is leaving for the Old Country on April 4 by the Rimutaka from Wellington to place his services at the disposal of the British war authorities. * « * * Mr. and Mrs. Horace Nightingale, formerly of Napier, N.Z., have been in summer residence at Dutton Park, Brisbane. * • • ’ The Hon. Sir Francis Bell recently returned to Wellington after conducting a successful recruiting tour through the North Auckland district. • • • Mr. G. Rudman, of the postal department of the Napier Post Office, has received notice of his transfer to the Wellington office. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, the war correspondent, will visit New Zealand next month, and will deliver lectures in the principal cities. He returns to the Old Country at the end of next month, en route to the western front. * * * * Mr. Stephen Trevalla, of Cobden, Westland, is dead. He was born in Cornwall seventy-two years ago, and for thirty years had been in the New Zealand railway service. He retired on superannuation a considerable time ago. * ♦ ♦ ♦ Mr. E. Dixon, Mayor of Hawera, and Mrs. Dixon were in Auckland last week. . Mr. H. W. Northcroft, late Resident Commissioner at Cook Islands, is nowconvalescent after a somewhat serious operation. * * * * Mr. A. M. Johnson, who died recently at Christchurch, hatched the first trout introduced into New Zealand by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. While trawling at Menzies Bay, Lyttelton, last week, a fisherman named Mitchell found that a tremendous shark had entangled itself in his nets. He contrived to land the monster on the beach. The measured length of the shark was 25ft., and the widest part of the girth was 15ft. The jaws showed two imposing sets of teeth, each tooth being about 114 inches in length. The tail measured 3ft. 6in. from tip to tip. * * * * The High Commissioner for New Zealand (Sir Thomas Mackenzie) is to have the Freedom of the City of Bristol conferred on him. V * * * Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Hogan, of Wanganui, Uave returned to New Zealand after a holiday of some months spent in Australia, Ceylon and India. * * * * Three rather wonderful brothers — named Hands —have just arrived in England, after serving under Botha in South-west Africa. They are all three over 6ft., all three entered Oxford with Rhodes scholarships, and all three in turn became Rugger Blues. These brawny three are sons of the Mayor of Cape Town.

Lord Brassey, who has given the Government of India his yacht Sunbeam, was arrested in Kiel Harbour in June, 1914, just after he had rowed himself ashore from the yacht. The Kaiser afterwards apologised for the incident. Amongst the visitors to New Zealand is Dr. A. E. Sitsen. a Dutch medical man, who is enjoying an extended furlough after having occupied for six years the important post of Director of the Medical School at Soerabaja (Java). He and his wife are at present in the South Island. They will shortly leave for Holland, via America. « • * * The following paragraph appears in the “Cairo Sphinx”:—Mr. Malcolm Ross, the well-known New Zealand journalist and writer, who is the official war correspondent to the Dominion, is staying at the New Zealand General Hospital. His son, Noel Ross, who has followed both in his father’s and mother’s literary footsteps, and who was among the wounded taken to Kasr-el-Ainy in the early days of the campaign, has been suf-

ficiently long in England to become engaged to a very charming young English girl. * * * • In connection with the motor car service between Napier and Taupo, it will be welcome news to tourists and others who contemplate making this trip to learn that the Hawke’s Bay Motor Co., Ltd., have decided to continue the service up till April 30. Napier to Taupo is acknowledged by all who have made the trip to be one of the most interesting and romantic scenic routes in the southern hemisphere, and for rugged mountain landscape is unsurpassed. A motor car leaves Napier on Thursday at 8 a.m., and reaches Tarawera in time for lunch, arriving at Taupo at 4 p.m. The return journey is commenced on Friday at 8 a.m., Tarawera being reached by noon, and Napier at 4 p.m. The coach service also meets with wide patronage, and it is important to note that instead of leaving Taupo on the return journey on a Thursday at 7 a.m., as formerly, the coach now leaves on the Wednesday and arrives in Napier on Thursday.

A record in the breeding of pheasants has been established by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society this year. At the last meeting of the council it was reported that 220 birds had been reared and distributed, another 40 had been allocated and were waiting to be distributed, 58 others were ready to go out, and 30 were in the chick stage—34B birds in all for the season. Four golden pheasants and three silver pheasants had also been bred. As regards the 38 pheasants lately imported from England by the Kumara, it was stated that they were the best the society had yet received from Home. *** • * It is reported that katipo spiders in unusually large numbers are found on the New Brighton beach. A medical man has caught quantities and other hunters have also secured many specimens. A prominent resident of the borough was bitten on the temple while sitting in his house, and has been seriously ill through the painful effects for two weeks, but is now recovering. The undermentioned guests were staying at the Star Hotel last week: —Mr. P. Fletcher, Sydney; Mr. A. Ashman, Sydney; Mrs. Hargreaves, Te Kuiti; Dr. Flatau, Sydney; Mr. G. Gore, Wellington; Captain and Mrs. Kennedy, Waiheke; Mr. Turnidge, Sydney; Miss V. Pierce, Christchurch; Mr. Anderson, New York; Mr. Cooper, Te Kuiti; Mr. Bennie, Wellington; Mr. Witheford, Riverhead; Mr. Latimer, Palmerston North; Mr. Simpson, Vancouver; Mr. Little, Wellington; Miss Saunders, Wellington; Mr. McSweeney, Sydney; Hon. J. Hedstrom, Fiji; Mr. Yott, Vancouver; Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Smith, Cambridge; Mr. and Mrs. P. Y. Norman, Hamilton; Mr. Adams, Wellington; Mr. White, Sydney; Mr. Roskall, Wellington; Miss Roskall, Wellington; Mr. Black, Wellington; Mr. Bennett, Melbourne; Mr. Dobson, Melbourne; Mr. Thornton, Melbourne; Mr. March, Melbourne; Mr. Oakley-Brown, Wellington; Mr. Patterson, Wellington; Mr. Wright, New Plymouth; Mr. G. Hislop, Wellington; Mr. Henderson, Wellington; Mr. Hoadley, Sydney; Hon. Dr. McNab, Wellington; Sir J. G. Ward, Wellington. The following guests were staying at the Central Hotel last week: —Mr. W. J. Scott, Rotorua; Dr. Swanston, Rotorua; Lieutenant Innes, Wellington; Major and Mrs. Ariell, Papanui; Dr. A. T. Latchmorr, Taupo; Kirkwood, Palmerston North; Mr. and Mrs. Finn, Gisborne; Mr. P. Gilchrist, Te Aroha; Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Jepson, Islands; Miss Ulph, Waihi; Dr. D. B. Walsh, Thames; Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Parkinson, Sydney; Mervin Wells, Cambridge; Mrs. McLean, Rotorua; Miss M. Dive, Rotorua; Alexander Bell, Morrinsville; Mr. W. J. Scott, Rotorua.

Lieutenant Hutton, of the Second Australian Light Horse, arrived in Wellington last week, and is paying a visit to his home in Canterbury. Lieutenant Hutton was at one time manager of the Coldstream Station in South Canterbury. Captain Carlsen, who has been in command of the Norwegian steamer Odland since she has been engaged in the Australia-New Zealand trade, arrived in Auckland by the R.M.S. Makura. Captain Carlsen intends going home to Norway, where he will take command of a big steamer of 8000 tons. - v ♦ * Mr. W. C. Downs, who has been United States Commercial Attache in Australia for nearly a year, and has now been transferred to Brazil, arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Manuka, en route to Rio de Janeiro. * « * * Dr. Julia Seton, head of the New Thought Church in America, has been lecturing in Auckland. Mr. E. W. Alison, chairman of directors of the Taupiri Coal Mines, Auckland, and Messrs. W. J. Ralph and H. A. Gordon, directors, went down to Wellington last week to attend a conference of the Coal Mine Owners’ Association. •v V < at Mr. Bert Sayers, a well-known Australian theatre proprietor, accompanied by his wife, is on his way from the south to Rotorua. Mr. Sayers owns five theatres in Adelaide, and Broken Hill, and is also a big shareholder in the Fuller vaudeville enterprises. * # * * Professor Dickie and Mrs. Dickie have returned to Dunedin after a six months’ visit to the Old Country. * * * * Mr. S. Bunting, formerly of Masterton, but who has been living for some years in the Malay States, and in Queensland, left Wellington by the Moeraki for Sydney, to enlist with the Australian Forces for the front.

Mr. Charles Ranson, manager of the Northern Steamship Company, paid a flying visit to Wellington last week. ❖ * * * Mr. J. Henrys, the well-known handicapper, returned to Wellington by the Manuka from Sydney, after a holiday visit to Sydney and Melbourne. * * * * Captain Henry Alexander Cooper, Fifth Lancers, and Captain Richard Neave, First Essex Regiment, arrived in Auckland from England per s.s. Rotorua. ¥ T * ♦ Mr. and Mrs. H. Coles, of Palmerston, have left on an extended trip to America. 9 • • • Mr. J. B. Armit, of Wellington, has received cable intelligence of the death in London of his eldest brother, Mr. William Armit, who for many years held the position of secretary to the old Hudson’s Bay Company. On retiring from the company’s service, the deceased gentleman started business as an underwriter at Lloyd’s, but through failing health for some years had led a retired life. His only son is Dr. Armit, of Sydney. * * * * “The high cost of rent,” observed Mr. Justice Stringer, in Auckland, apropos of a witness’ evidence in support of builders’ claims, “is largely due to the high cost of building, and you want to make building more costly by increasing the rate of wages.” Miss Griffiths and Miss Cotter, of Christchurch, left for a visit to Sydney last week. * * * * Mr. and Mrs. P. Jephson, of Suva, Fiji, have been on a visit to New Zealand. Colonel R. Heaton Rhodes intends to leave Egypt on his return to New Zealand by the P. and O. liner Kosgar on April 13. He has been suffering from ill-health lately.

Mr. James Miller Cook, a prominent resident of Gore, has died at the age of 75. Before settling in New Zealand, 46 years ago, he served in the Royal Navy and in the mercantile marine. He leaves a family of 11 daughters and a son. 9C * * 7 Dr. Nihill, of Melbourne, is spending a holiday in the Dominion. Mr. W. A. Kennedy, local manager for the Union Company, has returned to Wellington after a health recruiting holiday. * • • * The Rev. Professor Hewitson, Master of Knox College, Dunedin, who has been abroad in connection with the work of the Canton Village Mission, returned home last week. He was accompanied by Mrs. Hewitson. * * * * Mr. Rudolph Friedlander has returned to Ashburton from an extended trip to Rotorua and the Auckland district. * * * * Mr. and Mrs. J. Danks have returned to Christchurch after a holiday in Australia. Mr. R. R. Macgregor (Invercargill), of Otago University and the Training College, has been advised that he has been awarded the Bowen Prize for 1915 of the University of New Zealand. This prize is awarded biennially for the best essay on chosen subjects. * 9 * • The River Tinto, in Spain, hardens and solidifies the sands of its bed. If a stone falls in the stream and alights upon another, in a few months they unite and become one stone. Fish cannot live in its waters. * * * Anzac is the proposed name for a town “to be built between Brighton and Newhaven” (writes a London correspondent; though, by the way, one may be forgiven for wondering how any more tours could be fitted into this crowded country). The name has come in for a considerable amount of adverse criticism. The

“Observer” comments:—“The sense of Empire would have preferred that there should be only one Anzac, as there is only one Thermopylae, and that the imperishable associations of the place should secure it against rivalry. There are few of this generation, at all events, who will go to any Anzac —‘new’ or otherwise — with a light heart. ♦ « s * Mr. Herbert Lang, who for six years travelled the interior regions of Belgian Congo, has returned to the United States with the largest collection of specimens of animal life ever acquired in Africa. He was in charge of the Congo expedition of the American Museum of Natural History. Altogether it is estimated that the members of the expedition gathered more than 20,000 large specimens for the museum, and the collections in the aggregate weighed forty-five tons.

French cycling soldiers are provided with machines so constructed that they can be taken to pieces in two or three minutes and carried on the soldier’s back, when he comes to some piece of ground over which he is unable to ride. # * * * Mr. Fred. McLeod, late conductor of the celebrated Ipswich City Band, is on his way from Queensland to New Zealand to take charge of the Citizens’ Band in New Plymouth. He is a native of New Zealand, and spent his earlier years in Oamaru. * * * * Lake Chad, in the heart of East Africa, has no known outlet for the manv rivers pouring into it. Its waters rise and fall with great rapidity. The Alexander expedition records that, frequently spaces oyer which they had sailed in the morning had by evening become stretches ot dried mud. * * * * The Hon. T. Thompson, M.L.C., is making a good recovery from the motor car accident he met with at Rotorua a short time ago. He has made such satisfactory progress thaall the bandages were removed and his arms placed under X-rays. It is quite probable that he will regain the use of both arms. Mr. C. R. Tapper, who was injured in the same accident, is on the road to convalescence, and is able to walk about with the assistance of crutches. * * * * Dr. R. Cyril E. Atkinson, M.A., just appointed Commissioner of Public Health for West Australia, was educated at Christchurch Boys’ High School, Canterbury College, and Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities. He is a surgeon-captain in the West Australian Mounted Forces, and chief medical transport officer at Fremantle. * * ♦ * The big elm tree in Independence Square, Philadelphia, said to have been planted by King Edward VII. of England when he visited the United States as the Prince of Wales in 1861, was cut down on January 7. The tree had been dead for some time. Under the ground surrounding the tree when the stump was removed were found several objects, including a 61b cannon ball, a variety of coins, some of revolutionary date, and the grave of a cat. A small tube was found containing a note which requested that the bones of the cat be not disturbed. * * * * Thomas A. Edison, at a dinner in Orange, insisted that the Allies will beat the Germans in the end. “But Germany,” said a G'erman-American, “is building ships at a tremendous rate. She will soon have her navy up to her army. Germany since the war began has added 12 Dreadnoughts and 10 cruisers to her fleet, you know.” “Humph!” said Mr. Edison, “if she keeps on at that rate she’ll soon have to enlarge the Kiel Canal.” * * * * Nearly every pastoralist in Victoria knew Phillip Oakden, one of the grand old men of the industry in Australia, who shuffled off a week or so back at his station, Lerida, in the State where the Norton-Griffiths financing is all the rage, says Melbourne “Punch.” Although born in Tasmania, he got his early education as

a sheep man in New Zealand, and as a merino and longwool’ expert he became recognised as the daddy of Dominion flockmasters. Having acquired the essential knowledge, he started out to lay hands on the pick of pastoral properties in Southland and in the Oamaru district, going into partnership with Mr. M. I. Brown, of Victoria. Thirty-six years ago he decided to give Australia a turn, and he bought a number of stations in New South Wales. He was, at various times, either chairman or other Grand Panjandrum of nearly every body of importance connected with stock in his own State, and was familiar to Victorian sheep-men as a leading show judge. Being occasionally an irascible old party, he now and again expressed his feelings with forcible bluntness. Having been persuaded once to inspect some sheep with a view to purchase, he was so poorly impressed with the wool quality of the flock that he hastily looked them over, and, wheeling his horse round, said testily: “You misunderstand me; ’twas sheep I wanted, not goats.”

“The trip on the main line from Wellington to Auckland by daylight is an education in itself; and no wonder Auckland spreads its plumes with pride, and feels that the future is assured. The countryside is Auckland’s pride. Its hopes are centred there.” Such is the opinion of the Hon. Mr. Webster, the Commonwealth Postmaster-General, who has been on a visit to New Zealand. To a Wellington “Times” interviewer he unburdened himself as follows: “My stay at Rotorua was all too short to investigate the mysteries of this weird land. Strange must be the feelings of those who try to solve the problems. I left it to Guide Bob Inglis to explain the phenomena, and I felt quite safe in his keeping. He seems to know the cause and effect of every jet of steam, every boiling cauldron, scalding geyser, or bubbling pool of mud. It matters not whether the result be petrification, perforation, consolidation, or liquidation, Bob can explain them satisfactorily. . . The weather was warm, and rain was wanted to lay the dust and freshen up the foliage; nevertheless the lake trip, round trip, five-lakes trip, and Wairakei were crammed into my brief stay. Each was interesting in its special features. I saw the volcano belching forth at 5 a.m. I saw the rapids above and below the lovely Huka Falls. I dined amidst the Gods of the Maoris at the Spa—a collection of great value and unique carving. I had the best bath I ever took at the Terraces at 5 a.m. —the iron bath, temperature about 90, and my last day I spent in the restful resort surrounding the Sanatorium, which was bedecked with flowers of the most varied and beautiful shades. We left for Taumarunui, and next morning proceeded to navigate the Wanganui River. The absence of rain makes navigation difficult. The trip from the houseboat to Pipiriki was delightful; the scenery at times was gorgeous, and though we had trouble at times with the ballbearings, still no one noticed it; the troubles were swept aside by the beautiful foliage, mosses and tree ferns. Such is a national asset to New Zealand, and destruction would be treason. This scenery should be preserved at any cost.”

“One effect of the war,” says a soldier recently returned to Thames from England, having l been invalided there from the Dardanelles, “will be to improve the geography of English folk as to the position of New Zealand in the map. When in hospital in England, I overheard two ladies questioning a soldier. One r e f er red to New Zealand as the capital of Australia, and the other contradicted her statement, astounding us all by designating our poor Uttle unknown isle as a health resort on the Australian coast. The subject of these self-answiered questions soon set the visitors right. For my own part a winsome English' girl brought me her autograph and with a bewitching smile asked me “to write something in the New Zealand language ” I think I put in a screed half Maori and half Samoan, with a sprinkling of Turkish, and she was delighted.’ ’