NOTES ON A TRIP FROM WELLINGTON, N.Z., TO BOSTON (MASS.), UNITED STATES ; AS READ BEFORE THE WELLINGTON CATHOLIC INSTITUE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 42, 8 February 1889, Page 27

NOTES ON A TRIP FROM WELLINGTON, N.Z., TO BOSTON (MASS.), UNITED STATES ; AS READ BEFORE THE WELLINGTON CATHOLIC INSTITUE.

(Continued.)

AT 2 a.m. the pilot came on board, and at 630 a.m. on tha 14th we were lying quietly beside Spreckles wharf at Honolulu. The Honolulu harbour reminds one of that of Nelson, a soit of natural barrier vanning all round with two entrances which are rather narrow and marked by buoys. Two men-of-war are lying in port, one English the other American, the English a smart- looking corvette with a ram bow, aad the American an old-fashioned tub, with heavy top hamper and wooden hull, looking like a large merchantman. All American shipa in commission are of this kind, I am informed, the country not thinking it necessary to possess a navy. A party of eleven of as hired conveyances and drove to the " Pali " mountain, from which the view is very fine : Oa one side Honolulu, the white houses peeping through the tropical trees which grow luxuriantly all over the city. On the other, asu^ar plantation and the sea in the distance. Tbe pass where we are standing is rather dangerous, a sheer descent at about 800 feet in front, towards which the wind is blowing a gale. Coaling back we drove through several flae streets. The bosses are M«stly of brick and cement, two stories high, with gardeas in front in which ths palm, coooanu f , the mango and othir tropical fruit-trees abound. We passthrouph the Ohinehe quarter, wherj we see stores «t all descriptions with Chinese artisans busily at work, a few Chinese women and scores of children, the offspring of Chinese women, and of native women married to Chinamea. We pass several large private teaidcaoes having all the appearance of wealth and luxury. We taw the King's Palace, an unassuming two-storied flat-roofed building, with a high wall around it. Theeutrance gate is very fine, with a black gu*rd doing sentry in full regimentals. We luncned at the HswatUn H«t«l, a large handsome bnitding with a verandah all round it and all doors opening on to it. Meanwhile tbe sun is pouring down kis burc.iog rays, but the green of the tall trees affords an excellent shade and we feel 000 l and comfortable. We sail at 6 p.m. leaving Honolulu 2n tbe golden glory of the rapidly waning rave tf the setting sue, and we steam en in the beautiful declining light toward* the colder northen la iiudes.

Tuesday, 17th. — Nothing of importance to note for the last three days, but that the weather has been rough, blowing hard, with a heavy cross sea on. We tumbled about in our cabin?, and dodged soap, etc., at table, which the unusual oscillation sent splashing about. To-day we have got out of the bad weather, and everything if lovely again. One of our passengers trom Honolulu, Mr. Cnchton, Las been Minister for Foreign Affairs fjr the king " Kalakau." He was Lb the New Zealand Legislature twelve years ago, and speaks of New Zealand aud its people with much affection. He has many quaint stories to tell and v most entertaining. I asked him why it was that his shoulders were decorated with wreaths of flowers, and even he wore one on his bat when he oame oa at Honolulu. He told me it was customary in tropical countries to decorate the persous of those leaving on long voyages m the way he was adorned.

20th, 10 p.m. — We are withiu sixteen miles of the light outside San Francisco. No seep to-night through the foi? whistle blowing. We are going dead slow and taking soundings, with a sort of suppressed excitement everywhere. Saturday, 21st, B.SO a.m. — A tug-boat is seen coming out of the mitt and tells as we are three miles from the outer buoy. We go on

now with more confidence, and presently land is sighted on oar port bow. The company's tug comes alongside, bringing the Oaitom* House officer and the doctor. Oar papers and ourselves bains; examined, there ib time to louk at th« entrance to " God's Country." On the port side of us is high land with two lighthouses, while oa the other is a line of fortifications. I cannot see much on account of the thick mist. We land at the 0.3 8. Co.'s wharf, and have oar baggage checked by the Custom* Mouse officers. Outside the company's s bed I can hear a babal of voices ; they are the hotel toots, all calling oat together the names of the various hostelries they represent— sueb cries as " Occidental," " Golden Eagle," and " Buss House," the last delivered like the hist of a serpent. I elect to go to the Buss House. Driving through the streets to the hotel the immensity of the building! strikes me — stores eight and ten stories high— and the traffic roaring over the huge boulders with which the streets are paved ; life, life everywhere. On arriving at the hotel in Montgomery street I am shown the oflcs waere I register ray name and where I came from. This system of registering in hotels seems to be a good notion. No one is exempt from it, and the names are published la all the newspapers ; in cr.se one wants trace of a person travelling it is found convenient. " The Buss House " occupies a large block, and is said to kave 300 rooms, and an army of 150 servants yet it U only a second-rate hotel. The " Palace," which can be seen from the door of the " Buss," is the largest hotel in the world. It is an iron baildiog, fire proof, and possesses within ita walls all the convenience! necessary for the life of the most luxurious mortal who ever graced this earth with bis or her presence. Went to a San Francisco music hall " The Orpheum," a fine buildiog, with marble floor and marble tables scattered about. Smart attendants can be seen carrying foaming tankards of Lager beer shoulder high. The performance is of the best kind, nothing to offend the susceptibilities of tke most delicate, everything to j please ear and eye. The "Bonlauger March," a new piece of music, performed by a " Hungarian" band, was very fine, and deservedly encored. A pair of contortionists, the Donaldson Brothers (oow in New Zealand), performed some of the most wonderful feats I ever saw. I made their acquaintance subsequently, and found them exceedingly gentlemanly young fellows, and devoted to their extraordinary profession. They had performed in circuses, all over the States, and they could fill a good -sited tolubs with stirring reminiscences. Coming out of the " Orpheum " into the glitter, and glare, and noise of the city, (ia strong contrast to dear old Wellington where we " gropo our way o nights," our sickly few and fir between gatfiamps only serving to make darkness felt) was rather trying to my eyes, on account of the intense brightness of the electric light, with wuioh 'FriBCJ is well lit up, and trying to my nerves, wnich are not of the strongest, and which had b a en soothed by the fond music aud poetry of motion within. Sunday, 22nd January.— Attended Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, a large brick edifice ; very fine accommodation within, seating about 3000. Choir very good indeed. Just before the sermon the pulpit was rolled along the floor, it appeared to run on rails. It stood right in front ol the altar. An American gentleman preached a stirriag sermon and when be had finished speakiag and descended, the pulpit was rolled off to the corner and I could Bee no visible force applied to it. In the evening 1 took the cable cars and went to the Gulden Gate park. The cable cars are a magnificent arrangement, a triumph of engineering skill over great difficulties. No hills iv Wellington can compare with California street, for example, and the well laden cable earn travel up thit street at the rate of 10 or 12 mlies per hour. The Golden Gate park is beautiful, containing a splendid conservatory called the " Lick (Jons rvatury " ; the planti are rare and rich, the gold fish quite tame ia artificial poods. There is a good view of the harbour from the grounds behind the conservatory, a bronee statue of General ftarfielu stands here. The drives are wide and well kept, and a goodly number of San Franciscans are out enjoying the fresh air. The Seal Hocks &t the Golden Gate is a place that visitors should see ;i there are 500 seals ab jut them. I returned to town aad went to vespers; the singing was good and the congregation large and evidently well supplied with this worlu'd gear, rioma of the theatres are open on Sunday. They publish their programmes in the Saturday's papers, bo that the non- religious portion of the community are catered for ; and well too.

Monday, 23rd. — I visited to-day among other places a Safe Deposit Company's building in Montgomery street ; securities, jewels and bullion aie here placed for safe keeping. The walls of the etryajr rooms are 4 feet thick, of solid steel and the ceiling several feet also of steel ; a policeman is on guard oight and day. I was locked in a stroug room for a moment or two and I felt an added value to my person of untold quantity for that time. I went to the Bush street Theatre in the evening. The play waa a translation from the French, called " Herminie." The orchestral stalls, where 1 Bat, are something like our dresa circle, and very comfortable, The audience was undemonstrative but most attentive, and applauded in the right places. There is uo doubt but that the stage is at its height in America. The country is so rich that it attracts the very best talent from all parts of the world ; and the audiences are consequently well educated. In this play there was an Irish soldier of fortune, of humble rank (the play was a military one), and the brogue (and humour, which, from an average colonial audience would draw roars of not always genuine merriment was here passed over as a matter of course ; and the fine touches and pathetic speeches of the same aotor were warmly applauded. Commend me to a San Francisco audience (or good taste.

24th. — Off by the big feiry boat to Oakland en route East: On board the train at 5 p m. with 3000 miles of rail between vie and my destination. I travel second ciass to the Mission Hirer and find it a change for the worse. The sleeper into which I hare been ushered is a large car with arrangements similar to a Pullman, but without cushions, and dimly lighted by two immense oil lamps fixed to the ceiling. The seats can be turned ioto stretchers, I purchase a mattress for 60 cents and ultimately manage to get to steep, though the train goes at more than 35 miles an hour. Before 10 p.m. I can see the suow thick and heavy ou the ground. We atop 35 minutes at Sacra* mento foi tapper, and we speed on up an incline all night ; early in

the morning we came to a dead atop, the plug baring come oat of the boiler and nearly scalded oar engineer to death. 25th.— On the mountains. We stop for bretkfast, which is very a ccfptable and good, of tea, coffee, ham and eggt, buckwheat cakes, f mit in all varieties, The cold atmosphere after that of the cars is tryimg. Thermometer is below freezing point, and the cars are heated up to 6* or 68 by steam pipes. On again through the snowy ranges of the Sierra Nevadas, my pulses keeping time with the musical clicks of the wheels, and I seem to feel the throbbing pulse of the mighty engine as it rashes through the defiles of the mountain, We go on all day, and late into the night. I sit smoking and watching the ■ombre snowy peaks, and, as we rush on, I feel a strange exhilaration of spirit, almost painful in intensity ; this must occur from the rarity of the atmosphere at the high points. 26th. At Ogden. This is the end of the first portion of my ticket I here change cars and go on the Denver and Bio Grande. We leave for Bait Lake City at 10 a.m. On arrival I was invited to stay over for a day or so ; but the look of things in general debarred me. The streets are covered with mud from a recent thaw, and piles of snow ate scattered around. The city is planted in the midst of a great fertile plain, and is well laid out ; but as seen from the cars on this January day, it does not look inviting. On my homeward trip I visited it and found it a fine city of its kind. I gather some interesting particulars re the Great Salt Lake. It is 100 milea long, 60 miles wide, and has 22 per cent, of salt in. it. A swimmer cannot sink in it, aid drowning only occurs when a portion of the water is swallowed. A person diving into this lake will be shot up again like a cork. New-comers who go there for bathing are especially warned against the properties of the water, which will suffocate a swimmer should he swallow any of it. Wall, we drive on up the Rockies, and during the night I can see nothing but the ranges and snow all pervading. {To be emtiwued.')