THE MOST REV GRIMES AT HOKITIKA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 1, 1 May 1896, Page 29

THE MOST REV GRIMES AT HOKITIKA.

A VISIT TO THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

Thb theatre was crowded last evening (saya the West Coast Times, April 21) to listen to the lecture by his Lordship Biebop Grimes on his visit to tbe South Sea islands. Though new to tbe platform and previously unconnected with the stage, tbg Bishop soon made himself at home with his audience. He has a fine droll sense of humour and hia witticisms could not fail to draw a smile from the most stolid, although ho might be entirely unacqnainted with the fact that the learned prelate was gradually centreing his attention in order to suddenly diasipate it with a joke. His Lordship went to New Caledonia towards the end of last year in order to be present at the jubilee celebration of the Catholic missions in that lovely group of islands and whilst on hia travels ha also took occasion to visit the New Hebrides, Fiji, Tonga, the Loyalty islaods and Samoa. In a pleasant* quiet, conversational style, he took bit hearers with him, introduced them to the scenaa he visited and tbe people he met and succeeded in giving them a good deal of valuable information about localities which to many were little more than a name. Hia trip was principally connected wito New Caledonia, where his stay was the longeßt, and naturally the ?reater portion of his lecture was occupied with descriptions of thii group. Tbe feature that seemed to have presented itself moat prominently before hia attention was the marvellons development of th« people as builders. Fifty years ago they did not know how to auild huts, and yet at the time of his visit there were numerous sttne churches, schools convent, orph mages, workshops, and a thousand and one accdsories of missionary settlamen'a Naturally picturei of these buildings formed a prominent part of the illustrations aid showed how thorough must have beea the training whioh could io quickly transform a raca of barbarians and cannibals into a smple and intellectual people. As each spot, each island was visitei the hearer hal some face graphically preaen ed to him till finallj he had a cjmplete sketch, or series of ukutchee, amongst soenes wlich might well be called a poet's paradise.

At tbe conclusion tbe Hoa J. A. Bonar moved a vote of thanks to tbe most raverend lecturer and. in doing go expressed tbe pleasure they all felt at io pleasing and instructive an address. The vote was seoooded by Mr Wade and carried by acolamation. In acknowledging the vote the Biabop said the position was to him a most novel one and not without its charms. He wished to divide with Mr Park tbe honour of the vote and desired to express gratitude to that gentlemin for hia kindness in volunteering to prodace the piotures on the canvas and bis appreciation of the skill with which be had assisted the lecture. He also desired to thank those ladies and gentlemen f ,r their eftortß, which bad secured so large an audience and so good a harveat to the charity on behalf of which be was lecturing. Finally he desired to thank the Mayor for presiding, and called a vote of thanks 10 Mr Mandl, which was heartily given and brought the proceedings to a close.