OVER HALF THE WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 59, 3 December 1907, Page 9

OVER HALF THE WORLD.

: ' : :i ' ' i -<> —: — ' ' SOME IMPRESSIONS. ! ' — — I NIAGARA EXCELS VICTORIA FALLS j ' FOR POWER. (bt tblegkaph—sfecul cobrespohdent.) I . • ■ Christchurch, Dccemher 1. ' A well-known Christchurch resident, Mr, ; E. W. Ropor, has achieved what is said to be ' a now record for New Zealanders oy covoring '. 82,000 miles in .a tour of the world in two ;■ years and V half. Tho moro statement of tho ,countrios ho has passed through in this time reads like the index of an atlas. , ■ Sinco leaving Now Zoaland Mr. Roper has visited the Samoa and Hawaiian Islands; tho ; Btates of California; Oregon, and Washington, Alaska, and Canada; has been through the I Eastern States to Key West, ,and Cuba; throyjgh to Morocco, and by way of ( Mediterranean ports to Egypt and tho *Soudan; thence through Palestine, , Syria, Greece, ; fnrkey, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Swit- ■ zeriand; France, Italy, England, Ireland, , Scotland and Wailes. Following this, ho went threogh Belgium, Holland, and Norway, i and to Spitsbergen, within 700 miles of the Polo. After a short sojourn in London, Mr. i Roper took a 21,000 mile trip through Africa, ' visiting British Sast Africa, Uganda, German : and Portuguese East Africa, Rhodesia, tho Transvaal,-Natal. Colony, German West Africa, the Cs- , - Nigeria, Tcncriffe,' , Madoira, etc., , back .to Now Zea.lan'd by way of erth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydnej. .. . . : : BUSIEST CANAL. • It wottld'be necessarily impossible for Mr. Roper to give in the scope of interviews any- , thing like a full account of such a trip, tho i incidents he witnessed, or . the impressions . ; gainod, so in his remarks' on his return to ; ropresontatives of tho two local /papers ho only touched on a few points of interest. For example, ha said, ono is surprised to learn that the ship canal through which the largest .amount of tonnage in tho world : passes' is the Sioux Canal between Lakes i Superior and "Huron.' When he was there thero were 75 largo vessels waiting in line i to pass through in one direction. The car- ; goes parried, aro principally of iron, ore, : gram, and timber. ■ He was impressed byone change - that had i taken place in the United States since ho was ■ there 15 years ago.' Tho sentiment-of tho people then .was distinctly unfriendly towards ( Great Britain. That hostile, feeling'is cer--1 tainly vanishing, and a recognition, of the bonds of kinship is taking its place. - ■ • I ..EXPENSIVE.AMERICA. _ America is an expensive place for the tourist, but' it is not remarkable , in that respect. The older countries have been quick to come up to the American standard, and perhaps a'little,bit .beyond it/'Boots are 11-β only things that "are cheap in America. Many of .the leading people he met in the United States were .taking a very keen -interest in New .Zealand's experimental legislation. "I was amazed,' , said Mr. Roper, "to find how much attention is paid to par legislation, more, especially as on my previous visit I had noticed a lamentable lack of knowledge in regard to.,the colonies. Now Zealand is, looked upon throughout the world as one of the most' favoured lands known. I must say that New Zealand has had no advertisement like the success of the 'All Black'' footballera last season. The most carefully designed advertisement, would not..have brought this country so .prominently before the people of the Old Country.". ■ ; . . LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN." At_Spitzbergen ho was.within 700' miles of the Tole. climate was perfect owing to , the fact that in summer the sunshine is continuous. It \is somewhat ''romarkable that one is apt to got sunburnt at midnight -' One of the reasons which induced Mr' Boper to go to the Zambesi River was to see the Victoria Falls, which were alleged to bo far grander than, Niagara. As a matter of Jact,- he said, , ,for power purposes the two can scarcely be compared. Niagara has ninnino to waste power equal to that which could be produced by all :the coal mines iirthe world ' 7*5. tee other hand, , Viotori a . : Falls; although 400 teet in height as compared with 160 feet at_ Niagara, .has a'>supply which .is-so uncertain that beyond a few thousand horse-power It can never be utilised all the year round. , ; ALASKAN FAIRYLAND. "Of all that we saw while on the tour " he remarked, ,"the approach to Alaska will memories the longest; This transcended anything in oiir experience. We went from Seattle by steamer, and, coming to -Alaska, we steamed through a lovelv smooth sea dotted with charming blots 'On the one side was an enormous glacier descending nght into the sea, and floatinabout wore numbers of icebergs, glittorine ■thL ■ $ n t lficent fairy spectacle than any«Twflv e ™ ! ' te Ro T P^ s b y a «Vy little «>lway-.■•This-was , the Pass where so many hundreds, of. gold-seekers lost their lives tra . Ola, which will extend over 40.000"miles.