a WELLINGTONIAN ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 246, 10 July 1908, Page 5

a WELLINGTONIAN ABROAD.

LETTER PROM MR. F; W. HAYBITTLE. By the last mail a fellow-member of jthe Wellington Bowling Club received an interesting letter from' Mr. F. ,W. Haybittle (of Geo. Thomas and Co.), who is enjoying a holiday in England. Mr. ; Haybittlo says:— ' "The trip round the Honi in tho t.s.s., iMaroro was a. delightful experienco, and proved a perfect rest. Wo left the Bluff on March 28, and anchored- at Gravescnd on May:; 7, having achieved for the steamer a record passage of 40 days. Tho weather was fine the whole way; down in latitude 57' N. we had the opportunity of snow-balling'each other, and passed several icebergs, ono not 150 yards away. It loomed up out of . the darkness and fog one night ;at about nino •o'clock. The only land sighted was Cape Horn _ and [ the Island of' Trinidad, where Captain Kidd is supposed to have buried enormous treasure in the old piratical days, andlto which lonely islet a fow years ago a search expedition was fitted out in London, only to find nothing in the. shape of bars of silver and gold and jewels, but thousands of enormous savage land crabs. Wo signalled at night tho Grand Canaries (Las Palmas) to bo reported,.'and,"as'already mentioned; arrived in the Thames the first week in May. " Since my last- visit, eight years; ago, I have' found several changes in' this great city (London); the underground electric rail--.ways have greatly increased, which' has had tho offecfr of considerably:' diihinishing tho street traffic. It is much oasier now to cross a stre«t in a busy thoroughfare, such 'tis at the Bank 'of . England, Chcapsido, Strand, Ludgate Circus, or Piccadilly Circus' than formerly. ~ _ ■ . ; | " Owing to depression in America the- inritsion from tho States'* has materially decreased; and although this is.' Exhibition year, the accommodation at the' •leading hotels Is ample. 'j" The weather so far is simply delightful, being typical English Maytho trees: in the parks are clothed in tho brightest hues of green, and an afternoon can bo well spent by paying 2d; for a programme and a chair and listening, under the shadow of beautiful oak and elm trees, to a programme of magnificent popular music by one of the crack Army bands. .

'( In my wanderings in tho City, in parks, in historic resorts, and picture galleries, I ■have fallen in with a large number of colonists,; including Mr. J. 13,-' and the. Misses 'Harcourt, .Mr. and Mrs. • Waldegrave, ' Mr. _Mrs.\ and the Misses Miehio, and Messrs. •J. G'.odber, J. Hutchen, M. Murdoch, F. : H. Wood, and-J. M. Geddis. ' < ".. there is not' much excitement. Tariff v; Anti-Tariff is the most important question of the day, all by-elections being fought out on this'platform; the Government; being for Free Trade, while tho Opposition favour moderate Protection. , So far, the country ■in every election indicates a iwisli for ; tariff revision, and tlie Government are, in all cases, either beaten, or have, their candidate .returned with a greatly decreased majority. Another factor in the' politic&l world is tho agitation for'women's suffrage, and nearly i every day one reads of lady agitators (either at elections or calling at, the private residences of' Ministers) being arrested for disorderly conduct. "To-morrow is to bo a great day, and 'Entente' Cordiale' is writ large in' th'e •lavish display; of bunting, Venetian, poles,' etc., -in.the gaily-dressed streets, for the King' and> Queen' and tho President of, the French Republic; .visit the Exhibition in Stato. The great show was opened a fortnight ago, unready, unimposing,' and bedraggled, confusion; everywhere rampant, but 18,000 men (not: eighteen -hundred) have been at work, and I understand that wondors have been I worked in fourteen days, order out of chaos being restored. I went to the opening very foolishly; and was glad, after an hour's, inspection; at practically . empty bays and courts, to beat a retreat and'spend.tho balance of tho afternoon among tho delightful pictures :at the Burjington Academy. " London is catering woll for the theatrogoing: community, and musical comedies include! tho ;'Merry Widow,' 'A Waltz Dream,'!' My Mimosa Maid,' 'Havana,' and 'Butterflies.' George Alexander is seon in a 60rdid domestic drama- by Pinoro (fiercely and adversely criticised) entitled the 1 Thunderbolt,' Mrs. Langtry . in : a poor' French farce. Mr. Lewis Waller produces ' The- Squaw Man' under the title of ' A White Man.' Melba, Caruso, and Tetrazzini are in the bill at Covent Garden; Beerbohm Tree in a spectacular rev; -al of 'Morchant of Venice'; Sir John Ha .9 in a farewell season of ' Gay Lord Quox,' together with countlessi other attractions. I had the op-, portunity last night, in company with Mr. Geddis, of : the 'Free Lance,' of'hearing tho Rev. R. ,J. Campbell conduct a service at Parker's (City Temple. Ho struck me as a man .of distinguished personality and scholarly 1 attainments, but his sermon was uninteresting (we expected something controversial), and his elocution and onunciation left much to bo desired. Wo missed the force, tho vigour, and the characteristicipriwor of tho previous pastor of tho famou's Temple."