PEEPS AT ROTORUA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 6

PEEPS AT ROTORUA.

COSMOPOLITAN COHORTS. ' • \ tN GENERAL "CONFAB." [BT "Mere MERE."] (No. IV.) Like Sennacherib's hosts, the Dominion nnd globo-trottors descended upon tho nation's spa a littlo later than duo season, but 'they came, and with tlieir arrival departed much of the peaceful atmosphere that had previously been apparent in boarding-house and bath-house. "Away, for'ard!" was the cry of these legions, as , they dashed all over tho environs of l pumice-land, .by motor, coach, and launch, gathering in the glories of Blue Lakes and Green lakes, buried villagos and famous geysers, tho while listening to glibly-told legends by the Maori guides—all pabulum to be recounted far and wide on their return. Scorched and dust-laden thoy land back at their hostels, simply gushing, with the beauties and difficulties, of their journeyings; quickly Teady again, though, to call up tho coaching agencies and consult tho touts as to the programme, to commence early on tho morrow. Tho Madding Crowd. ' "Yes," recounts a very rubicund-faood man in a light pepper-and-salt Norfolk suit, restlessly pacing round th© smoke-' room, "had a lovely time to-day; did the "long trip,' wonderfully good. Going out to-night for a spout bath at Whaka; Tikitero to-morrow, Hamurana Spring, and perhaps drive to Ngongotaha in the evening. Want to go to Mount Cook on Saturday—time's short." And that is the ■programme with numbers of the madding swirl. Only three days to 6pare, and they eat up tho sights with_tho avidity that a telegraph-messenger displays when he makes a call on an ice-cream wagon. Critical are they at times in their walks along the township's emporium area. "Ha!" a stylish will ejaculate, as he stops nn his sauntering way in Arawa Street to chatter with some lady friends, "just been taking '.a walk along Bond Street! What do you think of tho fashions, eh?" The ladies snigger, with tho suggestion, that much moro glorious .vistas of the modes had com© within their cosmopolitan purview. "Ever Caught a,Burglar?" . \ . And then you come across the dear old lady who is taking her holidaying quietly, teguiling.'her time in that delightfully .inquisitivo manner peculiar to her type. A newcomer has no sooner arrived within conversational range than she - turns a full battery df questions upon him. "And you ar© a farmer, aro you?" Tho man addressed has made no statement to that effect, but politely engages tho enemy. "No," 6ays he, "I'm a policeman," :

- "Ah," oomea the unabashed remark from tho lady. "Well, there isn't muoh differonoe botween a former and a policeman' is there ? All - fine, big,. strapping mon." The differenoe in thoir respective fields of industry does not at all pertnirb her, oven if it occurs to her unsophisticated. imagination. . ■■''-.. "And have you ever caught a burglar ?" she pursues. This lure proves irresistible, and the unmasked Shejlock is quickly in tho midst of the.narration of tho capture of a disciple of Bill Sykes, who is now, ho naively ends, "resting" under supervision. A tale, punctuated with many littlo shrieks, as the'demon of the law enlarges on tho thrills_ of the tracking down. in the dead of night.

Regarding Equines. At table d'hote the lady o! sporting instincts rides high over tlio flow of general "conversation. "So Bobrikoff won the Cup after all?- I was told to back Santa Hosa, and I've saved my money. I am so glad. In Molbourno," sho babbles on, "wo always went to Flemington. to the Cup. I hod my own. pair of blacks, and we drove cacli year—they were a 6panking pair. On one occasion on the way out we caught up to the Governor's equipage and they pulled aside to let us pass. You don't see the equal of those blacks in tho New Zealand carriage horse." Across to India. . This declaration caueos a momentary lull, which is broken by the high-pitched voice of a sallow, thin-faced tourist. Ho is addressing a bushy-whiskered individual, whoso general make-up palpably spells the bush. "You colonials," he drawls, "don't understand -what tuis attempt on the Viceroy's. life means, you know. . I was in India for twelve veare, dontcherknow—in ■Bombay. Got to keep tho beggahs undah, yer know. Going to cause a lot of trouble." ■ "Must be awful 'ot an' thirsty out there," chimes in tho man from out-back. "Good country for beer"—o thought which seems over uppermost with the, woodman who spares not tho tree. . . "0h,n0," says he of India's coral strand, "nevah drink in the day-time, but in the evening'—and then long'pegs'of whisky at tho elub; wondahful how. many pegs you can drink. All the city men do their business at the club, having.their cables sent to them there from the office." The slow smile which came; over the bushman's face made it seem ' that' he thought it was a jolly good place to do business from, too. Menu Studies. ' A oouplo of Frenchmen are mcanwhilo causing tho waitress a* littlo perplexity. The caligraphy on the dinner-card is staggering to thfem. One gives it up altogether, and is prepared to take whatever the oolonial chef has prepared. The other, however, gives the hieroglyphics a more analytical ■ survey, and at last a decision for tho two of them is made. In comical contrast is tho method of preferment by an exceedingly callow young man, who, after inspecting tho card for some moments, suddenly plumps an un-J shapely finger on an item, and says that ho v-ill hazard "Somo of that"! The Odious. "And what did you think of Manly?" asks a blondo young lady of a Dominion girl, who has announced that sho has just returned from a trip to Sydney. Tho questioner was a native of the latter city, and was unmistakably expecting to bask in a sunshine of .superlatives. She emiled' in her expectancy, but as tho answer merely came that it was "hardly what I expected," tho gladsomeness drifted away. Dismay quickly changed into acerbity, though, as she renewed tho conversation. "Over- tho other side," quoth she. "they always say: 'You should see New Zealand,' and we com'o across, but," she wound up, actually glaring defiance at the other, "I don't think much of it." And then 6he looked as if the scores were' even. - On goos the Babel, new s arrivals rush in;- coaching agents turn 'up to locate would-be trippers, Maori curio sellers persist in giving an inventory of their wares, others have concert tickets to soli —Arcady lins been invaded, and the curcseeker, as ho gazes on tho motley throng, for the'nonco also exclaims: "Avaunt, dull care!" (To bo continued.)