"AH'VE COOM!"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1868, 30 September 1913, Page 8

"AH'VE COOM!"

IMMIGRANTS FROM ENGLAND. THE ATHENIC'S 603. "Ah've cooin! Ah've cooiul Ah've cooui!" It was the queer hysterical cry of a woman, who, with streaming oyes and a nose violently red from emotion had, from the deck of the White Star liner Athcnic, recognised the faces of her friends among those waiting on the King's Wharf. Without any regard for the opinion of her follow passengers or for the opinions of the hundreds of strangers on tho wharf, the tear-stained woman just Jet her emotions have full rein. As she spoke she either jumped up in the air or spasmodically clutched at'her friend's arm, whilst her handkerchief did double duty as a pennon of welcome and as a mop. It was rather cheering to note-,that that reserve so characteristic of tho race should not bo altogether impregnable to emotion. It was a touch of humanity which made a lot of people smile—and think. Near tho lady who would insist on making such an obviously unnecessary announcement, was another lady with a strong provincial accent, who was not too sure of the people whom she had selected from the waiters on the wharf as her friends, but still was prepared to take tho risk.

"Doan ye know me, Sam?" she questioned as' she looked right down upon a knot of people near tho foot of tho gangway. "It's me—doan yo know inc ?" this time with a trace of anxiety. The men in the vicinity of tho spot whero her eyes rested looked at each other and then a,t her, quite sure the lady had made a mistake. "I tell you it's me, Sam —you know me, Sam I" This time there was in the broken voico and quivering lip an appeal to everyone's sympathy. But there was, apparently, 110 Sam to respond, and after a whilo tho woman left for another point of vantage that might command a view of her Sam.

it is an exhilarating scene to witness the arrival of an immigrant steamer. Tho Athenic had 6-14 passengers, and nearly 600 of those could bo fairly classed as immigrants —peoplo who had como to find a home away from Home. Every diaicct of provincial England could ho distinguished, from the qucerly-acccntcd words of thoso from Yorkshire and Lancashire to tho slower drawl of those from Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Devon. There wero among thein, too, a scattering of Irish and Scotch. Tho Rev. Mr. M'Caw (of the Hut't) was gathering tho clans together on tho after deck to give his newly-arrived fellow-countrymcn and women a hearty welcome to tho new land, and sound advice as what not to do. . ' "Most of them," said Mr. M'Caw, "como with a note of introduction to John Aitken, of Wellington. I think every minister in Scotland must know of him and his works, for no sooner d 3 they hear of one of their flock coming to" New Zealand than they write a note or a card introducing them to John Aitken. I don't believe thero's a New Zealand man better known in Scotland than our own John Aitken!"

The Athenlo's Passengers. The Atlienin brought altogether 644 passengers, divided as follows:—First saloon, 12;. second saloon, 59; third saloon, 573. They are booked as follows: —Wellington, 156; Auckland, 184; Napier, 39; Gisborne, 24; Lyttelton, 83; Timaru, 6: Dunedin, 55; Bluff, 20; Nelson, 2; Westport, 16; Groyrnouth, 22; Wanganui, 19; New Plymouth, 18. ' Of the above passengers (third-class) 281 were "assisted" by the New Zealand Government. These consisted of 58 farm labourers. 69 domestics, and 154 wives and children (of workers resident in tho Dominion). Of the domestic servants 45 . were brought out under the superintendence of Matron Thompson, assisted by Miss Koden, who are acting for the Government. Of this number 22 are being sent to Auckland, by to-day's Main Trunk express. The rest are to be provided with situations in different parts of the country. Tho passage —one of tho smoothest on record —was enlivened with plenty of sports for children and adults whist drives, baby shows, draughts tourneys, and concerts. It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.