THE PEOPLE OF OTAGO.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3794, 12 September 1883, Page 4

THE PEOPLE OF OTAGO.

In his last letter hi the Australasian the "Vagabond" writes thus bitterly of the people of Otago : " I did not write it at flic time, but now that the bitcoruess is past J mint place it on record that, as a rule, nowhere in the Colonies bavo I met with Bii'h a lack of hospitality, such a generally cold community, and such a gras2>mg greediness to get every cent and dollar out of the stranger in in the province of I have dono'every credit to the beauties oi Dunediu, io thy pushing enterprise of its merchant.-', rind ro the kindne-ses received from old Victorians and others who had known me buyond the seas. But for the rest of Otago—l suppose that if .".■ man lives there 20 years, and that he is known to have a good bank balance the people will thaw to him. When I left Dunediu for a trip through tlio Southern lake district a gentleman, lo whom I am under great obligation for courtesies which have made my path pleasant in New /ea and, kindly interested himsclt to obtain me letters of introduction to stationholders and managers. In any other part of tho world I should consider the manner in which those letters were often received an insult both to tho introducer and myself. The secret was let out by one B juatter, who gave me a kind and cordial reception, hut said, 'We don't want you hero writing about the country. We don't want travellers, nor tourists, nor settlers here. Wo just want to bo left, alone.' Tin's is tho spirit'of the ' old identity 'of which I have heard, but thought it was long since extinct. They want to be left alone with the rabbits ! I for one will gladly so leave thorn. However, I determined never to present another letter of introduction in Now Zealand. How different here in Canterbury! With tho exception of the knight of the scales, I did not know a soul hero. Yet friends spring up on Tlio people hero are spontaneous , . They warm to you, and you to them. . . . . Everywhere I receive big, hearty welcomes, all the more striking after tho social chilings of Otago. Dunedin is a beautiful city. Its people are wideawake, and know how to make money. But I would prefer to pass my days in'tho English city, Christchurch, by tho Avon."