INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN SOUTH AMERICA

Dunstan Times, Issue 887, 18 April 1879, Page 2

INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN SOUTH AMERICA

This was the subject chosen by the Rev. T. E. Ash, B. A., for a lecture delivered at the Town Hall, (llyde, on Tu 9 ay evening last There was a laige and appreciative audience. The chair was taken by Mr P. J Wilson, who briefly an in very appropriate remarks introduced the lecturer to ilie audience, The proceeds of the lecture, after paying expenses, would oe given t> the Dunstau Hospital. Space will pot permit Us to follow the lecturer in detail through the highly interesting description given from the ci'oe whn he left Engl nd lor the River Plate The numerous little episodes of the voyage, ami which probably the majority ot his hearers w. re fain liar wi hj in a greatei nr iq is degree, were given with much natural humour, and were provocative of great laughter, especially from the juvenile portion of his audience. The pictures of all the places touched at and sighted on the voyaj e were presented to his listeners without t xaggontiou. Arrived at Rio, he gave descriptive accounts of the scenery, and manneru and customs of the inhabitants, introducit ig narratives of events that had come personally under his notice. Ho staid that Brazil was the third richest power m the world, and it was his belief that it was, from its position, natural resourC'S, and climate, destined to become one of the greatest king lom- of the world. From Rio he proceeds t to Mon lev id o, and here gave his experiences of the iffiailties be had met with in ge iting ashore He gave a very amusing anecdote of how .they raised money in time of war. He said it was here Garibaldi spent some of his early life, following the occupation, of a smuggler At the time of his visit tnere were about 70,000 I alia ,s there. On leaving Montevideo he proceeded up the river to Buenos Ayres, Th 1 steamers plying on the river, and which was, navigable for 2000 miles, might rightly he called floating palaces. His description of how they "did” the insurance companies by burning these steamers was very good ; but they always contrived to be near enough to the shore to prevent loss of life Tins city he compared, ih an architectural point of view, to Constantinople. It was founded by the Jesuit party of the Romish Church, but a Roman Oath die w.iuld not recognise it us belonging to he ■ Mother Church. When he arrived there it was Carnival week, and business was put entirely on one si .e to allow every one to take part in the festivities. Woo be.ide the s ranger who di l n-s keep his ey sopen, for he won! probably get a bucket ot water over him Everybody was full of mischief, am the streets were literally cram aeo with people He then lesoribed the country The .Scotch thistle overran the whole place, and could not be kept down ; nevertheless large quantities of cattle lived ani thrived on the thistle Here was situated Lcibig’s Extract of. Beef manufactory, and over 2000 hands are employed in it. His description of the machinery at wo"k, the method, the . number of oxen killed daily, and the uses to which every Ling is put so that n >t an atom is wasted, was very interesting Sunday in the Republic, he said, was the great gaiaday—on this day sales, operas, bull fights, ami every other amusement were carried on He greatly amused his hearers by describing how he collected his school fees at the time he was leaving, and bow, ftcr he thought he had been tolerably sue’ cessful in getting in his m.iney, he foun.A that a large proportion of the paper he had* collected was entirely useless. Gambling, he Said, hail been the ruin of some of the Republics, and to such a pitch had it gone in some cases, that it had to be put lown at the point of the bayonet. In this country strangers were perfectly safe—nobody would touch them if they 'id not interfere with their aniu<erauiita, po'itics, or religion. The question had been asked— Why do not English.aen emigrate to this country ? Tne reasois were these—Tiia climate was too hot, ths hours of labour differed, and the religim was so opposed io that of the En.lish -He compare l ! Sou’h America to New Zeal n. I, hut for many reasons he preferred the latter During the evening the reverend heturer ma le several locai references, which elicited applause. Do re-umwg his seal the lecturer yvap warmly applauded, .ml after it had subsided. Mr Ash hrjefly .ckuowle 1 .en the compliment, and hoped at s me future time te give thviu suotbei lectsjro of a similar

■character for a charitable object. Mr Simpson proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Ash for his very interesting and instructive lecture. 1 his was carried by acclamation, and after a vote of thanks to the chairman, the audience dispersed. The balance of money taken at the doer, after paying expenses, amounted to L 3 7s.