DUNEDIN MUTUL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2367, 2 November 1870, Page 2

DUNEDIN MUTUL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY.

At a meeting of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society held at the Athemeum last evening, a very interesting address was delivered by the President (Mr C. Smith) embodying some of his “ Notes of a trip to the North.” Mr Smith, in the course of his address took a rapid review of some of the more prominent incidents of his voyage from Port Chalmers to Lyttelton, Lyttelton to Wellington, and Wellington to Auckland and the Thames ; and interspersed the wh '’o with a number of amusing anecdotes that were well received. One of these related to a “yarn that was spun Ur his entertainment by Capt. Fairchild of the p.s. Luna, while they were running along the coast to the South of Taranaki, and oft’ “Harriet Beach,” from which it would appear that the Captain explained how the sail Beach came by its name from the wreck of the whaling brig Harriet some 30 qr 40 years ago, and how tho natives had from time to time plundered tho wreck, and either eat or drank everything in the shape of the ship’s stores that they could possibly devour, not sticking even at a few boxes of tallow candles; uutil they -were at “ last fairly puzzled how to render palitahle even to a Maori stomach a few bars of brown soap.” These it was' said' they tried raw, cut into slices, next “ devilled.” upon hot ashes,” and finally by an attempt at boiling, but all with but one result. In fact, to use the Captain’s owii words, “ they managed somehow or another to bolt the whole of that blessed ship’s stores except the soap, but the soap fairly beat ’em, though I believe they wera a very long time trying, but had to give it up at last as a bad job.”—ln connection with his visit to the Thames, Mr Smith related a somewhat singular fact which came under his observation, which we find room for in his own words:—“ Walking down the principal street the next morning after my anival, I met with an amusing instance of leather and learning being brought into close and most suggestive and significant contingency. I observed a certain establishment designated in large letters “Auckland House,’’ aiid ha r mediately under the hoards on which these words were painted, was another hoard announcing the fact that this Auckland House was a school Now, notwithstanding these announcements, thjs Auckland house was* by no meaijs a very imposing affair, being simply what would be designated here q two-roomed verandah cottage, yet I fancy to the youngsters of Graham’s Town itjflust be an object of considerable awe; for. painted in large black letters on a white ground on ffife of thp jnvo windows was the Word school,” while the curresjjqiidiifg wMow

had painted on it in similar characters “leather, &c.” Now these two announcements, from their relative position, seemed to have been intended to be profoundly suggestive, and also illustrative both of the definite and indefinite articles. This much is clear t hat all who go to school at A neklaud House are distinctly to understand, and constantly to remember, that their studies are to he pursued in the close proximity of an inexhaustible stock of leather. Leather therefore, I take to be the definite article. But all the terrors implied by the definite article leather, seemed as nothing to those so mysteriously hinted or rather thin stated in the dreadfully indefinite article, the * &c.” As it very naturally occurred to me the “leathering” might be faced or rather backed by the boys of Graham’s Town, as it has been by the boys of most other towns from time immemorial; hut who shall say what fearful tortures might lie implied in the application, or realisation of the truly awfully indefinite article, “ &e.”—After the thanks of the meeting hid been awar led to Mu Smith, and acknowledged by him, the question of closing the Society’s present session was entertained, when it was resolved to celebrate that event by a social gathering of the members, and a suh-eommittco was appointed to arrange the details.