LETTER FROM MR ADAM.

Evening Star, Issue 3617, 25 September 1874, Page 3

LETTER FROM MR ADAM.

The following letter from Mr Adam, the Provincial Immigration Agent, will, we (‘Bruce Herald’) feel confident, be read with interest Bettybill, Sutherlandshire. 15th July, 1874. I am now making my way across to Caith nesshire. and perhaps to Shetland, 1 was lecturing at the capital of Sutherlandshrielast week, and in the Town Hall, which was crowded to overflowing - the Sheriff in the chair, who is a friend of my brother I bad also a large meeting in Laing Free Church, wjien about twenty-five of the Duke's servants made application, and got schedules to fill up. I have been unfortunate in the time of coming to this country —I should have been here sooner. M r gave me authority to engage twelve men for him at Inverness, but the servants were all engaged before I could get there. 1 had a meeting last night in this place, and I go to-morrow to another place, seven miles distant, and on the road to Wick.

The day I left Laing, I went to Tongue (Lord Rae’s house long ago, but who sold his estate to the Duke’s father, for L 360 000). On the road the coach stopped and picked up an elderly gentleman, who had been angling. On seeing him I said to him, “Come up beside, 1 want some one'to talk to." The old gentleman smiled, and a dd, “ Well, I will do soand as we were the only passengers, we talked away about twenty things during the three hours we were on the coach Once or twice I wondered at soma things and people he seemed to know, and as he had previously said, “I see you are a public man,” I was so persuaded he must be a public man himself, that I said, “ What is your name, please?” “John Bright” “ What,” I said, “the great parliamentarist?’ I said that 1 was glad 1 did not know him at first, as I should not have been so free and easy with him; but that I was proud to have been with him on the journey to Tongue, and arranged with him to come down to my lodgings, and I would show him a large number of beautiful photographs of Otago scenery and public build ngs. After dinner Mr Crawford (the factor), and I, went up to meet him, and he came and spent the evening with us. I gave him one of my pamphlets, and he said he would come to Bettybill and hear me lecture, and that he was half afraid I would induce him to emigrate to New Zealand. He did not think there was any fear or the factor emigrating. We went to the Established hui ch next day, and Mr Bright and I sat together Next day, Monday, 1 go f a number . f papers, and amongst < there a ‘Bruce Herald,’ with Mr Bright’s speech on what the Liberals ha<i done during the last forty years ; 1 pointed it out to him, and said, “You see, fcir, the prestige of your name extends to the remote corner of New Zealand where my family lives;” and his answer was, “Well, flew Zealand is a fine country, and I wonder more people don’t go there.” On parting with the great man, he promised to send me his photo, and hoped I would call on him when I was in London. 1 asked him if his health was keeping better, but he admitted that he is not what he used to be. He seemed to know well about the public men of Sydney and Melbourne, but I had to give him some idea of Mr Vogel and others. On showing him a photograph of the runs and stations of Mr Stafford -and Sir j). F, Bell, he asked me very playfully “ How tho:e gentlemen looked after being knighted You will be glad to leam that the most interesting subject I can Break of to large tneetings interested in emig> ation, is the Oasy mode acquiring lapd; the principle of deferred payments especially commends itself to the hearers. Canada is now offering 100 acres, free, and steamboat l companies’offer to take emigrants there (weekly) ar. L 3 each adult, and, however much you ‘may be di Tided amongst yourselves on the fiscal aspect of this question, I affirm that its influence on emigration admits of no dispute. What a number of persons in Sutheriandshire have relatives in Otago ! Judge of my surprise when I came to this hotel yesterday to see a folding panoramic view of the principal buildings in Dunedin, Port Chalmers, and the Taieri River and bridge, spread out on the mantlepiece, and on asking the landlady (Mrs v onroe) what interest she had jn displaying Otago scents, %he said her sou ifos in Otago. 1 want tp finish pp in the north of Scotland whilst it is summer, and move south into England as the winter advances.