A Pilgrim's Wanderings

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 87, 2 January 1886, Page 2

A Pilgrim's Wanderings

After a stormy passage from the Bluff nothing can succeed the pleasure derived, on entering the calm waters of Hofrart, harbcr : , singularly fortunate in this- resect fey entering the outer harbot-afr^ a.m. To those who were up at that time the perfumed breezes that_wer.e W3Jteid*§ff the land were most refreshing. The city as the, .sun rose upon it.vwajj a beautiful" sight. As soon as 'the steamer reaohed the wharf a ruah^i&as was made for- some fruit bur supply having run out but the good peoplepf Hobart were .fast; in the arniji of^Mbrpheus. A tour of the town impresses one with the idea that itlcertainly was a very old place the . street*: iareF very narrow and ihe buildings of r only^wa storys. The post office, customs printing, and mines ioffioes" being: the inception and are handsome f 6urrstoryjS.tone buildings. The. Museum, . Town Hall and Public library .are 0 a150,., fine buildings. The Museum contains a very ff air collection jith^ cunOß: ; m old printings being copies of gazettes 1666, &c. r is Very large. The birds of paradise from iWw'iGuinea are certainly the most enteresting collection in the btiildiiig: ' \ Th^foatbs^ (Jadies' and gentlemen/s diyi^e^bylbQarding) are well, kept and largely ' patronized. The hospital has ? accommodation >'lor 50 male patients whoi wear a uniform of white pants and y^st with blue coat. The churches .are well finished and the Cathedrals.: of ; St. ; Peter's,: iEngtish and: St. Mary's Roman, CaliholM jkre most beautifully adorned with, stained windows, and; were . particul^iy- cool and refreshing. Advent , servlcej was being held in the latter^an4;Vaf full of worshippers, butl was particular ly struck at the. absence offmenjV The singing ef the choristors was^ejry-.fjne Tram cars have not yet TBached and one cannot help feeling that this excellent city has not . as, yet caught the wave of progress that is raging in the sister colonies. In the- public Square is a monument,' erected by public subscription to the officers and men under Lieut. Bealby pi Ithe 99th Regiment, who werekilled|in New Zealand in the campaign, .'45. and '46. shaft of the monument is' abqiit '40ft. high and of stone, rising upon a base of 14 x 1 Oft., and is a conspicuous landmark for miles ;! around.. >The population of Hobart is about 21.000. The Library is free and contains 8500 volumes. It has a revenue of £600, £200 of which is contributed by the Borough. The Mayor' is elected by the Aldermen 1 annually, and receives a salary of £500. The Town .Hall,, built 21 years ago, is probably the most beautiful in the colonies, and contains a very fine organ. .The hotels, with one or two exceptions, are meredrinking shops, and give , the town a. woe- begone aspect. This remark also* applies to many' of the shops, 1 which seem to lack the free use of water; and yet the waterworks are of considerable extent, and a good pressure of 40ft can be obtained. The gas works, and railway works are quite .equal to> the requirements of this •fsQmnolent land." The land is reported as poor fur agricultural and pastoral purposes, but as is well-known it cannot well beexceeded as a fruit-growing district. A visit was paid to the jam factory,, but the manager was in Melbourne, consequently visitors'were not aclmittedj \ but I gathered from one of the assist- : ants that the principal factory is now ;at Melbourne;, the fresh fruit being; shipped there*: I was particularly struck at the wonderful growth of theN.Z. fern, trees , which are : largelyimported, and I could not help wondering why we in New Zealand haveneglected this most beautiful of foliage trees. Hobaarfc depends largely' om New Zealand for its! beef and.on Tic» toria for its mutton, every steamer that arrives from either of these places; being loaded. The public domain, repays one for the walk, as does also a visit to Tern Tree Grove, distant about four miles, through apictureequei Valley. The one noticeable- feature in Hobart is its wonderful collection of decrepid humanity. Form no town have I ever met so many oi th» maimed, the halt, and the blind. Each street seems to have its own particular beauty in this respect, I 'and. the impression this gives td visitofs is. anything but favorable^ and it almost makes one think that the matter of former crimes still presses upon- th» place. The wonderful talk dne^ears. of this place seems incredible and i yet evidence is too strong not' to b& believed. Every headland in the 1 bay has its tale of horror— : Unfortunate convicts shot or hung upon the mast for frivolous charges|; magistrates with full power to hang, shoot, or destroy as they thought best, and how awfully they abused this p6wer dare not be written. Is it any wonder that a moral blight seems to'-Yest upon the land? One leaves the place with a feeling of sorrow, exclaiming " Poor Hsbart, thou art paying for tEe crimes of thy forefathers— in the moral degradation of thy children.: -The crimes of the fathers are being visited; upon the children until the third and fourth, generation^ _^^ . .;