TUB PRINCE IN AUSTRALIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1920, Page 3

TUB PRINCE IN AUSTRALIA.

LITTLE INCIDENTS OF IHS TOUR. SYDNEY June 10. The Prince landed in Farm Cove tw > hours ago. Ho lias just driven through tlie streets to Government House. The streets are still packed with people and their expressions are sufficient to indicate that this charming hoy already has captured the hearts ol this blase Sydney populace. The whole of the ceremonies have gone without a hitch, and the timetables have been observed to the minute. The great warship entered the harbour at 9 a.m. exact.y, and as she steamed very slowly to her anchorage -where she arrived just before 10 a.m. —-she was .surrounded by hundreds of small craft, while aeroplanes played overhead. It was dull ami cloudy; but as the warship anchored, and the assembled fleet of Australia boomed the Royal salute, the sun suddenly shone out warmly. From that moment it was a perfect Sydney winter’s day, mild . and sunny. j Sydney crowds do not readily cheer 1 but, there was no doubt about the cheers which came all along the route as the Prince passed. The Prince's warm and friendly expression, bis punctilious salute, and his charming habit of here and there cntching the eye of some individual and smiling his ready , smile, endeared him to everyone. Such a lot,, bad been written about tho 1 “charm” of the Prince that Sydney , was inclined to sniff a little, and put \ it all down to “journalistic eyewash.” j But it is not too early, even now, to j say that Sydney has succumbed to the Royal visitor. |

No one who does not know Australia can have any idea of the tremendous political effect which the visit of the Prince of Wales is likely to have. The Australians “have no time for kings and dukes and suchlike” ; they want to live their own life and “develop as a free nation.” Anything which suggests that they are deprived of political freedom—even so slight a thing as the demand for their allegiance to the Throne—chafes their spirit and arouses an ugly public spirit. Rut the Prince of Wales, apparently without conscious effort, by the charm of his personality and his broad human sympathy, 's' gripping and holding the allegiance of i these somewhat mercurial Australians, i While they do not care about him one way or another as a future king, they are prepnred to love him as a man. The | importance of this factor in Australian I national and political development- at ' this time cannot be over-estimated, j TH.K, BLACK FELLOW'S GRIT

Coining very leisurely up the coast from Melbourne, the Renown spent the best part of two days at the Naval College at Jervis Bay. One evening when the Prince and his party were going aboard some of the officers were accosted by a ragged old black. tHe produced an ancient boomerang from under his coat and asked them if they would give'him ten shillings for it. The offer was brusquely declined. A minute later, the Prince arrived. The old black stepped up to him, “You dp Prince ?" Re demanded. "Yes,” said his Royal Highness with his ready smile, ‘‘Mine gib it you dis—you ld-c him,” said the native tendering his beloved boomerang. The Prince took the curio and thanked the old black . warmly or it. It proved to be a very valuable, specimen. Tt was found that the old black—he was said to he nearly 100 years of age—had walked twenty miles to see the heir to the throne. PR INCH CHASES A HOG. There was a quaint incident at the College. The Prince was standing watching a football match, when overtures were made to him bv a terrier puppy, which wanted his stick. The Prince threw the stick for him. -The puppy, instead of retrieving it, as a well-bred dog fluttered by a Prince should have done, picked it up and ran off with it. . The Prince, laughing merrily, pursued the puppy, and recaptured his stick. A few minutes later the puppy crept up and suddenly grabbed the slick, and ,-an off with it. The college boys this time recovered it. Some of the much uniformed personages on the ground viewed with horror the sight of the Prince pursuing the gam boiling pup. hut the more common people who spur tin* incident loved him the more for it. LRtlg wonder, he is palled “tins People's Prince.R THE PRINCE AT THH RACES. 'flip Prince has endeared himself to the Australian people b.cause ol his fondness for racing. He spent quite a part qf his ‘'week-off” among the | horses, and had ups and downs in the , betting ring. On his last day at Flemj ington he started well. He hacked the I winner of the first race, at 3 to l- He I was leaving the members’ stand (lie j would not go near the Royal box) after j the race, when a returned soldier I friend asked, “Did you hack that one, j Princef” “Yes.” said his Royal Highness, cheerfully, “I had two quid on him.” The “quid” instead of pounds was a little unconscious touch that delighted the crowd. The bookmaker paid him in gold. He stared, and then remarked with a twinkle, that “if was a long time since lie had seen a sovereign.” In the next race be also tonnd the winner, at bib to L'lb. In the following , races his luck deserted him, and he do , parted a loser. Rut he appeared to he in a merry mood. Several times the j returned t,i,ldiers called tips to him as I tie stood near the betting ring; and ‘Y .! always acknowledged the attention by 1 courteously raising his hat, ; UNEXPECTED CALI- OX INVALIDS.

There is a Home near Melbourne where soldiers who are suffering from tuberculosis are housed—a beautiful, il melancholy institution on a sunny hillside. One morning the principal medical officer, walking in the road near the place, was overtaken by a motor-car which pulled up. "I say,” said a young man in riding dress, in the back seat, • ‘which is the Soldiers’ Consumption Home? Thai one?” “No, that way replied the officer, “hut .I'm afraid you can’t go in just now. Anyone in particular you wanted to see?” "Oh, no,” said the young man. “There are about

130 chaps there 1 would like to call on.” Boy this time the officer had recognised the Prince, am| gj.vo, him directions. “Jump in," said his Royal Highness—and he took the officer along with him to pay his unexpected call. His advent caused a little excitement—the officials thought they simple! hove prepared for

the Royal visit—lint the Prince, wandering about among the diggers, was entirely at his ease. He spent an hour there, bringing much light into their somewhat dial) lives. GIJMPSES OF OUT-PACK. The amendment of the Royal itinerary, by which the overland trip from Adelaide to Brisbane was cut out, is believed to have been due to a necessary regard for the Prince’s somewhat frail physique; but the Prince himself was not at all enthusiastic over hue alteration. He particularly wanted to sec the glimpses of out-back station life that had been arranged for him. An effort is being made to introduce some novelties into his northern trip. Exhibitions of boomerang throwing, lighting fires by rubbing pieces of wood together, end other phases of aboriginal life will be given during his brief stay at Cooehin Station, in Queensland. It time permits there, the kangaroo hunt, originally planned to take place in the hack ot New South M ales,, will be held at one or other of the Queensland stations which the Prince will visit. To further illustrate Australian life, a demonstration of sheep-dogs in action will be given as a feature of the Prime’s Tasmanian tour.