LIVINGSTONE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 761, 19 September 1878, Page 2

LIVINGSTONE.

fKKOJI OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ••'A Trip round the World." A lecture entitled 1; A Trip round the World," was delivered in the interests of I Lodge 32, 1.0.G.T.. on Thursday, 12th ! inst., by the Rev. J. M'Cosh Smith, of Xaseby (Mr. .J. Frater in the chair). The lecturer, after describing his experiences in weathering "the Horn," said that, on reaching; London, the change from the inaction of shipboard life strongly resembled a resurrection, and he proceeded as follows . —On sighting; the Mritish Coast a ahip in sight was asked if war had commenced, and when she rei plied "Yes;" the excitement was great I and opinions very varied as to whether ! England was involved ; but such was the j unsatisfactory state of the working of the code of signals that no further information could be obtained until the metropolis of the world was reached, where, to. his (the lecturer's) great regret, his. s.tay was limited to one day, since he had to be present at the Pan--Presbyterian Synod, a kind of /Ecvnnenical Council, and the first ever held in Britain. Among the places visited, however, he alluded in glowing terms to the Kensington Gardens, "The Serpentine," in St. James's Park, the Albert Memorial, in Hyde Park, and the Royal Albert Hall, at South Kensington, —and was pleasantly surprised to find (what he never supposed existed in busy London) veritable ducks, geese, cattle, and even sparrows. Also visited the Royal Academy, Bank of England, Temple Bar, London Bridge ; and, while standing in Rotten Row, where the elite of Britain take their airing, his mind reverted to the Maniototo Plains, and hs asked himself the question. Da these youthful swells an,d infirm, old dowager ladies live for this alone, and has Englai. ' reached that pitch of indolent luxury which is universally the precursor of National decline ? Better, he thought, were the primitive habits of the people of New Zealand, and the health and vigor found upon its hills. Having consigned himself to a seat in the " Flying Scotchman," he reached Edinburgh in nine hours. Never was he so near flying before. If this rate could be continued to New Zealand it would be reached in about fifteen days ; and, with the present march of science, who knows that it may not he done s.oon. It was very striking how easily this speed seemed to be obtained, and it was certainly to be preferred to a rolicking ship.

The lecturer then described his visit ta the Synod, as follows: —The Hall, capable of seating 2000 personsj was crowded to

excess from morning till night; the delegates present representing some 20,000 congregations. In. company with E. B. Cargill, Esq., he proceeded to the representation of New Zealand, and soon found that five minutes only was allotted to this purpose; the former gentleman, though present from the commencement of the proceedings, had failed to get a hearing. When the time came, however, he occupied the whole five minutes, and, the clerk being inexorable, the lecturer's speech remained unheard. As the only alternative, he wrote out a compressed report of Presbyterianism in New Zealand, and handed it to tiie printer for insertion in the general report of the Council. The most impressive part of the proceedings was, in his opinion, the closing words of the Venera-

ble Mr. Adams, of New York, U.S., delivered in the deep, solemn tones befitting so great an occasion. He then visited Lome House, Melrose Abbey, Kent County, and Kirkaldy, fishing in the river where, 16 years ago, he narrowly escaped drowning. Coming to Dundee, the dirtiest town in Scotland, he saw a friend, who vowed that he never could extricate himself from its curious arrangement of streets, since, however much he tried, he always reached the spot from which he started. The Tay bridge was next described, having spans 240 ft. by 80ft., and being two miles in length, probably one of the wonders of the world ;

also Morgan's hospital, founded at a cost of LBO,OOO by a barrister named John Morgan, and which accommodates 100 boys. The lecturer thought a few of the Morgan's would be an acquisition to New Zealand. He then detailed his visit to Aberdeen, Balmoral, and some fishing villages, relating many interesting incidents in his own experience, and lamented the monopoly and want of enterprise in connection with fishing on the New Zealand coasts. He referred to the improved social status of the operative classes in Britain since he left seven years before,, attributing the same to the Reform Billj. enfranchisement, and the outlet the colonies have provided to the teeming population of the mother country, wages having risen about 33 per cent, without anything like a corresronding increase in the market value of provisions. He also referred in terms of commendation to the labors and influence of Mr. Arch (of emigration notoriety), aud considered that the miners' huts iu the old country could not compare witli those upon our own gold-diggings. He also found that merchants at Home had no time now to box up their shop-windows and look after burglars as formerly, but on leaving b'asiness simply close their doors aud set out for home.

The lecture occupied about ar\ tour ana a-half, and was much appreciated. With the usual votes of thauksj the proceedings terminated.