From Gisborne to Melbourne.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1092, 27 June 1882, Page 3

From Gisborne to Melbourne.

for the Povbbtt Bi v Standabd ] No. X. DVNEDIN (Continued). Mi’ last concluded with a most enjoy, able trip to Anderson’s Bay, via t lie Ocean Beach, where we alighted and took a stroll on the sands, the tide being low, the day flue, and not too many “ swells rolling home ” from the Ocean. This beach, the only one to be found in the neighborhood of Dunedin, is about the same size, and resembles that in Poverty Bay stretching from Gisborne to the mouth of the Waipawa Biver. It has a hard bottom, and is much frequented both by equestrians and pedestrians. When I last visited it, now some 30 years «go, the country round about was in its normal condition, and our party of that day differed materially from the party of which I now formed one. 'J hen, we wtre in pursuit of game, armed with guns, ducks and teal being plentiful, but now' we bad no deeds of blood on our mind. We sought the lives of nobody nor nothing, being quite content to enjoy the beauties of Nature in peace and quiet. The Ocean beach of Dunedin, like that of Poverty Bay, is a great attraction to bathers, and it would be thought that its seclusion and comparative solitude during the day would be a guarantee sufficient to satisfy the most timorous that molestation was out of the question. But not so. It was an understood, if nut a proclaimed arrangement, that men and boys were to bathe there in the morning, and women and girls in the business portions of the day—at such time when it would be thought that, should any stray traveller of the “ sterner sex ” wend his steps that way, he would—according to (Scriptural example, in avoiding the company of those he did not wish to be troubled with—pass by on the other-side. But it would appear that there are “ good Samaritans ” to be found on a ladies’ bathing beach as in other places, for, on one occasion, about the time of our visit, two horsemen (or, properly, two human skunks Fon horseback) waylaid a party of ladies from behind one of the sandhills, and when they were perfectly nude, and enjoying their ablutions, as they probably thought with nobody with more wicked intention than the naughty Sun beholding them, these two larrikin blackguards swooped down upon them, and so effectually intercepted the via media between them and their garments, that, had they felt inclined to make a dash to gain possession of them, they could not do so. The poor creatures huddled together in the water, with the double object of affording each other such assistance, or encouragement, as they could under the circumstances, and of hiding their nakedness from the gaze of their unmanly tormentors. But these two fiends sat in their saddles, revelling in | the misery they caused their helpless | victims for, 1 believe, about twenty minutes, and made their escape only on the approach of someone in the distance. I regret to say that the fellows were never recognised, and, consequently, escaped a well-merited punishment. On our return, we passed the new gas works, and saw’ the gasholder, the size of which 1 forget, but it is a very large one, and cost £9,600. One of the peculiar features attached to it is that before its occupatiou for the purpose for which it was built, a banquet was held in it, at which some hundreds of guests did honor by their presence, and feasted and drank lustily to its future success. 1 had an opportunity one of them, but was obliged although I fancy I should ■ka.ve enjoyed the novelty of dining in ■ gasometer. While on the subject of I forget whether 1 have mentioned

the high price of that article in Dunedin. It is, or was, 10s and 15s per 1000 feet, but it was expected that, on the opening of the new works, a large reduction would be made. Before we reached our hotel, I saw a commotion amongst a crowd of persons, and, with that peculiar kind of curiosity known to, and exercised by, newspaper men, who are proverbially believed to have their eye on everybody’s business, I swelled the throng by an addition of one, and found the consternation arose from the fact that, although scarlet fever was an unwelcome visitor to those parts, a seaman suffering from that disease, had just been landed from a coasting steamer, with a view to placing him under medical treatment in the hospital ; but that big institution, either from being like that at Gisborne, without a fever ward, or other cause, refused the patient admittance, so that in order, it was supposed, for the safety of the public, he was placed in the lobby of the Town Hall, pending the determination of a caucus of the faculty as to his ultimate disposal. The result I did not learn, and I have not heard of a depopulation of the city in consequence ; but I never saw such a crowd of thinking men more helplessly frightened in my life, nor do I wish to see it again. With the Water of Leith in such convenient proximity to the town, there is no wonder that the inhabitants are well and bountifully supplied with water, both for household aud street irrigating purposes ; and I need not say that both are highly appreciated. Places of amusement do not appear to do such an extensive business, as one would think, the theatres—which, by the way, are nothing out of the common—are only tolerably well patronised, although some good companies were performing there, to wit, Harkins was playing in the “ Colonel,” and the Williamsons had “ Struck Oil,” although I fancy not iu a pecuniary sense. But, perhaps, my experience of what will suit Melbourne audiences, and bring the people together in thousands, nightly, may be the cause of my wonder at the half filled houses of New Zealand, and those, be it remembered, after, sometimes, weeks of interval, when the theatres are either closed altogether, or only open with the most mediocre talent (?). As I may have opportunity to enlarge upon the subject of Melbourne recreation generally, I shall not now anticipate that part of my letter. (To be Continued.)