From Gisborne to Melbourne.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1112, 2 August 1882, Page 4

From Gisborne to Melbourne.

[Written for the Poverty Bay Standard.] No. XII. (Continued from our Last). INVERCARGILL. Or the climate I can only speak as I found it and heard of it. Residents there like it well, and prefer it to the warmer latitudes, while they have become accustomed to the serenity of the polar-like blasts that accompany, sometimes, even the summer showers from the south. They say the weather is healthy and invigorating and of this I had ample proof, especially amongst the ladies, who evidently do a large deal of their shopping necessities in the forenoon. One would think that even in the 46th degree of south latitude (or nearly the 47th where Invercargill stands) the extreme of cold would not be so great, on a change of wind, as it is ; but it is a pleasant change to a healthy, robust, person, as compared with the insidious humidity of Auckland. It certainly causes one to wonder and admire in walking down Tay or Dee streets on such a morning as I experienced there in the month of February, when rude Boreas is blustering to the top of his bent. Gentlemen are bustling about, some with overcoats, and others with garments buttoned to the chin. Ladies are overclad in ulsters, such as have not been seen in the North, since the drapers shelved their winter goods some months before, while warm-lined gloves, and even muffs were by no means uncommon. Most of the people had red roses too, which, in either sex I attribute solely to the weather—of course, at least I would not be so wanting in gallantry, as to insinuate that a redundancy of “lemon hot with" or without, had anything to do as the motive cause for effect, as far as the ladies were concerned. These made me wonder, and thejadmiration came in to see them walk with a litheness of form, and springiness of step, which clearly indicated a healthy body and a happy frame of mind, Like their Dunedin sisters they looked the perfection of health, while an expression of animated joy brightened up their features, betokening the circulation of the life-sustaining fluid through hearts that gave no evidence of grief within. Here, too, again I was attracted by the superiority of the stature of these ladies over the daughters of Eve where I had previously visited. Tall, self-possessed, well-built, and fairly proportioned, the Invercargill mothers and daughters show a development which physical training of the body, coupled with a cultured up-rearing of the mind, and a non-enervating atmosphere alone can accomplish. With ruddy cheeks, whose cherry-like glow is not heightened by sensual vulgarity, nor lowered by the arts of modern estheticism i amply contoured busts, and symmetry of form, surmounted by evenly, and gracefully balanced heads; small feet (not so well adapted for land measures, as some I have seen) and a stately carriage, the Invercargill ladies are at once the pride of their sex, and an adornment to the society happy enough to possess them. I don’t know exactly how to account for it—whether it was due to the extra width of the streets, or the scarceness of persons out of doors, or that the ladies were, comparatively, too numerous for me to notice anything, or anybody else, with sufficient attention — but the impression left on my mind, after “ doing ” the town for some two or three hours, was that it was too large, or contained too many buildings for the number of its inhabitants. To make a long broad, thoroughfare look well, it requires a large number of persons and vehicles to be continually surging its surface. Sturt-street, Ballarat, is an instance. This grand place of business and pleasure combined, is fully three chains in width, a kind of Boulevard, planted and partly enclosed up the centre with tall, shady, but withal ungraceful-looking trees ; there, during the day, and on a fine night, throngs of pedestrians are hurrying to and fro, “ Attmerowf at gnats the evening gleam." But in the main streets of Invercargill this was not so. The shops looked to be decked out according to the custom of the time, and there the matter seemed to rest, for there were but few purchasers, or even the usual number of curiosity mongers about, who like to price goods, it not to buy them. Besides the tram, of which I have before written, and a solitary cab or two, no vehicles were to be seen. I believe there are omnibuses plying there, but I saw none. So that, on the whole there was a kind of “ slow-coach ” appearance about the place which, while I allow it is more the exception than the rule, was a circumstance of permanent remark, not only by myself, but by those who were travelling with me. How-g.-er, we left Invercargill with a moat favorable impression, and with a better opinion of it than we first thought we should. Of the country lying between the port town and Invercargill I have already passed an opinion. It is acknowledged, on all hands, to be (like the digging country of Victoria) fit for nothing, therefore it remains in its primitive uselessness. But the land towards the west and north is, admittedly, some of the best in the Colony, Many of your general readers will have read the description of this country, published in your columns some time ago, and written by the travelling Agricultural Correspondent

of the Melbourne “Leader.” Time did not permit me to obtain a few statistics as to the grain growth of the district, which would have been interesting, and the day being Saturday, those who were most likely to give me the information I required, appeared to be too busily employed in the usual clearing up, preparatory to the hebdomadal half holiday. Invercargill is about 140 miles distant from Dunedin by rail, a trip I should have taken, but that a greater portion of the journey is, or would have been, accomplished by night, and, as my object would have been to see the country, I continued by sea. The presence of several lines of railway will always feed Invercargill to a great extent. These consist, first, of the main line to Dunedin, extending through most delightful country lying between that city and Christchurch. Second, a line to Kingston, and Lake Wakatipu; and a third to Riverton and Otautau. Both passenger and goods traffic is rather extensive, especially at the busy seasons of the year, when, I was charmed to hear from an enthusiastic resident, the town of Invercargill is a lively place, and, always, in his opinion, one of the best towns, either for health, or business, in the Colony. Ardentia Verba, thought I, but kept discreetly silent.