A WONDERFUL CHARACTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 4 July 1907, Page 3

A WONDERFUL CHARACTER.

To tlio Kditor. Sir—Jn Tuesday's issue ol' the "Daily Xews" appear* a paragraph referring to the death in New Yurk of (.ienera! Konald .Melvor. Probably few people at this date have any recollection of that remarkable man and his romantic eareer. Believers in the occult mijjht well suppo>e him the re-incarnation of a knight-errant of the 13th century, so romantic were the various adventures in all land* of this soldier oi' fortune. righting in every <rreat war of I.he last half-century, a duel in almost every capital of Kurope. a diplomat, an organiser of armies, a trusted agent ill many perilous enterprises, and revolution?.. In fact one of Uuma's characters came to life. Some *25 years si«»o he appeared in London, shortly after leaving the Servian arniv. and was the "lion of t lie >eason." Society received him with open arms: lie was the newc-L "sen^aiion." It was at this time he projeucd his New Cuinca expedition, which lired tin* blood of many scions oi nobility and other ad.eiilm'ous spirits, who eagerly came forward with the stipulated sum necessary to join the ex pedil.ion. The Oneral purchased two vessels, store-, were <rot aboard (als-» many it reports be true). The ships were nn th< : point of silling when, bey picM-;.e Isiiti-.il ('ovrnment in-tevvi-nol an I prohibited the departure ")! v,h,ii were ill.'ii doenbtd '"alarMi>i" h'eiure«. in which he ihat enei<>eiir nciion should be taken >n An>Jralia io inihi'-e the Home flovcrnnient to annex \ew Cuim ,i and lite .mllyir.j. inlands wit bout ilcisty. as otherwise thev

1>" '-ci'/od iiy (ioruuiliv He ;>s '■r(e<| this in<'-t roiijily. nut! declare! iluii hi-. of information w.\- . rot iiltd mo<l reliable. <>r' course ni Hint 'ime the idea uf any foreign I'ower interferiiif.' in what wa* then ennsideml ;in exclusively I'riti-di --pln-re of inlluence. was de>mod altMinl. However. ;t somewhat hinpuitl interest wa> aroused. ami ;i ijtN'-l ion even a<ked in th>» Ih-iiHe of ( 'mmiiojis. id which < lio reply was, in Hl'pct. a- t'oll<>ws:--'iler Majesty's (.'()• vi'inmi'iit had no knowledge of such intention on tli! 1 part of (ierniany or any other IWer. and. moreover. Iter Majesty'- f.'ovnrnnient wonlil look upon sneh proceeding as nil unfriendly A very abortion without 'lonhl. ypf. unfortunately. if did not impre»s llMnaivk as it should have done, on I ,i few ijiMr afterwards a r.*orm:i:• squadron lind laken formal possession of Herman Xew Cninoa and the islands now' ' cnmni ned in ihe Ih'snian-k Archipelago. M.-lvor kid ui'oved a true I i'nplii'l. Tli,result e:tu>od consternation in Australia. Indignation modinis were held, at which sonic plain truth- were uttered concerning the TTonie (lovernnient: in far-t. An?r Iralia ypf feels on this subject. A i -hurt time afterwards.! mot the fleneral i' in lSiilish New (Juiiiei. wliere it was in s contemplation to send ail exploring e.\t licditiou into tli§ interior, aud of yhkh

the General was to be the leader. But the idea fell through on account of the Administration's lack of funds. I had many yarns with him. He was a firstrate reconteur, and one never wearied of his exciting experience. In appearance lie was the ideal soldier—tall, broadshouldered, straight as a ramrod, with . iron-grey hair and moustache, commanding features, and just such a man as you j. would imagine inspiring a forelorn hope. At the time he was being lionised in T-on-j. don he published a book relating his caleer, entitled, 1 think, "Under Fourteen ( | I'lngs."—l am, etc., T.S.