NOTES OF A TRIP TO INVERCARGILL.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 119, 5 February 1879, Page 2

NOTES OF A TRIP TO INVERCARGILL.

(Continued.) Having safely passed the Bluoskin Cliffs, fclio train keeps winding on, first to the right, and then to the left, apparently as if it had taken the country for a skating rink. Looking out of the -windows, the long line of carriages comes sweeping round the curves like a thing of life, or a ladies train, swaying from side to side. Again, Avhen turning an inkward curve, it seems as if carriage after carriage, gliding out of sight, had tumbled over a precipice. Forward it whirls, up hill and down dale, through native thicket and dark tunnel, till the fairy picture of Port Chalmers and its hosts of trim-rigged oceangoing ships comes fully into view. The day being beautifully fine, the whole panorama might be equalled, but could not be sur-

passed. Seeing the lately storm-tossed mariner calmly nestling under the hills in his comparatively"tiny little bark, one is ready to exclaim, the 'ingenuity of man, in being able scientifically to push his- little, shell through winds, tides, storms, and currents, daylight and dark, till he, without fail, arrives at his desired haven. This is a telling commentary upon the evolutionist's statement that man , has sprung from the monkey, and that he, by progression, has been able through natural instinct, to arrive at such perfection. Port Chalmers passed, Dunedin, with its First Church's lofty spire, its multitude of _ chimney stacks, 'its largo warehouses, with its hundreds of cosy hill-side homes peeping out beneath a curtain of evergreen, wide-spreaidng, variegated, native bush, betokens not only a busy mercantile city, but also the peace and comfort which, after many years of weary pilgrimage, and dire privation, the pilgrim fathers of this prosperous and populous city now enjov. Perhaps in no city in New Zealand are there so many old settlers resting from their earthly labours, and ending their days in well earned comfort, than there are in this now largo and rich city of Dunedin. Perl laps in no city in New Zealand is _ there to be found evidences of greater activity of body or mind than in this modern Edinburgh. Arriving a little late, we were ready, as some doubtless thought, to eat up a whole hog or a sheep each. We plunged into the bathrooms to clear away the dust and soot, and with throats well sluiced, inside and out, we sat down to take the full worth of our halfcrown at the Occidental, -while some went to other well known hosteleries. This over, a stroll through Prince's-strcet prepared us for anything that might turn up. The long lines of round heads and high cheek bones that passed along the streets, told us that we were among descendants of North Brian's hardy sons. Seeing a crowd all going one way we sauntered along, wondering what was up, whether the Old Bailey had been transported to the Antipodes, and a hanging or something of that kind was on. Pushing along with the crowd, we soon found our progress arrested, and a shilling demanded i for the good of the Benevolent Institution. We at once remembered the experience of the Scotchman on his first visit to London, when he told his comrades ho had no sooner reached it than "bang went saxpence." Being free ticket men, and accustomed to find free trips the dearest, we ' stumped up ' without a murmur, and received a ticket for a seat on the top of our walking stick, for other sitting room there was none in her Majesty, the Queen's Theatre. When we looked around the vast assemblage, our eyes fell on two gentlemen of the white neckcloth typo, as the two most prominent figures, with a* burly-headed gentleman with a brandy and claret" countenance between them. On inquiring what was up, we were told it was a theological discussion. This was all the information that was tendered, and being strangers, and rather shy, we did not push the matter further, but began a musing. Could it be the same old story, the Englishman trying to pose the Scotchman witli " who was the father of so-and-so." This brought to our mind the bet that an Englishman made with a Scotchman that he could not tell him who was Adam's father. The Scotchman replied that any coal carter in any Scotch town could do that, and called one in who was crying, "Goals! coals!" He at once came into the room, rolling up the carpet which he called the duddy, . for fear of dirtying it with his feet, and soon answered the question to the satisfaction of the Englishman, who owned that he lost the bet. The coal carter, however, claimed to know something of theology, and craved leave to put a question to the Englishman, who readily consented. " Well," says the carter, "Could you tell mo who was my father?" This was'-a poser to the Englishman, who owned that the Scotch must be a well read people. The two front figures referred to, with the clerical neckcloths, wc learned were a Mr Bright and a Mr Green, and that the controversy was about the divine origin of Christ-church. Having paid for our ticket we got our back to the wall, and determined to hear something for our money. After a good deal of fencing, the two combatants went at it with a will, each in his turn trying to put his friend right in the matter in dispute, the one denying, and the other affirming. Having read some of Mr Bright's lectures, wo expected to hear some telling arguments against the common belief, but in this we were rather disappointed. As we were strangers you ought to admit that our opinion b unbiased, and our opinion is ihis, that Mr Green is not so green, and Mr Bright not so bright, as many would make out. Both gentlemen seemed to be in earnest for once. The lie was given to the saying that, " A minister preaches the truth as if it were a lie, while an actor preaches a lie as if it were a truth." Leaving the Queen's, we came upon a musical party exercising their calling in a fair, honest way, as we thought, by harp and violin, but to our surprise and horror, one of the party was playing the Scotch national instrument, the fiddle, wrong end up. This in Dunedin, too, the headquarters of Old Scotia's enterprising sons. Shame on them, must every lover of the national music exclaim. Shame on the individual that would dare to represent Old Caledonia in such a humiliating position. Having a tincture of Scotch blood in our veins, we turned away in disgust to our hotel for the night, full of wrath and regret that no old dame presented herself with a three-legged stool to let fly at their heads for such degradation. After a short interrogating by two orthodox parsons as to the result of the controversy, to which we were in no mood to reply after the sad sight -outside, we turned in for the night, vowing to bring the case before the Resident Magistrate, or Mr Yinccnt Pyke, who knows how to handle a chair, cutty, or stool, and has spirit enough to let it fly even on a less important occasion than this. Not caring to take a soothiug powder before the gentlemen of the cloth, we were long in having our nerves, so much unstrung, brought to their natural state, and our repose had been hut short when the call to breakfast sounded in our ears. Remembering that a cheap feed was promised us on our arrival at Tnvercargill, we went at one of Judge Ward's favourite chops in great haste". In doing so we broke one of our front teeth, and the horror that possessed us at this moment that we might have to make a speech too, was more than wo could stand, so we rose from the table, pronouncing a blessing long enough, and loud enough to cause the landlord to think burglars had entered the house, or a Professor Avers had run away with his wife, or what would bo worse still, all his money. Punctually to time, the train with its living freight, commences another stage of its journey southward. The last prominent feature that attracted our attention as wo left this city of mushroom growth was the cemetery, with its army of white memorial stones." This cast a damper over us, and a feeling of awe and dread possessed us when ws reflected on the uncortainity of time, and the possibility that some of our happy party might not bo permitted to _ return 'this way again. In all our rambles it 1a well to keep in mind that merriment is not sin, but serious remembrance of our latter end is often more profitable. Entering a tunnel shortly afterwards, our thoughts were deepened, and we remembered the expression, " darkness that can be felt." No one could see his finger before him, and the question arose in our mind, will it be so at the end of the world ? The bright glare of the sun as

we emerged from the darkness, soon dispelled these gloomy thoughts, but being of a rellective turn of. mind, our thoughts went on another track, and we began to think of the selfishness of man. What a most inconsistent being he is, that no sooner is the dead buried out of his sight than his lightheadedness returns. This brought us to a thought of the Dead March in Saul, played on going to a funeral, and the inconsistent jollity that follows it up on the return. Thoughts like these are cut short by the coming into view of the far-famed Taieri Plains, rich and fruitful to an extraordinary degree. Lucky were they that were able to lay hold of such a prize. The area is limited, but the fertility of the soil where properly handled, is inexhaustible. Too much water is the only drawback. We fancy that a plan is practicable for regulating, at no great expense, supply and de- m mand in this, as in other of nature's gifts. - * Possibly on some future occasion we may throw out some useful hints with a view to accomplishing this object. A very pleasing picture as we emerge from the tunnel and enter the plain is that presented by a neat little church on the Green Island hill-side, and the many settlements around in the plains, yet half is not done that could bo done. Perhaps the happy owners are of that contented sort that are as happy with a thousand as many woidd be with a million. Be it so, but we hold it to be a duty of every man to improve the gifts given him, and that that man is a blessing to his fellows who makes two blades of grass grow where only one grew before. That the Taieri Plains can be made to produce more than they do at present may be seen clearly enough; surrounded by hills on every side, and with a good soil to almost any depth it only needs modern appliances to double its present productiveness. Skirting along the east side of this valuable basin we confront the Mungatua Mountains on the right, and the Waihola Lake on the left. What a boon such a lake would be to the dry and thirsty Canterbury Plains. Ascending from the lake we see northwards a large breadth of land in cultivation, showing to the eye husbandry of no novice hand.- We could not learn the names of the owners of these holdings, but they seem to be men who can command what is needful to accomplish good farming. On the plains cattle is generally the stock to be seen, and even these do not seem to be up to the mark for so good a piece of country. On the hills sheep and young cattle seem to be the stock mostly made use of. Horse-breed-ing does not appear to be much in favour. Perhaps Scotty does not care for too many unproductive mouths. This may account also for the almost entire absence of thoroughbreds—at least of the stamp so commonly met with in Canterbury. The lake being passed the Tokomairiro district spreads out before us, a not very pleasing picture. It reminds one of the remark, " neither cold nor hot." A stiff, cold, damp, clay subsoil, without sufllcient sub-divisions in some parts, evidence of too large farms in others, and a little of absenteeism, all tend to make the whole country anything but inviting. In the township, or townships, there are few nice buildings to be seen. The wooden Presbyterian Church is a prominent feature in the town ; it would puzzle our modern architects to tell to what age the style of the building belongs. If the inside is as forbidding as the outside we would not be surprised to hear that the worshippers are addicted to headaches which obliges them to stay at home on Sundays. All the lands, to the- mountain tops, we were told had been bought long ago, and forbidding as some of the laud is, high . prices are asked for it. The township sections have not advanced in price since the railway passed through, nor has the township, in our opinion, increased much for several years past. This is the case with almost all townships where the line merely parses through, but this will be changed bye- '-. ancl-bye. As population flows into the country *? inland towns will be more sought after, and. manufactures as a consequence will spring up, such as the thriving Mosgiel manufactory and Bishop Neville's potteries, which last will doubtless soon become a valuable industry. The building stone in this district is not to be compared with the Oamaru stone, nor does the land come up to the land in that district. Extensive drainage works might much improve it. But hei'o comes the Kaitangata, Balclutha, and Inch Clutha. A different climate blesses this district, and some beautiful farms are to be seen all around. Hearing of the great disaster which so lately befel these enterprising little towns and district we stretch out our necks to see the reported desolation. Sad indeed is the sight presented to the view.. The river must not only have been a river but a lake. We could see the straw carried by the flood hanging to the top wire of a four-foot fence hi some of the highest parts of the town, and waves of sand several feet deep lay in every direction. There Avere holes in the township sufficiently large to form a dock for thelargest vessels, aud houses in some cases undermined and lying at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. The whole township looks like a seashore, where some heavy storm had beea making a clean sweep of it. The marvel is that no more lives were lost. It will be difficult to restore confidence to the settlers, and more difficult to erect protective works that will withstand such visitations. It would be better, in our opinion, for the Government to make some arrangement with the owners of property to remove the whole to the north side of the river. What a pity it is to see such a fine thriving township so hopelessly destroyed. Inch Clutha and the surrounding country presents a melancholy spectacle. The owners of property must be at their wits' end what to do. They cannot take their land on their back, and this is their capital. Crop growing is not safe, and grazing is not safe, as no man is able to tell whether or not each year will bring another similar visitation, In their case there is nothing for them but to hold on to it or sell out to some one who may be of an adventurous turn of mind. The land being_ so extremely rich one or two good years might almost repay them. Certain it is no prb ate enterprise will be able to erect protective works sufficiently large to bar out the waters in such floods as came upon it lately. [To be concluded in our next.]