FACTS' AND FICTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1522, 7 December 1886, Page 4

FACTS' AND FICTION.

A book ha* been published by Messrs Chatto and Windus, London, entitled “ Colonial Facts and'Fiction,” the author being Mark Kershaw, which, it is believed, is a nom de flume. Mr Kershaw’s notes on New Zealand are, perhaps, the sprighlliest in the book ; and his story of a Chinaman who put in a tender for a contract »t Dunedin under the name of John HacDougal, because he felt certain it would never be awarded except to a Scot, is, as the Edinborp’ ‘critic said of Mrs Siddons’ acting, “ nae bad.” Every visitor to Dunedin is told it on landing. At Christchurch the tourist visited the Museum, and of course examined the skeleton of tbe dinornis, concerning which he delivers himself to the following effect: Naturalists say that the mon could not fly, but an old Maori, wbo, I think, was a king, told roe that they could fly beautifully, i Sometimes you could flush a dozen in a morning, and the shooting was grand. When they dropped they shook the earth like!Can earthquake. The best were roasted, and I quite believe the latter statement, as their singed hones could be seen by the basketful in every museum we went to. They weie pretty tough, and strangers, after once . partaking, of the delicacy, often le/usedjo takeiaby 1 moa.’' Hence* the name of the animal.” The breezineas of Wellington did not pass unnoticed by Mr Kershsw, wbo give* the following as the testimony of « resident':—“Wind, indeed! why, it’s on'y a week or so ago when a whole girl’s school was blbwn clean out to sea; NoW they hfve invented a way ■ of reefing (heir, petticoats. Too much sail doesn’t do, in these parts,. AH the nursemaids I 'and children.nevertrirn, out no *? 'Without,tarrying i small hedge and a few’ fathoms of. .chain hooked to their perpinhiilators;’’ “ Good for windmdls,” 1 5; reqyirkcd. “ Ves, we thought so, unti.l , we fried, them. . One was blown away add landed somewhere up amongst the Maoris, who refused to return-it, say : ing that,lt had, been; presented to them last year by % gentleman' from’Australia. The ether mill we anchored down, but when it oriomhombiedced to pnovo we, were never able to stdp it.” At Auckland our volatile visitor in ikes'animprove not" of tiiH'fkcfc that: “ people 'live on volcanoes, sometimes evin m rhpjr graters,’ and tino one.of the latter, if ii is of ros^ectahle^.dln^ldkiUov’" »U ’ fetch four or five thou>ai;c(.. punnets in the open market. Not ‘>niy so, but ‘f ash, lipUh, scoria, biva, and bornosyll.” are only quoted in,.the prices current. “When you order. a load the vendoi arks yon ho w' you like ; ir, 5 amygdaloid;■], pumiceou", cryptocry-tdlire, or how ?” “ Walking about Auckland,” Mr Kershaw goes on to say, “ made me very tired. I Coming,down a hill you have your toes ' jammed in- the end of your boots, while I going up a hill you have your body hanging pver your tots. Boots with elevating toes and heels would be a valuable boon

to tho e who live in Auckland.” By way of finish to the work its author appends some samples of the systematic guidebook, which is evidently a skit on the publications issued by the owners of steamboats and hotel proprietors for the purpose of extolling the natural beauties of those islands, and as such is rather amusing,—Exchange.