IN QUARANTINE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 237, 15 August 1872, Page 5

IN QUARANTINE.

We have not had an opportunity of learning how the passengers by the Nebraska have fared during their detention on Soames Island, but, judging by the following letter which appears in the Auckland papers, tho Hero's passengers have not had such a bid time of it. The extract we subjoin shows that life is endurable even in such awkward and inconvenient circumstances. The writer, as will be observed, was, a passenger by the Hero : — " Sydney, July 1. — On Monday morning, the papers, announced a case of small-pox having occurred on board the Hero at Newcastle, and that she wns in quarantine. At Elder and Spences' offices I was told that a detective was after me and other Hero passengers to put us all id quarantine. Captain Eldred advised me to give myself up— any other c urse of action would only cause trouble. 1 jumped into a cab and was conveyed to the agent's office. July 3rd.— On my return to E. and S.s I found my detective waiting. I wasn't allowed to get into a cab, but had all my traps that I had taken ashore in one, an I walked to Circular Quay, where the Government steamer Thetis lay ready for us. When dusk came eight had been caught, and ws left for Springbone, the quarantine station. We were soon anchored alongside the Hero, and we commenced a chaffing, roaring communication, which served to keep us in good spirits. This morning we were put on board the Hero, where we learnt that the case of smallpox in the steerage had been a very bad one, and that the patient wns ashore. A proclamation appears in the Sydney papers placing all craft from Victoria, New Zealand, and Sandwich Islands in quarantine for at least seven days. As for us, having had a virulent case on board, our stay is indefinite ! In this miserable situation we are philosophically doing our utmost to keep our spirits up, and Captain Logan lends us a hand with all kinds of fun. We had a great concert to-night. While performing, the brig Wave, from Timaru, joined us, and was received with cheering. A few minutes later a large ship (St. Nicholas, from San Francisco) was towed majestically amongst us ; we cheered, and struck up "Hail Columbia," &c. At night a pamphlet was proposed by Captain Logan to be started ; and Frank Weston is to arrange a theatrical entertaiament, so I dare say we shall manage to keep ourselves amused, even if we do have to wait a long time — that is if we keep healthy. Of course we can get newspapers, &c, by sending them through the quarantine officers ; and I think I need only wind up by saying that I believe we shall be pretty comfortable under the circumstances, and are doing our best to keep ourselves reconciled to our position, and not to let our spirits down."

Lectube on Spiritualism — Last evening the Rev. Alexander Reid delivered a lecture upon " Modern Spiritualism," before a crowded audience in the Lower Hall of the Athenseum. The lecture was given at the request of the society lately established in the city for the investigation of " spiritualism." Mr Redmayne occupied the chair. The rev. lecturer gave a very able address in which he combatted ' many of the statements and arguments put forward by Mr James Smith of Melbourne during his visit and in a pamphlet published by him. He said it was no part of his task to explain the phenomena of spiritualism, authenticated though they were by numbers of credible witnesses, but he was not satisfied that such phenomena were rightly traced to spiritual agency. If they were spirits at all he believed they belonged to the same class as the demons, which the Lord permitted to hav<» access to men during his sojourn upon this world. The peculiar idea that all organisms had a soul, perhaps containing the germ of an angel, the lecturer ridiculed as absurd, observing that man in such case had much to answer for in the daily consumption of so many celestial beings as food. The lecturer protested against the assumption that God could not revoke his own laws, and that there was no such thing as supernatural phenomena in the universe. That would make God not a free agent, and place him beneath his own .creation. Surely there was nothing inconsistent in God, for certain purposes, suspending the natural laws', such as the occasion of revealing himself to man in the person of Christ, and in the working of miracles to attest his mission. In fact, making everything God, and asserting that he could not turn aside Ms own laws, was a species of Pantheism, which resulted in Atheism, and robbed them of the idea of a personal God, taking a personal interest in the welfare of his creatures, and not free to work or to forbear working. In concluding, the lecturer expressed his wonder that people calling themselves intelligent could swallow such pabulum as put forward by spiritualists, and called upon his hearers not to entertain teachings so repugnant to reason and to a revelation which had been tried and found to satisfy all the desires of the soul. An animated discussion ensued, in which Mr Carrick contended that the spirits taught the 1 principles of love and duty, and did not consider the ridicule brought to bear upon the subject any argument against Spiritualism. Mr Grant .followed with a lively speech, and was succeeded by Mr Fergus. A vote of thanks to the lecturer closed the wroceedingss — Star, August 8.