A TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 20, 8 October 1898, Page 3

A TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO.

Dr Barclay returned to "Waimate on Monday from ihis trip to ' Frisco as tnedical •officer of the Moana. A representative of •this paper interviewed the doctor and obtained an interesting account of his trip. " I left 'Waimate on August 3rd. Had a pleasant voyage from Auckland, Samoa tieing the first port of call. This place is interesting from the fact of its having l>een the home ef E. L. Stevenson. The /beautiful residence .of the novelist, with -500 acres of land, is .now for sale for a mere song. The Samoans are a very •dark coloured race, -well built, well nourished, of a very kind disposition, but ex■ceedingly lazy. Tliey never -do a hand's ■turn. The place is over-jrun with .tropical ifruit-bearing trees, and the natives having attained the ideal existence of most people — nothing to do and plenty to eat. 'The white people are quite unable to make the .Samoans work. Samoa is at present under the combined Governments of Great Britain, Germany, and America. The Germans are suspected of having •designs on the islands, have started •their own post office, and are trying to isolate themselves from the other Powers. There is a strong impression in Samoa rthat Germany is only watching her <chance to seize tlie group. The German warship Buzzard is always in the harbour at Apia and on our return voyage we found two British warships, the King•dove and the Porpoise, and an American warship on their way out, anticipating itrouble in connection with the death of King Malietoa. The Samoans are under .the impression that Prince Henry of Batitenberg's fleet, which ds now in Chinese waters; is on the look-out for a chance to •gain possession of Samoa. A week's sail from Samoa we reached the Sandwich Islands, the scene' of the death of ■Captain Cook. We arrived at Honolulu, the capital, a week following the annexation of the islands by the American Government. The town was really American Before, but a formal annexation was ■determined, on and a very pathetic ceremony took place when the Hawaiian flag was lowered and the American raised. Very few of the native people attended, inost'of them leaving the town. The indignity of the whole affair was bitterly felt. Those' in a position to understand knew that it was better to be under American rule than under a disturbed ■Government. The houses of Honolulu .are very beautiful, and are dotted about among the most luxuriant foliage. The view from the Punch Bowl, a hill at the back of the town certainly justifies the name given to Honolulu, " The Paradise of the Pacific." The Hawaiian natives are of a chocolate colour. They are -very soft and amiable in disposition, very hospitable and s exceeding clever musicians^ The educated natives.- hold many positions of. importance, and oc"cup'y most of- the clerkships. Strangers are received and treated as gentlemen

till proof is forthcoming to tftae contrary. A native seeing a stranger invariably invariably invites him to his liouse to eat and to .drink. The tropical flowers are magnificent in their luxuriance, and the native races use them freely. The natives have a beautiful habit of making garlaada to give to people leaving the place, hanging them round the necks of the strangers. Everyone is loaded with flowers of the most beautiful colours, -red and white predominating. A popular maa is a walking pile of flowers. On the departure of a ve3sel, the whole wharf present a most picturesque and animated appearance. The custom is for the passengers to throw the whole of <the garlands back as the vessel leaves the wharf with cries of ■** Aloha niui, aloha niuk" This is a comprehensive word meaning all manner of good wishes. It takes the place of our "good-bye.'" In addition to this, the Hawaiian band of about 3D performers, plays on the wharf for about two hours. This is admitted by everyone to be one of the finest bands in the world. There was a band from the United 'States' warship Philadelphia (which was 'lying in the harbour at the time) taking its turn playing, and although the Americans were •good, the difference in favour of the native band was very marked. Thus amidst the strains of "The Star-spangled Banner," ■" Auld Lang Syne 11 and •' Home, Sweet Home" we steamed away from one of the most beautiful sights the eye of man could look upon. Another week's steaming brought ' us to San Francisco, the metropolis of the West. This town is of only 50 years' growth, but its progress has been' most remarkable. The first thing that strikes one is the absence of cabs in the streets. The whole trafiic is undertaken by tramcars— steam, horse, electric and cable. The whole of the town and the suburbs for miles around are a network of tramlines. The fare for any distance is five cents, and for this you can travel as far as 10 miles. Excellent as are the electric trams, one of the tramway men told me that in a few years •compressed air will be the -only motive power employed. Of, course San Francisco is a very busy town, and the next thing that strikes a stranger is the way in which immense piles of luggage are handled. (Continued in our next)

Irate Wife : " Lost your money playing cards, did ye ?- ' If anybody asks .you how lost the skin of your head, tell them you lost it hi a game at poker with your wife, -who held the best hand 1" The Advertiser for Job Printing. Read' the following from a western paper :— " ln 'thelate gale, birds were seen hopping about with, all their feathers 'blown off." We have heard { of gales at sea, where it required four men to hold the captain's whiskers J on, Before you decidejto be' candid, 1 pause arid consider how you would Uke it yourself. * ". * v: •""-