NOTES FROM MELBOURNE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3080, 14 December 1888, Page 2

NOTES FROM MELBOURNE

- ■ Nine dtjys t)iQ Manipoiiri j Yes, nine long days! and at 'the' termination of this period'of anything but pleasure, you can imagine, yop Ma'fjtertpn-Wn jorres- , pondentexperiences a thrill of joy pass through his bosom as the exola'nation" Port Phillip Heads in the distance I" is (Iranian of our noble craft. Tiuie it is I fcr thero iii the distance can be seen the Sjutraiwe jo ffqbson's Bay, with .1 perfect 'fleet-Of vessels {jying ligrtji aiid south'.'. in a yery sliori time we are passing QueeuscliftVand we steer for Wiliiamstown,which is' : situated attliengfth'pf tlio Yam;- Let -.me mention that the Yarra is a oeauti-' ful, .deep stream, fhroiigli the cjty ofHellioiiwer whioli isgo'iull. of iii til of all description! that I have not would be yejy .difiluiilj' for i .person to lose his iife ; in it fyy. filing, Half-an.hour from Will|instijw)j' andwe are making fast at the Fjjitdeiv street .wharf,';'.Cany-your lqggage/ sir," " Accommodation, sir," 11 Ex. press, sir;"; and about a thousand other expressions we hear from the %tliiig crowd on the pier. .Your,Wr«3]Mnte;:£^

snatches up • his .portmanteau, and makes a rush for a street oar. " Halt! ones a Customs Officer.' "Personal i efleota only ?" Wo answer in the nlbrmauve.aiid proceed to an adjacent "pub," where we put up for the night. Accommodation, eh ? Well, yes, we goM hero I Ono night-is enough, however." We fly round next day, and by a stroke of good luck we drop aoross a private boardiiig-houso- and seoure apartments. Thoro are only twenty rfour. boarders, butnevermind it is private, and wo cultivate a spirit of contentment. Then for a proper look round. Richmond, Fitzroy, Carlton, and the rest of the suburbs are yisited, and before long we are as well acquainted with the plaoe as if we had spent half our life in it. ■' Next comes the Exhibition. Nothing could be a more genuine exhibition of the immense progress of. the Colonies during the past half century, The outside of the building is very striking, Burrounded as it is by beautiful plantations ■ and fountains of flowing water. The interior is'simply grand, To attempt to desoribe it would be .foolishness on my part, suffice it to 'say that the Victorian show i& by far the most interesting. " Where is the New Zealand Court?" we ask, but receive no satisfactory answer. After a lengthy promenade we come to a huge gilded structure, whioh, I presume; by the inscription represents the quantity • of- gold extracted .from New Zealand.' We. find to our amazeraent tbaYwe are facing the New Zealand Court, Were I to inform you that it is simply a •' bungled up" affair you. would perhaps think mi? harsh, but I can say with safety that it is nothiijg.but'la composition of photographic -Views, patent machines etc., with a very inferior Maori hutstuck in the centre. We could,not find the enormous quantity of minerals which wore shipped' from the land of our birth;" and you can guess, therefore, we unanimously pronounced the concern an utter failure," and' suoh it is I Necdless to say we do not confine our attention to this Court, but make our way through the lovely corridors of colonies which surround it. After about foiu' hours walking we make our exit through the main entrance, weary and footsore, but perfectly satisfied that we had seen a'show, the dimensions of which we had never before witnessed. [I am sorry to have to state that, with all ■ its : grandeur the exhibition is not paying expenses, and I understand it is to bo closed.early in January.] On the day following our visit to the Exhibition, we determine to make a tour of the city in search of "graft." We put on our best colonial manners, '.and tremblingly approached the foreman of the first; large office we oftter. We enquire, " Any show of work for agood man?" "Where do you come from?" ho asks. " New Zealand! " Then you

oaigo upstairs and start at. once." And so wo.did, and we working there months), lite the weiij although the thermometer did register 102 in the shade the other day. The. land boom, which for some time past lias been causing great enthusiasm amongst speculators, has, despite the faot that railway passes, steamer fares, lunoheons, and oigars are provided free to all visiting the sales, Cornoto a olimax, and no great interest is now displayed 'in land speculations. ■ Foreign capital to the extent of about four millions per month is being invested here, and as a result huge buildings are. in course of orection in every part of the oity. , The railways of Victoria show a pleasing contrast to those of New Zealand, paying as they do large dividends, ; The accomodation is really first-class, and; as the trains" run on the broad guage they are much faster than those of N. Z.

Amusement!-Aye, plenty of it! The Bijou, Princess, Yiotoria, and other Theatres are kept going every night, besides the Opera House and various halls. " Hans, the Boatman" is at present on the boards, and with " La Mascotte" and " Hands Aoross the Sea," is drawing immense crowds. Four newspapers are published in the city, and another, tho " Evening Standard," is to start operations in January. Tho circulation of " The Age I ' is estimated at 80,000 copies per diem, ...

I liaye hail tho pleasure of meeting umubors of Mastorton people since my arrival, and all appear to bo doing well. I might mention that New Zealand tradesmeu have the preference in almost every business, being looked upon generally as a sober and upright people, Crime I Crime I Yea, there is crime on every hand, Hardly a day passes but what some excitement iB caused over a suioide, murder, robbery, or other tragedy, .1 suppose this is due to the great population. Tho people seem to think little of a Chinaman being murdered, a lady committing suicide, or the performance of other such outrageous acts.

I think,'sir, I had better not infliot too much upon your readors. and I therefore resign Hie pen until some future occasion, when I might communicate with you further upon general topics, With, best wishes, Adieu!