ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1493, 28 January 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Dubing most of the past week we have been entertaining, amusing, feasting and feting Tawhiao and his chiefs and followers, and I believe that they have been very well pleased with the way in which they have been treated. The banquet in the Choral Hall last Thursday evening was certainly not an unqualified success, neither the quantity nor the quality of the viands being what they should have been. The smell of fish was so very strong that some of the people were lifted off their seats. However the Maories had no cause to complain about the quality of the waiters, as they included the members of the Reception Committee, some of the leading citizens of Auckland. The muddle made at the Choral Hall was amply atoned for by the splendid banquets given at their respective residences by His Worship the Mayor and Mr J. C. Firth, where everything was of the best quality and in abundance. What pleased the Maoris most was the pyrotechnic display on Saturday evening. There was a torchlight procession through the streets, followed by a display of rockets, colored fire, &c. The night was all that could be desired— fine, but dark. _ To the causal observer it seemed as if some of the stars were in danger of being injured by the rockets, but, fortunately, no mishap occured. It would have been very sad if one of the stars had been broken up, and the pieces had fallen on the heads of the spectators. How long will people continue to append to marriage notices the request, "Home papers please copy?" As these notices require to be paid for as advertisements, there is no use in making the request unless the wherewithal is forwarded with the newspaper. Perhaps, in a few cases the request is complied with, but the cases are so few that they are the exceptions which prove the rule. Then again, how many of the "Home papers " are to copy ths notice ? Are all of them to copy it ? or, if not all, which of them is to do so ? I would suggest that an alteration should be made in the form of the request, and that, in fnture, instead of "Home papers please copy," it should be, " The Times, Daily Tele graph, Illustrated London Newt, and Graphic please copy and send their accounts to the Bank of New Zealand, 1, Queen Victoria Street, Mansion House, E.C." That might " fetch " some, if not J all, of the newspapers, even if the Bank of New Zealand declined to pay the accounts. The passengers by the s.s. ' 'Wellington" from Tauranga must have had a gay time of it. They started on Friday afternoon but the steamer was unable to leave the harbor, and, though the distance is only 130 miles, they did not arrive in Auckland harbour until late on Sunday night. In spite of this sort of thing, the Tauranga people say that they have a splendid harbour and that it was owing to the jealousy of the Auckland people that Tauranga was closed as a port of entry. lam sorry for the provodore of the " Wellington," who would receive no more for catering for the passengers for upwards of forty-eight hours than he would have received had the passage occupied the usual fourteen or fifteen hours. Besides the belief that they have a splendid harbour, the Tauranga people indulge in another equally erroneous — that the majority of tourists to Rotorua and the Hot Lakes will continue to go via Tauranga. As soon as the Rotorua Railway is completed, which will probably be in two years' time, almost all the tourists will go by it. When people can go by rail from Auckland to Rctonia in less than twelve hours without breaking the journey except for meals, it is not likely that they will go down to Tauranga in a small steamer and thence by coach or buggy. Even if Mr Vesey Stewart gets a tramway constructed from Tauranga to Rotorua, which is extremely improbable, it will not have the effect of diverting the traffic from the natural land route — through the Waikato and Upper Thames. By the way, if any of the readers of the Waikaio Tiiiies have any loose cash they cannot find a better investment for it than taking up shares in the Rotorua Railway, as they will assist to open up the country, improve the value of their own land, and secure a safe and profitable investment for themselves, the country guaranteeing them seven per cent, interest on their money. If I had a few hundred pounds to invest I would certainly apply for some shares, but we poor journalists seldom have a few hundred pence to spare, and a few hundred pounds are quite out of the question. Careys Juvenile Pirates have their black flag floating over the boards of the Theatre Royai, and are attracting fair audiences. As they do not care whether or not they are orphans whose purses they lighten they gather the dollars in at a fine rate. The youngsters are well worth going to hear, setting aside the much-vexed question of whether it is right to encourage performances given by children of tender years, as they have evidently been well trainsd, and some of them have good voices. Tawhiao and hia party were not taken to seethe young Pirates, because it would be considered vifrathg for them to be entertained by children. However, that was their loss, not Careys, as, had they gone, they would have been " dead heads," and there are already quite sufficient of that stamp, despite the notice, " Free list entirely suspended, press excepted," which is placed in conspicuous positions on the walls of the theatre. " This is the wettest summer we have had for many years," is the remark made almost every day now. How long it is since we had so wet a summer " I cannot, tell," not being the proud possessor of a rain guage, and not having the statistics requisite for forming a comparison. Ido know, however, that the country is looking beautifully fresh and green, and that many of of the farmers have had their grain crops more or less damaged. This is a most important state of affairs, the more so as bad weather is a great evil. I see by the JFaikato Times that the Waikato ci'icketers are to have an opportunity of meeting the English Eleven, which is gradually coming northwards, demolishing all opponents as it comes. The Christchurch men, who elected to play with eighteen men in the team instead of twenty-two, got a proper " dressing down" for their rashness. Well ! I suppose the Christchurch men will say that it was a drawn match. Certainly the game was not finished, but there could be little doubt of the result — the local team not making half as many in the two innings as the visitors made in one. Did you see Mr Dallen's letter in the Star, explaining why he made such a muddle of the banquet to Tawhiao ? It is the lamest excuse given since the year 1, when Mr Adam was asked why he had eaten the forbidden fruit and replied that Mrs Adam had given it to him, and it has not the advantage which that had — that of being true. St. Muncjo, •

The Jesuits have purchased the Hales Place properly, ! near/ Canterbury, England, and will convert the old manor house into an enormdutf college, at an estimated CQSt of £60,000.