A TRIP ROUND THE WORLD

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3187, 26 November 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

A TRIP ROUND THE WORLD

IBv a Wα iic ato Settlerl

Lkavixo Oiichung.'i by tho Union Company's s.s. Takapuna ai -I p.m. on Mondav", the lCih February, ISOI, foe Wel-ling-li'ii, we arrived at Now Plymouth ljiv:ik\val.er early next moriu.'iL'. mid lnu'inir !.o pt.ip tlici-e twelve hours, after breakfast a nurabur of us proceeded to inspect tho township, a distance of « r "»" three miles. I found nothing worth raentioninyr nf nuy note, tho town sleepy and dull. Tl>« luadin" buildim.'* wen- the public-hou .s, nlii':h seemed prr-tt.y numerous for so small a town. On my way back to rejoin tho vessel I cam;; across Mr Walker, late of tho National Hotel, Cambridge, who bad sol.l out in Taranaki, and wan prnoeediiiK , home by the Tonurariro (Curtain Bone commnndin.ir). Wo left ~Se\v Plymouth at 4 p.m., mid arrived at 7 n.in, on Wednesday, the lStb, after a fine-weather passage. On goinif ashore I put up at the I'icr Hotel, kept then by Host Bertram. Alter breakfast I started to inspect the vessel that waa to carry me to the other sido of tho world. I found her a splendid ship of 41G3 tons, 4000 horse power, and the accommodation in all clashes seemed to be first rate—such a contrast to the old vessels that used to ply out to the colonies in the fifties and sixties, when it used to be salt meat and wevily biscuits. I then took a turn round the town, but I found nothing- very strikiugr in it—not even a blow—and I think things are very tame for an Empire city. The next morning (the 1 Otli) tho ship was hauled out into the stream at !) a.m., and those that were not on board were told the last boat would leave the pier at 3 p.m., as tho sailing orders were for 0 o'clock. Taking passage by the last boat we found she had to wait for two coastal steamers bringing the maila from tho South, and iu was 8 o'clock when the last (Tho Herald) put in her appearance. At last all tho mails are on board, and at 9.33 p.m. the

steam winch is sot going;, up comes tho anchor, and we are now homeward hound with 72 passengers on board. Next morning wo found everything shipshape, clean, and comfortable ; and, as I anticipated, the accommodation was everything that could be desired. The stewards were civil and obliging, the table good, and the officers vicing with each other to make us comfortable. For the first fourteen days out we had head winds, fine weather with moderate seas, and then favourable wind, with occasional rain, to the latitude of Cape Horn, where we found the weather very cold. The first land near the Cape was sighted on the morning of the sth March. We passed within two miles of the Cape, and had splendid weather to view its rugged sides. Sighted Falkland Islands on the evening of the Gth March., close in.

The weather now became much warmer and the sea very smooth. On March /th a concert was held in the first saloon, which greatly assisted to break the monotony of the voyigo. On 9th March we ran into the end of a storm ; although there was no wind, there was a hea"\ y sea on, making the old vessel wash her back properly and sending most of the passengers below with a very sickly look about their faces. From this latitude we had fine weather and smooth seas to Rio, where we arrived on the morning of the 13th, timetable date. The harbour is a magnificent one, and as we sail majestically in the view is splendid. We dropped anchor at 8 a m., and the Company s tender coming alongside, a number of us went ashore. Before leaving Auckland I was recommended to the Hotel de Globo, and after a little trouble in making ourselves understood, we at Inst found it, and had no difficulty in explaining our wants as they keep an English interpreter. They required the modest sum of four shillings for dinner, which we declined to give and moved on further up the street, when one of the party caught sight of a sign with the words " American Restauruit. " Now, we thought, we are right into it. So wo j walked in and took our seats at the table, expecting to be addressed in our own ; language \ but when tho waiteis came | round for our orders they began by , making signs for some of the pu'ty to ; taste the different viands that were arranged on a side tible and choose which they liked best. One of my cabin companions brought mo a feed of I do net know what, but I hops never to eat s.ich a mess again ; that with a bottle of wine they charged us os per head. This proved to be an Italian cating-housf. Anyway, we left bewailine our fate that we did not stop at. the Hotel de Globo. At this point I and another separated from the rest and wended our way to the market place, which occupies a large space mostly undercover. There is produce of c\eiy description offered for sale, but what astonished me most was the number of eggs ; they seom to have been, as it were, tipped up by the cart-loads. I hcii fowls must lay we'll, or they must have a number of them. Fish and fruit seemed plentiful, but the latter we did not buy, as we were warned not to eat fruit, as the. yellow fever was raging very badly and the inhabitants were dying at the rate of a 100 per day. After leaving the market we took a look round the town. The sMiitary arrangements seemed very bad, for in some parts the smells were awful indeed. The streets are very narrow, the principal one being. I should think, not more than 12 feet wide, bnt I think no wheeled traffic is allowed in this street. Tramcars ply iu some of the streets and are drawn by mules. The oars being all open, they seem to do a roaring trade. I saw some grand display of goods in several of the shops, some of which are very large. Being now about 5 o'clock, we were on the look-out to get some tea and try and do better than we did at dinner, After travelling round a few streets I spotted " Albion Hotel in large letters. I said to my companion, " We are all right now," and we made a bee line for it. After mounting a long flight of stairs we came to a passage with an odour from it as if something good were cooking. Presently we met a man. I asked the question, " Can you speak English ? " " Rather," he replied. " Come this way, leading us into a large dining-room." I asked him if he could give us some tea, upon which he handed us a bill of fare that would do credit to a first-clas3 hotel in Auckland. After resialing ourselves with a good square. English feed, we lit our pines aud strolled down to the wharf so as not to miss the tender. On our way down we met several funerals which we at first took to be tone kind of show, for everything about the corteges was red, the horses trappings and the drivers all in red. On arrival at the wharf wo found all the passengers and tho tender ready to start On reaching the ships Hide we found her still coaling and discharging some 200 bafs of potatoes. It was two m the morning before wo got a start from Rio and as we steamed out of the harbour by moonlight the view was really ficent for tho bay is one of the finest I was ever in, not excepting Sydney, Melbourne or Auckland, and it seems to be well fortified by forts from all P°ints. Wo crossed the equator on the 19th, and had smooth seas from Rio. \\ e had sports on board on the 23rd and 24th, but the weather was too warm to take much interest in them. At 7 o'clock, on Thursday morning, the 25th we dropped anchor at Teneriffe, the health ofheers immediately came on board and placed us in quarantine through coming from an infected port, so that no one was a lowed on board, the crew had to coal, ship and take in cargo. The officer, pressed the passengers into give a band, and as we were anxious to move on, wo all set to work willingly, and at 4 o clock, n the aft-moon we were ready for sea aga • this place we took in tons of tomatoes for London. Santa Cruz looked a pretty town from tho ship, and we were all ■ dis\appointed throuu-h not being able to have a run ashore. Bum V,us came along ide oranges, 50 for Is; tobacco Is 3d per-lb. ci»ars equally as cheap. Aftei takin a | I several passengers on board, among them ,

being tho Marquis of I'ute, we li.'ff Santa Cruz at 4.10 p.m., and p.i.-s.d (hi! Tainui outward hound: fine wi/atl-'. , ronthninl till we.-i_.hteil tin; ■•"■■is?t nf .Spain, on tho 29th. In the I'.iy of Bi- Ul y we had i'. very rmiyh, with h'-avy rain and i-qualU On'tha .'.lst nf March, ut -I p.m., we

dropped anchor in Plymouth Sound, not qiiitp -10 days' includinjr stoppriges fnnn Wi>llinj.'t')ii to Plymouth. Thu tender with tho health having como on board and -riving us a clear bill of health, our liiggairn (some 20 passenger*) was placed oil" Irnrd the tender and landed us on the Hoe. A f tcr setting my luggage through the customs, I mail<; my way to tins mil way-station, and found that a train started for London at S. 15 p.m. Strolling accrosa the road I went into the Mount Pleasant Hotel, to see about tea, I there came across Mr Walker, Mr W. MeDjuald, of the Bank of New Zealand, Tarauaki, and a few other passengers. After having tea I made my way to the station and took a ticket for London arriving there at -1 a.m. From Paddington I (.■neaL'ed a cab to King's Crosi station and the ride through deserted London streets at that time of the morning was something novel indeed. I arrived at King's Cross just iu time to catch the newspaper train leaving at 5.15 a.m., aud having boarded her we bounded along at the rate of GO miles an hour, pinking up aud dropping the mails oa we rush along and stopping at no stations uuti! we arrived at Peterboro', a distance of 7CA

miles, which we did in an hour and twenty-five minutes (that rate of travelling would have made some of our colonial Lids hiive thought the engine had run away) This being my destination I got out, and leaving my luggage in the parcel o'lice made my way down the old town— very little difference in it ?■■■■:<> T !a : ;t saw it, sonic .'52 years ago. I'l-ipping into the Bull Hotel and having had a good wash after my night's travel, I went to look up old family friends, tho first I visited insisted upon there during my sojourn in England, which offer 1 took advantage of. (To be. coiilinneiLJ