THE GOVERNOR'S TOUR.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 167, 21 January 1873, Page 5

THE GOVERNOR'S TOUR.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 14th inst., His Excellency and suite arrived in Quoonstown. They wore met at Hayes Lake by a number i)[ vehicles and horsemen, and escorted thence to the boundary of the to vn, from which point the Brass Band proceeded them, playing lively tunes, to the Queen's Arms Hotel. gir George expressed a desire that any addresses should be presented forthwith, and ve ry shortly afterwards two were read to him,— one from the Mayor and Council, the other from some Chinese residents, —to which guitable replies were given. The buildings in the principal streets were prof nsely decorated with flags and evergreens, and on the jetty a triumphal arch of native ferns and shrubs was erected. It was intended that on Wednesday the party should make a trip up the Lake ; but the weather proved cold and boisterous ; and therefore a journey to the Moke Creek saddle, and thence to the top of Ben Lomond, was substituted. The Mail says Sir George expressed the highest admiration of the beauties and grandeur of the scenery. Further, "he predicts for Lake Wakatip a fame and career similar to those enjoyed by the Swiss lakes, and believes that ere long the former will be recognised as a resort for pleasure-seekerd from Melbourne and Sydney, in the same manner as the latter now are for those from London and Paris." On the same evening, His Excellency and party attended a grand concert given in honour of their visit by the Queenstown Philharmonic Society. Sir George expressed himself as very much delighted at the excellence of the vocal performances on the occasion. Mesdames Boult, Ross, Powell, and Arndtwereamongthe most prominent singers, and their efforts were warmly appreciated by the numerous audience present. On Thursday morning, the weather proving rather more favourable, His Excellency, Lady Bowen, and family, Mr Macandrew, and the Governor's suite, made a start up Lake Wakatip on board the steamer Antrim. Several Queenstown gentlemen had arranged to accompany the party ; but at the time fixed for the start —eight a.m.— only Mr Malaghan, the Mayor, had made his appearance. Twenty minutes did the Governor wait; and then, no sign appearing of the unpimetnal ones, the order was given to castoff. Just as the vessel got fairly under way, Mr Beetham came " hurrying in hot haste," just in time to be too late. Mr Malaghan, therefore, reaped the reward of punctuality, and was the only Queenstown gentleman who accompanied the party. The steamer returned the same evening, and the party remained at Eichardt's private hotel. On Friday morning, His Excellency, family, &c, were entertained at breakfast at Mr Hailenstein's residence at Flat, from which a Btort was made again on Friday forenoon. About half-past six in the evening, they arrived in CROMWELL, where Mr Kidd's stone cottage had been prep.recl fur their reception. A public meeting : had been held in the Town-hall during the j day, with a view to the arrangement of a demonstration ; and considering the brief space i of time remaining to carry out what was ': agreed upon, those who took the matter in hand may be congratulated upon the success- [ ful execution of the programme. A party of | something like thirty horsemen and one or ! two buggies met B is" Excellency at Kawarau \ Gorge, escorting the visitors into Cromwell. ? The coach containing the vice-regal party | drew up at the cottage before mentioned (which is close to Mr Kidd's Cromwell Hotel). Hearty cheers were there given for Sir George, : Lady Bowen, and the Superintendent; and His Excellency addressed a few words of thanks to those assembled for the heartiness of the reception accorded to him. It was, he ; said, a saying of the great Cromwell, from ; whom the town took its name, always to ; " put your trust in God, and keep your powferdry." But, so far as the keeping of the powder dry was concerned, the Cromwell people would evidently not have been very particular; for they had not been deterred from meeting him with a cordial welcome by the wetness of the weather ; and he could assure them that he was grateful for the manner in which he had been received. Then the Cromwell Brass Band struck up, " God save the Queen," and the Cromwell fire-bell (temporarily rigged-up) clanged out a noisy wel- ; come from somewhere in the background: '* Half-anhour afterwards, His Excellency, ; Lady Bowen, the Misses Bowen, Mr Macandrew, and His Excellency's aide-de-camp and • private secretary proceeded to the Town-hall, i jvhere it had been announced an address from the citizens would be presented. A considerable mob of the townspeople collected. After a glance at the Library, Sir beorge took his stand outside the building to near the address read. Before doing this, the Mayor (M. Fraer, Esq.,) made a few prefatory remarks, apologising to His Excellency |or the incompleteness of the arrangements |°r his reception while on his up-country Journey, and its inadequate nature on the present occasion. Such, he could assure His Excellency, arose from no want of loyalty, °r resp ec t to him as the representative of royalty, but rather from a combination of Averse circumstances,—shortness of notice, jporance of intended movements, &c. His Excellency, in reply, said he had received JjnpJe evidence from to-day's welcome that were no less loyal than their neighbours. Then the Mayor read the folding address : To Hi s Excellency Sir George Ferguson Bowen, We, the inhabitants of Cromwell and its enmost respectfully desire to offer to your

Excellency, Lady BoWert, and family, our most sincere welcome upon the occasion of your visit to this district.

Wo have much pleasure in availing ourselves of this opportunity, kindly afforded us by your Excellency, of expressing our attachment and veneration to our Most Gracious Sovereign tile Queen, an 1 also to your Excellency, her able representative. Our knowledge of the manner in which you have administered the goVernmoat of this Colony forces us greatly to regret for our own interests that your Excellency's administration will so shortly cease ; but we fool bound to congratulate your Excellency upon having secured that promotion which has been so fully earned.

We most devoutly hope that in the important Colony which Her Most Gracious Majesty has commissioned you to preside over, your Excellency, Lady Bowen, and family will experience eVery blessing that mankind can enjoy, On behalf of the citizens, M. Frutirt, Maydr. The following is a copy of His Excellency's reply :

Mr Mayor and Gentlemen,—l thank you for this loyal address, and for the welcome which it conveys to Lady Bowen and myself. Not even the inclemency of the weather this afternoon could damp the warmth of the greeting which we received froi '"'the gentlemen who rode so many miles to escort us into your nourishing township. I am much gratified by the terms in which you speak of my administration of the government of New Zealand. 1 claim no other merit but that of having done my duty, botb to the Crown and the Colony, to the best of my judgment and ability. I have greatly enjoyed my tour among the lakes and mountains of Otago, and shall never forget the kindness and hospitality shown to my family and myself. We heartily reciprocate your kind sentiments and good wishes. G. F. Bowen. Cromwell, 17th January, 1873. Before reading the last paragraph of the above, Sir George interjected that in Victoria, —where he assumed most of his hearers had been, to the correctness of which assumption the Mayor bore testimony,—his earnest aim would be to cement the bond of union which existed between that colony and New Zealand as children of the one great fatherland. (Cheers.) On concluding, Sir George proposed three cheers for Cromwell ; but these were anticipated, at the request of the Mayor, by three ringing cheers for the Governor and his lady, and one for Mr Macandrew once more. Then came Cromwell's turn ; and a few introductions of "honest cits" to His Excellency by the Mayor followed. So ended the public reception of Sir George Bowen. His Excellency will be remembered in Cromwell as lather a jolly old gentleman, affable, genial, and good-humoured ; with a surprising gift of rinding relations and namesakes for all introduced to him. We can only hope that the impression he takes away with him will be as favourable as that he leaves behind. The attempt at decoration and at showing signs of rejoicing were of a far more satisfactory nature than those we had to chronicle last week. It seemed as if Cromwell was thoroughly ashamed of its dead-and-alive display on the occasion of His Excellency's previous passing through ; and had determined enthusiastically to make amends. At the Cromwell Hotel, a rope of evergreens was stretched across the street ; and the cottage where the party stayed was nicely decorated with the same material. Throughout the town, a great number of flags were hoisted, —from "the flag that's braved a thousand years" to a blacksmith's apron. Conspicuous among iiags was one, —the Harp of Erin, — upon Messrs Hailenstein's store, the artistic design and finish of which were greatly admired.

The party took their departure early next morning for Wanaka Station. Lady Bowen and the two Misses Bowen have apparently altered their intention of going to Dunedin, and thence to Wellington by sea ; for they accompanied Sir George on Saturday morning, and we presume mean to travel with him to Christchurch.