AROUND THE WORLD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2361, 30 November 1908, Page 5

AROUND THE WORLD.

A TOURIST’S RETURN

INTERVIEW WITH MR, W,

MILLER. Mr. W. Miller, who, with Mr. G. Coop, deft Gisborne over eight months ago for a trip around the world, returned diomo on Saturday, after having, as ho describes it, “a real good time.” Dir. Miller travelled as a Cook’s tourist, and was therefore able to see the most interesting sights of the various countries lie visited without difficulty, ami to gather impressions of the life and customs of people in foreign lands. After crossing to Australia, both gentlemen set out for China, and cal-

hd at Manila, in the Philippines. “Manila is a lino town,” said Air. Dfiller to a “Times” reporter, “and J. was much impressed with its progressive appearance, and with the good work that has been done by the Americans. “I was two weeks in China, and had a good look at Shanghai. China is a beautiful country, and the people at this end of the world, who see only the coolie class of Chinamen, have .but a poor idea of what China and the Chinese are really like. I saw very little of the so-called advanced Western ideas in China, and I was told that the country is no further forward in adopting European civilisation than at the time ol the

Boxer trouble nine years ago. I did not travel much through the country, for I had not time, but China is not •in the least like what the stranger would imagine. From China we went to Japan, and in that country one sees more of the march of Western ideas.

“The Japanese are certainly a progressive people, and are rapidly adopting English, American, and German ideas and customs. Japan is-a great jjfricultural country, but most of the of the land, except rice, are for 'home consumption. There are also many big factories and other industries in the larger cities. The Japanese are a most artistic people and excel in the production of works of art. Nowhere, nob even in England or America, did we see more perfect photographs than in Japan. Out here the people are inclined to give the Jap preference over the Chinaman, but it is the very opposite in the East, where the characters of both people are known, and the Jap is not only mistrusted by the European, but by the Chinamen, and by his own countrymen as well. One rarely liears a good word for the Jap, but the Chinaman's word is as good as his bond, and one finds Chinamen occupying the highest positions of trust, not only in the warehouses of Chinese merchants, but in the businesses run by Europeans, and oven Japanese. Chinamen fill many positions such as cashiers in banks, hotels and financial institutions in Japan, and are always given the preference over the Jap. There are not a great many Chinamen in Japan, but those that are there are all of the better class. Wo were-in Japan in ilie cherry blossom season, and the gardens were more beautiful than 1 can describe, for Japan is certainly a land of flowers. One of the mostbeautiful of their scenic spots is Xikko, a town in the mountains, the landscape view being most entrancing. ' We also saw the famous sacred mountain “Fuji Yarna,” and were struck by its wonderful likeness to Dlount Eginout.

“..From Yokohama avc crossed to DAtncouA'er. DYe had a look at the new, but wonderful, city of DYinnipeg, surrounded by its great Avheat fields. The city only started to move ionvard some thirty years ago. and it has gone ahead by (leaps and hounds. The land around is very rich, and vast areas arc devoted to Avheat raising. After a call at a few Canadian toAvns. we arrived in Chicago, and I can say that this Av-as the first city that I struck. By that 1 moan a real city, for the impression upon a .strange:® who secs Chicago for the first time is most bewildering. Tlie huge hotels, gorgeous theatres, ihe stores, especially Marshall Field’s dcffarti mental stores—said to be the (largest in the Aioii'.d —the brilliantly-lighted streets, the towering buildings. Wonderful advertising signs, the conveniences for the public, the A'ices of the people, the corruption, and “graft.” are a revelation to the visitor" striking Chicago.

“Alter a good look around we went t<> Niagara; and Niagara i* the one sight of the tour without a disappointment. The falls exceed all expectation, and are beyond the powers of the most fertile imagination. Niagara. is so huge and so magnificent that it must be seen to be appreciated. I saw the Horse-shoe Fall from beneath. A tunnel has been cut through the rock, and the visitor is able to.look out and see tlie. vast torrent of water dashing with all its fury from a terrific height some 30 or 40 feet away from him. This fall is oil Canadian soil.. “We spent, three weeks in New York,, and found that the average American knows a good deal about New Zealand. It is easily seen that the Yankee has no. time for the British. He treats tho tourist civilly enough, and is even willing to go out of bis way to make one comfortable, but something tolls you lie lias no time for England. That feeling is not .felt by-the Englishman in America alone. It is 'apparent in other countries that the people have no time for England, and would like to see Britain get a good whipping, to take a little of the conceit out of the people. “We were in England for about fifteen weeks, and after everything else I am satisfied that there is no country like England,” said Mr. Miller, “and I do -not wonder that Englishmen always refer to the Mother Country as ‘Home.’ Travelling through it in the trains wo were struck with the parklike .appearance, of the country, for it seemed as if an army of gardeners had been out that way clipping the hedges and cutting the grass. It was like that all over England. In fact,” ,said Mr. Miller,, “England struck me as beijUg one great garden.” A few days after liis arrival in London. Mr. Miller was' sitting in the office of Mr. G. Rowland Hill (President of the English'Rugby Union), when a cable announced the. result of the Englishmen’s Gisborne nfatch. , Amongst the numerous events he witnessed was the finish of the great Marathon race, where he was the guest of the English Rugby Union. The people of London went almost mad over the great event,, lining the track every part of

the way from Windsor to the great Stadium. “We visited most of the _ larger manufacturing towns, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford, and saw the English lakes; they are indeed beautiful. Then we went on to Scotland, and saw Edinburgh, Glasgow,, and other cities. I am in love with England, and I am quite satisfied that when the immigrant leave*. Home to come to the colonies he leaves a lot behind, although it must b > admitted that there are greater possibilities in the colonies than at Home for the young man. “At the time we were m . England I ,}u*Y(* was ilot of stir aud ill-feeling ever the Licensing Bill, and that measure cjuito over.sliadowc<l every other political question. There is no doubt that there as a good; Meal of feeling ill the country against the Asquith Government; the results of the by-elections prove so, and also that the tariff reformers are gaming "•round. The unemployed problem is a serious one, and it is hard to find n- solution. DYe saw sever ail unemu'oved demonstrations, including a crowd of several thousand unemployed, i.n. Trafalgar Square. . We also saw •i suffragette demonstration; but the oriole don’t take the movement seriously, and it will' probably be many v'>ars before women get the franchise. I can toll vou it is a dangerous thing to express any opinion on burning ciuestums in England, either publicly or through: the press, because one would he inundated with letters of all descriptions. , ~ “We went from England to Ger-man-vj and, after spending some time ; u Berlin, set out for the forbidden countrv, Russia. It took a little red tape to get across the border, and it was hard to convince the officials mat we had nothing contraband with us. Once across the border we were soon in FT Petersburg. The cholera was racing at the time, and we were warned of the danger of infection. Needless to say we escaped the ravages. of the disease. The first introduction we had to the terrors of the cholera was when we went to inspect the renowned St. Isaacs Cathedral. TTke all Continental places of worship it was devoid of seats, but ats marble floor was packed with a _ prostrate crowd. Pushing our way through ihe magnificent building, we went to lis ; ten to the choir, and heard some or the most beautiful singing m the world. DYe ascertained that the devoted multitude were fervently pray- ; H , r fo r deliverance from the scourge of”cholera. and that these very peowere from the plague-stricken areas. Eight hundred deaths had me in-red the previous day. A few da vs later we saw the removal or a case out of a baker s shop- in the jpnin thoroughfare, and as for the authorities having the plague m hand, the shop went oil soiling, ana the cab 20 minutes later was again living for hire.” Mr. Dliller and his companion, to ■rot out of the cholera area, travelled Jon miles, starting that very night, making for Aloscow. ThreeaaoiMßP** later three cases were removed from the very hotel they had lodged at in

St. Petersburg. . ••The Czar had not been seen in St. Petersburg for. over seven years, said Dir. ‘Miller, “'and while we saw no open revolt, it is quite apparent that there is always an under-current of ferment at work. Tlie city is almost lined with police, and while the people rather pity the Czar and look upon him as a weakling, there is a groat deal of antipathy to the Grand Dukes. The Empress is very popular and may be seen in tlie gardens at> Peterhof almost every day. Tlie theatre* in Russia are very beautiful and gorgeous. The Opera House beating anything else we saw, even the Grand Opera House in Paris. Moscow is a beautiful city, but it -s one of the •old-timers.' The p&faces, and especially the Ivrem.l-rt —the palace where Napoleon slept the night before he began liis disastrous retreat —are handsome in the extreme. Of all the State palaces in tlie world none can touch those in Russia for beauty of design, pomp, gorgeousness, art treasures, and stores of gold and silver plate. Dioscow'g st-reets are paved with old, worn cobblestones.. dirt and filth are everywhere, there is practically no drainage, and only a very inadequate water supply. There -is no doubt that there is a great guif between the classes in Russia, and that the peasants are pitiably poor and ignorant. ■“Wo visited Italy, and while avo were in Rome 1 visited the Vatican ami St. Peter's. DYe Avent to Florence, a city lined Avith the most beautiful statuary. DAmico is a most wonderful and a most charming city. Built on 171 small islands, the city has 4-71 bridges, of which avc were, perhaps, most impressed by the famous ‘Rialto,’ and the ‘Bridge of Sighs.' The black gondolas still flit about the canals, and if yon want to go you hire one. A person who has not been out of DAm ice has never seen a horse, a bicycle, or a motor car. There are few streets, and t hose few are very short and very narrow. No Avonder the poets tell of the glories of a night in DAm ice. I never sa av such a glorious sight. Gondolas flitting about on the placid Avatevs of Mho canals, of lights reflected from every point, music everywhere; and the grand palaces of the wealthy classes —for Yen-* ice is a city of great, wealth—are all enough to make any poet Avrite about Venice.

“However, for a beautiful river I am convinced there is nothing better in the world than the Thames .in England. especially in tho vicinity of Oxford, Maidenhead, and Windsor. But there is a lot of beauty in New Xenia ml. "and although tho Wnunata is not thought much of here, I can. tell you it is very beautiful, and when one stands at the post office corner and looks up tho vaiHey the view at full tide would be hard to beat anywhere. All the Waimat-a wants is a weir,” added Mr. Miller, in conclusion. “and it would hold -its own with most rivers in tlie world* for pleasS lire.”