Lecture by Rev. S. J. Gibson.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 626, 27 June 1891, Page 2

Lecture by Rev. S. J. Gibson.

There was a large attendance at the Theatre Royal on Thursday evening, when the. Rev. 8. j. Gibson delivered a lecture on Fiji and the Fijians. The lecture was most interesting, being all that was represented of it. The lecturer began by a description of the country and the climate, and when he commenced to detail its beauties the wordpicture was an eloquent one, and the hearer was for the moment, in imagination, transported to the scenes of which the lecturer was speaking. Then when be began to describe some of the eccentricities of the natives, he kept his audience in roars of laughter, and every few minutes a fresh explosion of merriment would take place, so much so that many of those preeent must have experienced the side-ache. The lecturer has the power of being ab’e to give all the descriptions Io a way that makes an impression on one’s mind, while the quiet humor is in itself refreshing. The speaker does not bring his jokes out in a style that warns one to expect what is coming. They come out without, so to speak, being labelled as jokes, and the laugh is always first from the quick-witted one? in the audience, and not from the lecturer. The descriptions of the Fijian marriage customs was highly diverting j at the ceremony the couple have to wear all the clothes presented to them, (ths gifts generally take the form of clothing), and when it is over return the articles to the giver. Mr and Mrs Gibson dressed as a Fijian couple. The optical views shown were much admired, During the evening Mrs Gibson sang Home, Sweet Home, in the musical Fijian tongoe, which seemed to make the popular song sound sweeter than ever, and there was warm applause. Mr Mitchell also gave a fine song during the evening, and there were other musical selections. The affair was the beat shilling’s worth that Gisborne people have had for a long tirqe,