This is a bit weird. As you now know, I travelled extensively across New Zealand and Australia a couple of years ago, and wrote a big blog. A year later my cousin Heather followed in my footsteps on a similar trip.
Well, the other day my Grandma found a big box of letters, diaries, pictures and newspapers in her attic. They dated from the turn of the nineteenth century.
My cousin Heather, Grandma and I got ourselves settled with cups of tea and started trying to read the letters out to each other. Some of them we couldn't make out at all, with their spidery ink scrawl.
Then I found a sheaf of letters written by two ladies travelling around New Zealand and Australia in 1888. They had been to the same places that Heather and I had visited on our own travels, 120 years later.
This is the blog of Anna and Eliza Cairns.
Eliza is Anna's mother, and we think Anna is about 14 years old. The letters are addressed to Elliot (Eliza's son) and Mamie (Elliot's wife).
Sarah
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Christchurch, New Zealand, 23rd April 1888
Royal Hotel
Christchurch
23rd April 1888
My dearest Elliot,
These New Zealand mails are the most troublesome things I know. There was no mail between the 4th of April and the 20th, and now there is another on the 26th and there will, I think, be another on the 1st or 2nd of May - that is another week. Then, I suppose, we shall have to wait for a fortnight.
We have had no letters from home since the beginning of this month. I do not know if any English mails have been in, but I scarcely think so as General Algar has not received any letters either, and Alice or Willie write to him pretty regularly. I hope there will be letters either tomorrow or the next day.
You cannot understand how I long for letters from you all. I dream of them at night and sometimes I wake up in a fright thinking I have heard bad news. I have felt particularly depressed lately and I most sincerely trust I shall not get bad news - that I shall hear that you and Mamie and Fred are quite well. Anna and I are both well.
I think she is certainly stronger. She has gone off this morning to her school. This is the last week of the school and she wants to work pretty hard so as to get the full benefit of it. I was thinking of getting her some lessons with Mr Gear, but I find he charges 7 s/ a lesson and, as Anna would want twice a week, it would come to too much.
I expect Anna has told Mamie most of the news up to last Friday so I will only now tell you what has happened since then.
She had a great hurry to finish off her letter and her sketches for you in time for the post. Visitors of course, came to interrupt us. But we did get off at last to post the letter. One of our visitors - Miss Bowen - asked Anna to go yachting with her and her sisters the next day. We were invited to go to lunch with the Bowens on Sunday but Miss Bowen came to ask Anna to do this instead. Another visitor, Mrs Hallam, asked us to lunch on Sunday, which we accepted.
Later on Anna began to think that she did not at all like the idea of going yachting with a number of strangers and without me and she began casting about for an excuse. There was a very cold wind blowing the next morning and Anna declared she was catching cold so we tried to telegraph out to the Bowens that Anna would not go with them, but there was no telegraph office out at Riccarton, [ed: a major residential suburb of Christchurch] so I had to tell Miss Bowen when she called for Anna.
In the mean-time Anna had gone off to the rink with the Nidwill girls. She was in a great fright that she should meet the Bowens when she left the rink but she escaped that trouble. The rink is a new institution here and all the people are quite mad about it. It is free in the morning for the ladies to go and learn. I went one morning with Anna and it was very ridiculous to see the girls tumbling about.
In the evening it is the best fun as all the men go then, and they do not seem to care what idiots they make of themselves. They hang onto each others coat tails and go round in a string, and all fall down together. Anna and I shrieked with laughter at them. We are going again next Wednesday evening, if it is fine, to enjoy the sight.
Anna had some tennis on Saturday afternoon, but I had a very dull day. I was going for a drive with Mrs Nidwill but I had to sit and talk to her instead as she did not feel well enough to drive. Yesterday we went out to the Hallam's. They are such nice people. We like them more and more. You would like them particularly. They have just bought such a pretty mare. It is a bright chestnut with a white mark in the face, and she stands pretty high and seems to have very good paces, and they only gave £13 for it!
It is not in very good condition just now, but in a month or two it will be alright -it is only just four years old. I suppose a horse like that at home would be worth at least £60 or £70. I wish I could send it home to you. I wonder what it cost to send a horse home from here and whether it would be worth the risk. I will ask Mr Hallam the next time I see him.
This afternoon I am going, if Mr Nidwill is well enough to take me, to call on some people of the name of Chipold. They are very rich and yet two of their sons, who farm their father's property, do all the work of the farm themselves. They follow the plough and look after their sheep and scarcely employ any kind of labour. It is the only way here to make things pay.
Men here do all sorts of work. You hear of the sons of noblemen doing what they call 'rabbiting' - that is trapping and killing rabbits. There are some that are clerks in an office. The gentleman's son has become a farmer, which is scarcely supposed to be a gentlemanly profession at times. In fact they will do anything to make money.
General Algar is away in the country staying at a station with some people of the name of Wharton. They have 56,000 sheep in their run, besides cattle and horses. General Algar says it is a most lovely life as there are no other people for miles around and I believe Mrs Wharton is the only lady. There are Mrs Wharton, Mrs Wharton's two young brothers and another young fellow all living in the house. The men are out riding after their sheep and cattle all day.
Last Sunday I went to church with a Mrs Irvine who knows Willie Cairns very well. Her husband was at college with Willie and they are both great friends of his. I have not met Mr Irvine yet. He had a run near the mountains not far from here but he failed. Mrs Irvine told me that when they first came out they had a very comfortable income but that now they have nearly lost it all. They do not seem to be badly off, however, judging from the way they are living now.
Christchurch
23rd April 1888
My dearest Elliot,
These New Zealand mails are the most troublesome things I know. There was no mail between the 4th of April and the 20th, and now there is another on the 26th and there will, I think, be another on the 1st or 2nd of May - that is another week. Then, I suppose, we shall have to wait for a fortnight.
We have had no letters from home since the beginning of this month. I do not know if any English mails have been in, but I scarcely think so as General Algar has not received any letters either, and Alice or Willie write to him pretty regularly. I hope there will be letters either tomorrow or the next day.
You cannot understand how I long for letters from you all. I dream of them at night and sometimes I wake up in a fright thinking I have heard bad news. I have felt particularly depressed lately and I most sincerely trust I shall not get bad news - that I shall hear that you and Mamie and Fred are quite well. Anna and I are both well.
I think she is certainly stronger. She has gone off this morning to her school. This is the last week of the school and she wants to work pretty hard so as to get the full benefit of it. I was thinking of getting her some lessons with Mr Gear, but I find he charges 7 s/ a lesson and, as Anna would want twice a week, it would come to too much.
I expect Anna has told Mamie most of the news up to last Friday so I will only now tell you what has happened since then.
She had a great hurry to finish off her letter and her sketches for you in time for the post. Visitors of course, came to interrupt us. But we did get off at last to post the letter. One of our visitors - Miss Bowen - asked Anna to go yachting with her and her sisters the next day. We were invited to go to lunch with the Bowens on Sunday but Miss Bowen came to ask Anna to do this instead. Another visitor, Mrs Hallam, asked us to lunch on Sunday, which we accepted.
Later on Anna began to think that she did not at all like the idea of going yachting with a number of strangers and without me and she began casting about for an excuse. There was a very cold wind blowing the next morning and Anna declared she was catching cold so we tried to telegraph out to the Bowens that Anna would not go with them, but there was no telegraph office out at Riccarton, [ed: a major residential suburb of Christchurch] so I had to tell Miss Bowen when she called for Anna.
In the mean-time Anna had gone off to the rink with the Nidwill girls. She was in a great fright that she should meet the Bowens when she left the rink but she escaped that trouble. The rink is a new institution here and all the people are quite mad about it. It is free in the morning for the ladies to go and learn. I went one morning with Anna and it was very ridiculous to see the girls tumbling about.
In the evening it is the best fun as all the men go then, and they do not seem to care what idiots they make of themselves. They hang onto each others coat tails and go round in a string, and all fall down together. Anna and I shrieked with laughter at them. We are going again next Wednesday evening, if it is fine, to enjoy the sight.
Anna had some tennis on Saturday afternoon, but I had a very dull day. I was going for a drive with Mrs Nidwill but I had to sit and talk to her instead as she did not feel well enough to drive. Yesterday we went out to the Hallam's. They are such nice people. We like them more and more. You would like them particularly. They have just bought such a pretty mare. It is a bright chestnut with a white mark in the face, and she stands pretty high and seems to have very good paces, and they only gave £13 for it!
It is not in very good condition just now, but in a month or two it will be alright -it is only just four years old. I suppose a horse like that at home would be worth at least £60 or £70. I wish I could send it home to you. I wonder what it cost to send a horse home from here and whether it would be worth the risk. I will ask Mr Hallam the next time I see him.
This afternoon I am going, if Mr Nidwill is well enough to take me, to call on some people of the name of Chipold. They are very rich and yet two of their sons, who farm their father's property, do all the work of the farm themselves. They follow the plough and look after their sheep and scarcely employ any kind of labour. It is the only way here to make things pay.
Men here do all sorts of work. You hear of the sons of noblemen doing what they call 'rabbiting' - that is trapping and killing rabbits. There are some that are clerks in an office. The gentleman's son has become a farmer, which is scarcely supposed to be a gentlemanly profession at times. In fact they will do anything to make money.
General Algar is away in the country staying at a station with some people of the name of Wharton. They have 56,000 sheep in their run, besides cattle and horses. General Algar says it is a most lovely life as there are no other people for miles around and I believe Mrs Wharton is the only lady. There are Mrs Wharton, Mrs Wharton's two young brothers and another young fellow all living in the house. The men are out riding after their sheep and cattle all day.
Last Sunday I went to church with a Mrs Irvine who knows Willie Cairns very well. Her husband was at college with Willie and they are both great friends of his. I have not met Mr Irvine yet. He had a run near the mountains not far from here but he failed. Mrs Irvine told me that when they first came out they had a very comfortable income but that now they have nearly lost it all. They do not seem to be badly off, however, judging from the way they are living now.
Christchurch, New Zealand, 30th April, 1888
Royal Hotel
Christchurch
30 April 1888
My dearest Mamie,
I was so delighted to get two letters from you today and one from Elliot – finishing one of yours. I don't understand how it is you have not heard from me. I write at every opportunity to one or other of you. In his last letter Fred says he received a letter from me from King Gengis Sound, and he says he would have sent the letter on to you as I asked him to do but he did not know your address. I know I asked both you and him to exchange some of my letters as it is difficult to tell exactly the same news to each one.
How very tiresome it must be for you not to know when the Regiment is to be moved. Before you receive this letter all your troubles on this head will be solved, and I hope you will be comfortably settled at Devon. How delighted Tarquin must have been to see Elliot again!
I hope the kitten is all right. I am glad the mare is well. I hope Elliot found her as well as Hughes said she was and was able to enjoy some hunting on her. I like to picture you to myself, and as much as possible with the animals and things I remember.
I would give a great deal to have you all out here for a while, just to see the place and the way we live. You would fancy this was out in the heart of England – it is so very English in so many ways.
I think you will quite wish to stay with your sister and let Elliot go to Aldershot alone until it is decided what the Regiment is going to do.
I was very sorry to hear that your sister is so delicate. I was hopeful she was getting stronger as she had not mentioned her health for some little time. Pray congratulate the Glandaragh people on the birth of their son. I am sure both your brother and his wife have been very pleased to have a boy after so many daughters.
I am glad Elliot has another stripe. Does Mr Coddington come back to the Regiment in the same position that he was in before he left? Does he not lose any stripes by it?
I wrote to both you and Elliot last Thursday and I will now tell you what we have done since then. After I had finished all the mail letters I passed them to General Algar to post for me with his own. When he returned he walked with me as far as the Wguni Williams, where I wanted to call, but he would not come in with me. He is a very shy man and it seemed an effort to him to make a new acquaintance.
I saw at the William's such a handsome book of photographs of their place - of New Zealand. It was for a wedding present. When I go home I must put all the photos I get into a book and I expect we shall find them very interesting. When I came out I found the General waiting for me and we walked back to the hotel together.
Anna was not very well that day. She had I think visited a little too much the night before and she had been painting a good deal at the school for several days and I think the two things knocked her up. A night's rest however soon set her up again. We had to sit in the Coffee Room all that day as they were repainting the room. They have put on a very pretty little paper and it looks very clean and bright now.
The next day, Friday, Anna went back to the school and worked away then the whole day as it was the last day the school was to be open. The General went to Port Lyttleton to take photos, so I was left alone. I went for a walk in the Botanical Gardens and sat and walked there for more than an hour. It was very pleasant and the day was long.
On Saturday morning I went with the General to see the Gardens of the Acclimatisation Society. There was one kangaroo there and one monkey but nothing else except a few birds kept. The whole pleace looked so neglected and badly kept. I believe they have tried to breed salmon in the ponds, but they have failed. They have succeeded however with trout, of which there are a good number here.
We then walked on to the Botanical Gardens which are very well kept and on to the museum. There are some very interesting things in it. We had been there before so we went on to the picture gallery which we had not seen. There is a very poor collection of pictures in it. The 5 Leighton's chosen this year for the colony seemed to me to be very good ones. But I had not much time to look at them as the General did not care much for them.
Anna went that day to the hunt meet with Mrs Nidwell and her daughter. She said she had a very pleasant time, though she does not think the hounds found anything. They hunt the hare when they can find one, which does not seem to be always.
Christchurch
30 April 1888
My dearest Mamie,
I was so delighted to get two letters from you today and one from Elliot – finishing one of yours. I don't understand how it is you have not heard from me. I write at every opportunity to one or other of you. In his last letter Fred says he received a letter from me from King Gengis Sound, and he says he would have sent the letter on to you as I asked him to do but he did not know your address. I know I asked both you and him to exchange some of my letters as it is difficult to tell exactly the same news to each one.
How very tiresome it must be for you not to know when the Regiment is to be moved. Before you receive this letter all your troubles on this head will be solved, and I hope you will be comfortably settled at Devon. How delighted Tarquin must have been to see Elliot again!
I hope the kitten is all right. I am glad the mare is well. I hope Elliot found her as well as Hughes said she was and was able to enjoy some hunting on her. I like to picture you to myself, and as much as possible with the animals and things I remember.
I would give a great deal to have you all out here for a while, just to see the place and the way we live. You would fancy this was out in the heart of England – it is so very English in so many ways.
I think you will quite wish to stay with your sister and let Elliot go to Aldershot alone until it is decided what the Regiment is going to do.
I was very sorry to hear that your sister is so delicate. I was hopeful she was getting stronger as she had not mentioned her health for some little time. Pray congratulate the Glandaragh people on the birth of their son. I am sure both your brother and his wife have been very pleased to have a boy after so many daughters.
I am glad Elliot has another stripe. Does Mr Coddington come back to the Regiment in the same position that he was in before he left? Does he not lose any stripes by it?
I wrote to both you and Elliot last Thursday and I will now tell you what we have done since then. After I had finished all the mail letters I passed them to General Algar to post for me with his own. When he returned he walked with me as far as the Wguni Williams, where I wanted to call, but he would not come in with me. He is a very shy man and it seemed an effort to him to make a new acquaintance.
I saw at the William's such a handsome book of photographs of their place - of New Zealand. It was for a wedding present. When I go home I must put all the photos I get into a book and I expect we shall find them very interesting. When I came out I found the General waiting for me and we walked back to the hotel together.
Anna was not very well that day. She had I think visited a little too much the night before and she had been painting a good deal at the school for several days and I think the two things knocked her up. A night's rest however soon set her up again. We had to sit in the Coffee Room all that day as they were repainting the room. They have put on a very pretty little paper and it looks very clean and bright now.
The next day, Friday, Anna went back to the school and worked away then the whole day as it was the last day the school was to be open. The General went to Port Lyttleton to take photos, so I was left alone. I went for a walk in the Botanical Gardens and sat and walked there for more than an hour. It was very pleasant and the day was long.
On Saturday morning I went with the General to see the Gardens of the Acclimatisation Society. There was one kangaroo there and one monkey but nothing else except a few birds kept. The whole pleace looked so neglected and badly kept. I believe they have tried to breed salmon in the ponds, but they have failed. They have succeeded however with trout, of which there are a good number here.
We then walked on to the Botanical Gardens which are very well kept and on to the museum. There are some very interesting things in it. We had been there before so we went on to the picture gallery which we had not seen. There is a very poor collection of pictures in it. The 5 Leighton's chosen this year for the colony seemed to me to be very good ones. But I had not much time to look at them as the General did not care much for them.
Anna went that day to the hunt meet with Mrs Nidwell and her daughter. She said she had a very pleasant time, though she does not think the hounds found anything. They hunt the hare when they can find one, which does not seem to be always.
Christchurch, New Zealand, 1st May 1888
May 1st
This morning was very fine though cold, but now it has turned to rain. While we were at breakfast, Mrs Hallam came to ask if Anna would go with her to help her to buy a wedding present. Anna was almost done so she went off to get her hat and those two started.
The General said he wanted to go photographing and asked me to go with him which I did. He took a photograph of this hotel with me standing in the verandah. We then went on to the gardens and he tried to take a view of the Hospital, which is rather a picturesque building, but the wind was too high and then something went wrong with his camera so he had to give it up, and we went to our favourite place, the museum.
There is such a large collection of birds there. I should like to have some of them very much. It is curious to see the number of little children who come into the museum. They are quite good and do not touch anything, but they look at them with the greatest interest.
The General has now gone to pay a visit to the Browns though it is pouring with rain and Anna and I are getting on with our letters. But to return to Saturday.
In the afternoon, the General went off to Little River, which is about three hours by train from here. He wanted us to go with him, but I did not think it would at all repay us for the trouble and expenses, so we declined and he had to go alone. Anna and I spent that evening at the Nidwills and Mr ... was there and sang for us. He had a very good voice and sings very well. We have seen very little of that young man lately as he is very busy painting a picture for the Melbourne Exhibition. We are to go and see the picture one day this week in his studio, and I feel rather worried about it as I am afraid it will not be first rate and I shall not know what to say about it.
The Sunday afternoon, Anna and I walked with the Nidwills across the park. We went to call on the McMillan Browns, and we promised the Nidwills to meet them again on the way back. Well the Browns were very kind and wanted us to stop for dinner but we did not want to do so, as it is rather dull there, so we said we thought we were engaged at the Nidwills. This was not exactly the truth but it severd our purpose of getting away from the Browns. We again met the Nidwills and Mrs N asked us to go in and have tea with them and we accepted. I then told her what we had said to the Browns and she was very much amused.
Saturday after lunch the General walked in. He said he had not enjoyed his trip to Little River at all. The day was not very fine and he had to put up in a 'Pot House' where most of the people got drunk, so it was as well we did not go with him. We are invited for tomorrow evening to an At Home with Mrs Nidwill – there is to be dancing and music. It is the first regular evening entertainment that I have been asked to since I have been in Christchurch and for the first time I shall wear my evening dress.
The Friday we are to lunch with Professor and Mrs Cork. We have not been to them before. The McMillan Browns want us to stay with them for a few days before we leave, and I expect we shall have to as they have asked us several times. I do not think they are favourites here. People here say she was the daughter of a ... but she is quite lady-like in her manners and she is very clever. She is now head mistress of the Girls High School here and the girls pass all the public examinations very well.
I think Gerald is a very pretty name and I am glad the baby is so pretty. I do not expect I shall be able to afford any new dresses before I return home, but if I really must get one I think I shall get it at Sydney. It will be cheaper than sending home for it. I wish I had another bonnet from Robin's but I do not think it would be worth while to send one out to me. I expect when we are on our way home we shall both want some decent dresses and then I think I will write and ask you to make some for us at Robin's with a hat and a bonnet for each of us.
But there is time enough for that. We shall be leaving here I expect in almost a fortnight, and then we shall go to Auckland, where we shall have to stop at least a fortnight, and from there on to Sydney. We are going to take a through ticket to Sydney as we find that it is the cheapest option and we can break our journey when we like.
This morning was very fine though cold, but now it has turned to rain. While we were at breakfast, Mrs Hallam came to ask if Anna would go with her to help her to buy a wedding present. Anna was almost done so she went off to get her hat and those two started.
The General said he wanted to go photographing and asked me to go with him which I did. He took a photograph of this hotel with me standing in the verandah. We then went on to the gardens and he tried to take a view of the Hospital, which is rather a picturesque building, but the wind was too high and then something went wrong with his camera so he had to give it up, and we went to our favourite place, the museum.
There is such a large collection of birds there. I should like to have some of them very much. It is curious to see the number of little children who come into the museum. They are quite good and do not touch anything, but they look at them with the greatest interest.
The General has now gone to pay a visit to the Browns though it is pouring with rain and Anna and I are getting on with our letters. But to return to Saturday.
In the afternoon, the General went off to Little River, which is about three hours by train from here. He wanted us to go with him, but I did not think it would at all repay us for the trouble and expenses, so we declined and he had to go alone. Anna and I spent that evening at the Nidwills and Mr ... was there and sang for us. He had a very good voice and sings very well. We have seen very little of that young man lately as he is very busy painting a picture for the Melbourne Exhibition. We are to go and see the picture one day this week in his studio, and I feel rather worried about it as I am afraid it will not be first rate and I shall not know what to say about it.
The Sunday afternoon, Anna and I walked with the Nidwills across the park. We went to call on the McMillan Browns, and we promised the Nidwills to meet them again on the way back. Well the Browns were very kind and wanted us to stop for dinner but we did not want to do so, as it is rather dull there, so we said we thought we were engaged at the Nidwills. This was not exactly the truth but it severd our purpose of getting away from the Browns. We again met the Nidwills and Mrs N asked us to go in and have tea with them and we accepted. I then told her what we had said to the Browns and she was very much amused.
Saturday after lunch the General walked in. He said he had not enjoyed his trip to Little River at all. The day was not very fine and he had to put up in a 'Pot House' where most of the people got drunk, so it was as well we did not go with him. We are invited for tomorrow evening to an At Home with Mrs Nidwill – there is to be dancing and music. It is the first regular evening entertainment that I have been asked to since I have been in Christchurch and for the first time I shall wear my evening dress.
The Friday we are to lunch with Professor and Mrs Cork. We have not been to them before. The McMillan Browns want us to stay with them for a few days before we leave, and I expect we shall have to as they have asked us several times. I do not think they are favourites here. People here say she was the daughter of a ... but she is quite lady-like in her manners and she is very clever. She is now head mistress of the Girls High School here and the girls pass all the public examinations very well.
I think Gerald is a very pretty name and I am glad the baby is so pretty. I do not expect I shall be able to afford any new dresses before I return home, but if I really must get one I think I shall get it at Sydney. It will be cheaper than sending home for it. I wish I had another bonnet from Robin's but I do not think it would be worth while to send one out to me. I expect when we are on our way home we shall both want some decent dresses and then I think I will write and ask you to make some for us at Robin's with a hat and a bonnet for each of us.
But there is time enough for that. We shall be leaving here I expect in almost a fortnight, and then we shall go to Auckland, where we shall have to stop at least a fortnight, and from there on to Sydney. We are going to take a through ticket to Sydney as we find that it is the cheapest option and we can break our journey when we like.
Christchurch, New Zealand, 2nd May 1888
2nd May
Anna is writing to Elliot by this mail, so I will not write to him, but will you tell him with my love that I have asked several people I have met if it was possible for officers in the Army at home to get an appointment out here, but I have been always told 'no'.
There seems to be no army here at all. There are a few volunteers, and I have seen a few mounted infantry riding about, but I think these are volunteers also. The government is too poor to go to much expense for the soldiers and almost everything is left for the people to do for themselves.
There is a retired Colonel of the English Army here who has been trying in vain to get an appointment, but he has been told in answer to all his applications that the Government cannot afford at present to employ any paid people. The country is in a very bad way just now and I do not know how the troubles will end. There is almost manhood suffrage here, so that in fact the people govern.
Their one remedy for all this evil is Protection!
What they want Protection for I do not know. They have no manufacturers to think of, and the only things they export are frozen meat and wool. Everything else they have to import and why they want to put a high duty on them, so as to make the things dreadfully dear for them to buy, is more than I can understand.
If they had started any manufacturers that they wanted to protect against foreign competition I would understand it, but they make nothing in this country except a few woollen goods. This will not be interesting to you.
General Algar has given Anna some rabbit skins of the silver grey rabbit. They are very pretty and will make a nice lining for a cloak for her. It is a great pity we cannot have them made up, but I was told it would cost too much. Anna has gone off to spend the evening at the Nidwills and the General is in the Coffee Room writing letters home for the mail tomorrow so I am alone. I am sending Elliot a paper which I should be glad if he would send on to your uncle John. I have marked a letter that I think will give you all a laugh.
Mail day. No more news. Good bye dear Mamie,
With much love to you both,
love your very loving Mother,
Eliza C Cairns
Anna is writing to Elliot by this mail, so I will not write to him, but will you tell him with my love that I have asked several people I have met if it was possible for officers in the Army at home to get an appointment out here, but I have been always told 'no'.
There seems to be no army here at all. There are a few volunteers, and I have seen a few mounted infantry riding about, but I think these are volunteers also. The government is too poor to go to much expense for the soldiers and almost everything is left for the people to do for themselves.
There is a retired Colonel of the English Army here who has been trying in vain to get an appointment, but he has been told in answer to all his applications that the Government cannot afford at present to employ any paid people. The country is in a very bad way just now and I do not know how the troubles will end. There is almost manhood suffrage here, so that in fact the people govern.
Their one remedy for all this evil is Protection!
What they want Protection for I do not know. They have no manufacturers to think of, and the only things they export are frozen meat and wool. Everything else they have to import and why they want to put a high duty on them, so as to make the things dreadfully dear for them to buy, is more than I can understand.
If they had started any manufacturers that they wanted to protect against foreign competition I would understand it, but they make nothing in this country except a few woollen goods. This will not be interesting to you.
General Algar has given Anna some rabbit skins of the silver grey rabbit. They are very pretty and will make a nice lining for a cloak for her. It is a great pity we cannot have them made up, but I was told it would cost too much. Anna has gone off to spend the evening at the Nidwills and the General is in the Coffee Room writing letters home for the mail tomorrow so I am alone. I am sending Elliot a paper which I should be glad if he would send on to your uncle John. I have marked a letter that I think will give you all a laugh.
Mail day. No more news. Good bye dear Mamie,
With much love to you both,
love your very loving Mother,
Eliza C Cairns
Christchurch, New Zealand, 2nd June 1888
Christchurch, 2nd June 1888
Dearest Mamie,
On Saturday we did all our packing and came off here in the afternoon. I was feeling very miserable with a very bad headache and when we arrived here I had to lie on the sofa all the evening.
We have very good sized airy rooms here and they are funding us very well, but at first I did not think we should be able to stay, as we were afraid they were going to be dirty. However, I spoke to the landlady and she has been much more particular since. We pay 3 guineas a week for the two of us for board and everything and I think it is ridiculously cheap.
What I suffer most from here (and it was much the same at the hotel) is the closet. It is a most primitive arrangement which has to be emptied once a week. It is out of doors in a little wooden shed. You can imagine how horrible this arrangement is, and I cannot believe it is wholesome.
There is no system of drains here and the water supply is from Artisan Wells. The water is good, which is fortunate, as home wines are very dear and native wines are not very good. The beer they make out here is not at all bad. It is light and bitter and I do not dislike it, but I cannot often drink beer.
There are a great number of balls and parties on this week but Anna has not been invited to any of them. Mrs Nidwill, however, is trying to see if she cannot get her an invitation to a fancy dress ball that is being given this day week by a rich bachelor who glories in the name of Poppan! He is spending, we are told, £200 on the dance and most of Anna’s friends are going to it.
Most of the girls here make their own dresses and Anna has helped two of them to design their dresses for the fancy dress ball. I am often amazed at the way she is consulted at times as to how the dresses are made at home and what the fashion is in coats &c.
I am going tomorrow to get Anna some new print and I am going to make her a dress. We are to go to Mrs Nidwill’s on Thursday morning to sew it on her machine. It was very kind of her to ask us.
I wish I had had money enough when I was leaving home to have got myself a really nice silk black dress with two bodies for evening and day wear. It would have been very useful to me. But of course, I had not the money and I did not think the people would have dressed much here.
I had a nice long letter from Fred today, he has work to do but is to get no pay, which I think is rather bad, for he is quite competent to do good work and he ought to get paid for it. However he seems to think it will be all right and he says he will agitate for pay in six months. He has got some nice rooms not far from our flat and he expects to be comfortable in them.
It is getting much more difficult to write you long letters how as we are settling down to quiet every day life and very little of interest happens to us. However, I will not finish this letter tonight and perhaps I shall have some thing new to add tomorrow evening.
Dearest Mamie,
On Saturday we did all our packing and came off here in the afternoon. I was feeling very miserable with a very bad headache and when we arrived here I had to lie on the sofa all the evening.
We have very good sized airy rooms here and they are funding us very well, but at first I did not think we should be able to stay, as we were afraid they were going to be dirty. However, I spoke to the landlady and she has been much more particular since. We pay 3 guineas a week for the two of us for board and everything and I think it is ridiculously cheap.
What I suffer most from here (and it was much the same at the hotel) is the closet. It is a most primitive arrangement which has to be emptied once a week. It is out of doors in a little wooden shed. You can imagine how horrible this arrangement is, and I cannot believe it is wholesome.
There is no system of drains here and the water supply is from Artisan Wells. The water is good, which is fortunate, as home wines are very dear and native wines are not very good. The beer they make out here is not at all bad. It is light and bitter and I do not dislike it, but I cannot often drink beer.
There are a great number of balls and parties on this week but Anna has not been invited to any of them. Mrs Nidwill, however, is trying to see if she cannot get her an invitation to a fancy dress ball that is being given this day week by a rich bachelor who glories in the name of Poppan! He is spending, we are told, £200 on the dance and most of Anna’s friends are going to it.
Most of the girls here make their own dresses and Anna has helped two of them to design their dresses for the fancy dress ball. I am often amazed at the way she is consulted at times as to how the dresses are made at home and what the fashion is in coats &c.
I am going tomorrow to get Anna some new print and I am going to make her a dress. We are to go to Mrs Nidwill’s on Thursday morning to sew it on her machine. It was very kind of her to ask us.
I wish I had had money enough when I was leaving home to have got myself a really nice silk black dress with two bodies for evening and day wear. It would have been very useful to me. But of course, I had not the money and I did not think the people would have dressed much here.
I had a nice long letter from Fred today, he has work to do but is to get no pay, which I think is rather bad, for he is quite competent to do good work and he ought to get paid for it. However he seems to think it will be all right and he says he will agitate for pay in six months. He has got some nice rooms not far from our flat and he expects to be comfortable in them.
It is getting much more difficult to write you long letters how as we are settling down to quiet every day life and very little of interest happens to us. However, I will not finish this letter tonight and perhaps I shall have some thing new to add tomorrow evening.
Christchurch, New Zealand, 3rd June 1888
Christchurch, 3rd June
I am afraid I must again alter my opinion about these lodgings. They give us very bad breakfast and lunch. Yesterday and today they gave us corned beef for lunch without any vegetables. For second course they had a cake and jam on the table. The meat was cut ever so think and laid on a dish. For breakfast they give us ham and eggs and the ham is cut thick and is … flavoured.
I complained to the servant about it and if it is not better tomorrow I shall see about either returning to the hotel or getting into other lodgings. It is very provoking and I wish now I had not moved.
I heard from General Algar this morning. He is travelling about and talked of crossing to Stewart Island, which is the South Island of this group. He expects to be back here by the end of this week.
We had such a hunt for some print for Anna’s dress today. This is the beginning of the winter season here and they are out of prints and all their prettiest things were sold out. Anna at last settled on a blue and white small check, which I expect will look very pretty when made up. In a furniture shop here they have several Liberty’s materials and in such pretty colours.
I am beginning to feel so very uneasy about Hattie. I have not heard from her for weeks and she was very ill when she last wrote. There is a P & O mail in tonight, and I might possibly get a letter from her by it in the morning, but if I do not I shall fear that something has gone wrong with her. She will feel your Aunt Ada’s death very much for she had settled to go and stay at … in order to be near her. I trust I shall hear from her in the morning.
I do not think I have any more news to tell you now, but I will not shut up my envelope till the last moment in case I should remember anything more. Besides, I will tell you if I hear from Hattie.
With very much love to you and Elliot, love dear Mamie,
Your very affectionate Mother,
Eliza C Cairns
4th
The letters must be posted today. I have not heard again from Hattie and I cannot make out what can have happened to her. I feel most uneasy. Nothing of any interest has happened. We have not yet made up our minds whether we shall stay on here or move back to the hotel. I have been trying to cut out Anna’s dress most of this morning and it is not done yet. It is so difficult to cut from a made up dress.
With love to you both,
Love from,
L.C.C.
I am afraid I must again alter my opinion about these lodgings. They give us very bad breakfast and lunch. Yesterday and today they gave us corned beef for lunch without any vegetables. For second course they had a cake and jam on the table. The meat was cut ever so think and laid on a dish. For breakfast they give us ham and eggs and the ham is cut thick and is … flavoured.
I complained to the servant about it and if it is not better tomorrow I shall see about either returning to the hotel or getting into other lodgings. It is very provoking and I wish now I had not moved.
I heard from General Algar this morning. He is travelling about and talked of crossing to Stewart Island, which is the South Island of this group. He expects to be back here by the end of this week.
We had such a hunt for some print for Anna’s dress today. This is the beginning of the winter season here and they are out of prints and all their prettiest things were sold out. Anna at last settled on a blue and white small check, which I expect will look very pretty when made up. In a furniture shop here they have several Liberty’s materials and in such pretty colours.
I am beginning to feel so very uneasy about Hattie. I have not heard from her for weeks and she was very ill when she last wrote. There is a P & O mail in tonight, and I might possibly get a letter from her by it in the morning, but if I do not I shall fear that something has gone wrong with her. She will feel your Aunt Ada’s death very much for she had settled to go and stay at … in order to be near her. I trust I shall hear from her in the morning.
I do not think I have any more news to tell you now, but I will not shut up my envelope till the last moment in case I should remember anything more. Besides, I will tell you if I hear from Hattie.
With very much love to you and Elliot, love dear Mamie,
Your very affectionate Mother,
Eliza C Cairns
4th
The letters must be posted today. I have not heard again from Hattie and I cannot make out what can have happened to her. I feel most uneasy. Nothing of any interest has happened. We have not yet made up our minds whether we shall stay on here or move back to the hotel. I have been trying to cut out Anna’s dress most of this morning and it is not done yet. It is so difficult to cut from a made up dress.
With love to you both,
Love from,
L.C.C.
(ANNA) Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth & Nelson New Zealand, 5th June 1888
Oram's Hotel
Auckland
New Zealand
Tuesday, June 5th 1888
My Dearest Mamie,
As you can see by the above, we are on the move again, I only wish we were moving home. However it would be very foolish to do so when there are so many things to be seen out here, and we are not likely ever to be in this part of the world again.
We arrived here last Sunday morning, after a fairly prosperous voyage (the details of which I shall relate to you later on), and mean to go to Ohinemutu [ed: Rotorua] in a day or two, to see something of the Hot Springs. I expect we will move as soon as possible, as this hotel is both dear and bad, besides the General is such a restless person that he never cares to stay long anywhere.
We were talking of going on to Sydney by the Tarawera [ed: Tasman Steamer] next Tuesday, but the General assures us that we would not have time to see all that is to be seen if we go then. I don't agree with him, especially as mother and I are already tired of Auckland, but as he intends to wait for the Rotomahana,*1 which starts a fort-night later, we prefer waiting for him.
I suppose we will be 4 or 5 days at Ohinemutu, as there ought to be a good deal to be seen there, and when we return here, we think of going on to Waiwera,*2 about ten or twelve miles distant, which we believe to be a very pretty place, and where there are hot springs and there we will remain till the Rotomahana starts.
When we go to Sydney, I expect we will go to stay with the Christians, which will be very pleasant. June out here corresponds with December at home, and in Christchurch it is quite warm, Roses are still in flower and heliotrope and yesterday we saw an areutilon flowering in the open air so you can imagine how mild it is.
Yesterday mother, General Algar and I went to see Mt Eden. We took an omnibus to the foot of it and then climbed up to the top. It is an extinct volcano and the crater has grass growing on its sides now. The general and I went down to the bottom, but mother preferred resting at the top. We had a very fine view from the top.
Auckland is a fine town, quite the largest we have seen in New Zealand, though of course not to be compared with Melbourne. General Algar joined us at Wellington, or rather we joined him there, and we travelled on here together. We had a very bad passage from Lyttleton to Wellington, and I was awfully sick. I never knew what sea sickness meant before, and I was in a horrid fright all the rest of the voyage for fear I should be ill again. However we had beautiful weather after that and enjoyed ourselves. We stayed a night at Wellington and so were able to see something of the town and senate houses.
Almost all the buildings are of wood and some are very large. One set of Government buildings is supposed to be the largest wooden building in the world. The Wellington girls seem to have more ideas on the subject of dress than any other New Zealand girls I have seen. At Dunedin and Christchurch, the only decent dresses I saw were those that had come from home. They spend lots of money on their clothes, and have good material, but their dresses are generally very dowdily made and cut, and their hats and jackets are simply awful.
Mrs Oliver showed us her new dresses when we were at Wellington, and some of them were very pretty. She has a bad figure, or rather NO figure, yet when she has her good dresses on she looks remarkably well. She has given us the address of her London dress maker, who chooses and makes all her clothes. She showed us one dress of thick corded silk, beautifully made, with a train and a foundation of itself, which she told us only £9-9- complete. I think it had a little trimming of watered silk but I can't quite remember.
Mother has the address, and I will give it to you. Mrs Oliver simply writes that she wants a dress for such and such a purpose, with gloves and bonnet to suit, and she gets just what she wants, at a very moderate price. I think this dress maker would be worth trying.
We left Wellington on Thursday about one o'clock PM and arrived at Picton in the evening. The General and I went ashore, but it was too dark to see anything. We left about four o'clock the next morning and arrived at Nelson at about 11.30. We had two hours to go ashore in, and we wandered aboutand the General took some photos, but there was nothing in particular to see or do, so we were not sorry to get back to the steamer. We had been in so early in the morning too, before sunrise, which made us feel rather lazy.
The country all round Nelson was wild and hilly, and opposite the harbour there was a beautiful range of blue mountains, but the town itself is rather straggling and uninteresting. We started again at about two o'clock and arrived at New Plymouth early the next morning.
It was very pleasant steaming through the calm blue sea, land in sight more or less all the time, and each morning arriving in some fresh place, which we had time enough to explore. Of course if we had had bad weather it would have been quite another thing.
New Plymouth was quite the nicest place we stopped at and we had lots of time to see it in, as we arrived before breakfast, and did not start till three PM. The town is about 1 1/2 miles from the wharf, and we went up by rail.
The country is rather wild and undulating and has only one important feature, Mt Egmont, a mountain of 5,000 feet, with perpetual snow on its summit, standing qutie alone, which makes it look larger than it really is. We were very much afraid that we should not see it, as it has an irritating habit of wrapping itself in clouds and lying perdu for days together. When we arrived in the morning, you would never have suspected that there was any mountain near, but the clouds cleared off just as we were starting away, and we could see it long after we had left the place, in fact it was still distinctly visible at sunset.
The town of New Plymouth was nothing particular, and seemed to consist of one long street and a fwe little ones straggling off it. The gardens however were very pretty and we spent quite a long time there. There is a pretty piece of water there used for bathing in, and beside the bathing house stood a little wee ... called 'Vicky Barret', with an inscription which I copied and shall enclose in this letter [by the way, when we arrive in Sydney, we will be able to hear from you every week, and will write as frequently].
We went back to the steamer for lunch and afterwards pottered about on the beach and the General made himself very hot and breathless by climbing up to the top of a steep and high peak of rock, in a great hurry. The beach there is very curious being formed of Iron Sand, quite black, and glittering. We are bringing a little home in a cardboard box for Freddie to see.
Dress-makers address: Gore House, Harrington Road, London SW
ED:
1
The ship usually said to be the first to provide a regular interisland ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton is the Penguin, a 794-ton steamer. Penguin began making weekly trips in April 1895.
Demand grew, and in November 1896 the interisland ferry service was expanded to three trips a week each way. In 1897 the Penguin was replaced successively by the bigger ships Te Anau (1,652 tons), Rotorua (931 tons), and Rotomahana (1,727 tons).
Rotomahana, when she entered the interisland ferry - Wellington-Lyttelton run in October 1897 was one of the best-known ships in Australasia.
Popularly and uncharitably known by the rhyming nickname "Rotten Banana", her far more well deserved title was "the greyhound of the Pacific".
2
For centuries, indigenous Maori travelled to Waiwera on New Zealand’s Hibiscus Coast to heal themselves in Waiwera’s therapeutic warm waters.
Maori would immerse themselves in holes dug along the idyllic beachfront and line them with branches for padding. Caressing mineral water would then gently surround them, magically materialising from the earth below.
Translated from Maori, Waiwera means simply ‘hot water’ but it was so revered that many referred to it as ‘te rata’ which translates as ‘the doctor’. The special healing powers of Waiwera water came to be known far and wide. People travelled to the resort by horse or steamer in the early days, disembarking at a man-made jetty. Many guests stayed at the hotel built at Waiwera in 1875 by Robert Graham.
Your affectionate sister,
Anna A Cairnes
Auckland
New Zealand
Tuesday, June 5th 1888
My Dearest Mamie,
As you can see by the above, we are on the move again, I only wish we were moving home. However it would be very foolish to do so when there are so many things to be seen out here, and we are not likely ever to be in this part of the world again.
We arrived here last Sunday morning, after a fairly prosperous voyage (the details of which I shall relate to you later on), and mean to go to Ohinemutu [ed: Rotorua] in a day or two, to see something of the Hot Springs. I expect we will move as soon as possible, as this hotel is both dear and bad, besides the General is such a restless person that he never cares to stay long anywhere.
We were talking of going on to Sydney by the Tarawera [ed: Tasman Steamer] next Tuesday, but the General assures us that we would not have time to see all that is to be seen if we go then. I don't agree with him, especially as mother and I are already tired of Auckland, but as he intends to wait for the Rotomahana,*1 which starts a fort-night later, we prefer waiting for him.
I suppose we will be 4 or 5 days at Ohinemutu, as there ought to be a good deal to be seen there, and when we return here, we think of going on to Waiwera,*2 about ten or twelve miles distant, which we believe to be a very pretty place, and where there are hot springs and there we will remain till the Rotomahana starts.
When we go to Sydney, I expect we will go to stay with the Christians, which will be very pleasant. June out here corresponds with December at home, and in Christchurch it is quite warm, Roses are still in flower and heliotrope and yesterday we saw an areutilon flowering in the open air so you can imagine how mild it is.
Yesterday mother, General Algar and I went to see Mt Eden. We took an omnibus to the foot of it and then climbed up to the top. It is an extinct volcano and the crater has grass growing on its sides now. The general and I went down to the bottom, but mother preferred resting at the top. We had a very fine view from the top.
Auckland is a fine town, quite the largest we have seen in New Zealand, though of course not to be compared with Melbourne. General Algar joined us at Wellington, or rather we joined him there, and we travelled on here together. We had a very bad passage from Lyttleton to Wellington, and I was awfully sick. I never knew what sea sickness meant before, and I was in a horrid fright all the rest of the voyage for fear I should be ill again. However we had beautiful weather after that and enjoyed ourselves. We stayed a night at Wellington and so were able to see something of the town and senate houses.
Almost all the buildings are of wood and some are very large. One set of Government buildings is supposed to be the largest wooden building in the world. The Wellington girls seem to have more ideas on the subject of dress than any other New Zealand girls I have seen. At Dunedin and Christchurch, the only decent dresses I saw were those that had come from home. They spend lots of money on their clothes, and have good material, but their dresses are generally very dowdily made and cut, and their hats and jackets are simply awful.
Mrs Oliver showed us her new dresses when we were at Wellington, and some of them were very pretty. She has a bad figure, or rather NO figure, yet when she has her good dresses on she looks remarkably well. She has given us the address of her London dress maker, who chooses and makes all her clothes. She showed us one dress of thick corded silk, beautifully made, with a train and a foundation of itself, which she told us only £9-9- complete. I think it had a little trimming of watered silk but I can't quite remember.
Mother has the address, and I will give it to you. Mrs Oliver simply writes that she wants a dress for such and such a purpose, with gloves and bonnet to suit, and she gets just what she wants, at a very moderate price. I think this dress maker would be worth trying.
We left Wellington on Thursday about one o'clock PM and arrived at Picton in the evening. The General and I went ashore, but it was too dark to see anything. We left about four o'clock the next morning and arrived at Nelson at about 11.30. We had two hours to go ashore in, and we wandered aboutand the General took some photos, but there was nothing in particular to see or do, so we were not sorry to get back to the steamer. We had been in so early in the morning too, before sunrise, which made us feel rather lazy.
The country all round Nelson was wild and hilly, and opposite the harbour there was a beautiful range of blue mountains, but the town itself is rather straggling and uninteresting. We started again at about two o'clock and arrived at New Plymouth early the next morning.
It was very pleasant steaming through the calm blue sea, land in sight more or less all the time, and each morning arriving in some fresh place, which we had time enough to explore. Of course if we had had bad weather it would have been quite another thing.
New Plymouth was quite the nicest place we stopped at and we had lots of time to see it in, as we arrived before breakfast, and did not start till three PM. The town is about 1 1/2 miles from the wharf, and we went up by rail.
The country is rather wild and undulating and has only one important feature, Mt Egmont, a mountain of 5,000 feet, with perpetual snow on its summit, standing qutie alone, which makes it look larger than it really is. We were very much afraid that we should not see it, as it has an irritating habit of wrapping itself in clouds and lying perdu for days together. When we arrived in the morning, you would never have suspected that there was any mountain near, but the clouds cleared off just as we were starting away, and we could see it long after we had left the place, in fact it was still distinctly visible at sunset.
The town of New Plymouth was nothing particular, and seemed to consist of one long street and a fwe little ones straggling off it. The gardens however were very pretty and we spent quite a long time there. There is a pretty piece of water there used for bathing in, and beside the bathing house stood a little wee ... called 'Vicky Barret', with an inscription which I copied and shall enclose in this letter [by the way, when we arrive in Sydney, we will be able to hear from you every week, and will write as frequently].
We went back to the steamer for lunch and afterwards pottered about on the beach and the General made himself very hot and breathless by climbing up to the top of a steep and high peak of rock, in a great hurry. The beach there is very curious being formed of Iron Sand, quite black, and glittering. We are bringing a little home in a cardboard box for Freddie to see.
Dress-makers address: Gore House, Harrington Road, London SW
ED:
1
The ship usually said to be the first to provide a regular interisland ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton is the Penguin, a 794-ton steamer. Penguin began making weekly trips in April 1895.
Demand grew, and in November 1896 the interisland ferry service was expanded to three trips a week each way. In 1897 the Penguin was replaced successively by the bigger ships Te Anau (1,652 tons), Rotorua (931 tons), and Rotomahana (1,727 tons).
Rotomahana, when she entered the interisland ferry - Wellington-Lyttelton run in October 1897 was one of the best-known ships in Australasia.
Popularly and uncharitably known by the rhyming nickname "Rotten Banana", her far more well deserved title was "the greyhound of the Pacific".
2
For centuries, indigenous Maori travelled to Waiwera on New Zealand’s Hibiscus Coast to heal themselves in Waiwera’s therapeutic warm waters.
Maori would immerse themselves in holes dug along the idyllic beachfront and line them with branches for padding. Caressing mineral water would then gently surround them, magically materialising from the earth below.
Translated from Maori, Waiwera means simply ‘hot water’ but it was so revered that many referred to it as ‘te rata’ which translates as ‘the doctor’. The special healing powers of Waiwera water came to be known far and wide. People travelled to the resort by horse or steamer in the early days, disembarking at a man-made jetty. Many guests stayed at the hotel built at Waiwera in 1875 by Robert Graham.
Your affectionate sister,
Anna A Cairnes
(ANNA) Ohinemutu (Rotorua), New Zealand, 12th June 1888
Palace Hotel
Ohinemutu
Tuesday, June 12th 1888
Dear Mamie,
We arrived here last Saturday about 1.30, having left Auckland last Friday morning at eight o'clock AM. We reached Oxford about 5 o'clock the same evening, and slept the night there, and started for this at half past seven on Saturday morning. The rail-road does not go beyond Oxford, so we had to finish our journey in a vehicle they call a coach.
It is something like an ordinary carriage, but has a roof to it, and leather curtains all round. the coachbox is quite low down and there is room for two beside the driver. General Algar and I sat on the box and I had to sit between him and the driver for fear I should be bumped out. Mother was inside and there was a man and his wife, of the name of White, inside too. They are pleasant people and we have seen a good deal of them since we came here.
Wednesday
I had to leave off writing last night, there was so much talking going on. You see it costs such a lot in these hotels to have a private sitting room, that unless we are staying some time in a place, we never have one. The public sitting room in here is very small and the Whites are generally in it, which makes it hard to write, and our bedroom is too small to sit in.
The window opens onto a balcony, that runs round two sides of the house, and from this balcony we can look across the road, down the hotel garden, at the bottom of which are some hot baths, then across some flat ground, mostly covered with manuka scrub, a few houses and gum trees, which reaches to the shorse of Lake Rotorua, on the far side of which is some more flat ground, and then some blue hills.
All through the manuka scrub rise puffs of steam, from mud holes or springs, in fact the whole country round is steaming more or less. I have been taking a sketch from the balcony, which is mainly finished. I am afraid it is rather a daub, but it will at any rate serve to give you some idea of the place.
The baths here are simply delightful, and there are some small ones belonging to the hotel, where we can go as often as we like, and pay nothing. Then there are also Madam Rachael's Bath, the Priest's Bath, and the Blue Bath, belonging to a Government establishment.*1 I haven't been to the first two yet, but I have been to the Blue Bath twice.
It is large, about 40 ft by 20 wide, and 4ft 6in at the deepest end. The bath itself is open to the air, but the dressing boxes are roofed in. Bathing gowns are never worn, which seemed to me rather disgusting, as several ladies often bathe together. However, I found when I got there, that once I was in the water it didn't much matter what I had on as the water is so opaque that it is seldom possible to see a foot below the surface.
The water is quite warm, not to say hot, and is of a beautiful blue colour, rather a greeish, milky blue, the colour of a very milky opal. The water is supposed to be good for rheumatism and sunburn.
ED:
1
The Rotorua Baths
Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 4235, 9 January 1883
There is a pool of opaque water, strongly impregnated with various minerals. It is named the "While Sulphur Bath." The gas that rises from its surface is said to be similar to laughing gas. "Painkiller" is the name given to an adjoining pool. As a bath it is credited with several remarkable cures. Unfortunately it kills as well as cures, and might with equal propriety be termed the "Man Killer" for a poor fellow who went too near the friable brink of the boiling pool, to adjust the flow into the bath, slipped in; he scrambled out, but the bank again gave way, aud though he again dragged himself out and staggered home to the hotel, when his under clothing was removed, his skin came with it, and he died in a few days.
A little further along the shore is a barren patch of ground containing inumerable openings bubbling up with water. Sulphur cups are found ranging from one to twelve inches in diameter. The temperature of the water in most of these cups is low, though it occasionally reaches the boiling point. They all seem to be boiling; the eye cannot distinguish the hot from the cold; tho boiling ones may, however, be readily detected by inserting a finger. The cups themselves are formed of clay, and sulphur in ever varying proportions, in some cases nearly pure clay, in others nearly pure sulphur. Close by, are others culled "Cream Cups." and another the "Coffee Pot." The appearance of these liquids is certainly that of cream and coffee: but the odours they emit do not tempt a visitor to taste.
In the immediate neighbourhood of these sights, the Government has built a bathing establishment, where two kinds of baths may be obtained. The one "Pukunitanga," also known as the Priest's Bath, from the circumstance of a priest having bathed in it a couple of bouts daily, for three months, thereby directing a perfect cure of a bad case of chronic rheumatism: the other is "Whangapipiro," commonly known as Madame Rachel's Bath from the reputed effect its mineral constituent have on the complexion of persistent bathors, in making them beautiful.
Ohinemutu
Tuesday, June 12th 1888
Dear Mamie,
We arrived here last Saturday about 1.30, having left Auckland last Friday morning at eight o'clock AM. We reached Oxford about 5 o'clock the same evening, and slept the night there, and started for this at half past seven on Saturday morning. The rail-road does not go beyond Oxford, so we had to finish our journey in a vehicle they call a coach.
It is something like an ordinary carriage, but has a roof to it, and leather curtains all round. the coachbox is quite low down and there is room for two beside the driver. General Algar and I sat on the box and I had to sit between him and the driver for fear I should be bumped out. Mother was inside and there was a man and his wife, of the name of White, inside too. They are pleasant people and we have seen a good deal of them since we came here.
Wednesday
I had to leave off writing last night, there was so much talking going on. You see it costs such a lot in these hotels to have a private sitting room, that unless we are staying some time in a place, we never have one. The public sitting room in here is very small and the Whites are generally in it, which makes it hard to write, and our bedroom is too small to sit in.
The window opens onto a balcony, that runs round two sides of the house, and from this balcony we can look across the road, down the hotel garden, at the bottom of which are some hot baths, then across some flat ground, mostly covered with manuka scrub, a few houses and gum trees, which reaches to the shorse of Lake Rotorua, on the far side of which is some more flat ground, and then some blue hills.
All through the manuka scrub rise puffs of steam, from mud holes or springs, in fact the whole country round is steaming more or less. I have been taking a sketch from the balcony, which is mainly finished. I am afraid it is rather a daub, but it will at any rate serve to give you some idea of the place.
The baths here are simply delightful, and there are some small ones belonging to the hotel, where we can go as often as we like, and pay nothing. Then there are also Madam Rachael's Bath, the Priest's Bath, and the Blue Bath, belonging to a Government establishment.*1 I haven't been to the first two yet, but I have been to the Blue Bath twice.
It is large, about 40 ft by 20 wide, and 4ft 6in at the deepest end. The bath itself is open to the air, but the dressing boxes are roofed in. Bathing gowns are never worn, which seemed to me rather disgusting, as several ladies often bathe together. However, I found when I got there, that once I was in the water it didn't much matter what I had on as the water is so opaque that it is seldom possible to see a foot below the surface.
The water is quite warm, not to say hot, and is of a beautiful blue colour, rather a greeish, milky blue, the colour of a very milky opal. The water is supposed to be good for rheumatism and sunburn.
ED:
1
The Rotorua Baths
Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 4235, 9 January 1883
There is a pool of opaque water, strongly impregnated with various minerals. It is named the "While Sulphur Bath." The gas that rises from its surface is said to be similar to laughing gas. "Painkiller" is the name given to an adjoining pool. As a bath it is credited with several remarkable cures. Unfortunately it kills as well as cures, and might with equal propriety be termed the "Man Killer" for a poor fellow who went too near the friable brink of the boiling pool, to adjust the flow into the bath, slipped in; he scrambled out, but the bank again gave way, aud though he again dragged himself out and staggered home to the hotel, when his under clothing was removed, his skin came with it, and he died in a few days.
A little further along the shore is a barren patch of ground containing inumerable openings bubbling up with water. Sulphur cups are found ranging from one to twelve inches in diameter. The temperature of the water in most of these cups is low, though it occasionally reaches the boiling point. They all seem to be boiling; the eye cannot distinguish the hot from the cold; tho boiling ones may, however, be readily detected by inserting a finger. The cups themselves are formed of clay, and sulphur in ever varying proportions, in some cases nearly pure clay, in others nearly pure sulphur. Close by, are others culled "Cream Cups." and another the "Coffee Pot." The appearance of these liquids is certainly that of cream and coffee: but the odours they emit do not tempt a visitor to taste.
In the immediate neighbourhood of these sights, the Government has built a bathing establishment, where two kinds of baths may be obtained. The one "Pukunitanga," also known as the Priest's Bath, from the circumstance of a priest having bathed in it a couple of bouts daily, for three months, thereby directing a perfect cure of a bad case of chronic rheumatism: the other is "Whangapipiro," commonly known as Madame Rachel's Bath from the reputed effect its mineral constituent have on the complexion of persistent bathors, in making them beautiful.
(ANNA) Ohinemutu (Rotorua), New Zealand, 19th June 1888
19th June
On Monday morning, the Whites, General Algar, mother and I drove to see the geysers, one of which is very large. We had a half-caste girl for a guide. Her name was Maryanne, and she was a nice looking girl, with a soft voice and a pleasant manner. There were lots of Maoris about. They are not a bad looking people, and I have seen some really good looking girls.
We passed several warm pools, in one of which an old Maori lady was squatting, up to the shoulders in water, and placidly gazing at us. In another, some little boys were bathing, and yelled to us to throw them coppers, which we did, and they dived for them. The water was very thick, and when they dived, all we could see were just the soles of their feet on the surface of the water.
One of the geysers was a small one, and we could go quite close to it. The rocks were of a whitish colour and quite hot, and sulphur all over them. The geyser rose from a large hole in the top of the rock, and sent up a great jet of boiling water and clouds of steam.
It was an awful place, steam rose from every little crack and crevice in the rocks, the sulphur on the ground was quite soft and so hot that I had to be careful how I picked up pieces of it, even with my gloves on. And all the time such a muttering, bubbling and spluttering, went on beneath our feet, that it seemed as if the whole place must be on the point of blowing up.
After a bit Maryanne took us to the biggest geyser. We had to keep at a respectful distance while this one was spouting as it sent showers of boiling spray all round it. While we were watching it, the great column of water, rising and falling, sank down, till we could only see a light cloud of steam where it had been, and Maryanne told us it would be safe to go to the top. The general and I went, but the others preferred keeping a safe distance.
The formation of the rocks, Maryanne told us, is much the same as the White Terrace,*1 and we went up from terrace to terrace, keeping to the edge, as each little terrace had its pool of hot water. This place, however, can never have such good terraces as Rotomahana, as the ground is not favourable, at least Maryanne told us.
It was only a few yards to the top, and we could then look down the great hole up which the geyser came. The edges of it were rather uncomfortably hot. The whole place steamed and from the bottomless pit at the top came such a puff of steam, and such a bubbling and spluttering, that, in spite of Maryanne's assurance of safety, I was very glad when we came down again. We had barely rejoined the others than up went the geyser again amidst clouds of steam.
The Maoris build their huts just beside the pools of warm and boiling water and do most of their cooking and washing in them. We saw an old lady squatting beside a large pool of warm water, washing some garment, the pool had banks of smooth whiteish coloured rock, and she spread her linen on the rock and soaped it, and then swished and rinsed it in the hot water.
Not far off a man was sitting on his haunches beside another pool, with a looking glass in one hand, shaving himself. At one pond of boiling water we saw a woman squatting, cooking and Maryanne said she was cooking cornflour for the baby; we went nearer and found she had a little saucepan full of cornflour, which she was holding in the boiling water and stirring.
Another woman was baking bread. She had it in a tin, covered over with cloths, and she dug a little hole in an extra hot piece of ground and buried her bread there. She said the crust would not be brown, but the loaf would otherwise be quite well cooked. It seemed to be the regular baking place of the whole village, as the earth there was loose, and was evidently often disturbed. It must have been very hot as puffs of steam were rising all over it.
The people do not seem to have any overpowering sense of modesty, for they will undress and get into a pool of warm water under your very eyes.
We had to go over a bridge over the River Styx,*2 a very ugly river it was too, yellow and swift, and rushing down a very rough and rocky bed. General Algar has Froudes Oceana here, and his description of the road from Oxford and of Ohinemutu are very good.*3 In fact all he says seems very true. The New Zealanders don't like him because he tells unpleasant truths but what he says about the country seems very just.
He makes one error in talking about Kauri Trees being seen on the road from Oxford. We did not see one, and our driver assured us they were only to be found some miles north of Auckland. I don't know how he got the names of the trees, but he calls them differently from what we hear them called. Manuka, he calls Ti Tree and so on. [ed: tea tree and manuka are the same tree.]
However, he describes the places very well. Yesterday morning, Mr White and I went to the Blue Bath, and in the afternoon I went out to try to do a sketch of the Maori park, which is one of the most interesting things here. The Maoris seemed good natured amiable people and don't mind people wandering about their park.
The General came with me, with his camera, but the day was too dull for photography, and he only took one photo. Our proceedings attracted quite a little crowd of Maoris, and they were greatly amused with the camera.
When the General put it up, they came to inspect me, and one old fellow, wrapped up in a blanket, with a soft hat on his head squatted quite close beside and sat there watching my painting for more than half an hour.
I think if I can go another day and finish my sketch it will be interesting to bring home. I have no more room, so must shut up. Please excuse eccentricities of writing, and with heaps of love to you and Elliot in which mother joins
I remain your very affectionate sister,
Anna A Cairnes
ED:
1
The White Terrace
The White Terrace at Rotomahana was one of the most spectacular sinter terraces in the world. It stood near Mt Tarawera. Although the Kaharoa eruption had spread ash over the area about 570 years earlier, no one at the time this photo was taken was aware that Tarawera was an active volcano and about to erupt again. The White Terrace exists no longer.
2
The River Styx
After crossing the Rock and Pillar range the Old Dunstan road descends the west side of the range to emerge at "the styx" or Paerau (which means "many ridges") where it meets the upper reaches of the Taieri river. Located at Paerau are the Styx hotel and jailhouse that remain from the gold rush days of the 19th century. Gold was stored at the jail enroute to Dunedin. There are other old gold mining claims in the area as well (geocache).
The river in the Styx basin is characterised by a meandering scroll plain where the river flows in a complex of loops, oxbow lakes and wetlands in the open farmland of the basin. The water is dark and generally clear, picking up a characteristic tea-colour from the high altitude bogs and wetlands in the Rock and Pillar and Lammermoor ranges and Rough Ridge which surround the basin on three sides.
3
Froude's Oceana
FROUDE, JAMES ANTHONY 'Oceana, or England and Her Colonies'
Description of authors journey to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and America. Froude argued that the variety of the New Zealand scenery would quicken the mind: ‘it will be in the unexhausted soil and spiritual capabilities of New Zealand that the great English poets, artists, philosophers, statesmen, soldiers of the future will be born and nurtured'.
On Monday morning, the Whites, General Algar, mother and I drove to see the geysers, one of which is very large. We had a half-caste girl for a guide. Her name was Maryanne, and she was a nice looking girl, with a soft voice and a pleasant manner. There were lots of Maoris about. They are not a bad looking people, and I have seen some really good looking girls.
We passed several warm pools, in one of which an old Maori lady was squatting, up to the shoulders in water, and placidly gazing at us. In another, some little boys were bathing, and yelled to us to throw them coppers, which we did, and they dived for them. The water was very thick, and when they dived, all we could see were just the soles of their feet on the surface of the water.
One of the geysers was a small one, and we could go quite close to it. The rocks were of a whitish colour and quite hot, and sulphur all over them. The geyser rose from a large hole in the top of the rock, and sent up a great jet of boiling water and clouds of steam.
It was an awful place, steam rose from every little crack and crevice in the rocks, the sulphur on the ground was quite soft and so hot that I had to be careful how I picked up pieces of it, even with my gloves on. And all the time such a muttering, bubbling and spluttering, went on beneath our feet, that it seemed as if the whole place must be on the point of blowing up.
After a bit Maryanne took us to the biggest geyser. We had to keep at a respectful distance while this one was spouting as it sent showers of boiling spray all round it. While we were watching it, the great column of water, rising and falling, sank down, till we could only see a light cloud of steam where it had been, and Maryanne told us it would be safe to go to the top. The general and I went, but the others preferred keeping a safe distance.
The formation of the rocks, Maryanne told us, is much the same as the White Terrace,*1 and we went up from terrace to terrace, keeping to the edge, as each little terrace had its pool of hot water. This place, however, can never have such good terraces as Rotomahana, as the ground is not favourable, at least Maryanne told us.
It was only a few yards to the top, and we could then look down the great hole up which the geyser came. The edges of it were rather uncomfortably hot. The whole place steamed and from the bottomless pit at the top came such a puff of steam, and such a bubbling and spluttering, that, in spite of Maryanne's assurance of safety, I was very glad when we came down again. We had barely rejoined the others than up went the geyser again amidst clouds of steam.
The Maoris build their huts just beside the pools of warm and boiling water and do most of their cooking and washing in them. We saw an old lady squatting beside a large pool of warm water, washing some garment, the pool had banks of smooth whiteish coloured rock, and she spread her linen on the rock and soaped it, and then swished and rinsed it in the hot water.
Not far off a man was sitting on his haunches beside another pool, with a looking glass in one hand, shaving himself. At one pond of boiling water we saw a woman squatting, cooking and Maryanne said she was cooking cornflour for the baby; we went nearer and found she had a little saucepan full of cornflour, which she was holding in the boiling water and stirring.
Another woman was baking bread. She had it in a tin, covered over with cloths, and she dug a little hole in an extra hot piece of ground and buried her bread there. She said the crust would not be brown, but the loaf would otherwise be quite well cooked. It seemed to be the regular baking place of the whole village, as the earth there was loose, and was evidently often disturbed. It must have been very hot as puffs of steam were rising all over it.
The people do not seem to have any overpowering sense of modesty, for they will undress and get into a pool of warm water under your very eyes.
We had to go over a bridge over the River Styx,*2 a very ugly river it was too, yellow and swift, and rushing down a very rough and rocky bed. General Algar has Froudes Oceana here, and his description of the road from Oxford and of Ohinemutu are very good.*3 In fact all he says seems very true. The New Zealanders don't like him because he tells unpleasant truths but what he says about the country seems very just.
He makes one error in talking about Kauri Trees being seen on the road from Oxford. We did not see one, and our driver assured us they were only to be found some miles north of Auckland. I don't know how he got the names of the trees, but he calls them differently from what we hear them called. Manuka, he calls Ti Tree and so on. [ed: tea tree and manuka are the same tree.]
However, he describes the places very well. Yesterday morning, Mr White and I went to the Blue Bath, and in the afternoon I went out to try to do a sketch of the Maori park, which is one of the most interesting things here. The Maoris seemed good natured amiable people and don't mind people wandering about their park.
The General came with me, with his camera, but the day was too dull for photography, and he only took one photo. Our proceedings attracted quite a little crowd of Maoris, and they were greatly amused with the camera.
When the General put it up, they came to inspect me, and one old fellow, wrapped up in a blanket, with a soft hat on his head squatted quite close beside and sat there watching my painting for more than half an hour.
I think if I can go another day and finish my sketch it will be interesting to bring home. I have no more room, so must shut up. Please excuse eccentricities of writing, and with heaps of love to you and Elliot in which mother joins
I remain your very affectionate sister,
Anna A Cairnes
ED:
1
The White Terrace
The White Terrace at Rotomahana was one of the most spectacular sinter terraces in the world. It stood near Mt Tarawera. Although the Kaharoa eruption had spread ash over the area about 570 years earlier, no one at the time this photo was taken was aware that Tarawera was an active volcano and about to erupt again. The White Terrace exists no longer.
2
The River Styx
After crossing the Rock and Pillar range the Old Dunstan road descends the west side of the range to emerge at "the styx" or Paerau (which means "many ridges") where it meets the upper reaches of the Taieri river. Located at Paerau are the Styx hotel and jailhouse that remain from the gold rush days of the 19th century. Gold was stored at the jail enroute to Dunedin. There are other old gold mining claims in the area as well (geocache).
The river in the Styx basin is characterised by a meandering scroll plain where the river flows in a complex of loops, oxbow lakes and wetlands in the open farmland of the basin. The water is dark and generally clear, picking up a characteristic tea-colour from the high altitude bogs and wetlands in the Rock and Pillar and Lammermoor ranges and Rough Ridge which surround the basin on three sides.
3
Froude's Oceana
FROUDE, JAMES ANTHONY 'Oceana, or England and Her Colonies'
Description of authors journey to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and America. Froude argued that the variety of the New Zealand scenery would quicken the mind: ‘it will be in the unexhausted soil and spiritual capabilities of New Zealand that the great English poets, artists, philosophers, statesmen, soldiers of the future will be born and nurtured'.
Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia, 29th July 1888
Manly Beach
Sydney
29 July 1888
My dearest Mamie,
It is very good of you to write to me so regularly and I feel very grateful to you. I know what a task it is to write so often, so I can appreciate the act. I am always so thankful to get your letters and to hear that you both are well.
Before writing further, I want to say something of Elliot's 'secret'. I am very glad to hear that he is writing and sketching for a paper, and that he is getting paid for it. I shall be very glad to see his productions. I have not got the paper yet, but perhaps it will come tomorrow. I only received the letters yesterday, and as this is Sunday, there is, of course, a delay.
How long has Elliot been writing? I wish the Graphic*1 would put in his sketches and that he would send them to me. I might then be able to get him in some of the papers here. Claudius Cairns says he believes the papers here get their sketches from Melbourne - he says there is no independent illustrated Sydney paper. I wish Elliot could get in some of the military papers. I dare say this will lead to something better, as you say, and I sincerely hope it may.
I had a letter from Hattie yesterday. She seems to feel the cold very much, and she said she did not know when she would be able to go and stay with you. She believed you were very gay and she thought she would be in your way as she was not strong enough to go much into society.
I fear the poor thing is very delicate. Mrs R.W. also wrote to me by this mail and with her ususal thoughtfulness she tells me that Fred has a bad cold and that Dr Hickman says he does not take proper care of himself; and that she believes Hattie is in a rapid decline.
If anyone else told me all this I should feel pretty miserable, but coming from Mrs Jane I am not inclined to attach much value to it. At the same time I should like to know what other people think, both of Fred and Hattie.
If we can carry out plans of going to Naples and stopping at Sorrento or some warm place for the winter months Hattie ought to join us. I am sure it would be better for her than staying in England. It would be delightful too if you and Elliot would join us. But I can make no plans till I see how our money lasts.
At present we are rather in straits and I have written to your uncle Stanley and have offered to pay him a visit next Thursday. If we can stay with him for a few weeks and then at rurrawatta with the Cairns, we shall be able to save a good deal.
The other day our landlady was ordering some butter and I heard the man say the best butter was 2/7 a lb! Does not that seem high? She took a lb and I think it is scarcely eatable. When we go home I expect Anna and I will eat enormous quantities of bread and butter.
We are both of us longing very much to go home. I expect when our money comes we shall want to go home instead of stopping anywhere. If I was not afraid that anna might get ill in the winter at home I would not think of stopping in Italy or anywhere, but go straight home. But I am afraid she would feel the cold very much after being for so long in this mild climate.
Yes, the Lupnon's death was very sad and it must have been very painful. I was glad to see that the .... challenge to the Irish members has at last been taken up. I wonder if the Columbia will be any good. We get such small scraps of news here that it is most unsatisfactory.
I should not think it was very ... work watching the poor people coming off the steamer from France. I remember feeling if was so horrid of people to come down to watch us when I have been one of the poor sufferers in those wretched steamers. You feel so sick and dirty and untidy and the inhabitants look so smart and they generally laugh at tyou if you look extra deplorable.
What wretched weather you seem to be having. Here it is fine and bright. Yesterday was a wet day - only the third we have had since we came to Sydney. We are glad to wear our warm dresses and cloaks, but sometimes we find them rather too hot.
Last week Anna spent two days on the ocean beach. The first day she and Ethel Christian started at 10.30 am, took their lunch with them and materials for afternoon tea and they went dow to the Fairy Bower* and stayed there till after 5. I went down about 3 and had tea with them.
The next day both the Christian girls went with Anna and did the same. It was blowing a good deal that day so I would not go, but the girls said it was quite sheltered at the Fairy Bower.
But two families have called on us here, one is the clergyman's wife and the other some people of teh name of Maurice. I have returned the visit of the Clergyman's wife and I will call on the others tomorrow or the next day. Another lady says she is going to call on us, but now we are going to Wollongong I do not see the use of people calling.
I have taken the dress Sellick made me all to pieces and have sprayed it with water and am going to iron it out and then try to remake it. It is an awful bother, but I want another dress and I cannot afford to buy one. I hope I shall make it up all right. The trouble will be with the body as it is a good deal worn and does not fit me at all. I shall think myself very clever if I make anything of it.
Anna has nearly finished her dress and the skirt looks very nice indeed. I have fitted the body on for her and it promises to fit very well. She has bought some pale pink nun's veiling to make herself one evening dress and she is going to make that herself. By the time we get home she will be quite clever in making dresses for herself.
Last Thursday evening Mrs Christian sent me word that she had a ticket for me for a lecture and she hoped I would go with her. So I went. The lecture was by ... Dawe, an American, and it was on teh Rhine and the Alps. It was a description of his own tour along the banks of the Rhine and his ascent of one of the steepest of the Alps.
His account was most graphic and when he was describing the times when he and his companion with their members of the Alpine Club and thirteen guides were all tied together, and began to ascend a great steep boulder of solid ice, into which each footstep had to be cut, his audience were breathless with suspense.
He acted the whole thing and you could imagine you were there and saw them all. It was a wonderful effect. I was very glad I had gone, and I only wished that Anna had been with me, but she had stayed with Ethel Christian.
They have had such a lot of bother with their servant. It will show you what people here have to put up with their servants here, so I will tell you. This woman is the C's only servant she does the housework, her girls make the beds and dust, and all the cooking and washing all their clothes. She was a perfect teacher in some ways but she had a vibrant temper and if anyone of them put her out she used to storm fearfully and give notice to leave.
Well one day this last week she got into one of her tempers and said she would go on Friday, and Mrs Christian said she might go. Then the next day she came round and said she did not want to go. As she is such a good servant Mrs C. was not going to part with her, so she allowed her to stay. But she again flew out, and this time they all thought she would go, but all Friday they did not know whether she would go or not.
Yesterday afternoon the girls said they would come round here, but they never turned up and this morning one of their brothers came round to ask us to go there for afternoon tea today and he said that the servant had gone. Now they are without anyone and the girlsw have to do all the work. Mrs Christian says they are such a dreadful lot out here that she dreads having any of them in her house. She gave this one a pound a week.
1
The Illustrated London News held a commanding position in the market place. It was seriously challenged by The GRAPHIC in 1870. Although it never reached the circulation of the ILN it did take a good market share until the turn of the century. The circulation in 1871 was some 57.000 copies per week. Compared to the ILN, prints from The Graphic are not that easy to find.
2
Fairy Bower is a beach and locality in the Manly area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Fairy Bower is an affluent area, located close to Shelly Beach (Manly) and North Head. The Bower Surf Spot is located here. A scenic walk links Manly Beach to Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach.
Dusky Whaler sharks are seen regularly by divers in this area.
Sydney
29 July 1888
My dearest Mamie,
It is very good of you to write to me so regularly and I feel very grateful to you. I know what a task it is to write so often, so I can appreciate the act. I am always so thankful to get your letters and to hear that you both are well.
Before writing further, I want to say something of Elliot's 'secret'. I am very glad to hear that he is writing and sketching for a paper, and that he is getting paid for it. I shall be very glad to see his productions. I have not got the paper yet, but perhaps it will come tomorrow. I only received the letters yesterday, and as this is Sunday, there is, of course, a delay.
How long has Elliot been writing? I wish the Graphic*1 would put in his sketches and that he would send them to me. I might then be able to get him in some of the papers here. Claudius Cairns says he believes the papers here get their sketches from Melbourne - he says there is no independent illustrated Sydney paper. I wish Elliot could get in some of the military papers. I dare say this will lead to something better, as you say, and I sincerely hope it may.
I had a letter from Hattie yesterday. She seems to feel the cold very much, and she said she did not know when she would be able to go and stay with you. She believed you were very gay and she thought she would be in your way as she was not strong enough to go much into society.
I fear the poor thing is very delicate. Mrs R.W. also wrote to me by this mail and with her ususal thoughtfulness she tells me that Fred has a bad cold and that Dr Hickman says he does not take proper care of himself; and that she believes Hattie is in a rapid decline.
If anyone else told me all this I should feel pretty miserable, but coming from Mrs Jane I am not inclined to attach much value to it. At the same time I should like to know what other people think, both of Fred and Hattie.
If we can carry out plans of going to Naples and stopping at Sorrento or some warm place for the winter months Hattie ought to join us. I am sure it would be better for her than staying in England. It would be delightful too if you and Elliot would join us. But I can make no plans till I see how our money lasts.
At present we are rather in straits and I have written to your uncle Stanley and have offered to pay him a visit next Thursday. If we can stay with him for a few weeks and then at rurrawatta with the Cairns, we shall be able to save a good deal.
The other day our landlady was ordering some butter and I heard the man say the best butter was 2/7 a lb! Does not that seem high? She took a lb and I think it is scarcely eatable. When we go home I expect Anna and I will eat enormous quantities of bread and butter.
We are both of us longing very much to go home. I expect when our money comes we shall want to go home instead of stopping anywhere. If I was not afraid that anna might get ill in the winter at home I would not think of stopping in Italy or anywhere, but go straight home. But I am afraid she would feel the cold very much after being for so long in this mild climate.
Yes, the Lupnon's death was very sad and it must have been very painful. I was glad to see that the .... challenge to the Irish members has at last been taken up. I wonder if the Columbia will be any good. We get such small scraps of news here that it is most unsatisfactory.
I should not think it was very ... work watching the poor people coming off the steamer from France. I remember feeling if was so horrid of people to come down to watch us when I have been one of the poor sufferers in those wretched steamers. You feel so sick and dirty and untidy and the inhabitants look so smart and they generally laugh at tyou if you look extra deplorable.
What wretched weather you seem to be having. Here it is fine and bright. Yesterday was a wet day - only the third we have had since we came to Sydney. We are glad to wear our warm dresses and cloaks, but sometimes we find them rather too hot.
Last week Anna spent two days on the ocean beach. The first day she and Ethel Christian started at 10.30 am, took their lunch with them and materials for afternoon tea and they went dow to the Fairy Bower* and stayed there till after 5. I went down about 3 and had tea with them.
The next day both the Christian girls went with Anna and did the same. It was blowing a good deal that day so I would not go, but the girls said it was quite sheltered at the Fairy Bower.
But two families have called on us here, one is the clergyman's wife and the other some people of teh name of Maurice. I have returned the visit of the Clergyman's wife and I will call on the others tomorrow or the next day. Another lady says she is going to call on us, but now we are going to Wollongong I do not see the use of people calling.
I have taken the dress Sellick made me all to pieces and have sprayed it with water and am going to iron it out and then try to remake it. It is an awful bother, but I want another dress and I cannot afford to buy one. I hope I shall make it up all right. The trouble will be with the body as it is a good deal worn and does not fit me at all. I shall think myself very clever if I make anything of it.
Anna has nearly finished her dress and the skirt looks very nice indeed. I have fitted the body on for her and it promises to fit very well. She has bought some pale pink nun's veiling to make herself one evening dress and she is going to make that herself. By the time we get home she will be quite clever in making dresses for herself.
Last Thursday evening Mrs Christian sent me word that she had a ticket for me for a lecture and she hoped I would go with her. So I went. The lecture was by ... Dawe, an American, and it was on teh Rhine and the Alps. It was a description of his own tour along the banks of the Rhine and his ascent of one of the steepest of the Alps.
His account was most graphic and when he was describing the times when he and his companion with their members of the Alpine Club and thirteen guides were all tied together, and began to ascend a great steep boulder of solid ice, into which each footstep had to be cut, his audience were breathless with suspense.
He acted the whole thing and you could imagine you were there and saw them all. It was a wonderful effect. I was very glad I had gone, and I only wished that Anna had been with me, but she had stayed with Ethel Christian.
They have had such a lot of bother with their servant. It will show you what people here have to put up with their servants here, so I will tell you. This woman is the C's only servant she does the housework, her girls make the beds and dust, and all the cooking and washing all their clothes. She was a perfect teacher in some ways but she had a vibrant temper and if anyone of them put her out she used to storm fearfully and give notice to leave.
Well one day this last week she got into one of her tempers and said she would go on Friday, and Mrs Christian said she might go. Then the next day she came round and said she did not want to go. As she is such a good servant Mrs C. was not going to part with her, so she allowed her to stay. But she again flew out, and this time they all thought she would go, but all Friday they did not know whether she would go or not.
Yesterday afternoon the girls said they would come round here, but they never turned up and this morning one of their brothers came round to ask us to go there for afternoon tea today and he said that the servant had gone. Now they are without anyone and the girlsw have to do all the work. Mrs Christian says they are such a dreadful lot out here that she dreads having any of them in her house. She gave this one a pound a week.
1
The Illustrated London News held a commanding position in the market place. It was seriously challenged by The GRAPHIC in 1870. Although it never reached the circulation of the ILN it did take a good market share until the turn of the century. The circulation in 1871 was some 57.000 copies per week. Compared to the ILN, prints from The Graphic are not that easy to find.
2
Fairy Bower is a beach and locality in the Manly area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Fairy Bower is an affluent area, located close to Shelly Beach (Manly) and North Head. The Bower Surf Spot is located here. A scenic walk links Manly Beach to Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach.
Dusky Whaler sharks are seen regularly by divers in this area.
Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia, 1st August 1888
Manly Beach
Sydney
1st August 1888
My dearest Mamie,
Yesterday Anna and I had to go to Sydney. We wanted to get our hair washed and to do some other things. If I had known what they would charge for washing our hair I would have done it at home. But it is so difficult to get hot water that I did not think we should be able to do it. Well we were charged 4/ each for washing and cutting our hair. I think it was preposterous and told the man so. For things of that kind Sydney is very dear.
Mrs Christian went to buy an umbrella and I went with her to one of the best draper's shops here, and there we saw such lovely prints. I should have so liked to have got one for Anna and one for myself. They were not dear either, only 1/3 a yard. I was very much tempted to get one, but now I am very glad I did not, for on my return home I found a letter from Stanley saying that his wife was ill and they could not have us just yet.
This was a great disappointment, for I was calculating on saving my money bu paying him a visit. Now we must just not spend anything but what we must on our board and lodging.
This morning I was going with Mrs Christian to Sydney to the dentist. She wanted to get two teeth out and was going to take gas. We were to have gone by the 10 o'clock boat and I was down waiting for her, but she did not come till just as the boat was starting. Fortunately I had not taken any ticket. Now we shall have to go tomorrow.
Last evening there were some people in at the Christians when we went there. They told us stories of the way people here make great fortunes and then ruin themselves with drink. The gentleman, Mr Millen, said it was the curse of the place.
Mrs Christian and I came back from Sydney in the steamer with a lady - a Mrs Wood. Her husband is the most accomplished, gentlemanly man. He had an appointment of £700 a year and with every prospect of doing better. he took to speculating and lost then took to drink - now he has thrown up his appointment and they have only £300 a year to live on. The other day he tried to shoot himself. They have several children and one infant of 5 or 6 weeks old. Is it not sad?
Mrs Millen said that several men he knew had committed suicide when drunk. I think it is a terrible thing. Our landlord in this house is inclined to exceed a little, but I think his wife is too much for him.
*
I remember Mrs Davies quite well. She used to be a very good natured woman, but we thought her rather vulgar. Her daughters were older than I was, but they were always very kind to us. My grandmother used to be very very angry because Mrs Davies always introduced us as her 'cousins'. I do not know what relationship there was, if any.
It must be very pleasant for you having the bands playing so near your lodgings.
The paper with Elliot's contributions arrived last night. Was all you marked written by him? Some of it we thought seemed like his writing, but the rest we could not recognise. How did he get all that news about the Dukes &c?
I am very glad he is earning money, but I wish he was writing some thing that would bring his talents into play. A good thoughtful article on military matters would do him good. But that may come yet. I expect he could get an article of that kind into Macmillan and he would get well paid for it.
I am glad to hear poor Louisa is out of danger. You never told me whether she had her child and whether it was a boy or girl - you haven't mentioned your brother Robert lately. I hope he is better. Is he on his way home yet? I do feel so envious of people going home now.
I am sending Hattie some knitted wraps that I have made for her. I wish you would tell us if you would like anything of the kind and I would make you some. I have a pretty pattern of a crochet cape and I would gladly make one for you if I thought you would wear it. I cannot see to do needle work at night and then I either knit or crochet.
I am sending Hattie's home by her brother in law Hubert Lee, who is an officer in the ... a P & O boat.
With much love to you both in which Anna joins,
love my dear Mamie, your very affectionate mother,
Eliza C Cairns
Sydney
1st August 1888
My dearest Mamie,
Yesterday Anna and I had to go to Sydney. We wanted to get our hair washed and to do some other things. If I had known what they would charge for washing our hair I would have done it at home. But it is so difficult to get hot water that I did not think we should be able to do it. Well we were charged 4/ each for washing and cutting our hair. I think it was preposterous and told the man so. For things of that kind Sydney is very dear.
Mrs Christian went to buy an umbrella and I went with her to one of the best draper's shops here, and there we saw such lovely prints. I should have so liked to have got one for Anna and one for myself. They were not dear either, only 1/3 a yard. I was very much tempted to get one, but now I am very glad I did not, for on my return home I found a letter from Stanley saying that his wife was ill and they could not have us just yet.
This was a great disappointment, for I was calculating on saving my money bu paying him a visit. Now we must just not spend anything but what we must on our board and lodging.
This morning I was going with Mrs Christian to Sydney to the dentist. She wanted to get two teeth out and was going to take gas. We were to have gone by the 10 o'clock boat and I was down waiting for her, but she did not come till just as the boat was starting. Fortunately I had not taken any ticket. Now we shall have to go tomorrow.
Last evening there were some people in at the Christians when we went there. They told us stories of the way people here make great fortunes and then ruin themselves with drink. The gentleman, Mr Millen, said it was the curse of the place.
Mrs Christian and I came back from Sydney in the steamer with a lady - a Mrs Wood. Her husband is the most accomplished, gentlemanly man. He had an appointment of £700 a year and with every prospect of doing better. he took to speculating and lost then took to drink - now he has thrown up his appointment and they have only £300 a year to live on. The other day he tried to shoot himself. They have several children and one infant of 5 or 6 weeks old. Is it not sad?
Mrs Millen said that several men he knew had committed suicide when drunk. I think it is a terrible thing. Our landlord in this house is inclined to exceed a little, but I think his wife is too much for him.
*
I remember Mrs Davies quite well. She used to be a very good natured woman, but we thought her rather vulgar. Her daughters were older than I was, but they were always very kind to us. My grandmother used to be very very angry because Mrs Davies always introduced us as her 'cousins'. I do not know what relationship there was, if any.
It must be very pleasant for you having the bands playing so near your lodgings.
The paper with Elliot's contributions arrived last night. Was all you marked written by him? Some of it we thought seemed like his writing, but the rest we could not recognise. How did he get all that news about the Dukes &c?
I am very glad he is earning money, but I wish he was writing some thing that would bring his talents into play. A good thoughtful article on military matters would do him good. But that may come yet. I expect he could get an article of that kind into Macmillan and he would get well paid for it.
I am glad to hear poor Louisa is out of danger. You never told me whether she had her child and whether it was a boy or girl - you haven't mentioned your brother Robert lately. I hope he is better. Is he on his way home yet? I do feel so envious of people going home now.
I am sending Hattie some knitted wraps that I have made for her. I wish you would tell us if you would like anything of the kind and I would make you some. I have a pretty pattern of a crochet cape and I would gladly make one for you if I thought you would wear it. I cannot see to do needle work at night and then I either knit or crochet.
I am sending Hattie's home by her brother in law Hubert Lee, who is an officer in the ... a P & O boat.
With much love to you both in which Anna joins,
love my dear Mamie, your very affectionate mother,
Eliza C Cairns
Wollongong, NS Wales, Australia, 14th August 1888
c/o Stanley Alexander Pepys
Wollongong
N.S. Wales
14 Aug. 1888
My dearest Mamie,
You see we have come down here and we like being here very much. We were to have left Manly last Wednesday, but it was a very bad day, blowing and raining and as Anna had toothache the day before, we decided to put off our journey.
I telegraphed to your Uncle Stanley that I had done so and wrote to make an appointment with a dentist in Sydney. I was not at all well the next day so I let Anna go to the dentist with the Christian girls. He stopped one tooth for her and said there were several others to be attended to, but there was not time then to do them.
The next day I received a telegram from your Uncle saying that we had better come by the train if the weather was to rough for the sea. Anna, of course, jumped at that idea, as she was dreading the sea voyage in a coasting steamer. The sea had been rough for several days and though the wind had gone down there would, of course, still be a great swell on the sea.
We left Manly on Saturday morning by the 10 o'clock boat, Anna had to go again to the dentist as her teeth were still troubling her. He found a hole in one of her front teeth which he stopped.
We then went and had some lunch and went to the station in time for the 2.5. train. it was rather a blowing day, but it was not cold. The journeying down here is rather a troublesome thing. We had to go by train for about an hour and then we had all to turn ut and get into coaches - there were two of them waiting for the trains. One coach was pointed out to us and we were packed up with it.
It was pretty much the same kind of affair we had to travel in going to the hot lakes, only there was a seat for these at the back. The luggage was strapped on the top. The coach was quite full of a lot of people and Anna and I were rather amused with the conversation of two of the people.
They were poor and the man was saying he thought people should rest on the day of the week. "If you choose to rest on the Sabbath then take the Sabbath, and if on Sunday let it be Sunday, but what I say is don't be altogether a Cannibal."
And he looked round the coach for approval. The road was fortunately very good. We had a 12 miles ride and then we stopped at a little station at the sie of the road and were told that we must take the train then.
It had become very cold and there was no waiting room of any kind. There was a little wooden ticket office in which there seemed only to be room for two peopole. We had to wait some little time before the train came up, right glad we were to see it.
We had an hour's drive from the little station. Your Uncle Stanley has made their home rather a good many miles of it and now is work for the ... is over. He was at the station to meet us, and your Aunt Marion was waiting for us. We like her very much. She is very friendly and kind and they have three nice little children.
The two little girls anna says are 8 and 6 and the youngest a boy of 15 months. He is the first and is somewhat spoiled, but he is a nice little fellow. Stanley is devoted to him.
Wollongong is a very scattered place and is rather primitive. There seems to be a greater difficulty here about servants than in Sydney or Manly. Your Aunt says that if she hints to the servant that things might be done differently she immediately says she will go.
Yesterday we went for a long drive up to some mountains and Anna and the two little girls walked up to the top of the mountain while your Aunt and I sat in our lunch place. We looked after the horses and made another fire and some more tea by the time the others came down.
It was a lovely day just like summer. We had some beautiful views when we were driving up the mountain. The ... is all dried up, but if it was ... the country would have looked lovely.
Two ladies came in last night and spent the evening and today we are going to lunch with some people who live a few miles out in the country. I must go now to put on my dress.
Wollongong
N.S. Wales
14 Aug. 1888
My dearest Mamie,
You see we have come down here and we like being here very much. We were to have left Manly last Wednesday, but it was a very bad day, blowing and raining and as Anna had toothache the day before, we decided to put off our journey.
I telegraphed to your Uncle Stanley that I had done so and wrote to make an appointment with a dentist in Sydney. I was not at all well the next day so I let Anna go to the dentist with the Christian girls. He stopped one tooth for her and said there were several others to be attended to, but there was not time then to do them.
The next day I received a telegram from your Uncle saying that we had better come by the train if the weather was to rough for the sea. Anna, of course, jumped at that idea, as she was dreading the sea voyage in a coasting steamer. The sea had been rough for several days and though the wind had gone down there would, of course, still be a great swell on the sea.
We left Manly on Saturday morning by the 10 o'clock boat, Anna had to go again to the dentist as her teeth were still troubling her. He found a hole in one of her front teeth which he stopped.
We then went and had some lunch and went to the station in time for the 2.5. train. it was rather a blowing day, but it was not cold. The journeying down here is rather a troublesome thing. We had to go by train for about an hour and then we had all to turn ut and get into coaches - there were two of them waiting for the trains. One coach was pointed out to us and we were packed up with it.
It was pretty much the same kind of affair we had to travel in going to the hot lakes, only there was a seat for these at the back. The luggage was strapped on the top. The coach was quite full of a lot of people and Anna and I were rather amused with the conversation of two of the people.
They were poor and the man was saying he thought people should rest on the day of the week. "If you choose to rest on the Sabbath then take the Sabbath, and if on Sunday let it be Sunday, but what I say is don't be altogether a Cannibal."
And he looked round the coach for approval. The road was fortunately very good. We had a 12 miles ride and then we stopped at a little station at the sie of the road and were told that we must take the train then.
It had become very cold and there was no waiting room of any kind. There was a little wooden ticket office in which there seemed only to be room for two peopole. We had to wait some little time before the train came up, right glad we were to see it.
We had an hour's drive from the little station. Your Uncle Stanley has made their home rather a good many miles of it and now is work for the ... is over. He was at the station to meet us, and your Aunt Marion was waiting for us. We like her very much. She is very friendly and kind and they have three nice little children.
The two little girls anna says are 8 and 6 and the youngest a boy of 15 months. He is the first and is somewhat spoiled, but he is a nice little fellow. Stanley is devoted to him.
Wollongong is a very scattered place and is rather primitive. There seems to be a greater difficulty here about servants than in Sydney or Manly. Your Aunt says that if she hints to the servant that things might be done differently she immediately says she will go.
Yesterday we went for a long drive up to some mountains and Anna and the two little girls walked up to the top of the mountain while your Aunt and I sat in our lunch place. We looked after the horses and made another fire and some more tea by the time the others came down.
It was a lovely day just like summer. We had some beautiful views when we were driving up the mountain. The ... is all dried up, but if it was ... the country would have looked lovely.
Two ladies came in last night and spent the evening and today we are going to lunch with some people who live a few miles out in the country. I must go now to put on my dress.
Wollongong, NS Wales, Australia, 15th August 1888
15th August
We had a most stupid lunch party yesterday. The host, Mrs McCole, is a pleasant clever woman, but her two daughters are stupid. They have nothing to say except, I believe, to young men - to them they can chatter without ceasing.
We had a very good lunch but a stupid time afterwards. When we left there we went for a nice drive. Bye the bye, the McCole's house is very prettily situated at the foot of the hills.
I have caught a bad cold somehow or other, yesterday it was all in my head and I had a sore throat, but today it has turned to a cough. It is the first bad cold I have had since I cam to the colonies and it is so tiresome that it now just when I want to be particularly well.
Now I must turn to your letter. It will be very nice for you if you are settled in Devon for this year. It will save you so much expenses. Do you think you would take a small house in that case?
I hope your brother Robert is quite well after his trip to the Cape. It will be pleasant for you to see him again. I wish we were on our way home. I do not know what to do about it. I think I told you in my last letter that the Christians say they won't be able to leave Australia till quite the end of the year, if then, so that they won't be able to go with us to Naples and Anna says she would much rather go home.
I do not think it would be good for her to go home with the cold weather, but I am afraid this place will be too hot for her and for me too for that matter in the summer.
I wonder if Hattie wrote to you and how she gets on. She wrote me a very confusing letter by last mail - she does not seem to like being with the ... I must write to her this mail.
Yes, it is very good of Elliot to write by this mail. I only wish he was writing for a better paper and was making more by it. I am glad your sister Jennie is quite well again. Are the rest of the family all right?
They have such lovely prints in a shop in Sydney. I longed to have one, but I am not sure if I can afford it. If we go home in October or November I should scarcely want one.
I must now say goodbye, dear, as I feel too stupid for writing and I musttry to get through one or two letters.
With much love to you both in which Anna joins, love dear Mamie,
Your very affectionate Mother
Eliza C Cairns
I enclose Anna's letter to Fred which you might read and send on.
We had a most stupid lunch party yesterday. The host, Mrs McCole, is a pleasant clever woman, but her two daughters are stupid. They have nothing to say except, I believe, to young men - to them they can chatter without ceasing.
We had a very good lunch but a stupid time afterwards. When we left there we went for a nice drive. Bye the bye, the McCole's house is very prettily situated at the foot of the hills.
I have caught a bad cold somehow or other, yesterday it was all in my head and I had a sore throat, but today it has turned to a cough. It is the first bad cold I have had since I cam to the colonies and it is so tiresome that it now just when I want to be particularly well.
Now I must turn to your letter. It will be very nice for you if you are settled in Devon for this year. It will save you so much expenses. Do you think you would take a small house in that case?
I hope your brother Robert is quite well after his trip to the Cape. It will be pleasant for you to see him again. I wish we were on our way home. I do not know what to do about it. I think I told you in my last letter that the Christians say they won't be able to leave Australia till quite the end of the year, if then, so that they won't be able to go with us to Naples and Anna says she would much rather go home.
I do not think it would be good for her to go home with the cold weather, but I am afraid this place will be too hot for her and for me too for that matter in the summer.
I wonder if Hattie wrote to you and how she gets on. She wrote me a very confusing letter by last mail - she does not seem to like being with the ... I must write to her this mail.
Yes, it is very good of Elliot to write by this mail. I only wish he was writing for a better paper and was making more by it. I am glad your sister Jennie is quite well again. Are the rest of the family all right?
They have such lovely prints in a shop in Sydney. I longed to have one, but I am not sure if I can afford it. If we go home in October or November I should scarcely want one.
I must now say goodbye, dear, as I feel too stupid for writing and I musttry to get through one or two letters.
With much love to you both in which Anna joins, love dear Mamie,
Your very affectionate Mother
Eliza C Cairns
I enclose Anna's letter to Fred which you might read and send on.
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