The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-06-04
THE TRAVELLER ABROAD.

Interesting Facts About New Zealand.
New Zealand is a great borrowing
country. They have national debt of
about SIS ,00O. 900, and have recently ef-
fecied loan of e5O00,00O sterling
The tax Is very heavy according to u
recent estimate, il is about $50 per
head
The natives have King of their own,
and reside in what is called the kings
Country" There are about $4,000
tives left but their numbers are lessen
ing every year. only know seven Amer
leans in Auckland. There are large
stores in the city and manufacturing
interest is growing up. This includes
the making Of shoes, clothing, and fur
nitnIe.
Their furniture is most beautiful /
have ever seen. 1t is made of notified
Kauri, a beautiful timber. This is work
ed up in the best style of European art.
They raise the finest wool in the world
in the island, and manufacture some of
it. The chief imports to the island from
this country are hardware implements
shipped from New York. Plows, reap
ers, mowers, and all sorts of edge
tools are shipped there. Tobacco
is another export from this
country that finds large sale there. All
SOAtS Va SdhACO dLC diSO oCAb AAOlA
here in large quantities. American
wooden ware, including wagons, car
riages, and buggies, go there. The in
habiIants also seem To have q partially
for American watches. 1t is, perhaps, II
curious fact that none of our whiskey
ever goes TO New Zealand. The only ar
ticle sent from New Zealand to this
country Is kaurl gum, which is largely
used in the manufacture of varnish. One
| firm, which ships direct TO the United
| States, sends four or five times year
cargoes worth 100000 each. The gum
| is very transparent; one can see through
II block of it foot in thickness. 1t has
the appearance of amber, and is found
about the roots of the kauri trees. The
natives make very artistic figures OF
their gods with this gum. They carve
heads and busts of it larger than life.
| These gods are similar to those of the
other South sea islands, and the natives
are exceedingly superstitiOus.
Christmas is celebrated very curiOusly
in New Zealand. 1t comes in midsum
mer, and, instead of the yule log and
holly tree, tEey have the green grass,
and flowers, and instead of hot punch
there are light Australian wine and
cooling draughts. The churches in the
| Christmas time are decorated with the
beautiful purple flowers of what is
there called the christmas tree" The
most peculiar growth in New Zealand is
the ferns. OF these there are $50 varie
ties not found elsewhere, and Il great
number that are common To other coun
tries. There is no place in the world 81
rich with ferns.
The articles of diet are about the
same as in this country. The climate i,
mild in the northern part of the island
1t is a magnificent beef and butter coun
try. The finest and juciest oysters
ever ate are found there in abundance.
Imprisonment for debt exists there by
means of sort of fiction of law. Tn,
debtor is fined for contempt of cour
and cast into prison on that ground
The public-school system is admirabl,
and extensive. All classes of children
attend these schools. The public system
is an institution of which the inhabl
tants are very proud. There is no TIA,
that they more willingly vote for thai
the school tax. Teachers there com
, mand as II general thing, higher salarie
than they do in the United States.