Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-01-25
NEW SOUTH WALES.
SOCIAL LIFE AND PLEASURE IN THE
SOUTH PACIFIC.
Pionics and Excursions-Love Of the OPP
era Literature and sport Boating,
Cricket and Racing Mel
bourne "Cup Day"

along bne narDOr Unere are puD-
lie picnicking grounds, with pavil-
ions and swings. Their name are
legion, every available spot being taken
up; some. indeel, especially Athol gardens,
being scarcely available A picnic there
must keep the picnickers upon the tenter-
hooks of suspense at luncheon lest cloth and
food and glass should go gliding into the
water, so very upright is the incline. And
then there is Clontarf, which is a
natural lawn surrounded by shrubbery
and fringed with a mimic beach,
shells and all, on which tiny mock
waves ripple and sing. Manly beach
is also favorite spot; and then there are
Sans ouci and Pearl bay, Long bay, etc.
Every steamer hangs out its destination on
holidays painted on canvas strips in 'larger
than life" capitals, so that verify "he who
runs may read" Then again there are
many bays where, though they have no reg
ular pcnicking grounds, the quieter-
minded people like to go and take their bas
kets
Then lest the holiday spirit should flag
there are special picnics, such as the bakers
picnic, the diapers picnic, the butchers pic
mic, etc., even down to the undertakers' pic
mic, of which ghouls' feast there is no record
kept as to whether the tables be collins and
of their first jovial picnic they drank, one
aud all, Success to the trade"
A MUsIo-LovING PEOPLE.
One distinctive mark in Sydney, drawing
line between it and other colonies, is its
love of music and the opera. To the Thea
ter Royal on command night" that is when
the governor and his suite are present-and
imagine the opera to be one of the most ten
der, delicate and powerful yet created--the
dress circle is certain to be full Of we'll
dressed people. The stalls which come
next in precedence, will also be full, but
here the rule is for walking costumes; and
behind again comes the pit, where the
poor classes assemble but wbsre 1t is not
unusual for gentlemen to stroll in and stand
for an hour.
Above the dress-circle, on such night,
there will De two galleries full Of
indeed, Overlooking with = Hlarrikins"
(our Australian hoodlumsJ, coatless and
dirty. ami well able to deafen the
actors if they chose, but they do not choose.
Through the most difficult and delicate
trills and murmurs they are absolutely
breathless, so intense is their silence, and IT,
a. is sometimes the case, those who should
know better begin to giggle and whisper,
their demands for silence are imperative
and determined. For themselves they re-
ceive and understand overy note and bar Of
the music, let the language be what it will.
and should it be their own, there is no allu-
sion put on words too subtle or no elevated
thought too obscure for them They re-
spond, one and all, and instantly; their APP
plau,e, too, is timed with the perfection Of
accuracy. Patti herself might stand at
their mercy with the certainty that they
would interpret her music with unerring
apti ude and faithfuIness.
LITERATURE AND SPORT.
From music to literature is but a step
but here Indifference reaches its climax.
Imported works will be read, but the idea
that they themselves could give to the
world a fresh and vigorous literature never
crosses the native mind. Ii the seed can
sprout with all the disadvantages of barren
rocks and choked soil, we'll and good.
They will permit them to come if they can,
but if it dies beneath the fight it is well and
good also. The odds are too great There
are no really first-rate magazines in the
colonies They do not pay. A man who
can write and must write or expire finds him
self suddenly many thousands Of miles from
the editor or publisher he needs; he looks
round in vain for sympathy; then he must
begin heart -sickening posting of matter
and waiting months for reply, or, if he be-
able he win naturally leave his nom caring
native shore and fight the big fight out be-
meath another flag, and then, careless that
they have given their rose when it looked
like weed) to grow in another garden,
they receive his efforts as the genuine i'm
ported thing and are glad to read some
thing that Is not Australian rubbish
Now if this were not letter, but a school
class, We would ask the boys, aWhat sport
is New South Wales most famous for2n And
If Australians they would answer to a boy,
Boating" and this is true at present in the
shape OF great sturdy blacksmith. Sgd
ney actually holds the champion oarsman of
the world; physically be is the ideal of
Longfellow's Blacksmith his muscles UNI
doubleday being STRONG as iron bands" but
as yet it remains a point whether in the
making Of crack oarsman ooi black
smith has not been spoiled, not that such
small circumstance would weigh in the bal
ance in the future. for here every boy pants
u be either champion pullsr or a BUSH
ranger, and they take to the water as nat
urally as ees.
CRICKET AND RACING.
After these two grand ambitions there
comes another-to be a cricketer On Sat-
urday afternoons all the stray bits of com
mon are alive with ragged urchins working
hard with bat and ball, and here and there,
where the "team" is less ragged and the
playground is a field instead of common,
brave calico flag fiutters in the breeze. A
cricket week is a great week in Sydney
Nothing is spoken of but the scores, and
usy after day crowds turn in at the wide
gates Of the Sydney Association ground 1t
is lar rom being pretty ground and the
grand stand Is far from being an excellent
building, but what matter tne,e little draw
backs2 Most Of "our team are we'll known
and their success or failure is a personal
matter.
II you walk little further on the same
road you will come to Rand wich race
course. but this is a more seriou, affair.
Splendid horses are run here and plendid
bets made, and we fear some splendid lives
Lost or PLUNGED in despair as well, but this
is an aside only, and we will not be guilty
Of the bad taste Of trying to turn the picture
round. Here, as in all things, Sydney COM
pares itself with Melbourne Both desire to
compare and 10 gain by comparison if posi-.
Die. In racing matters this is more evident
han in others, and here Victoria gains the
day In the first place their race course far
rxcsls that OF Sydney. Those who should
know have said that Bloomington is the fin
est raoe-course in the world" HCup day" Is
a general holiday in Victoria. Melbourne
osei Avs for weeks before and after the
event Tho streets are deserted on that
day; few vehicles run in them; few people
walk On tne pavement; there Is but one
place il the world on that day, and that is
the rae course.