Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-12
SYDNEY TO VANCOUVER.
A Glimpse Of Suva in Fiji Islands,
and Visit to Honolulu. in the
Hawaiian Islands.
VOYAGE OF FOUR WEEKS
And Distances Of over Nine Thousand
Miles. Scenes and Incidents
Graphically Described.


Written for The Democrat by MIR. Mich
olas GRADER, n Passenger of the Royal
Mail steamer Warrimoo.
The Royal Mail Steamer War
rimoo" left sydney wharf punctually
at four o'clock in the afternoon of
Wednesday, the 10Th of June. The
whole approaches to the steamer were
packed by crowds of people anxious
to get glimpse of the vicc-regal
party, who were passengers to America
by this boat. They comprised Lady
Hampton, wife Of the Governor of the
colony vf New South Wales, her son,
Lord Hope, the Hon Alice Brand her
daughter, the Hon. Gayborne Hardy,
private secretary and suite. The gov
eminent steamer with His lIXccllcncy
the Governor of New South Wales on
board, and the city band playing such
suitable airs as Aud Lang Syne,
Home Sweet Home, Au RcVoir, etc.
accompanied the " Warrmoo" to the
Heads, u distance of about seven
miles.
IL was beautiful sight, seeing the
thousands of handkcrchicfs waved by
friends of the passengers, as the
steamer gradually reccdcd from the
shore and wendell its way through the
most beautiful harbour in the world.
All Sydncyites and in fact all Austria
lians hold up their harbour us one
place in the world which the globe
trottcr and sightsccr must admire.
The harbour is comprised of series
Of lovely bays and winding rivulets;
some Of which are twenty miles long,
while It's entrance from the Pacific
ocean Is barely half u mile wide. 1t
Is here that people from all parts OF
Australia make their summer resort,
and almost every day, and most parti-
cularly ON Sundays, miniature steam
ers crowded with pleasure seekers wind
their way in and out Of the great ocean
liners which are more or less anchored
here, and bring their freight either to
Manly beach. or ut the parramatta
river, where On each side of the river
can be seen, loaded with fruit when in
season, large groves of orange trees.
We cleared the Heads about six
O'Clock and steamed into the great
Pacific just Mt dusk because in Aus
tralia this time Of the year winter is
approaching and darkness comes very
early and us night was upon us, the
large revolving light which can be seen
ut n distance of about sixty miles from
sydney Heads gradually became OBJ
scure, and Australia was hidden from
view.
On the following morning nothing
but sea surrounded MS, and even those
who suffered from mal-de-mer welcom-
ed the fresh and celebrating brccHcs
and cloudlcss sky, such weather CON
tinuing until we reached the Fiji Is
lands. Here we were compelled to
wait IL few hours for II pilot rs the APP
proach to Suva is of II dangerous
character owing to the existence of
coral reefs. On both sides of the mar
row channel can be scon through the
clear sea, miles of lovely coral.
TO those unaccustomcd to sea
travelling the sight of land after cS ht
days was pleasant, but to land ON such
n spot as Suva was indeed charming.
Here the soil Is rich, volcanic, and is
covered with tropical trees bearing
fruits Of every kind peculiar to these
regions, The natives with their scanty
and quaint dress approach You with
their wares and curios, and cntice
You 10y their pleasant ways to make
purchases. All along the principal
street, which is winding one, the
trees are covered with cocoa nuts, and
other fruits. Banana. wild and
cultivated meet your gaze everywhere.
The swarthy native. both male and
female, is IN indication of the fertility
of the soil, the profusion OF fruits, and
the magnificent climate Here it is
one continual refreshing summer
winter Is unknown, and Suva can justly
he called u vcritable paradise,
As our stay was only day, all the
passcugcrs were reluctant to continue
the journey, and nearly everybody Sc
cured mcmcntoes of the visit the
beautiful coral being the principal
purchase. On the fourth day after
leaving the Fiji Islands preparations
were made to celebrate the siNticth am
nivcrsary of the reign of Her Majesty,
Queen Victoria.
Jubilee day, the 22nd of June, will
long he remembered by those fortunate
enough to he passengers 10y the
Warrimoo. lunctually at eleven
o'clock the sports began With the hop.