Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-01
TRAVELLER SEEING
THE SOUTH SEAS
a. H. SHELTER, JR., TELLS OF
PEOPLE ON THE ISLANDS IN
INTERESTING LETTER
Visits Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand,
and Spends Considerable Time in
AustraIla-sees the Sights as Busi-
ness Man.
Bendigo, Victoria. Australia,
Sept. 1e, 1905.

Editor Courier
Thinkine it probable that some of
my old Ottumwa friends might care to
hear something about Australasia, so
far away, will write you In regard to
the various countries have visited.
t I sailed from San Francisco, Febru
airy is, having engaged with the Shell
don Drug Co. of Sydney, Australia as
traveller After seven days at sea we
called at Honolulu, Hawaii. 1t is a
most beautiful city and the surround
ing country is indeed garden spot
Seven days more at sea landed us at
Pago, Pogo, Samoa. Here one can see
the South. Sea Islands in their original
and primitive state. The climate Of
Samoa is extremely warm and the nS-
ttves, large, handsome people, go about
clad with little or no clothing. They
wear their hair in great bush, which
they bleach to red color with lime.
Here I saw their native dances, and
they are very savage and grotesque
-Four days more at sea and the good
ship "Somona" landed me at Auckland.
New Zealand. Here I received mes
sage from my employers to break my
journey and ship for Wellington, the
capital city of New Zealand, until fur
Their orders. New Zealand is beau
ttful little country. The people are
very prosperous For scenic beauty It
cannot be surpassed. The native
'Mauries" are fine race of people.
Their greeting on meeting Is rubbing
noses. The women are very hand
some except that they all tattoo their
faces, as do the Samoans. The country
is given largely to the sheep industry
and growing flax. Their railroads
make an American laugh to see them.
They are all narrow guage and the
carriogos Gas they call the cars) are
very small and uncomfortable They
do not run at night, as the people are
afraid to travel on them after dark 1t
is a splendid business country and
there are no very poor people there
On May II received word to sail at
| once for Sydney. Three days of very
| rough weather on the Tasmania sea
landed me in Sydney the capital city
Of New South Wales. I was sent at
once to travel central and northern
| Queensland, my first stop being Bris-
| bane, the capital Of that colony. From
there / worked north by sea, making
the coast is most beautiful. After en-
tering the Great Bearfer Straits we
passed hundreds of islands which were
most picturesque. The weather then
was most extremely hot and ! had :,
bad case Of "Dingue" fever which
tied" me up for ten days. AT Towns
| vile on my return from the extreme
north, went by rail as far as the rail-
way went, then began my coaching
! travelling by His Majesty's Royal
| coaches, drawn by six horses, some
| times going one hundred and fifty
miles at a stretch. Queensland is a
splendid business country. In portions
along the coast they grow sugar cane
extensively. also fruit, such as pine
apples, bananas, oranges. lemons and
passion fruit. In the mountains >arc
| rich mines of gold, silver, copper and
tin. On my coaching trip saw hun
dreds of the native Australian blacks
and are fast dying out. I also saw
| lian ostriches). The woods or bush
as it is called here, is lovely The uni
versal tree is the gum tree, and inter-
mingled with it is the beautiful tropica
| trees such as the palm. cocoanut wilG
fig bamboo and fern trees. This bush
| is alive with many colored parrots
cockatoos and magpies.
Then, too, there is the Laughing
| jackass,' homely brown bird with 9
| long bill, who laughs in a way to star
tie one. Having finished Queensland
I was ordered south nearly three
thousand miles to Victoria, which is
! the smallest, best and most thiclsls
populated colony of Australia. Mel
bourne is the capital city and like
/ Sydney and Brisbane is city very
/ modern and up-to-date. The city OF
Bendigo, from where am writing, Is
lthe prettiest city in all Australia ane