Au[c]kland, Wednesday morning, Augst. 3/98.
Yesterday, when at “Onehunga,” I was amused at the number of advertisements walled about the station & all so familiar, made me feel as tho’ I was at a home station: Nixey’s Blacklead, Brinsmead’s pianos, Ogden’s tobaccos, Cadbury’s cocoas, Maconochie’s preserves, Hudson’s dry soap &c. &c. [5:99] but it has been everywhere so, & I have mentioned it before. Our manufacturers must have large export connections. Southhall’s goods I saw yesterday in Mr. Smeaton’s, also Sharwood’s & Tucker’s Devonshire Toffy [sic], & no doubt my eyes have escape many other English goods, as doubtless our good[s] and the variety can be had throughout the world. Here lilies grow as weeds & such beauties with large flowers. They are to be found everywhere: hedge sides, road sides, in dells & ditches, & often seen running along the edge of fields from one end to the other, & frequently in great clusters, a photo of which I will send so that you may see them.
Mrs. Furness, Roy & I are going to ascend Mount Eden. It is not a great height from base, which is not 5 minutes walk from Hesleden, but as this district is high, a very grand view is to be got when on top of this mount. We did intend going up Mount Eden but the wet weather will have made the paths all but bottomless.
I hope to record in my next our experiences to Rotorua Hot Lakes & will take Kodak for views. Yesterday, when going to lake by bus, I saw what was new to me but apparently common, as afterwards was told, a girl, I suppose she would be 11 or 12, astride a fine pony & she rode for 2 or 3 miles behind the bus & sat in the saddle as well as any youth I’ve seen[1]. Mr. King last night told me it was the custom of both sexes in the Pacific Islands & know it is so with the American Indians. Butchers deliver all by horse back & the post men ditto. So did they in the suburbs of Sydney.
It is very home-like in the Furnesses’ house. So many photos of people I know, the father in mayoral robes, & also Mr. Black similarly decorated, view of Christ Church, & one of H’pool town wall, Burbank, adult Sunday school, & other views & faces well known. It is now raining very heavy & a squall accompanying & possibly in a few minutes it may be bright, clear sunshine.
Now I will close my journal for this mail. I hope the friends who possess the patience to struggle through it may, in their charity, overlook the many ungram[m]atical sentences, bad spelling, & rigmarole composition. I venture to hope they will. Tell Mr. Leask, up to yesterday, I’ve had no reply from his brother. The Scottish tour diary is lent out just now to Mrs. Sanderson. She had a desire to go over old scenes again to refresh her memory & was sure Mr. Leask‘s diary would afford her both interest & pleasure. Love to all at home & kisses for my Comely.
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[1] It was not considered socially acceptable in 19th century European society for a woman to ride a horse “astride,” i.e. with one leg on either side of the horse’s body. Women had to ride with both legs over the same side, and special saddles were employed for the purpose.