Page:Travel letters from New Zealand, Australia and Africa (1913).djvu/129

 and hotels copy the ships. I am offered a great variety of food on the "Maunganui," but do not care for it: at dinner today I ordered a plate of soup, and lamb with mint sauce, although the bill of fare showed a very great variety. Meals are announced in the usual way: by a man playing a cornet. The man on the "Maunganui" is unusual in that he plays a part of a selection at every meal, and poses while playing In this country, the uglier the man, the more sheep he owns. The ugliest man I have ever seen is on board, and he is said to be the sheep king of New Zealand. It is no unusual thing for a man in New Zealand or Australia to own thirty or forty thousand sheep This evening, after dinner, I was amused in watching a smart young fellow in the second cabin. The second cabin deck is separated from ours by a rail containing this notice: "Second cabin passengers not allowed forward of this." The smart young fellow was amusing a number of companions by walking around the first cabin deck. His companions thought he was extremely devilish, and laughed boisterously when he returned safely. I sat near them, and could hear their conversation. The bold young man said that if anyone would give him a shilling, he would go up the stairs to the next deck, and spend it in the first cabin smoking-room. The shilling was produced, and I saw the young man disappear up the stairway. Then he offered to speak to the captain for another shilling, and disappeared for that purpose, but whether he did it or not, I do not know. The young men were having a tremendous lot of fun without harming anyone Last night there was almost continuous piano-playing in the