Page:Travel letters from New Zealand, Australia and Africa (1913).djvu/56

 *eled all over the world, but had always found Jesus his friend in time of trouble. As each speaker ceased, the same song was sung, "Just the Same Jesus," and I joined with the others in the singing. Presently the leader came to me, and said:

"You are evidently a religious man, and a stranger. Won't you make a few remarks?"

I excused myself, and he then asked the band to play When we walked up the street, in front of every theatre we found men announcing special religious services. In front of the theatres, also, were choirs singing religious songs as the people went in, precisely as at a street fair in America, a party of the performers will come out to the front to assist the ticket-seller in attracting a crowd. The New-Zealanders are evidently a very religious people; I have been hearing church bells all day. Everything is closed tight except drug stores and restaurants Both bands I have mentioned had only brass instruments; no clarinets. In each one I noticed that there were cornet players who could play an octave higher than the score, and thus get what we used to call "the clarinet tone" when I played in brass bands in country towns. I have never seen as respectable a Salvation Army outfit as I saw in Auckland, and the Mission outfit was still better looking As in Australia, January is like July or August in New Zealand; snow is unknown about Auckland. All the vegetables and fruits are at their best here now, and the bathing-beaches are crowded On the "Sonoma" I heard the steward say that when anything came from New Zealand, it was always the very best. We have