Lonely Strangers.

Nowadays when immigrants are so well looked after right from the Docks practically to their new homes we may be forgiven if we fail to realise some of the trials of the early immigrants. The "New Zealander" has a paragraph in its report of the arrival of the Portland that illustrates what I mean. "Many of the passengers," says that paper, "were people who had been Home on a trip and were returning to their families, and while joyous greetings and affectionate congratulations were being interchanged between the members of such a family, others of the passengers who were not in that enviable position were watching the scenes with looks half sympathising, yet tinged with envy, the cordial greetings of the friends showing up all the more markedly the blank in their own friendless position in a strange country."

This was the last occasion on which the Portland came to Auckland. Under Captain Smith she made one passage to Lyttelton from London, arriving in New Zealand on April 12, 1874, after a run of 92 days from the Docks. the Portland made one passage only from London to Wellington, and that was in 1880. She left the London docks on January 4 under Captain Wood, and arrived at Wellington on April 7, 104 days port to port.