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The New Zealand Evangelist

Nelson — First Impressions of a Stranger.

Nelson.

First Impressions of a Stranger.

After coming on shore for good, I went to the “Depot” for a night. The Depot is far superior to the “Barracks” either at Wellington or at Dunedin. It is a building occupying three sides of a square, and it is divided into rooms of an uniform size, each room having a separate entry and window. The walls are of brick and nicely white-washed. In the centre of the square are buildings for the luggage.

Next morning early I went out to see the place and to look about for a home. Was much pleased with the picturesque appearance of the country, but was equally distressed at the receding probability of my finding a resting place. Oh, sir! It is a distressing feeling that oecupies the mind when one feels that he has no home. Who can say in how many instances the Evil One has succeeded in drawing into unsteady habits—from which there may be afterwards no escape—those whom he has hindered in finding a home!

After breakfast went down to the Custom House to see if my things were safe, and found that they page 261 were likely to continue so (in the boat) for that day; nearly all the people being mad after the Horseraces, at the conclusion of which, as usual, one man found that he had broke his leg, which was perfectly sound when he set out that morning. Was glad to hear that the Wesleyans had convened a “Camp-Meeting” as an opposition.

There is a Roman Catholic Chapel here—not often opened I believe—an Episcopalian Chapel; a substantial, English looking Wesleyan do.; and a Presbyterian Chapel has been lately begun to be erected. The latter, as far as I can see, promises to be a good sized place. A very good congregation assembles of a Sunday at a school-room which is used as a temporary Scotch Church on that day.— In all these places (the first excepted) as far as I have heard, the Gospel is preached far more efficiently than in many a village or town in England. So that Nelson seems to be highly favoured (the like Capernaum was.) I was much disappointed at the harbour—the climate is very pleasant, and there is, I am told, a large extent of fertile land some distance from the town; but here, as almost every-where in this country, there are plenty of steep hills—some of which I should think must be quite useless.