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CHAPTER XVII.
The Bluff—Bleak and inhospitable view—Miserable railway arrangements—First impressions—Cheerless ride to Invercargill—Forestry neglected—Shameful waste—The timber industry—Necessity for reform—Pioneering—The usual Australian mode—The native method—A contrast—Invercargill—A large farm—Conservatism of the farming classes—Remenyi's anecdotes.
We have thus tracked the much-talked-of depression down to earth. We have followed the cry of "dull times" all through the islands; and here at last, in Dunedin, we have found some faint echoes with the ring of truth in them. Before entering into any inquiry or speculation as to causes and possible remedies, let me finish my descriptive remarks by detailing briefly what we saw at Invercargill and the Bluff, and then, with the reader's permission, we may devote a chapter or two, profitably, to a consideration of one or two deductions from what we have observed, and take a glance in closing at some of the moral, social, and intellectual phases of life in this land which is so rich in natural beauties and scenic marvels.
We drew up alongside the dreary wharf at the Bluff on May 29. It may be necessary to
