Queenstown, N.Z.
(Friday) 22 November 1912
My dearest Sweetheart
Possibly you will wonder where on earth Queenstown is. I haven’t the slightest idea except that it is 60 miles from Dunedin & is one of the most inaccessible places in the Dominion. Secondly you will wonder why I am here & what I am doing. Lend me your ear & I will enchant sweet words to thee.
On Monday morning we went down to the boat to dig our samples up & much to our astonishment & annoyance they were not on board. We immediately say the company & after arguing the point for half an hour they admitted they were to blame. We were quite helpless without them & as they could not possibly get to Dunedin before Monday we were in a nice bonny mess.
However after a lot of wrangling we induced the shipping company to stand our expenses for the week & also for loss of business. The question then arose what were we to do all week. A brilliant idea struck us so we went to Cooks explained the circumstances & they mapped out a nice little tour for us, in the Queenstown district.
On Monday night we went to a picture show & also Tuesday night. During the day we had to go round to our customers & explain our predicament & they laughed (heartless brutes).
On Wednesday morning we caught the 8.25 train & admired the scenery which was rather good. After a long tiring journey we arrived at Kingston about five o’clock & caught the boat on to here. It was very rough on the lake & I wondered two or three times whether the boat would survive the heavy seas. Also it was awfully cold & we were all huddled round the funnel after dinner. In New Zealand you cannot get a meal on the train & we had practically nothing (except a sandwich at eleven oclock) from 7.30 am till 5.30 pm. We made up for lost time & had a good tuck-in. Eventually we arrived here about 7.30. Fancy taking nearly 12 hours for 60 miles. Isn’t it ridiculous.
We had a stroll round & found our bearings & got to bed early. I was very much struck with the huge mountains all capped with snow but as the sun was hidden behind the clouds the view was somewhat forbidding – too sombre & grim. (Mr Orr says he likes your name, it has such a musical sound. Good thing he is married or I would begin to think things).
We were up early on Thursday morning & after a good breakfast we set off on our stroll. First of all we admired the splendid trout in the lake with are more or less quite tame & are fed twice a day with chopped meat. Then came the great object of the day. viz. To ascend Ben Lomond. To look at the mountain from the road it seems quite an easy climb & we commenced with light hearts & empty pockets. We said we should be back for lunch & wouldn’t take any sandwiches or fruit. It was such a nice easy path for a long time with just one or two short exceptions & we enjoyed it.
Then the perspiration rolled off us in pints & my handkerchief was soon wet through. About 11.15 we got to the hut & people told us we had practically finished when we arrived there (I think it was done to cheer us up). As a matter of fact we found we hadn’t started the climb. I refused to budge another inch hoping to persuade Orr to "take it as read" but he was ambitious & he wanted to handle snow as he had never seen any. I couldn’t be beaten by a stripling like him so we said ‘Excelsior’ & forged ahead. At least he did. I wasn’t going to hurry for anybody & took my time, I used some gentle language on that last climb. Of all the rotten hills or difficult ascents I have done Ben Lomond is a thousand times more difficult & dangerous than any of them. It took us another hour & a half from the hut. When we got right to the top wasn’t the view just superb. You can hardly conceive such a magnificent panorama. On all sides you saw huge towering mountains all capped with snow & the sun shining on them made one of the prettiest pictures I have ever seen. The climb was well worth it. We dined on snow & pelted one another with it & rested half an hour. We took a few photographs which I do hope will turn out successfully as they ought to be very pretty. Then we saw in the distance the steamer which looked such a wee little bit of a boat.
After a good look round we commenced our descent. It was nerve trying work as we slipped & slithered all over the place but eventually we arrived at our hotel wet through & hungry & tired. It took us nearly eight hours. We had tea & rested. After dinner we hired two guns & went out rabbit shooting. We missed two or three but later Orr hit two & I hit two knocked them over but they recovered themselves & ran to their holes. I don’t think they would survive the night. We were not shooting with pellets but with small bullets. The rabbits got very shy after hearing the reports & wouldn’t come out to be shot so we made targets & fired off our remaining 20 cartridges.
Early to bed again as we had to be up by 6.30 this morning. After an early breakfast we caught the steamer to the head of the lake & it took us 4½ hours. We called at various wayside stations on the way & at some places it was very funny to see how the steamer was tied up; to trees & bits of rock. We had lunch ashore & got back on the boat by three oclock & arrived here at six. Unfortunately if rained all day so our pleasure was somewhat spoiled. The scenery was not particularly good as the sun was hidden & clouds hovered over the mountains all day. However it didn’t matter as we saw a lot of interesting things even if I did go to sleep on the return journey. We are both as stiff as anything today & to walk about is a supreme effort of will. We leave for Dunedin early tomorrow morning. I send you a p.p.c & a book of views which I think will prove of interest.
Now to revert to your letter of the 28th Sept which I received Tuesday evening. (I received yours of the 4th Oct before this one). Woman thy name is inconsistency. However ‘nuf sed’.
It is absolutely no use Dolly – this everlasting night work must stop. When I read your letter & what you had been doing I used some very lurid language. It is enough to make even a most angelic angel swear. To think of you being out night after night & at such awkward places is abominable. The only cure is I suppose; that we must get married as soon as possible.
I don’t care a tuppenny continental d--- what becomes of the society but you I will have at all costs & really sweetheart there will be nothing left of you by the time I get home. You will be worn to a shadow. Surely to goodness you have more than enough worries at home without taking any others on to you – well hardly broad – shoulders. No; sweetheart please do stop it.
The rest of your letter is charmingly sweet & you think it cold. Very well write me all your letters in the same strain & I shall be in the seventh heaven every time I get one. I don'’ think you could be cold if you tried (even though you did give me a dressing down the week after). Watson will think things very shortly of I am much mistaken. Is it the second or third time he has seen you writing to me?
I howled when I read your remark about motor cars, & that it would come out of Jaffés. In all probability it will – in a few years.
This letter I am replying to was written in the train on your way to Macclesfield. I don’t mind how where or when you write them so long as I get them.
Now about the Paris trip which I asked you to leave over. I went to see about my passage home & made full enquiries. I am coming by the Orient line & they call at Toulon . If I disembarked there I should only save two days & I think I may as well sail straight through to London & save the extra money.
The boat does not call at Southampton or Plymouth but goes right through to London. Now you & Nora can come down to the docks & meet me & we can spend the Saturday & Sunday in London & leave for m/c on Monday afternoon. Don’t you think it is better. If you promise to be a good little girl & not go to 10 night meetings in a week I will tell you a secret. Provided everything goes well & I have no further mishaps with my samples I shall be in London on March 29th so you will not have long to wait. To get home earlier is a physical impossibility unless I travel overland & I may as well pocket the extra money to pay little expenses.
I await your reply to this with keen interest.
Now I am going to bed sweetheart but I implore you to moderate your night work.
Night night sweetest & dearest.
With my dearest love
Yours for all time
Harry
Tuesday
Since writing the foregoing I learn that the boat I intended travelling is full up so is the one after. I managed to book my passage just by a fluke & shall arrive April 12th. I rather fancy this boat calls at Plymouth in which case I should like you to come down. This we can discuss later. Needless to say my feelings are not of the pleasantest but it can’t be helped. We leave for Christchurch early tomorrow & will fill in full details in my next (which you will receive 3 days after this) about our doings since Saturday.
Much love dearest
Harry
Was Bobby elected chairman again. If not who was.