aroundworldortra00peebiala-1

NEW ZEALAND. 89
and Americans should adopt the method. This island colony
in the southern seas owns three hundred and eighteen
sailing-vessels, and fifty-three steamboats. The people have
advanced more rapidly in mechanics than matters moral and
spiritual. A Dunedin company is constructing a submarine
boat, to extract gold from the deep river-beds of Otago.
An
American constitutes the backbone of the enterprise.
My countrymen are more highl}^ esteemed in New Zealand
than in Australia.
WINES AT FUNERALS.
Officiating at a funeral in Dunedin, New Zealand, there
were wines put upon the same table with the encoffined
corpse. After I had spoken the words of consolation, the
sectarian neighbors present, and a portion of the mourners,
" imbibed." This is quite common, I am told, at Christian
burials. Think of it, -r- wines at births, and wines at funerals
! Think of it, O ye priests ! who, guzzhng wines, beers,
and brandies, solemnly preach that " no drunkard can enter
the kingdom of heaven " ! Is it not to the silly and stupid
custom of " entertaining " by drink that Hamlet alludes,
when he says to Horatio, " It is a custom more honored in
the breach than the observance " ? The peerless Shakspeare
makes Cassio to say, " Oh that men should put an enemy
in their mouths to steal away their brains ! that we should
with joy, pleasure, revel, and applause, transform ourselves
into beasts "
!
During the late English elections, overthrowing the reigning
Gladstone party, both the Scriptures and liquors were
used at public gatherings for political purposes. Flags and
banners bore this inscription :
" Beer and the Bible, — anational
beverage and a national Church ! " Chinese, Persians,
Arabs, " heathens of the East," often taunt and scourge
Christians for their habitual drunkenness. One of Buddha's
commandments was, " Drink no liquors, neither wines ; but
walk steadily in the path of purity." Mohammed said,