Upper Norwood Literary and Scientific Society (17 december 1892)
This article is a report of the Upper Norwood Literary and Scientific Society published in The Norwood News on 17 december 1892.
Report of a lecture about Here, There, and Everywhere held on 16 november 1892 attended by Arthur Conan Doyle where he spoke.
Report
"HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE."
The members of the Upper Norwood Literary and Scientific Society were entertained last Wednesday evening, at the Royal Normal College, by Mr. Frederick Villiers, F.R.G.S., the famous war artist and correspondent, who delivered his popular lecture, entitled "Here, there, and everywhere," which was illustrated by numerous sketches made by himself. Dr. Conan Doyle presided; and there was a large audience.
Mr. VILLIERS, who was attired in his campaign costume, prefaced his lecture by giving a brief account of his early etforts in artistic work, and a few crude drawings, made when a boy of about ten summers, were depicted on the screeu, and caused much amusement. He then proceeded to relate how he obtained his first engagement on the Graphic. Wandering down the Strand one day, his attention was arrested by a placard, bearing the words in black type, "Declaration of war between Servia and Turkey." There he saw his chance. He hurried to the nearest hostelry, and addressed a letter to the editor of the Graphic, offering his services as correspondent. Early the next morning he received a telegram, "See me, Thomas, private address." He went; and his interview was short and sweet. The editor asked, "Can you speak German or French?" "French," he replied. "That will do," said the editor, "please leave by this evening's mail. You will find money and attire at the office." That was all, and that night he left Charing Cross. His journey was quickly accomplished, and eventually he received his pass to go to the front, and join himself to the Servian Army. Here he gave a vivid description of what the French poetically call "a baptism of fire." On the morning of the second day there was a great stir in camp. Troops marched out towards the frontier. Presently he heard the sound of firearms. He wandered up to a battery of guns; they suddenly appeared to sparkle, but as far as he could make out they were firing at nothing in particular, for the morning was heavy. Presently there was a rustling noise in the air, and the top of one of the pine trees flew in splinters. He was then startled from his reverie by one of the enemy's shells bursting close by, and several of the Servians were blown to atoms. Then were his eyes opened to the stern reality of war. One little incident related in this connection is worth recording. Later in the day he was walking along, when he passed a cart, in which was a wounded Servian officer, who invited him in to rest. Being worn out, he thankfully accepted the invitation, and was soon fast asleep. When he awoke next morning he found that the officer had covered him with his cloak, but the noble man had himself died. Turning to Afghanistan, the lecturer then introduced a few types of that imperial army which, in the near future would, he asserted, have to drive back the Russians across the Afghan frontier. After speaking of the adventures of the army in Afghanistan in 1879, and being present at the signing of the treaty of Gandamak, he asked the Viceroy of India to be allowed to accompany the ill-fated mission to Cabul; but this was, fortunately for him, refused. Those present might remember the fate which befell that mission at the ruthless hands of the fanatical Afghans. He dwelt next upon the vicissitudes of the war correspondent, remarking that about this time he received a message instructing him to start at once for New South Wales to "do" the Sydney Exhibition. This meant that he had to hurry from one side of the world to the other without stopping, in order to be there in time for the opening ceremony, and this was in the days of June, when the heat was intense, the temperature register during the night being 106 degrees. He described a visit which he unintentionally paid to a cholera camp on the journey; and then he gave a series of illustrations showing the various modes of "dining out, here, there, and everywhere." The first picture represented a dinner which he had in Servia with a Turk. They all sat round a small stool, on which stood a brass dish, containing a mess composed of small pieces of meat, prunes, rice, and other things. The host silently drove his fist into the bowl and slowly produced, between finger and thumb, a piece of meat and a prune, which he worked well round in the bowl until a little rice adhered to it. This he handed to him (the lecturer), and, though he was very disgusted, he was obliged to eat it, as he was very hungry. The next politeness of his host was to put his fingers in his mouth and use his lips as a serviette; and then he again dipped his fingers into the bowl and fished out something for a less honoured guest. (Laughter.) In Abyssinia the piece de resistance was a piece of raw flesh. An ox was driven into a compound and skilfully killed. The flesh was brought into the hungry but patient guests, who used weapons of all kinds. The consumer of this delicacy would take one end of the piece of flesh in his mouth, and cut it off with the weapon he might be using. But this mode of feeding, observed Mr. Villiers, had its inconveniences, especially to those who had long noses, or when addicted to strong drink. (Laughter.) In Maori-land, New Zealand, they were very fond of the freshest and stalest kind of food. He had seen a man fishing, and when the fish was caught, it was simply transferred to a boiling spring a little behind him. Putrid sharks' flesh was a favourite dish in that country. The people would hang up pieces of this flesh until it became so decomposed that it dropped in pieces to the ground, and then it was considered in a fit state for eating. Others buried the sharks' flesh, and would disinter it according to the needs of the household. He also described a repast he had in India, and, passing on, the lecturer related his experiences in Egypt during 1882. In 1886 he was requested to follow the Servian army of Prince Alexander, of Battenberg. When he arrived in Servia, though he had been with the army only ten years previously, he found all Englishmen were simply detested, and they would not give him a pass to the front. However, his duty was to get to the front; and so, for the moment, he became an American citizen. He had as a servant an English jockey out of employment, and between them they concocted a little story. They filled a hag with coal, and the servant gave it out that his master was an American citizen interested in the Servian coal-fields. Thus they advanced to the front, always producing the coal sack whenever the slightest opposition was thrown in their way. (Laughter.) He alluded to the events which led to the war at that time; and he incidentally mentioned, to show what changes a war correspondent had to put up with, that about this time it was excessively cold, and during one week about 40 were frozen to death while on sentry duty on the Balkans. After this he was requested to go to Burmah, where it was particularly hot; and in less than three weeks he changed his temperature from 60 degrees below zero to 160 degrees in the shade. Life on a P. & O. boat was next illustrated on the screen; and the difficulties which Villiers encountered following Lord Dufferin to Mandalay were described — a journey of 12,000 miles, which was accomplished without stopping. The day after his arrival there was a great function at the palace at Mandalay, when the Viceroy received the dignitaries of Burmah, a splendid picture of which, drawn by the lecturer, was shown. Most men, said Mr. Villiers, on arriving in a fresh country, were interested to see what the ladies were like, and he was no exception to that rule. The ladies of Burmah in contour and colour were something like the Japanese ladies, and they smoked cigarettes which were at one end about 1 1/2 inches in circumference, tapering down to the other end. He caused some merriment (especially among the fair portion of his audience) by stating that these ladies had a custom which he supposed was not peculiar to that country — that was, they had a very white powder which they lodged on the surface of the face with a curious fluffy feather instrument, one of which he found in the halls of Mandalay. With this little piece of fun, the lecture terminated.
The PRESIDENT observed that it was his duty to propose a vote of thanks for the very interesting lecture to which they had listened, and he did not think he had ever heard a lecture which was so full of fact, and which was told in such an admirable way. What Mr. Villiers had described to them gave them some idea of the dangers, privations, and difficulties encountered by those whose work appeared week after week in the illustrated papers. (Applause.)
Mr. BROMHEAD, in appropriate terms, seconded the motion, which was heartily approved by the audience.
Mr. VILLIERS observed that he hardly deserved the kind things which had been said about him, and he warmly thanked those present for their kind attention.
