Our Contributors

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 475, 11 February 1881, Page 2

Our Contributors

stray thoughrs.

(CONTIUBUTKI) 15V FaIIIAN 8r.1.h)

Ono lovely morning in tlie early summer found u.s closo to the New Zealand shore. Our long- voyage of more thai) a hundred days was ended. Only once during all that time had we sighted land: the lovely inlets to the south of Stewart Island, nnd that glimpse had |wo veil as tfintiilisin r as the niira<re of the deser'

\\>v a light head wind had compclle din , c;i])tain to put 1 lie ship about an retreat from the possible dangers of tli unknown const. But now surely :r delays were at an end, for we wer actually between the Heads. On either side of us tovrred a. mas of rock, red and grey sandstone, offering a steep rugged front to the ocean, ever; crevice filled with grass and shruhs, am nli the foot a mass of line white sand ; t< the left, on a kind of natural platform was tlits pilot station ; immediately ii front, the winding , entrance of tlir harbour ; and to right and left, and fai into the interior, rose one behind tin other the, deeply-undulating, giasscovorcd hills. The excitement became intense ; the passengers of all ranks rro.vded on deck, and little, distinctions of precedence, etc, were, forgotten in the general anxiety. " Had we arrived ? Why or for whom worn we-watting ?'' "For the pilot, he lind been signalled, he was coming; here is his boat."' And a very partly individual stepped on hoard he brought with him a hinulle of latest newspapers, and a swarm of bluebottle flies; tho, former we seized with avidity, even the flies wen? welcomed : we had not soon any for so long. Nov.- that the pilot h'><l appeared we expected that all delays were ended, and that we should at once enlor the Pon; : but no. w: soon learned that tho tide woiild not serve, that we were too close to shore, that we must go further out to to wait for a s-ninl! steamer to tug us in ; accordingly the ship was put about. i:nd we prepared to wait ; a sharp shower came on, and most of us went below. These, delays wen , trying. 1 got mv j waterproof rind returned to tho deck. I ; was f.i, (no much ex'-ited to sit still or /ini.-h parking. Soen a liny steamer, with a conspidous red funnel, cauic steaming through the harijour uiouth

an-.l prepared to t >\y us in, but unfortunately tlie wind had risen, and it was blowing half a gale in our teeth. The little steamer lugged and panted. The hawser stretched and creaked, but our vessel mule no progre s, and t soon became evHent that the tug was powerless to move us in the face of such a wind : \v< j tugged hei, not sahe us. The stout pilot looked philosophical, the captain despondent, the passengers irate, as the little steamer gave up the effort, cast off' the hawser, and promising to return for us in tlie morning steamed back to tlie port; \vu dropped anchor and prepared to spend another night at sea.

We wore not a very lively company at dinner thnt clay ; a despondency seemed to have succeeded the morning's excitement. " Hope delayed maketh tlip heart sick," and our hope had been often delayed.

On deck the ship presented quite an unusual appearance : no watch was set, no man at the wheel, the sails were all close reefed, and we lay " idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean."

The morning broke fair-and warm, a lovely summer day, blue, bright, cloudless, windless. "We shall get in to day."

Once more bustle and excitement. The sailors were busy, scrubbing, cleaning, coiling down ropes. The passengers watched the different craft gliding over the smooth water, anrl in and out f f the harbor. Among them we recognised our little steamer, friend of yesterday, tugging in another ship, which drew rather Icsh water than the '• Wiltshire," and began to fear that she would not complete the task before the tide should turn. But this fear was groundless, our repented delays were at last over, and 'n due time we found ourselves slowly but surely approaching " the haven where we would be."

Again we were between the heads, the chflimel narrowed, and turned, and a most lovely view burst upon our sight : the harbor's broad mouth,blue as a lake, at the head of which, some four or five miles from us, were two rocky, wooded picturesque islands.* Here the water narrowed to the width of a few hundred foot, and spread out again beyond. To the right of the islands and almost touching one, in a sort of sheltered bay, lay the town of Port Chalmers. We could see the wooden houses and zinc roofs shine in the sunlight amid a perfect forest of masts. On either sic of us, hills, green and wooded,dipped down to the w.tier's edge, and in front between the islands, rose other hills, peak behind peak, with the water curling round their feet. Here and there in the harbor were moored 1 .rge vessels, while smaller craft glided in and out. In every 1 sheltered spot on either bank •stood a wooden cottage in the midst of its cultivated patch of brighter green, a. smiling, peaceful, prosperous scene, as well as a lovely one. We stood 01) deck feasting our eyes, and grew speechless with admiration.

Life is made up of contrasts, from the beauties of Nature to the beauties (?) of Art. The main deck was crowded with passengers, many of whom we had I scarcely seen before, and others whom we quite failed to recognise, its they had , passed from the chrysalis to the huiter- ! fly state. Such bonnets, ilowers, feaj thers, and veils ! Such glossy hats and unapproachable coats wo, had not scon for mouths ; they had been carefully hoarded in box and chest, in ordn to make a good impression on the Dunedinites and fill them with mingled awe and a. luiiration. ' Slowly we crejit over-the. sparkling waters ; we seemed to make little progress, as the sun rose to his meridian, and slowly .declined iiy the, west. The steady movement seemed strange to us after the tossing to wliich we ljiuVgrown. to a certain extent,, accustomed. At last even this slight .movement ended and Ihe vessel was securely anchored in

mid-stream—she was too larye to he moored alongside the wharf. The officer of health came on board, gave us a clean hill, and many boats followed ln's. Most of the passengers were claimed by expectant friends and hurried on shore as speedily as possible. We, however, were in no hurry, and did not leave the dear old ship that night, but merely went on shore on an exploring expedition.

How stnuiyo and delightful it, felt to tread once more on the firm earth ; no need of careful balancing, ho fear of r sudden lnrcli. One felt inclined to jump and shout aloud—or at least I did.

We went through the town of Port Chalmers, saw tho jetty lined with great ships, the railway station, the pretty stone church, two or three streets of straggling houses, and then we turned aside on to the green, unenclosed turf, so gnt-ful to eye and foot, and scram bled along the edge of the harbor. Now I knew 1 was not in England : every tree and shrub was unfjMiiiliiir tome; one .strong creeper, with trefoil leaves, both leaves and stem set thick with thorns offered a frequent obstruction to our course, catching h;iiu!.s and garments,and proving most difficult to get rid of.

" Thfit is called the lawyer,"' said a colonial friend ; '' and sue here is a lonfless variety more prickly still—tho briefless b:i rister."

We. 1.-iughed, and strove to keep out of the clutches of the. legal gentleman.

Since, then I have made an extensive acquaintance with tiwze lawyers ; they are found throughout tho New Zealand bush, and, I believe, in Australia also ; nnd 1 inns; confess that they do not improve on acquaintance.

After an hour's ramble, tlie unaccustomed exercise began to make us feel hungry, and some one suggested tea.

Never was a meal bettor appreciated— the delirious fresh butter, the new-laid vgg*i the salad. These were indeed treats to the weary mariners; we praised everything. We told talcs and laughed at our own jokes. 1 shall never forget that first tea in New Zealand. As Mark Tapley would have said, " There was no credit in being jolly under such circumstances." Who could help it? The darkness of a summer twilight was on the earth ns we entered our boat, but the full moon rising majestically over the rocks and trees at the entrance of the harbor poured a Hood of silver light over tlie beautiful scene ; the soft, warm night, the moonlight, the. peace sank into our souls ; jokes and laughter died away ; no sound hut the measured splash of the oars as we glided onwards broke the stillness.

(To be continued in our next.)