AKAROA, OR THE HAPPY VALLEY

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 652, 13 October 1882, Page 2

AKAROA, OR THE HAPPY VALLEY

CItAPt'KR IF,

Tho outskirts of the town are charming. Descending a lull, you pass a residence snugly embowered amongst trees, called Maizefields, no doui>t from the fact that Indian corn was originally grown there. Thence by the Bay of the Children the traveller enters the town. As you go in, the Celestial gardens, in which are cultivated the rarest fruits and vegetables, are on one side, and on the other is the first resting-place of the Wake-earlys. Refreshing myself at this place, I learnt th.it some member of the family had|once been known to be up by daylight, and this was considered such a remarkable fact, that they had gained the cognomen Wakeearly. Very pleasant was the shady street in the evening sunlight, with creeks running under cool a-ches, and quaint shops, whose owners placidly contemplated their wares. Reading the names on these shops, I became aware of a remarkable fact, which was, that the town was not inhabited by one race, but was composed of persons from part <>t fbe world. Here an nlmond eyed son of China calmly watched the growth of his vegetables, and near this rnpres'-ntativ<3 of Asia a swarthy African (who. no doubt, had weathered many a storm in his gallant craft, for his name was Captain West and he looked used to vast nv.sses of liquid) played on a primitive musical instrument. As to Euiope, every nation seemed to Inve sent its representatives. The gay Frenchman laughed merrily as hi?; grapes swell* d in the hud, on the vines that covered his quaint cottige. with i(s wooden ensements ; the dark Italian praised the merits of his wares ; ihe Russian, the Greek, the German, the S aniard, all were there ; and in a quaint hostelry, covered outside with great yellow roses, and inside with the clinging ivy. dwelt tho children of the sunny isle of Madeira, and sold that delicious wine that bears the same name. The great city of London was represented by a large store, facetiously called the Bil'en store, because they occasionallj' sent out accounts ; and the quick temper of the Irishman who was one of the blacksmiths was well shown by his forge being called the O'lliley forge, I presume from the fact that, like most of his countrymen, he was easily riled. In a hou-e fittingly known as "Brtice's" dwelt the representative of Ca'edonia, a kindly Scot, who loved his native land, and was the master Mason of the town. One of the resting-places was ai the west end of the town, hence called West's, and here the Australian Colonies were represented by the proprietor, who, we presume from his habit of entertaining distinguished guests, was called the Chamberlain. One very numerous family there were, so numerous, indeed, that it was difficult for a stranger to tell the relationship one bore to the other, so that the question " What kin ? " ►■rcame their appellation. The vendor of cooling summer drinks was called Citron, after the delicious fruit which flivored some of his beverages : and opposite his humble dwelling was the proud abode of riches, the Criterion of the taste of the town. One strange thing struck me as very remarkable, and, I must say, gave me a bad idoa of the commercial importance of the place—there was not a single Hebrew amongst all its vast variety of inhabitants !

The public building-? were numerous and remarkable. The principal was of cour.se that one where the City Fathers met to arrange the affairs of the municipality. It was fittingly situated in a remote locality, far from the busy haunts of men so that the tinrmur of the waves alone might distract the contemplation of the representatives of! the burgesses. Here were the archives of the city stored. Amongst them was a imp, the immense value of which [ should never have guessed from its appearance ; and the furniture I should not have considered nearly as costly as I was toll! it was, but no donht tftis latter was much enhanced through coming into personal contact with the illustrious councillors. The chief man of the town being the first man in it, was appropriately termed Adam, and controlled the actions of the Council and occupied the principal seat in this chamber. The Palace of Justice was a nmst imposing structure. Here the disputes of the burgesses w:;ro settled by a gentleman called the '■ Ah-r hem." from tiio preliminary cleaving or his thro.tt hi'i'oro delivering judgment. The guardians of i.i.v.' (Hi i order wore, in 'lie near vi-.-inity, and the colliers in which the surplus coin of the county was encased, ami hero a;w> was t.lse temple of outer new.-;, whence every day the doings of the outer world were spread. Despite their usual

self-absorption, content, and contempt for til<3 muddy strngglers on the streets of life, the Aoriikims still take a great interest in those less fortnn to than themselves, ;snd hours before the M'lin machine that brought tlio tidings was like'y to arrive, groups illicit be seen winding their way to this Intelligence Bureau A robust, j unity walk, with a little roll in it, proclaimed the advent of the comm.indant of the naval forces, " the Admiral ;"' and the master of the harbour generally drove up haughtily in the ou ! y private carriage in the town. But the most pleasing sight was the bnvy of girls that ahvays assembled. Tneir rosy, upturned faces as they asked for the mails (after the fashion of their kind) were indeed a pleasing sight, not easily forgotten, for they were the healthy, hinpy faces of in-udeiiH whos« life in the V-illey of Rest had been one long see c of tranquil happiness. Two great halh were at the disposal of the public ior purposes of amusement. The one where funny artists rendered their merriments was appropriately called the Hall of the Odd Fellows, and was humorously called the hall in "Jolly" street ; and the other, which was principally used for muetings and auctions in the daytime, was spoken of as the Duy Hall. Such weie soma of the institutions of the mysterious place that seemed to me so different from all other places I had hitherto seen, that every investigation filled me with astonishment.