A TRIP TO OHIWA.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 39, 15 January 1873, Page 3

A TRIP TO OHIWA.

TO THE EBITQK. j 'SIR,-~lt may I).? interesting to some of jour renders to kno%v the cause of the lon3 absence of the little 6l«amer Southern Crocs last week from , yr,ur port. A-., a pasacnger-by her, I venture to oiler you a brief account of our voyage to Ohiwa land b&ek. I baro made uso of tbo application **' Jifct-le stealer," bec-auso I coiieider her wholly inadequate, in both -'ieeornmodation and carrying " capacity, for tho important and increasing trafuc now taking piace between Auckland and your port, besides being ill -adapted, for tho extension of jour trade to moro eouluurly porta, owing to her great draft of water. _ But »o our voyage. We steamed out of your fcarboiir at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, ostensibly lor Opotikt; but as th« steamer draws too much water excepting under very favourable circumstances—a high tide and smooth water—ehe invariably put* into Obiwa, a harbour eight miles this aide of Opotiki. On the present a heavy easterly e well was setting in, so ihat we made straight lor Ohiwa,, where we arrived at 2 I p.m. Wo experienced bead winds and slight j rum. Atj we entered the channel, which ia straight j but narrow, the rolling oca was breaking h. avily jon each side of ua. Xhe lead, which was kept j goxog. sounded nothing short of Quarter less three,

! which, to those* unaccustomed to - moans simply 10 J feet depth of water on thebar. Landed passengers ana gootU during a misrHug ram upon what might well bo termed a most inhospitable looking sand beach, having only ono or two rnupo vrhnres for the accommodation of the Maori ferryman, this being the highway for travellers from Opotiki northwards towards lauranga, tho crossing hero by water being about 800 yards wide. Tho appearance of bad -weather setting in induced our captain to defer starting that day. XUo barometer full suddenly to 28-76, which indicated very stormy weather somewhere near ; gave out chain and made snug for the night, lb blew strong all night, and next day the sea rolled in over the bar and sand banks mountains high, with ram. Thts following day wiud slightly abated, but no vessel could face tho sea rolling in, so that some of us took a stroll on shore to view the district, A native pa or settlement is situated on tho top of a hill overlooking the harbour, said to contain about 150 native of all ages, with some small cultivations. At. one period considerable quantitits of superior wheat was grown in this district, but since tho war their cultivations in that respect have not been renewed, Tho country looks uninviting for Europeans, but I am told there are some fine rich plain* a little way inland. Passengers proceed oa horseback to Opotiki, and carta convey goods along the sandy beach. W hile on shore we met many natives travelling, some from Opotiki, who informed us of the total wreck of the cutter Hh'za on the day previous, as she was entering the harbour of Opotiki. Tho rollers took and turned her over and over several times, or rather *'whomboled" her over, us, according to nr.Ltve description, she must have gone head over- heels fashion. Two men iorming the crew got pitchforked somewhat miraculously upon the sand banks, and were saved. a total wreck. Tho sea having moderated during tho night, steam was got up this Friday morning at half-past three, with still a rolling swell. 'Whib it was not fiuillc.iont.ly daylight to motion to the steersman, tho captain, wit.ti his sonorous voice, had to keep singing out starboard, steady, port, hard-a-port, steady ; while tho leadsman sung out three lathoms, halt two, two quarter less two, half two, two quarter less two, half two, half throe, quarter less five. "That will do the lead," and we were agnin at sea. Our worthy captain, who looked all the world as if he had the responsibility of an 84 under his foot, now looked pleasant, aud positively smiled for tho iirst time for the last three days. I write this while parsing Whale Island, with the Kurima rocks close by—said by tho New Zealand institute to be famed as a fishing ground. We put out our lines, but could not get a bite. White Island is visible in tho distance. Motiti appears ahead—a rich, fertile island, at one time the abode of thousands of natives ; now, almost tho sole abode of ono wealthy individual, who no doubt will eoine day share hia fortunes with some fair one. J'he view of the coast. a># we pass along is the weather is delightful, the little Southern Cross steams ahead agairißl the wind splendidly, and altogether I have enjoyed my trip amazingly, recommending others to a similar voyage.—l am, &c, JJ.Q-.