TRAVELLING IN THE BAY OF PLENTY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 176, 13 May 1874, Page 3

TRAVELLING IN THE BAY OF PLENTY.

The Rambling Reporter of the Hawke's Hay Herald writes as follows regarding ; W H A K A TAN is. The settlement of Wlmkatane consists of a store and public-house, a Mho i pa, and tho remains of a deserted military station. All these are jammed in a narrow space, a sort of beach between high hills and the river, nearly at tho mouth of which the place is situated Perched on top of a very 1 hill, immediately in the rear of the township, there is a redoubt, almost inaccessible, and in this trow’s neat during the war u body of tho colonial forces was stationed, but not till after Te Eooti had made a descent on tho settlement, killed settlers, and burnt their houses. During the To Kooti troubles, Mr Simpkins, the obliging host of tho hotel, and one of the oldest settlors in tho colony, had a narrow escape of his life. Anticipating a visit from Te Kooti, Mr Simpkins, together with his wife and children, removed all tho boats and eanoes from the settlement, and made themselves as snug aa they could in tho open air, on a tiny little sandy island in the river. Hero they threw up a small bank, and awaited the approach of the enemy. Te Kooti was not long coming. He and his followers got gloriously drunk, and amused themselves in shooting at tho fugitives on the island, and not succeeding in killing anyone, they burnt down all tho houses, thereby entailing on *Mr Simpkins a loss of over £IOOO. ON THE BOAD AGAIN. Arrived at Whakatane, we purposed tiding to Tauranga, a distance of sixty miles, but wo found that did we do so wo should bo too late to catch the coach, and being anxious to reach Napier, wo resolved to take advantage of tho opportunity presenting itself of going by boat to To Teko, and from thence through tho Tvaingaroa plains to Opepe. We reached To Tcko Native Contingent station, where wo were most hospitably received by Captain Bluett. Te Toko is situated on a largo plain, on the left bank of the Rangitaiko river, and about twentyfive miles from its mouth. Tho plain which follows the coast a long distance extends inland to Mount Edgecumbe, and is bounded inland by well shaped hills.

The whole of this country may be said to bo unoccupied, with of course the exception of a few patches cultivated by the natives. The reason is stated to be partly the fault of the General Govern men t who, in the first instance confiscated the land, and having granted some of it to military settlers, returned large and detached portions to the natives. The consequence is no large blocks of country could now be acquired without a great deal of trouble, and without the inducement was held out to settlers that good sized runs could bo obtained, no one with capital would desire to occupy land so remotely situated. Again, the few settlers who have located themselves in this part of the Bay of Plenty do not appear to be of a very enterprising pushing character, nor do they seem to be anxious to promote the settlement of the country. It was noticeable that the native difficulty was very prominently brought forward whenever the conversation turned upon settlement, and it may be presumed that this same native difficulty is somewhat magnified to keep outsiders from poaching. Any way, there is a vast extent of country in the hands of the Crown, entirely unoccupied, and that which would support an immense population is allowed to lie idle.