OUR OPOTIKI LETTER

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 411, 19 August 1876, Page 3

OUR OPOTIKI LETTER

(fuom otjb own cobeespondent.)

The Staffa brought us a large batch of carj>enters, who are to be employed in finishing the Bank of New Zealand; the building already presents an imposing appearance. On Saturday morning last a large flock of black swans made their first appearance in the Opotiki waters ; we have had several rumours of their having been seen at Ohiwa, in times past, but they have never before appeared in this district. They are recognised as old friends by our colonists of Australian experience. I see by your issue of last Monday that the "Intelligent Vagrant" has been wandering somewhat out of his lattitude. His attempt to be funny on the Motu orderly's conduct is, apart from its inaccuracy, lamentably weak and pointless. He would do better to confine himself to acts which have come within his own personal obervation, and avoid the possibility of degenerating from an Intelligent "Vagrant to an "Ignorant Mischiefmaker." The facts of the case are these : — The camp where Sub-In-sj>ector Bennett and his road party are located, is some forty-five miles from here, on one of the worst roads in the country, being in some places three feet wide with a fall of one thousand feet at the side, in other places crossing a river eight times in a mile, in others two to three feet in depth of soft mud, and no leaving the track. These are a few of its natural features, so the Vagrant will see that the orderly could hardly take SubInspector Bennett a pound of fresh butter every day. Moreover I may inform him that the orderly only goes that way once a week, and that SubInspector Bennett and his men are subjected to privations such as would scarcely be credited; living and working hard in a region where the sun never reaches ! where it rains from seven to ten days without a break ! where food is of the coarsest and scantiest ! where they are constantly wet to the skin by the fog, rain, and i dew ! and where their clothes arc never I dried excepting in the smoke over a fire in their wretched whares in which they sleep! I wonder what moral reflection would be engendered in the mind of the Vagrant at the sight of a pound of fresh butter under such circumstances. Ido not know whether the orderly does take the pound of butter in question, if he does I should call it.an^act of great kindness on his

part; but I am sure that he does not resort : to the unpractical expedient of putting it in his pay-sheet :case. • The natives have commenced planting pototoes, and numbers of them have left= their coast settlements to come - here, , and are taking up and ' fencing in- blooks of. land on both the Otara and "Waioeka districts, . which • have been granted them by the Grovernment since • the- war/- Several strangers and visitors are also here looking out for^ suitable.- blocks for purchasing. Sawing timber has • again sprung into vigorous life, and a gang of experienced sawyers have built a large pit in the heart of one of our finest kahikatia bushes, and have laid down a tramway clear out to the road, where they deliver all descriptions of timber at 10s per 100 feet. At this price, I need not cay, that orders are pouring in upon them.