THE EAST COAST RAILWAY ROUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 670, 22 November 1909, Page 3

THE EAST COAST RAILWAY ROUTE.

FROM IIOHAKA TO KIWI. THE STRUGGLES OF THE PIONEERS; THE UNDEVELOPED MAORI LANDS."" , ■•■ ■•■ (By Malcolm Ross, F.R.G.S.) "7 . ' ;- ;. ..'. ■"■.■• no. ill; <■.:, '.;'■'■_'-■ ; ■ Mohaka,; according to the map, is a - littlo villago within tho bounds of what the poet Bracken, and the late Mr. Seddoii. were so fend of referring to as " God's Own Country." Koverthelcss, the conclusion forced upon the stranger passing within its gates is , that in regard to that, particular portion of His doirains, the Supreme , Being,must havo been, for all time, in the position of an absentee-laud-lord. I havo seldom seen'-a more God-forsaken place. As. I. pulled up in front of the hotel there was. a great barking of dogs land some casual , scrutiny, of the stranger by tho Maori landlords and a few young villagers who wero endeavouring to kill time with a game of deckquoits. A few irioro Maori- landlords, were giving expression to their feelings in gutteral grunts, between.'drinks, in tho bar parlour. One, of them, more garrulous and friendly than tho others proceeded, to givo mo an account . oj: his experiences in the chase after Tc.Kooti, many years ago.. Ho was, partly Irish arid partly, : ;Maori—a;mixture of man that; .on\ occasions, is-very much inclined to work 'his- tongue harder than his. hands or his brains. In the former occupation my new-found friend had -been invoking the.aid of the whisky bottle, and while this had added to tho general luridness of his languago and the number of ■ unprintable adjectives : tha£ he .used, it detracted in some measure from his coherency. Nevertheless, though lie was not a very creditable example of the fusion of. the races, ho was interesting. Ho told me the story, with much picturesque detail, of how, on one-occasion, he and his Maori companions, in responso to the offer of a reward, surrounded and shot down a number of the, Hau-ha'us. ;They wero to receive so. much a .htad for each man killed. But how wero they to. prove their deed of derring-do?,- An old chief solved the problem. "Cut off their ears," ho said. No sooner said than done, and the war party returned to headquarters with their ammunition pouches stuffed full with' the ears of the rebel fanatics! How much money did you receive? I asked. "Oh, I make a fiver out of-him," ho replied, with a chuckle'.' Probably the gallant deed was not mentioned in dispatches and the "fiver". was paid' out of "'unauthorised expenditure.", . ..... ~.'. The amenities of Mqhaka not appealing particularly to me, I decided to push oh to moro hospitable, quarters; but when I camo to bargain for the means of-locomotion, I found that the' available resources- of iMohaka were not equal to the occasion.. One man said ho knew a man-who knew nnpther • man who had a horse and trap, so wo rang him up on,a broken telephone..°in: the''hotel sitting-room,' and, in all humility, began : to % bargain for. their hire j but, tho negotiations.' broke down badly before there was any mention of a price, apparently becauso there was no man in all Mohaka available to tako the horse and,trap back. -In the.end,, I was driven, to .approachtho Maori landlord?;., but my laudable desire to supplement '.the incomes- they were' deriving frpm their/European tenants was rejected with haughty -scorn. . Apparently tho Maori, landlords were too.tired; or; perhaps, it was that they were too busy—playing quoits! I; strolled along to a billiard saloon, where, there wero more members pf the landed 1 aristocracy busily engaged in ' acquiring : that costly' :but accurate proficiency with": the. cue i so, necessary to tho dignity of their position, and the proper cultivation of their -lands; At this stage I would almost have . agreed, tobuy a' Maori horse for.my journey;.but,the thought of protracted ■negotiations .in,. ro' individualisatioiy.,of title and .other matters resigned mo- to' a night in /the M»!i<ika, pub. Tho,leaguo'i arrangeuipncs for transport hui! Lrokou down. ' Tho enterprising people of Mohika; apparently, rid not' ;want-a railway, and all I could do was to possess' my Boiil : in patience and ■ wait; what the mon ow. itrd a '.liiorcif ul ■ pi ovidoiico would bring turili.:... ■ v, . ..-:■-.. ..-; : ■ •:_ But inaction in a village like Mohaka eats into.the restless soul like rust into iron, so :uiiT u bii>'f.:»v.tompt;.to v;tt> <U>nn tu. rho cheerless con-fort! of turn inn.l.started en a , journey to tho hmisc'wif ii. settler, vhetp 1 was tofd' I might..'borrow 'or ■ hira ■ a saddle ,h6rsp. ~on the.:;way;.l : encountered tho , postmistress, and,■.■.'through■ har I indly offices, I -ivas-ciiablei to siieaK to-Mrs;-D..11. Eoss,' who manages- a ,statip^,,some,,tw.enty,miles away, in ■tho.wilds-,of IfppDV. Mohaka, The use which the. settlers'. , ,. out-oMhe-way ; .places make 6f tho telephone ( is , simply. marvellous. Here i I was; talkwg ' to one', of tho'. pionecis miles away, in tho'backblocks, as clearly as, if I Bad; hcph:in- lipc\r,wn- drawihg-room. .fe Ross is a,'rcmarknblp of thoso who havo dono , more, than her share.of pioneering, and .'to whom, cqwlly. *it!i tho men pioreers, the.^prosperity.'"of •■Nowl/Kfcilaiid Is' so "lai-gely. , due... .■■ I: soon "found, tin t\ she, had as much onorgy, and more capaciti , ;, : than 1 would, have been found, in all:.tho.Moiiaka,;villagers had they he-'U v-illftl-"into one, Vi.nl ':hat slip' was keenly interested in th» project for the construction' of 'a railway, "of. much valuable and interesting\infpvhiation about the district. -The...story of the :success.;of the family in 'subduing; ■■!.the wilderness '■ in upper Mohaka - was" ilold -Vnip-^y-other people. The ..history.'' of ■■ -their. ''-■ struggles in , establishing a -.home :in; : : tho trackless upper iloluka■', is .notv.uninteresting.' The- first year, after putting in: a -lot of -. hai-d work,..':and paying, ,£BO lin rent, -the , return from their wool was only. ,£29!, Thcrff 'was riot much unearned increment , that year.- There were kiwis and w>ld pigs: oh the estate. 'Eight hundred '.of; the latter were killed '■ in three months. At first tho ; family had-to live in tents, ■ Tho building - of • a houso in'; such an out-of-the-way locality was no slight undertaking.'First of .all, asaw-pit : had: to; be established in the, forest a,mile away from the site. Trees were out down, hauled to' tho pit, and roughly sawn; intb'-boards; ■'•'Tlie sawntimber was then conveyed some distance on trollies. Then. it was sledged ; to ihe river, and. hauled across on' a- wire. Finally the fqurteen-feot-long; : ;boards ; wero taken on pack horses'to the spot - selected * for tho auilding. .It.wasnq easy: -matter: ; to pack 14,000 feet, of; such timber . over / siieh county. There, being no. roiids,-.the :wpol from :lip .station be.all sent out, on packhorses to the sea,coaet, ivhence.it"was.sent by surf-boat on'to a. small/coastal/steamer and. conveyed:to. a distant , market■ at a heavy freight rate. Gradually, the. run was-fenced and cleared, not without hardships endured and dangers encountered, such • might 'have discouraged many ; a' strong man, ..let "nlone a woman. But I have not , told half-the story. I might- add; tales . of : illness, of long,; trying journeys to oivilisation for medical aid, of a I woman under ■thp'surgeon's'knife lybg for many weeks in Va;hospital, at death's- door," after a.; major operation, : of courageous'; return'.after -convalescence to -"the bush,";of a house burned to the ground and not insured, and other incidents j but I.,think I .have said I enough—and I hope my friend will pardon me for .saying it—to show that -.'in such:- instances the so-called unearned increment has beeu dearly bought. •' But the Socialist i politician in Parliament, tho editorial theorist in his carpeted sanctum, , and the' noisy demagogue at the street corner of the. city,; with its: paveI ments, its electric lights, its tramway sen-ices, and its motor-cars and. taxi-cabs—who aro; not themselves at all over-nnxions to go iback into the wilderness—would have the increment on tho land of these plucky pioneers gifen to the State. When' one_ sees these-.; hard-working settlers, in the midst of tho discomforts, in-' eeparablo from their environment, taking their wool out through busli tracks on the.saddlos of pack-horses—getting in their':. 6uppli(!s by tho: same method—and then carting it along unmetalled roads, axle-deep in; mud, he does not. wonder that they.are believers in u free-hold land tcmire, nor does he grudge them the little . ''unearned increment" .that , nay' havo accrued. -' ;■ ■ ■.; . . ■; '■ •-■''■:■■ ■ "' •!,' ' : Hearing that I; was stranded at Mohaka and determined if necessary' to walk the' neit stage of my journey, Mrs. Boss got into communication with various people, an;l, having secured a horse and trap, arranged: that'her son should ride in tho twenty mihW to Mohokn in. the dark and pilot mo on; tho' next stupe of my journey on Sunday, morning. -It was late before young Ross: got in, And-I'did not soe him till we met at: breakfast next morning.: Wo started at an early hour, and, the weather continuing beautifully fino, wo had an excellent view of the country: Looking back wo could, note a great extent of pastoralhinds. After leaving, tho Waikari Rrver— which I had crossed ihe day before-i tho railr way line passes over some rather poor pnmico flats; but. as it goes further■;north and the prouiid risa?, the-quality of tho'soiliimprovcs; Between the Waikari and Moluika Rivers, to tlie right and eastward down !o the coast lino, there nre four smairgrazing runs and four freehold properties, comprising about ■ 2!i,000 heros'. The land is partially improved ami 'carries average about one and a half sheep to. the ncriv It is all capable.of further .dovelopmont; Here .in(i there one notes a few ploughed fields, but tho; improvements chiefly.-consist of felling aud burning scrub, and '.spwinj}. good grasses., Turnip 3 aro sometimes isovrn. with tho grass seed, and do well. On. th. otlwrside of the

railway route,,and extendiug-past the Manngaharuni Kange, there are some 60,000 acres of. ami belonging to the Crown. This land. is' M" 1 , under different' tenures in large areas, nit i fetter facilities for- getting- produce 'to market, all of. it could-lw profitably farmed in much_ smaller areas. , The Jfaungaharuru" counti'y- is .mostly, -limeetonev formation, nyith mgo limestone rocks strewn about. The region Hereabouts must have been at one time thickly populated-by. Maoris,- for there are to bo seen i ■ ■y 11, " 1118 of many ''pas," :long since ■ abandoned. .On ono huge rock, with earth andvegetation surmounting-it, the remains of the old totara palisading-of the "pa," and portions of a rude ladder by which the .Natives' ascended to their coign of vantage, are.still to be ecen. in another place, there is a cavo'in which a l ,ai : tv of 'ine famous Ureweras-the Ghurkas oi Maonland—camped preparatory to making a raid on. some rival tribesmen. On that, occasiou, hoft-ever, the war-gods were not 'propitious, and the raiders were themselves raided and taken prisoners. Mrs. Koss tells me that the Maoris havo shown her the hill-on Sir i'rancis Price's run-whero their ancestors secured th'eir .enemies and "absorbed" them. The lwsses hayo picked up on their property^.number of stone axes and two greenstone weapons, and no doubt many more will yet be found if likely- localities are systematically searched. u. 11 ,?, ".""ks of the higher ranges tho kiwi, the bell-bird, the trii, the pigeon, the parakeet, and other native birds still find a fairly safe homo in the forest. ■On both sides-of, the! Mohaka Eivor, from Kakariki to . Ngatapu; there are mineral springs.- On Maungntanawaha—the names in this region seem to be as long as tho rivers—and on runs 37 and 38, and .also on the Native lands lower down,; there are tracts, of matai, totara, and rimu forest iho land hero is of good quality, and the settiers are getting it cleared and grassed: ; Be.v°'id Epsss and Peacocks'..etations,, on ' tho north of the.Mohaka Kiver, we come again into Native land, badly farmed by the Maoris, some 20,000 acres of it carry only about 7000 sheep! . : ■,' ■:. „ •,...- ,_.■..;.. '■~-. v-v.. ■ After leaving tho Mohaka the line passes over some low flats, on the Native land, and goes on through Waihua and thence through the valley of the'Ohinapaka. On our left wti saw some of the. badly-farmed, scrubby Maori lands. We passed Glendiiining's statioii'on tho right, farther on. The property is-not at'its best, because. it is held under lease from the Maoris on short,tenure, and,. naturally, undet such conditions, the occupants cannot' be exV pected to' expend much capital improve! monts. Inland, for about forty miles, theni is a vast extent of good grazing.country. Witt a railway, and further improvement much of .this country'would carry three times , as main! sheep and cattle as it now does. At 10.20 a.m ;we. met Mr.- M.-M'Kay,.the manager.of. Kiwi station, who had come out to meet me, and I regretfully said good-byo -to voung Eoss, who • is one of those, stalwart, intelligent; young New: Zealandors- likely, to- make-this--fiiie : . country still more productive and prosperous than it is at- the present, day. My new; cicerone, , M'Kay,a : big, strong Scotsman, with a keen -eye *> for' ,stock.or : country, and.an inexhaustible,fund of shrewd common-sense; much respected in tho' 'district,; proved an equally entertaining 'and interesting companion.' When we met him ho was giving a swagger "a lift." -."The man :who despises the swagger is.a fobl;" said he. '."Some of. them are very, observant men:' I have got: many a good ti\) from a swagger .to"whom 1: have given .'a lift',.on his journey." M'Kav pointed out to me 12,000 acres that some few .years ago, under" European occupation,. shore 12,000 sheep." '■; To-day it is worked by the Maoris, and it is fast going back into, its original: wild state.- Instead of 12,000 sheep, the run carries now only about .1000,' and a;very .mixed- lot at that: The contrast' with .the freehold property owned ' by'; Mr; Chambers—through which we were now passing —is remarkable. As tho day.wore!on wo drove down through a fertile valley, in : which' the : railway works: would! be light, : - and ■ there was considerable / land, that would be suitable for dairy-farming. Turning off to the. right, wo entered a short branch valleyi.and I found my,sqlf:at the Kiwi station' homestead. - -'. ■