LETTER No. 1.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 109, 24 April 1863, Page 3

LETTER No. 1.

Being a true and unvarnished narrative of the incidents and adventures which befel a trustworthy, truthful, and veracious traveller in his journey ings and discoveries in the unknown regions ofHawke's Bay. Dear Sir, —For a person of my retiring habit and great diffidence of character to take up a pen and indite a letter to the Editor of a public journal, and that journal, too, one the celebrity of which has reached the farthest ends of the known world, and which journal is specially honored by the distinguished patronage of His Most Gracious Majesty King Potatoe, and yet further is particularly appreciated and read by the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Herald, who affirms in private circles that it is so much better than his own little affair in the same line that he derives great gratification from the perusal of its columns, —shows at once that something of extraordinary and surpassing interest is afoot. That something of extraordinary interest is afoot and will, through the medium of your delight in the diffusion of useful and entertaining knowledge, presently come to print, is apparent to all those who who have the supreme satisfaction of reading your paper.

It so fell out tliat I fell in with the exciting narrative of the marvellous travels and discoveries of that greatest of modern travellers Dr. Livingstone, and that in consequence of the perusal of that voluminous and entertaining work (which, by the way, occupied me six months good hard reading), I became worked into such fervid desire to emulate the doings of that renowned and plucky missionary that, on the day of , in the year of grace 1863, I made my will, in a special codicil to which I bequeathed to His Honor the Superintendent a file of your paper and my blessing ; the first article of the bequest being intended to afford that high functionary a little salutary advice, and the second to secure him wisdom to appreciate and enjoy it. Having performed this needful duty to myself and to the rest of society, on the day aforesaid I packed up a sufficiency of traps, strapped them on the trusty back of my celebrated nag “ Tobias,” and having bid farewell to my peaceful home I committed myself to the saddle ; and, not however, without great misgivings as to the result of my endeavors, I started upon that journey the accomplishment of which in safety and without loss at once entitles me to rank amongst the first travellers of the age. Even my favorite sow “ Betty,” a wonderfully learned and sagacious pig, seemed, when I gave her a parting dish of milk, to share with my faithful dog “ Petro” the feeling of apprehension, and was distinctly heard, between the grunts of satist faction, attesting her appreciation of the re- > freshment before her, to express an opinion to the effect that it was exceedingly doubtful whether I should, in passing through so many and great dangers, succeed in “ saving my bacon !” Encouraged, however, notwithstanding

this ill-omened prelude, by the example of the great Dr. before mentioned, and bein o, further stimulated by the feeling that the profound ignorance which pervades the public mind, and more particularly with the outer darkness which obscures the mental vision of the Provincial Council, as to the exact geographical position and general nature of the country lying between the Port of Ahuriri and the Port of Wairoa, both in Hawke’s Bay, called for any sacrifice on my part to clear up the mystery, I turned the noble head of my swift and gallant “ Tobias” in the required direction, viz., North.

I shall not stop to particularise or specially note all the remarkable incidents which befel me before I emerged upon the terra incognita to obtain some information about which led me to abandon my retired and quiet life, and which lies northward beyond the far-famed and mighty city of Napier. Nor shall I devote paper at this time to a description of that great metropolis of Hawke’s Bay, which, as everybody knows, ranks in importance with London, Paris, Vienna, and Rome, and is only rivalled by the neighbouring city of Clive ; but I shall at once enter upon the description of those unknown but highly interesting regions which lie embosomed in the far distant mountains, and are washed by the farspreading waters of Hawke’s Bay. After journeying on for many a weary mile over the dilapidated remains of the great East Coast Military Road, which vast undertaking was began, I gather from the traditions of the Natives, in the reign of the great and wise King Fitz Gerald the First, who flourished about the year One of the Hegira of the Province of Hawke’s Bay, I came at last, in the gloaming of a glorious autumn day to a peaceful and secluded valley, watered by a quiet, merry little river, and shaded in parts by some splendid specimens of the “ Weeping Willow.” Here at last, after even at the outset of my journey undergone incredible hardships, and suffered the most extraordinary privations, not having tasted a drop of “ sack” for more than ten mortal and prolonged hours, I found a comfortable and hearty welcome to good and homely fare in the house of mine host of the “ Glencoe Inn.” Thus far, sir, have I got, way-worn and weary, and as it seems to mo just probable that by this time, also, your worthy and esteemed self is in a like condition, I shall postpone the recital of my further adventures until a future day. I am, &c.. The Modern Mercury.