WAIROA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 283, 26 June 1865, Page 2

WAIROA.

{From our own Correspondent.) Anything, even another visitation from the hau hau, would be a relief to the unmitigated dulness of our present existence. The weather persists in keeping fine—day after day, as though the clerk had taken a contract to supply sunshine for a given period. Any interest that ever attached to the mysterious proceedings of Government officers has long since yielded to the “familiarity which breeds .” Surveys, road-ways, and all other ways, have palled upon the sense, and the presence of a boundary peg in the centre of your sitting room is regarded with (contended apathy. Even the every other Wednesday’s drill, calling the awkward squad to listen for two cold hours to a dissertation on rifle practice and the importance of the goose steps does not excite great enthusiasm. Like Sir Charles Coldstream, we are “ used up.” Thefactis themouthofthe river is bad, or the swell on the bar is heavy, and the swells in the bar are dry in consequence, out of toddy, out of tallow. Occasionally a dirty maori in a dirtier mat, ready to take advantage of the opportunity, may be seen prowling with meaning grin on his countenance in the neighborhood of an exhausted public house, and, if successful in catching the attention of any spiritless looking pakeha, asks, “ Have you no shilling.” Astonished pakeha is relieved from difficult enquiry by dirty maori producing neck of bottle from under dirtier mat, and, to save - useless discussion, lifting his hand to his mouth in significant pantomine of, taking a “ nobbier.” If pakeha be insane enough to

make trial, he will partake of a- compound.' whereof water, is the basis and -containing, “rum* a trace. And such is the wretched state* of that muit be endured until some vessel shall take pity and run the blockade of breakers, and, in the absence of real, provide us the means of artificial excitement. d A.nd now for a civil growl! The river isn’t a bad river, as a river. All that is needed nine times out of ten, is for some one, upon the appearance of a vessel, to be at hand to. point oat the practicable entrance. Some one signing himself “ Nauticus” wrote to the Herald, that Capt. Deck of the St, Hilda, -had made, arrangements, or done something about “ communicating.” Nobody here knows any thing about it, and it doesn’t matter. Probably he has been already Deck-oaated by the Superintendent for signal services. A rumour says that Toha has been appointed pilot, which Toha himself confirms, and there is, I believe, a boat in his use. That gentleman, however, infinitely prefers shepherding. The disgusting part of the business is, that not only does the river get a bad name, hut actual loss occurs. The other day the Lady Bird schooner (which, by the way. being a Maori vessel should be a subject of interest in official eyes) could have entered the river with ease, had any one been on the beach to signal her. As it was, to those on board the bar looked threatening, so they made for Long Point ; owing to the heavy weather she couldn’t manage it, carried away her tine stay and jib sheets, and is now lying on the beach opposite old Ihaka’s house at Te Mahia.