WAIROA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1605, 25 August 1874, Page 334

WAIROA.

(FnOM A CORUESPOKDEHT.) Clyde, August 19th. I notice that little has been said of Wairoa of late in your paper, and if possible! still less in either of your contemporaries, whose correspondents appear to seek in generalities, and, alas! personalities, a respite from the onus of supplying the public with news. Thinking this defect ought to be remedied, and proceeding on the broad road of independence, I will endeavor to epitomize our doings up to date, and should be happy from time to time to communicate with you, always bearing in mind that as a " penny a liner " I am venal, and am of no political creed. I don't think any " own correspondent " •ought to be,—but 0 tempora ! 0 mores ! I will begin with the punt, it has arrived, and the approaches to the river are being duly carried out by parties of telegraph men under Mr Hastings, who has succeeded Mr Staffhell as local engineer. Mr Staffhell, by .the way, was a man who was thoroughly up in his profession. Judging by the employment of fascines, &c., I imagine the work to bo difficult, owing to the nature of the soil, and cannot help thinking that the site proposed by the " few insignificant shopkeepers' of your contemporary would have been most available. I am happy to tell you of our sister settlement of Mohaka ; from a creditable Maori correspondent I am enabled to inform you that some 14,000 totara posts have been split by the natives " up the river;" that there is a quantity of totara inland equal to any demand likely to be made upon it for years, and that there is a probability of saw-mills being soon established by Messrs Routledge, Kennedy, and Co., of your port, on the banks of the river. Hence the dream of the old residents may yet be verified, notwithstanding the assertion of an adipose member of Council who said that " nobody lived at Mohaka." This sapient legislator reminds me much of an obeso tutor, who, on being asked (being a member of the Alpine Club), whether he had ever attained tho summit of Mount Blanc, said in reply that he thought it infra dig. to go there with undergrads ; they kept the secret, and he gained the kudos; and in process of time they faded out of sight, and he emerged", and descanted of the perils which he did undergo. Our roads between this and Mohaka are excellent, considering the state of the weather, and the bridlo track over the hill from Makereaho to Potutu has proved very useful during the late heavy gales. One hears nothing now of accidents on the slippery papa, houses washed away, &c.; in fact the cutting over the hill avoiding this dangerous place has been, and is so good, that many travellers prefer it to tho more expeditious routo beneath, even in fine weather. Mr Hamshar deserves any amount of credit for his careful supervision of this most important track, and the promptitude displayed by Mr Stark on tho Mohaka side is even more worthy of commendation, slips having been cleared away and bridges repaired with a celerity that speaks volumes. Abuse the Provincial Engineer as you may, he has certainly put tho right men in the right places on the road between this and Mohaka. And drawing to a conclusion, I have a congenial task, viz., to chronicle the promotion of two very and deservedly popular men, I allude to Major W. A. Richardson and Captain Carlyon, A. C, the former gentleman has been known to us for many years, and commanded us as Volunteers in the troublous times now happily over. Narrowly escaping at Waerongahika in the outset of his military career, overland from Wanganui to Mohaka, or stubbornly retiring before overwhelming odds at Te Konaki, Captain Richardson has always sustained the high reputation borne by his late brothers in arms, the lamented Fraser, Biggs, and Wilson, and wo think—-I speak for the Wairoa—that never was promotion more richly deserved or more tardily awarded. Of Captain Carlyon we know not so much, but what we know is all good ; " sanspeur ei sans reprochc " may be safely stated of him. Few among us civilians have failed to admiro Carlyon,—we all respect him. Native news meagre just at present. There has been lately manifested among many of them an absurd passion for play ; " 100 " I believe, or " euchre " being the prevailing games ; large sums of money, horses, cattle, &c, are reported to have changed hands under this new mania. I suppose it will be evanescent. The Rev. T. lluata, Hapimana Tinupaura, and hapu, are busy building a largo new house at Ruataniwha, to be a house of assembly (ivliare Jcomiii.) Toha, native chief has been very ill. Ho is to receive the New Zealand war medal.) The Fairy arrived to-day ; ho proceeds to Mahia for oil, and will probably reach your port about Saturday or Sunday. She presents quito a smart appearance since her return from Wellington, and we gladly wclcomo her back ; the uncertainty attending sailing vessels, more especially at this season of the year, having sharpened our appreciation of her qualities. Overland have arrived from Napier, Messrs Oarlile, J. Carroll, and. Banks. Mr Carroll has just returned from a lengthened visit to tho Empire City, and in his new sphere of life as licensed interpreter, intends, I believe taking up his residence in the Province, Everybody here wishes him all success, and he certainly, deserves it; besides which, a little healthy competition under the Lands Act among the interpreters will do no harm. August 20th—The M. A. Hudson has arrived, with general cargo.