TRIP OVERLAND FROM WANGANUI TOTAURANGA.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 13, 1 April 1867, Page 76

TRIP OVERLAND FROM WANGANUI TOTAURANGA.

; . (Now Zealand Advertiser.) Thuottg-h the courtesy, of Mr Donoven, who, in company with Mr Holt,.of the Defence Office, and Mr Hector, a surveyor, has .performed the jourpey . through the interior from the west to the east coast, we:are' enable tor giro; the ; followingsumm ary, of this interesting .trip:—The party left Wanganui', pt 10 o’clock on'the 27th of January,'and went to Lon» don, sixty, miles distant jpp, the .'river,; in canoes, with some chiefs who hiad come down with the Governor and ’who had agreed to act as guides. They occupied two days and a-half in going to London, there being a heavy fresh in the-river. On the Ist of February 1 they started at daylight to walk through sixty miles of bush, having to 1 carry provisions, blankets, &c. Horses, are, sometimes taken: through the hush, hut in con sequence .of the difficult nature of the country they are useless as beasts of burden, and so were dispensed with. Steep inclines 35 degrees, had to he mounted/ over- roots, and slipping through clay and mud, so. that the-excur-sionists had constantly to employ their hands in aiding their ascent. Descents of equal steepnesss had to be gone down; but the three gentleman were bent oh getting through, and were hot to be deterred by the difficulties in their way; It took them two days and a half to get over this part of their journey sleeping at: night in the open bush. The course taken by the party was about E. by NY, in which directionthe spars of the hills run. The Maoris, five of whom were employed in carrying the swags, and who had some things of their own that they had bought in Wanganui, often showed signs of fatague, and took frequent rests. They also displayed the usual propensity of afl. dark people’in constant demands for presents .(“ buksheesh.” elsewhere), although it was expressly understood before the start tliat the party were to go as guests, for the purpose-of looking at the land. , On Sunday, the 3rd of February, at about' 11 o’clock in the morning, they emerged from the bush, and saw before them an immense extent of plains, on which a bright sun was Bhining down. About fifteen miles distant was the gigantic Tongariro, and beside it Kuapeka, whose summits -are covered with eternal snows. On reaching the open they rested -for a couple of hours, it being the same place at which Sir George Grey and his party stopped before entering the bush At five o’clock in the evening they arrived at Karioi, which our informant describes as “ two huts and a puddle,” and here an immense amount of tangi-ing went on between the returning Maoris and the residents. Here again the natives strove to drive hard bargains, and insisted that five shillings a day should be paid for each horse, which, as the country was now open, the party endeavored to obtain. Two of the party determined to walk the distance, and on the 4th, at 2 o’clock, all started. About eight or ten miles from Karioi they stopped, having learned that from there to the next 6tage, a distance of twelve miles would have to be passed without wood or water, so they resolved to camp for the night. There they met a Maori, who joined the party. He was driving horses, but refused to hire them even at five shillings a day, and the excursionists were much disgusted. Later in the eveniug, however, they found occasion to alter their opinion, as the stranger, when spoken to about land, said that he had some but it was not good, and they felt pleased at his honesty. He also acknowledged that he was a Hau-hau, and not a Queen’s native. About this time the party found that they were running short of prov sions, and then learned that their Maori companions had been stealing both biscuit and damper, from the beginning, having hone of their own. About 11 o’clock on the sth they came to a small desert of stone and sand, about seven or eight miles in extent; The Wangaehu river runs through it, the waters of which contain large quantities of alum and sulphur in solution, and is undrinkable. In this desert, also is the sbiirce of the Waikato river, which springs from the ground within about two yards of the Wangaehu, there being only a rock between them. While the one is .so unpalatable the other is deliciously pure and transparent, and was much appreciated by the travellers.- Athalf-past six in the evening they arrived within eight; or nine miles of Eotoasra, a village on the batiks of a small lake of the same name, having walked about thirty miles that day, over prairie land very much resembling the Canterbury plains though not so rich. They are well watered, but the- soil, which is; light, appeared very dry, the sub-soil being pumice-, stone. The surface soil varies from ten to eighteen inches in depth, and those of the party who were much acquainted with such matters, expressed an opinion that the land was very good : for sheep-farming, and ■vyould carry about ;one sheep to four acres, or more if laid’ down in English grasses. .

During this day the course had been along the foot of Tongariro about N.E. by E. Arrived at 11 a.m. on the 6th at Rotoaery, having walkedt .welve miles from last encampment. The place as a regular nest of ITau-hauism, and the woman’s lips were noticed-‘to be alleore through, repent tattooing; a process whioh it is supposed they undergo in confirmation of their - adherence - to • their 1 -new tenets; Started again after a .four-hours rest and went to Tokohana, arriving at half-past 6 p.m., having past over a range of' hills which is, not given .in,. ;the latest maps. Tokohana iB at the extreme S.W. end of Lake Taupo, and is -Ml of hot springs, in which the natiy es do all : their: jcooking and washing. ! 1

On. the Bth arrived at .Tauranga, a place on the shores of Lake. Taupo, about ten .miles from Tokohana. The country about here is described rocky. Next morning, started for Motutere the kainga of Aperahama, one of the guides, and here they had‘ the first heavy, rain since they started., ; Here: they remained for three days, and found the .land about very poor ‘and not‘capable of-carrying more than one sheep to . twenty acres. On the 15th they reached Hamaria, the ohief of which, place; was anxious, to show them land which he was willing to let them, but afterwards objected ; and it appears that all the natives in that part’ ‘of the country were bound by an agreement with a committee of Napier people to ’consult them before doing anything- with the land. Rode next day to to. Tepuaeharuru, a distance of about-15 milesj which' is at the extremity of the Lake’, from Tokohana, and at which.the 'Waikato river takes it's exit fi’bm' the Lake. The chief of place, Pohipi, is. with tlie Governor in the South. At Oruanui, which lies about twelve miles in a direct line from Taupo, they fell in with Mr Auckland’s cattle and stockdrivers, who had been prevented, from going on to the run. at Matamata. There a pig was killed, and a great feast institnted in honor of the arrival of the party. In the houses were tables and chairs, knives and forks, spoons, and all the little adjuncts -of an European’s habitation, the natives being evidently desirous of doing the thing A Vanglaise. Hopena, the chief, engaged-to take the party on to Tauranga. Left Oruanui at 3 p.m. and arrived at Orakokorako at 6'30 p.m. on the 16th, where they rested till next day and then rode on towards Rotorua, passing over some of the best pastoral land to be found in New Zealand. Reached Rotokakahia Lake at 5 p.m., and in two hours after got to Tarawera, where the Rev. Mr Spence, the missionary, lives. At Orakokorako there was a fanatic named Brown, who threatened in the presence of the guide to kill the pakehas, if he could get a chance; but the guide one of Hohepa’s men, said that whatever he did to the pakehas he must also do to him (the guide). 1 For a time they felt anxious lest this fellow should attempt to impede their further progress, but he did not do so, contenting himself with asseverating that if other white people came that way he would “do for them.” From Oruanui to Orakokoraka the distance is about fifteen miles, and from the latter place to Terawera between thirty and thirty-five miles. On the 18th, breakfasted at the Rev. Mr Spence’s, and remained there some days,-visiting the various places to be seen in tlie neighborhood. They then started for Tauranga, which they reached on the 23rd, after a long and circuitous ride, in consequence of the regular road being impassable. At Oruanui, Captain Holt succeeded in leasing a run of 40,000 acres of capital land capable of carrying 15,000 sheep now, and when laid down in English grasses able to feed some 80,000.