KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 443, 28 February 1912, Page 5

KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

Own Correspondent. Heavy rains have fallen from the 15th to the 24th inst., and as a result of these and the warm weather experienced of late there is quite a rush of green feed. When the history of the coast comes to be written up by some competent [jpn, one may expect a few interesting pictures of real life. Some of the characters one sees during a few years' backblocking simply beggar romance. One runs across the odds and ends, particularly the odds in the bush, and the experiences gained by contact with them are sometimes weird and ridiculous. I remember a fishing experience, a few years ago, which happened at Marokopa heads. Half a dozen or so flaxmill hands became tired of living on 'tinned dog' and decided on going fishing. They loaned the company's flat-bottomed punt and floated her over the bar on the last of the tide, and came to anchor just out of the swirl of the outward current, and soon were hauling fish in. Then something happened. The anchor rope became suddenly short, as a breaker raced towards it, and the end of the boat pitched up, throwing the crew in a profane heap on the fish, and then over the side. A native cut the anchor rope with his sheath knife, and the crew struck out for the shore which they reached in an exhausted condition minus a couple of sets of false teeth, watches, tobacco, some fishing tackle, knives, and other gear. News of the disaster had already been carried up to the mill by a native who "happened" along, and the company's launch came tearing down the river with half a case of that which cheers and sometimes intoxicates. This specific being greatly esteemed for rubbing on "the inside" in the case of cramps and other internal complaints too numerous to mention. The punt, escorted by a regiment of dead fish, came floating up the river on the incoming tide, and laughing native children, wading in the river, pushed up the fish and carried them ashore in green fiax baskets, which the old natives know so well how to make. Mr Carpenter, the To Kuiti representative of Dalgety and Co., was through the district a few days ago.