Trip Along the Mangapohue Road.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 380, 2 October 1908, Page 2

Trip Along the Mangapohue Road.

Starling from Te Anga for Hanga tiki, and a dismal looking morning it was, one reaches the Marokopa ford in about two miles, Iiel; no one attempt that ford who cannot swim ; even our i elective road overseer who has done all be can to make it passable, shivers at the prjspeot. About two miles from bore is fair road, but after that let me utter a prayer f r the safe arrival of the wayfarer that business com ' pels to use it. I should say it is ao ; important road because I continually < meet travellers. "Eow is the road ?” they would naturally ask. "Nob too bad along the portion I’ve travelled,” I’d answer. "How's your end ?” "A road, they call it, and may Heaven help you over it,” <W wou'd fervently say, while hie mud bespattered weary looking horse, alipping in ths slimy substance, would add emphasis, if any was necessary. .Getting along to the portion I could understand and sympa tbhe, for after trave”iug a little further I saw a Maori. Hanging from his shoulders was a bundle, wrapped in a clean white shawl which he supported with one hand ; with the other ' he was trying to guide his horse along . a two feet track on one side of which • was a slanting wall oil papa, the other | a drop of Bor 104eei. His horse went I down upon bis knees once or twice. ' But a young mau riding behind was : not so fortunate. His horse not being traintd to tight rope exercise got on to the papa and you wouild have thought they were shot from a catpult—how be escaped whole was a marvel. The others lee their horses go at some shocking corduroy (further back and two out of every three that came along "empty” could not manipulate that narrow guago, but would go down as if shot from a cannon. Upon passing the last, one of whom happened to be a woman, and noting lhe utter state of collapse she was io, I asked one what was wrong He told rue the first mw was carrying a child that had died through the shocking state of the road. I mentioned the Macris made this portion of the road. Elk solemn benediction on them was the " Maori.” When one thinks of that dead child, and its mother, whom mbet likely will not recover from that journey, and those horses, ‘one can see the frightful toll the people that are served by such roads must pay. And is it for ever these people must, like Israel of old exclaim that "Heaven might lift IMs great cures and let them live.”