UP THE MANAWATU RIVER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 76, 23 May 1879, Page 2

UP THE MANAWATU RIVER.

*vii* ix Tile osruKV,

(By our Special Reporter.) At the last meeting of the Harbor Board that body reedited a letter from the masters of ¥ essels Wading here" relatifd to certain^ snags in the river, and Messrs Gray (chair* mm), Thynne, and Cook Were appointed a committee to examine them, and arrange about removing the obstructions. Ac* cordingly the services of the p.s. Oaproy Were obtained, and on Tuesday momiug last the steamer started on a trip up the river, the party consisting of the gentlemen named übove, one or two outsiders, and a representative of this journal. The Ospfejf dast off the Wharf at 10.15 a.m., tho_ weather at the time looking rather threatening, and suggesting the desirability of having top coats within reach. After being detained at tha ferry while the punt was crossing/till the wire was lowered, the steamer made a fresh start, and very* soon passed the

VIItST AND SECOND S.VAO3, J \rhioh are situated in mid channel, a little above the Wire. The first is the large snag whiph has been there fora number of years. It is only covered at high water, and, ia dangerous for night navigation.' The aecondj a smaller one, is situated more to the western bank, and is not so higb out of the water, but is more dangerous than the large one. The next snag which it is considered should be removed is sunk ii the bend near the willows (some distance above the ferry), and is the one on which the Osprey struck last Good Friday. On the way up the river, in the bight above Mr Charles Collins house, is the new fellmongery establishment lately started" by Dean and Co., and the- men could be seen from the steamer busily employed in washing wool, &c. Passing along, on the right hand side, opposite WintersgiU's, is a piece of fine level land,which hasTecehtly been leased from the natives by Mr Thos. Robinsoi. It comprises about 80 acres, and is in the shape of a half circle, facing the river, and bounded at the back by a chain of sandhills. A comfortable cottage has been erected on the land, When this section is cleared and drained, it will become very valuable for agricultural purposes. Nothing more of importance id observed until Wirokino is reached—except at various intervals enormous drains (several feet deep, and in some cases extending for miles) may be seen opening into the river. Prom the wharf to Wirokino the conformation of the country presents the same appearance— sandy banks, and swampy country, with plenty of flax and raupo. The steamer made Wirokino in a little more than an hour, against a strong ebb tide, which was considered very good york. Mr Davis' house is placed on sou o high ground, facing the river, and is partly surrounded by trees. Wirokino is situate! just at the entrauou to the Long Beach : and here the aspect of the country changes. The sand now disappears, and on either side bush appear* some little distance from the banks. As you open up the reach, A GRAND VIEW BURSTS VVOS THE EYE of the beholder. The Long Baach is a magnificent stretch of water, about two miles in length, exactly straight, with the water washing grassy banks on either side. At the head of the reach, where the rivnr turns, the bush-covered ranges of the Tararua Mountains rise up in great grandeur. Just past Mr Davis' s hou.se, on the southern bank, there are a beautiful row of willows planted, which hang over into the river, and remind one very much of the Hiver Avon, in Christohurch, where it sweeps under the overhanging willows in the Acclimatization Grounds. At the beginning of the willows is where the proposed railway bridaro will be placed, and for which soundings have lately been taken, the Hue then going in a straight line to Foxton. On the bank here m.iy be seen the remains of a pleasure boat jvhich formerly belonged to Mr Cook. Twelve years ago an accident happened to it, and tha boat was pulled ashore and left where it now lies— to rot away. This part is very appropriately named " Willow Dank." ,In the Long Reach there is deep, clear water, and it ia utterly devoid of any snags or obstructions whatever. At about noon, the atmosphere, which had been rather obscured, became cloar, anrl the sun shone out very warmly — in fact, almost too much sc, for comfort. The wind, which had been light ahead, now veered round to light fair. This had the effect of causing the firjs not to draw so well, and the vessel's progress was somewhat retarded. Advantage was taken, under these cirourastauces, to remove the clinkers from the furnace. At this point, the

STEWARD HANG THE DISNEU HELL, which was a most welcome sound to the people on board. During the last hour, one of the members of the , Committee, who has been rendered famous in newspaper history by the seraphic smile that irradiatrfs hi.* face, had beeu haunting the cook's galley, and appeared most anxious that, the culinary department should bo prepsrly attended to. even going so far as to wash the potatoes himself. As may be imagined, he was not the last to disappear down the saloon steps when the dinner avjs called. " The oaptain had previously remarked, *• G-entlemeu, I think we had better have dinuer on deck :" but this arrangement was upset through the haste displayed by the gentleman referred to to gain the table. As " your reporter " had had no breakfast, it will Ireqif ire i no stretch of imagination to believe that he was not far away when dinner was served. While the viands served up were not in any way delicate or rare, still they >yore very substantial, and were heartily appreciated. To resume. About half way up the Long Beach, the native village of I oroutawhao lies four miles in a straight line. At the end of Long Reach the bush begins to appear on the banks, and the river then winds its way round some pretty bends, the land being of the very finest description. In a small reach past the long one there is a nasty lot of snags which require , removing. The next place of interest is'

BLACK HAM'S POINT,

situated about two miles below the Paiaki.

This point is named from rather a ny=lan»-it, choly incident. Some 30 yeaw ago, a negro "\ who had been working with some sawyt^fti / up the river, was comiag down in v oanoa " by. himself, when it is supposed that the canoe upset, and the unfortunate man's body wa* discovered on tho bank at the point, and buried under the willow tree which stands there at the present time. Just above this, on the right hand side.rines some tableland, covered with splendid bush, Which follows the course of the ranges down to Horowhenui. At this point the furfchor examirnti jn of the rivor in

the steamer was most rudely brought to a olo9e. Everything was going on as " merry as a marriage bell," — the passengers were by the wheelhouse admiring the scenery, and the worthy Chairman of the Boa i-d looking out fo 1 * snags, and .your " special " hearing the history of thj point, when, a sudden change was observed to wme over the Chairman's faoe, and »n angelic laugh wan heard from another quarter, and then it was realised by those on bourl that the vessel had touched on the

point. All hands were ordered aft, and soundings taken, the captain remaining quite calm and collected. The soundings revealed the fact that the steamer was

aground amidships, with plenty of water aft. A kedge was quiokly got out, and ' endeavor* Were made; to pull her off without atail, the anchor coming home. A similar ; , result followed an attempt made for'ard. , As it was evident there was no prospect of her coming off till next flood, two of the Board, accompanied by Captain Gibson and ' your special, were landed, and walked along,., the river bank about half a mile to see the ' last snugs between the mill and the wharf that require removing. Jhe first were p, ( heap of three or four lying, right in "njul, channel, and are below the surface at high' water. Thete were the most dangerousT examined, and they decidedly require . „ removing. About 100 yards above these r in the Parikawau Beach, lies f h,e * ' '.

FAMOUS TANIWHA BNAG, a few facts concerning which may prove : interesting, as it- introduces thesupenir* ' tioiiß character of the Maoris. ' The snag is i s'l believed by the natives to be the limb of a tree from which a large canoe was made at Okatiti («ome fonr miles south of the bar) , c > and many years ago by some means was taken up the Manawutu, and deposited in its present position. A moat singular fact about this snag is, {that no matter how high the river is, by reaion of freshes or tide— or how low -the top of the snag, is always flouting calmly oil the surface", also, ' ! ' •' that the head h sometimes oat in the ohan- 1 . . nel, at other times close iq tpithe!bank,«fid; - , at other times a little di^ance down,itr^am ;• ., , bni.it never modes' up stream. ' llence the ' name given to it by the Maoris— Taniqrha,. , signifying something- unknown; and' dariU : ! ' gerous — and • the superstitious dread in which it is regarded by them. In olden times— and even now, to a lesser extent — the natives 'Would always pass the Tauiwha in their canoes close to the oppo- ■ site side, giving the object of their terror as wide a berth as possible. Mr T. U. Cook onco nearly fell a victim to the fear which the natives had for this log. Some 3d years ago that gentleman was coming down river, in woauoe paddled i , by four natiyes, when he thought he would ' - see what effect it would have ,^O, , . them to pass close to it. Accordingly ' ; he steered the canoe inside theTaniwha, when the Maoris, directly they perceived whore they were, laid down in the iboi torn of the canoe from, fright, i An oldl JwuNpa" < > < (priest) who had bpen ,watohing tljp&uioe, and who lived on the bank, opposite the Taniwha, immediately' jumped in a light canoe and gave ohase, armed with a glittering tomahawk. Mr Cook, seeing the danger, prevailed upon the Maoris to resume their paddles, and soon left the enraged old priest far behind. When it was seen by the party on Tuesday the top of the snag was just visible above water, and covered with grass. It is considered desirable that this obstruction should be removed.

As the gentlemeu who had been examin* ing the snags were wending their way back to the steamer, the boat was observed coming up the river, the other member of the committee acting (as* will readily be imagined) ascoxswaiu. Being interrogated, he s lid that he was "off to*Mr Knight's for something to eat;" - Having wked hia fellow members with a nioojcipg smile if . . c they would like to go with mm, or coma' 1 , to the boat and have' some" refreshment" (there was at least six yards of thick miid. to wade through to reaoh the boat), those on ahore declined, and wera then bidden to make themselves comfortable, ' and 'diAouss the snag question ' till his return—^pou which one of those left behind remarked that their partner in the boat seemed more interested in the euuine of the Osprey than , the snags. A* ie was unlikely, that the ' Osprey would leave before 8 o clock, and she had not: been been provisioned for<s - : lengthened cruise, this promptitude and ; forethought were regarded as highly conn? ?nendabl<v As the prospect of waitii. g oh th'a bank so long for the boat did not seem very inviting, Mr Cook aud your special decided on taking "shanks' pony" for it, and arrived at the ferry at 5.20 p.m.— a little more than two hours after starting. The" steamer got off the bank between ejght and nine, and landed her passengers just above the ferry at a little before midnight.