Years Ago.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 19 August 1890, Page 2

Years Ago.

«. . No. 3, Talking the other dav wifh an old settler about our hoautiful river and the p'ty such l'ttle nge was road* of it, brought out this very vrvaeHis vavn : — So you like boating, well so did I in England, and might hare still continued to hare done co had it "of- been for the very bitfer exnpnVnofi I had a short time after landing in thfi Colon'/-. It was on this very river too. Ton must, know that T rather fancied myself thpn, in the row'ng line and incautiously mentioned my various trips at home, and this cane to the ear? of a lady, who, residing clo^e to the water, was grea, f on boating parties. After a short whi'e I received an incite t" go up the river for a picnic, and being young and foolish, I was delighted, especial 'y as I had ascertained that my best fyirl was going. On the morning of the trip there I was, clad in tray apnarel, making ray war to the hoat; oh! horror, what did I see before me. call that a boat, it Ttas nothing 1 bnt the original Noah's ark being an"imraensp Maori c^ane, with sides built on As how evar a'l were ready. I had to go on, and then fumd the whole sitting nla«ps in the stern occupied by the wivp*. sistprs, aunts and children of the hnßtess. The crew enlisted of three other simrjletons and the husband of the hostess. I wag reg nested to take an oar, ro it was called, but in comparison to tha light oars of the old country, resemb'ed a sma'l white pine tr^e, shaped slightly at eich end. A request was an orlor, for ■without ev^ry availab'e musfle being- employed, that huge machine would never have b»en got al»'->f. We'l, I tfll you, the four of us pulled like niggers and proceeded as many miles up the river as we could, till it was time to land for I'iueh. It was a relief to sop, bu f it whh only stopping pulling, as we w«re directed to carry the provisions np som* iniccessable spo f , t -> light a fire, and bring 1 up water. We did it all, Hlca lambs. Well the lunch was eood and T had made no mv mi"d, for a half hvu-'s Bfrol'8 f rol' with some one. but it was n^t f o bp That awful vo>e ring out the order " Gir's, you had better take a stroll whist the g*'itlemen wash up, and put the things int'> the b^-i 1 ", then, it wll be time to "O ! ! ! D'd you ever hear the Uk«? "We did as we were bid, and took to the o-vs again 'ike crallftv slaves, and pulled doggedly back: from whence we ram p . I never ha l had such a trip before and vowed with every stroke I took never to have such another again, nor have I. Can you blame me? Fan^y rowing a 1 dav long' in the snn, and ca'l it fun ! I waj hungry, and had pe't'ed a l l about tea at the pub, nnd a rest, and a pipe, but just a? we npared tlio laudi g p'ano the liost-psa dfisirfid pr'se^c* in at t#'i — rUUghrful old girl, no, not for •Top, with many thanks I '9 pectWv rl"di'ied fearing she might desire another pu 1 when tea was over The dear girl* went (\v 11 they had done no work,) I however ca r riod ou f mv pfocrrimme and had got re scored to a more peacefu' fram« of mind, when I escorted " tin* girl I had left behind me " whilst tea wa« on, home. That in tru'y. the first and last boating party I attended in this Colony.