A Holiday Trip.

Manawatu Herald, 15 March 1902, Page 2

A Holiday Trip.

THE WANGANUI RIVER. The assertion that one has made a trip up the Wanganui river is equivalent to stating that one has had an enjoyable holiday, as the scenery and surroundings are so different to any other form of travelling. On Saturday, the Bth March, a large party travelled up to Pipiriki by Messrs Hatrick’s s.s. Wairere. The day was. as the Maoris would say “ Mete rangi i whanau ai Te Rangi-tadarire, (like the day on which Te Kangi born) a fine pleasant day, Te Rangi being noted as a fine handsome person, possessing many good qualities. Over night there had been a heavy downpour ot rain which gave sufficient water for the steamer to move with ease over the bed of the river, for in that noble stream an inch or two, more or less, is a matter of considerable interest to the navigators. Messrs Hatrick’s steamers are now widely known both for their speed and comfort, so that jlist a reference to them is all that is required. The Captain and Commodore of the Company’s fleet, Kenneth Stuart, was in command of the Wairere, and retains the excellent name for his thorough knowledge of the river and his duties, as well as tor courteousness and his desire to please. On board meals of excellent quality and reasonable price.- can be obtained, the steward, Mr E. Ashby, having everything first class. It is a unique experience to glide up the river with an excellent meal spread on the table before you, and your eyes being feasted by the view of the scenery seen out of the window opposite the sitter. The steamer has a license so that nonprohibitionists are able to reduce the thirst which travel appears to create. Travelling from Wanganui to Pipiriki and further, the process by the river is a regular climbing of rapids, w« cannot say how many, but that there are many can easily be seen. That this must be so is apparent as the land rises from the coast to about 15 miles inland to a height of 2000 to 2500 feet above the level of the sea 1 The river bed naturally does not rise in proportion, as the channel of the river has been formed by volcanic action and outs right through a succession of these high hills which in places slope, in others drop sheer down to the waters edge, and where the slope is practical trees and shrubs and ferns grow, makmost lovely scenery.. By the river the distance between Wanganui and Pipiriki is 57 miles. After steaming some ten miles the visitor enters the country of the Maoris and missionaries of old times. As , regards the latter we pass places called Ramaiku (Damascus), Atene (Athens),' Koriniti (Corinth), Karatia (Galatia), Ranana (London), and ITiruharama ■Jerusalem). Every flame calls to mind the early days of the colony and one can readily picture the old inhabitants poling their canoes up the river and naming the spots from their point of view. Ten miles from Wanganui Kaiwhaiki is passed, which during the Taranaki war was an assembling place for the natives known as the “ King ” war parties. The chief at Kaiwhaiki in those days was extensively tatooed. It is an interesting feature of the trip to meet old men so embellished, as the lines and curves are so artistically executed, and shows both patience on the part of the operator and the subject, and fortitude also on the part of the latter. Tatooeing was no gentle matter in the days of old, the needle was not handy and a sharpened shell often took its place. Lines were marked out and then cut in with the shell, which when opened were rubbed a powder to secure the permanent blue. The blue is said to have been obtained from the “ nut ” of the seaweed, found on the sand banks of the shore, and from the kernel ground up the pigment was obtained. In these days few men understand the significance of the lines upon the warriors face, bin it is admitted they represented to those having knowledge, the status and position of the wearer in much the same manner that herald c devices used to do for the Crusader age. The chief in the ancient days was a man placed •in authority and was one who understood how to use it, which is illustrated by the proverb “ Me haere i raro i te kahu Korako,” (always travel under the white hawk), in other words always travel with a chief’s party; you will thus obtain plenty of food.” We find a spot named the Bad Cliff (Parikino), which the occurrences of past years we expect fully suggested. Then a land mark stands out as Pakerimu (Redpine hill) and Pungarehu (Ashes), very possible the feast, the cause of those ashes, having been very enjoyable; and then a spot on the river is called Kapukapu (The Waves). The names given to places by the Maoris are always illustrative of the spot, or of some incident of a journey, nr of some historical event. At 50 miles from the start of tae voyage there is a hot spring close to the river, about which Dr Skey reports, “ the water is very soft and belongs to the class of mineral wafers, hut is not very strong.” The fixed salts are principally soda and chloridu of sodium. The Maoris have a signi cant name of Kauae-roa (Long Jaw) for it.

In recalling the days of poling canoes up the river we regret to notice that not only is poling now made more difficult, but to our mind the scenery is being utterly spoilt by, the planting of rows of willows, the upright and the weeping, on the banks of the river. Clumps and single specimens of these trees mingle well, showing a neighbourly feeling between the Old World and the New, but continuous hedges as there are in places really is an eyesore. Tourists go with the desire to see the. beauty of the Native bush, and the willows succeed in hiding some of the beautiful masses of ferns which grow to the water’s edge. There is one particular offensive willow winch a too practical person has planted, and that not so long ago, as the tree is young, right in the centre of the view of the entrance of a tributary into the maig.

river, a spat that raised an exclamation of delight from the passengers on catching the first glimpse and then of : indignation at such a paheka upstart usurping the chief position. The Natives likewise complain that these willows make poling more difficult and slower than in the days of yore, as it pushes the canoe away from the banks and dead and shallow water, into a quicker current and deeper water. The removal of the greater number of these trees would thus please everybody. Under the charge of a competent skipper it appears needless to say that Pipiriki was reached up to time, and there Mr Howard, the Steward in charge of the Accommodation House for Mr Hatrick (who in conjunction with Mr Gibbons has purchased the property) had more than enough to do to supply the required number of beds. The house has been from time to time enlarged until fifty beds can be obtained, but as over 50 passengers by the Wairere wanted beds and there were in the house before the arrival of the boat, twenty travellers who had secured beds, the problem was a difficult one to solve, Mr Howard however succeeded in finding beds for all, not in bedrooms, but under cover. Whilst sitting on the verandah in the evening the sites occupied by the British troops on the two hills opposite the house, called Rangiahua and Koangu-o-Rehua were pointed out. On the bill above the accommodation house the Hauhaas were encamped, and is called Pukehinau. . Just \before turning into the bend on which Pipiriki is situated the banks of the river are high and along the edge of the river are bare perpendicular rocks. Those who have been to see and have heard the tales of the past declare that these walls bear bullet marks caused by the soldiers wearying of the monotony of the situation making bets with one another that they could reach this spot and write their names on the rock without get. ting shot by the; Maoris on the opposite side 61 the river. It was a foolhardy act and, many names thereon written serve as a memento of the last act and deed of the foolish soldier, the Maoris proving better marksmen' than they reckoned on. ■ The next morning a start was made, still in the Wairere, so - much more than the ordinary quantity of water being in the river, for the Upper Reach. The scenery here would be difficult to describe but the banks close in, the river narrows and the hills are higher, and the banks are precipitous. We can say that the scenery is even more beautiful than that portion between Jerusalem and Pipiriki, and this is being able to say a great deal. We had" the disadvantage of the day being “ Mete rangi i whanau ai a Horu” (like the day on which Horn was born) a Maori saying applied to a stormy disagreeable day, and it did rain as hard as it could. Nothing .however Could disturb the the pleasure derived from the beautiful surroundings. The passengers were landed at the outlet of a stream, by struggling along the side of it to see a circular cave of great beauty, out of the side of which a fine waterfall fell into a deep pool with a noise very cooling on a hot day, and more especially cooling at any other time as the crew learnt when they gallantly waded into the torrent to place planks across the rocks to enable the ladies to get to the best position to view the falls. The walla are covered with ai green growth and there is a plant hanging straight down from the roof bearing every appearance of a tree growing topsy-turvy. Another particularly beautiful view, is, that described at the “drop scene” in which the high banks are broken into bluffs, points and other shapes and mostly clothed in forest except where the bare papa rock stands out bleak and bare. The return journey was made in capital time and w 6 left the steamer at four o’clock.

We have previously stated that this river Irip brings the Maori forcibly before you. They have always born the reputation ot * liking fighting belter than working, and an old proverb says “ Kaua ta-ou, e tukua kia mate a ururoa ” (Do not let ns die in a house —i.e., a natural death—rather let ns die as does the shark, fighting to the last) and they thus preferred to hunt for their living rather than engage in tilling the land. Their kaingas or settlements are mostly to be found on the side of the river or the ocean beach. “ He toa taua, mate taua; he toa piki pari, mate ari; ko te toa ngaki kai, ma te huhu tena.” (The warrior shall perish in battle, the cragsman shall die by the cliff side, but the husbandman alone shall decay of old age.) These being their general sentiments one can understand what an ideal spot the Wanganui river was to the Maori. The rapids formed suitable eeiing places, many of which were passed in the trip. In the shallower portion of the rapids three lines of stakes well fastened together were noticed between which the eel baskets, so cleverly made of vines, are fixed of an evening when the breakfast and noonday meal is trusted to bo found. It is not given to the multitude to taste an eel properly cooked as it is by the Maoris. Do not be shocked, but the fish is not, previous to cooking, cleaned, but is rapped iu the leaves of the raurekau and toasted before the fire. All who have tasted this dish pronounce it excellent. In theancient days the old women went in search of the fern root which they dried and beat into flour, and when potatoes arrived they had to plant apd attend to them, as the lord and master, being a warrior could not descend to the. work of a husbandman. Since Captain Conk liberated his pigs wild pork has been a favourite feed, these animals fattening on the fern roots, and berries of various trees growing in the bush. The pigeons, kakas, and tuis, which the Natives were adepts in snaring, made further excellent feeds, and the bush on the banks of tiro river is a most suitable spot for these birds. Wild ducks are to be Ton id swimming near the banks ready to take flight and hide in the growth oi the land. The old time Maori was thus enabled to live sumptuously every day. I Owing to the courtesy and knowledge of a fellow passenger we are enabled Uo direct attention to much of the

growth on the banks of the river. On portions that are precipitous both at the water’s edge, or else lowering high overhead, much of the soil is covered • with the Wharariki (Mountain flax) which bears the appearance of the kiakia which grows in ihe forked branches of old trees, _ The blades hang down showing a bright green to the eye and here and there will be seen a stalk, similar to the stalk of the lowland flax, only much smaller. \\ hen the seed is ripe, which it is at this season, it present# an appearance oi bright yellow French beans. The peculiarity of this mountain flax is that it possesses no fibre. We have no need to point out the Quince trees on the banks, no one could miss them just now, loaded as they are with bright yellow fruit, of which great quantities are sent to Wanganui. The Karakas a medium sized tree dark green leaves were easily recognised by the golden berries with which they are covered. The fruit is something of the size and shape of an olive and they form an esteemed and useful dish for the natives. It must, however, be born in mind that the fruit when raw is poisonous, and the Natives first boil them four or five hours and then steep them in a running stream three or four days. When they are dried they are ground up when required, as they will keep, prepared in this manner, a long time. A pretty plant seen at its best at this season, is the light violet coloured Koromiko, and it grows equally happy either high up the hill or at the edge of the water. A good wav up the river much moss, (the Kohukohu) is seen hanging from the branches, resembling long shaggy beards waving about. The presence, of this moss not only denotes a damp atmosphere, but it also denotes that the trees are very old. Moss does not grow on younger trees and is chiefly found on the black Tawa. A bright and smother pretty tree 1# the yellow Kohai, a plant about whose early or late blooming the Maoris are supposed to tell what the ■tate of the river will be. It is often said, as a matter of fact, when the Kohai is in bloom, we have the Kohai flood, The flower is a bright yellow, shaped like a parrot’s beak. The Prince of Wales’ leather fern grows over any waste piece of ground that it can find and makes a lovely covering. In spots the lordly Nikau palm lifts its bead, and on other patches on the hill there are acres of the ordinary 'fern trees whose beautiful leaves, leathery and bright delight all. A plant called the Wharangikna which has broad green leaves is one to be noted from the tact that its leaves are poisonous, and cattle and horses are known to be killed from tasting of this forbidden luxury. Though the above plant has such a bad reputation it owns a relation, called the Wharangi. growing very similar but whose leaves are not poisonous. On certain spots the Black Birch (Tawahero) whose foliage and growth are marked and afford a pleasant contrast, can be seen. In the heavier bush the Rata was just losing its beautiful scarlet blossom, which earlier in the season makes the dark green brighter by its vivid colour. Amongst the scrub will be seen the native Fuschia (Komme) which however was not in flower, then the Wineberry (Mako) which at the season has its share of small berries: and then here and there stands out the Whitewood tree (Mahoe) the stem ot which is of a very light colour and the underside of its leaves white We have mentioned the Kiakia which has a flower and seed shaped somewhat like a maize seed, which is esteemed very pleasant to the taste by some, mostly, however, boys and girls. The Puwharawhara is a growth somewhat similar to the Kiakia but has the peculiarity of having no vine, growing in the forks of trees from seed wafted there, or carried by birds. Climbing up the small growth near the water’s edge was seen the wild Co' volvulous la fall flower which wtne shaded in soft and lovely tints. Here and there a stray Totara was noticed as well the Rimu and the Lancewnod (Pipikaiarero) or popularly known to the early settlers as the bullock whip, from the stems making such handv handles for those engaged in that soul destroying occupation. Looking closely along the banks, a little weed, having white bell-like tiny flowers could be noticed and is known as the Rinetine. The wild clematis, now not m flpwer promised a treat to those who made a trip when they were in full bloom. The homely Manuka had its quarters here and there. Those who know anything ef our bush scenery will understand from the above notes what wealth of variety and beauty is thus blended on the banks of the river, and it is this more than anything else which makes the trip up river a joy for ever. , . - One Other pleasure is in store tor tourists if the day is very fine and the river is clear —it is the magnificent reflection of the banks on the water, and it has been noticed that if there is a trifling breeze sufficient to ruffle the surface you get a second reflection, ora reflection of the reflection. On the water, in the first place, you get a reflection of the banks upside down, and on the second reflection yon get them right way up. , , . To Mr Hatrick we give thanks tor a pleasant trip and to his courteous eaptain and steward, but we rarst not forget our fellow passenger whose kindly feelings permitted all to appear one happy family. To all who took part in this cruise we believe the pleasantest memories of it will be retained.