A Leaf from a "Journey to Taupo."

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 2, 1 February 1855, Page 7

A Leaf from a "Journey to Taupo."

BY 3fAJOII GEEEXIVOOD

We walked to the banks of Waikato along a good footpath, which was however interrupted by several swamps. I did not wish to get wet this day, having to sit several hours in the canoe, and therefore proposed to Te Hura that he should carry me across them. To this the stalwart savage readily assented, and stretching out his brawny arm bore me over the wet places with as much ease as if I had been a little child. Arrived at the canoe, after some more leavetaking and tangi, we all embarked and paddled into the centre of the stream. Te Hura not being very well, has changed his intention of accompanying us, which however is of no consequence, as some of our Natives are well acquainted with the bad places in the river. As we rapidly dropped down the current, urged along by vigorous paddling combined with the strength of the stream, we soon reached the first rapid, and here old Paura, our Palinurus, decided that it was necessary to lighten our craft before attempting the passage, and accordingly some of our Maories, all idlers, (i. e., ourselves), and the heavy baggage were landed, for the purpose of being taken by land to a bend in the river below the fall, where we were to re-embark. Eight men only remained in the canoe, each stripping off his

clothes, and taking paddle in hand to steady the narrow vessel during the decent. Climbing up the high bank we pushed on for a few hundred yards, where from the crest of a small hill we had a fine view of the fall itself, and the canoe already influenced by the current, rapidly borne along the stream towards the narrow passage between the rocks, down which the pent up waters madly rush. Old Paura in the stern sheets directed the crew with silent but expressive gestures, and shortly the canoe, acquiring every moment greater velocity, was carried with lightning speed down the fall, and the maories on board simultaneously bending their backs to their paddles, she soon shot safely round into the smooth water beneath us. We now re-embarked and passed several whirlpools and smaller rapids with no further inconvenience than shipping a little water, and having so far got over our difficulties we began again to turn our attention to the wild ducks, which were as numerous as ever, and of which we bagged some five and twenty before bivouacing on the river bank for the night. ! We saw no native settlements on the Waikato after leaving Maungatautari until arriving near its junction with the Waipa, neither is there any pretty scenery on the river, the view being inter cepted by the high banks on either The Maories pointed out to us this day a spot where two remarkable indentations occur in a rock on the left bank of the stream, which are said tc have been made by the heels of some worshipful worthy of the New Zealand heathen mythology, when taking a jump over the Waikato at this point, to escape some other godships who were pursuing him. Night coming on, we landed, and made ourselves comfortable near a forest, which supplied us with plenty of dry wood, and set to work frying and stewing our ducks and potatoes, with a zest and appetite which, if they happened to be transferable and marketable instincts, I should like to see disposed of by public auction to the Aldermen and Corporation of London just before a city feast I wonder how much a real sharp set, natural hunger, would realize among those turtle fed gentry.