A WINTER JOURNEY TO TAUPO.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 97, 10 April 1847, Page 3

A WINTER JOURNEY TO TAUPO.

[Prom the Wellington Spectator.] We have been permitted to make the following extracts from a very interesting account of a journey performed in the winter to Taupo. The wiiter (a missionary) pioceeded from Wanganui to Taupo shortly after the accident which pioved so fatal to Te lieu lieu and his people. The journal refers to private matteis and missionary labours among the natives, but these we have for the most part omitted, our extracts consisting of descriptions of the country and the appearance of the face of the vulley of Te llapa after the landslip which had caused so much mischief, with an account of the hot springs of the district : — 16th June, ISIG — I started this morning about half-past nine for Taupo, very few accompanying me, being deterred by the inclemency of the weather. At Waipakura Tahana joined me, and Ranieraat llaurapawa; we reached Kanihinibi to sleep. 17ih. — I had my breakfast and prayers over before the day dawned j afterwards I went to see the new church.they are building here, for which I brought a bell, it will le a very neatly finished building whoa complete $ it is toinantically perched on the top of a steep hill several hundred feet high. We are favoured with a fine (hough cold day. We dined at ttemara's pa 5 there is a carved image of a man as large as life placed close to the water's edge to commemorate Turoa's body resting here on its way to bu buried at Pipiriki, and whenever the corpse rested there is a similar one. I could not help calling to mind the many monuments Kdward elected to eomtnemoiate the resting places of his beloved Queen Eleanor, and thinking how much all nations resemble one another in a state of barbarism. At this place they say a Taniwo (a kind of water spirit) resides in a deep hole of the river. The sun had set some time before 1 reached Hikurangi to sleep ; we were accompanied by a second canoe from Kanihii.ihi. 18th. — This morning I had service and pleached. I was much pleased with the church Ihey have erected j the site is beautiful, being one which I selected j the length of the building is about 40 by 25 feet wide. We did not stop at Pukehikci, but proceeded straight to Pipiriki, where we arrived in time for service. I have pitched my tent in a native house for the night. 19th. — We left Pipiriki alter morning service, calling at a small kainga where our naiives were presented with a pig, thence we stopped at some curious caves called Pura roto, where I heard theie was limestone. The scene is very romantic $ half of a stream falls down a precipice of about 100 feet, and the other through a cave out of which it comes with a rushing sound ; there is an amphitheatre of rocks, in the middle of which is a cave 50 feet high, with so.ne stalactites in it. I picked up one which had fallen from the roof, about 2 feet long ; we went to the end of this cave, the roof being white with a calcarious deposit. As we receded from the light, I noticed with astonishment innumerable spols of light on the roof, which at first 1 thought came from openings in the top, but on further examination of some on the sides, 1 found the light proceeded from innumerable luminous little worms crawling on the damp rock. I had a native teacher of Pipiriki with mej when we had got a considerable way on, to try the echo, 1 gave a loud shout, which reverberated like thunder, it came so unexpectedly on him that it caused him to give a jump, supposing some gieat danger was at hand ; afterwards I lit a newspaper, and we explored the termination — it is an immense rent in the cliffs formed most prob ably by an earthquake, and extends nearly a quarter of a mile, the rock is soft sandstone, containing sea shells in great quantities similar to those now found on these shoies ; the cliffs of the river arc there from 4to 500 feet high. At Wakaaumoe, Pakoro invited us to stop, as food was being prepared for usj my natives accordingly went up to the place, after however waiting some time, they all returned but one, who preferred remaining until the food was ready — hence we soon entered the Manga-nui-a-te-ao, which is one continuation of rapids. About 3 p. ra. we reached Te Arero, where we dragged the canoe ashore, and then ascended to the pa 5 there is a neat little church here, in which I held service, but few were present. * * * 22nd.— After service we left Te Arero j the road for the first eight miles is extremely precipitous, and with the constant rains so slippery, that 1 found the ascents and descents equally fatiguing; one place was very dangerous, the mountain above had recently slipped down, leaving an almost perpendicular face of rock, having only a little earth resting in places on its side ; it was on this we had to step, and then one of the climbing si) rubs formed a rope to ascend a perfect wall of roi'k near 30 feet high. About half- past two we reached Tuvvare. We had once to ford theManga-nuia-te-ao,it was breast deep; 1 was carried over, for the stream is so strong and intensely cold, I could not have endured it. The country for the last four miles was very beautiful, consisting of undulating plains of gi ass, here and there broken into by ravines several hundred feet deep. .About 6 miles from Te Arero we came to Otaki, a litlle kainga where there are a few houses and considerable cultivations. 1 was pleased to soc preparations made for the erection of a church here. As we approached Tuware, the sight was very interesting ,- our party now numbered fully a hundred or more, and walking in single file, we funned a very long line. When we approached the kainga all the females came out and bid us welcome, they had their hair dressed with 1 white feathers, and had fillets of creeping lycopodiuvi tastefully arranged on their foreheads, a sign of mourning. Some waved their mats, others green boughs, and when we entcied the pa our party formed a group, the foremost sitting on tlie ground, and covering their faces with garments, whilst the women of the place, who acted as chief mourners, arranged themselves opposite with the men behind them j one advancing before the rest with two others a little behind, who bowed almost down to the ground with their arms crossed on their breasts,, and gradually raising themselves up, slowly extending and contracting their arms, kept time with a slow and very solemn wail, alternately raising and lowering the

voice in a very affecting way. lloko, the chief of this place, is a relative of Te H«» Heu's, and and so is Pakoro. This custom always takes place when a relative of a great chief who is dead enters a strange place. A heavy shower of rain almost immediately put an end to the ceremony, and all appearance of their late sorrow instantly disappeaied. We were received with great kindness in this little place, and a very large heap of food was brought forth for our very large party. * * * It is rather amusing to see with what facility the natives provide for strangeis: in our case a little village, not containing more than 50 meu and women, had to entertain more than 100; had such occurred in England, there would have been much consultation, contriving, and confusion, here there uas none; each family produced its quota of potatoes cooked and uncooked, with a fair allowance of poik, which was piled up in the midst of the pa, and then one of our party was called upon to divide it in proportion to the number of visitors from each place, and then all was done. A long shed, very soon erected and covered with flags, contained the whole party, and the people enjoyed the society of their guests nithout being at all put out by their number. * * * 33rd. —We had a cold frosty night. About 9 we left, accompanied by all the people of the pa, and a very cold walk we had; we crossed the river twice to-day. The major part of the company came on su slowly, that 1 would not stay for them, as it is ue have o»l>' made a shoit day's journey 5 we are encamped in a little open space of fern, and are likely to have another cold night. 24th.— It was a sharp frost hist night, and the ground is quite white, hut as I took the precaution to thatch my lent with the fionds of the fern tree, it was both warm and dry. I had some difficult) to get the natives to move this morning, it was so cold, and it was after 9 before I succeeded. I noticed that the chrystals of frost are, to the best of my memory, different from those in England, they are about an inch and a half long, and very much resemble in texture flakes of gypsum. I observed many blanches snapped off, and was told by the natives it was occasioned by the frost, which is very commonly the case. It seems quite unnatuial to walk through an ever-green forest in a severe frost, the green leaves look quite out of character. We twice crossed the Monga-nui-a-te-ao, and found it breast deep and intensely cold. It set in about noon for rain, which was very cold, and the road in addition extremely bad, having to climb dangerous precipices and one lofty mountain, the Unapekapeka. I had some difficulty in getting the natives on, and as it was we were obliged to encamp about 3, on account of the rain and cold, and the backwardness of many of our number, and we have not about 20 who have reached our sleeping place; we were all wet and perishing with cold, ai)d could not get a lire to burn for some time, i had to wait at least an hour before the native who carried my tent came up, and when it was pitched it felt like a well, To add to our disas ters, one of our party went out to look for dry wood, and has not yet returned. He has been lost 6 hours; we have fired guns, and sent men with firebrands in all diiections, but without success, although , they fancied they heard his voice. A poor little bat was found clinging to some wood brought before the fire, and was soon thrown on the embeis and eaten. I preserved the skin. The natives built a shed, and not making the supports very strong, it fell down, and nearly smashed my tent.