NOTES FROM A JOURNAL

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 149, 3 November 1847, Page 2

NOTES FROM A JOURNAL

Kept during an excursion to the Boiling Springs of Rotorua and Rolomahana, by way of the Waikato and Waipa countries ; in the Summer of Eighteen Hundred and Forty-six and Seven. (Continued.)

Dec. 28. — Taking leave of our hospitable host and his amiable lady, who furnished us with some bread— a

We reached Wata Wata, five-and tweuty miles distant from Kaitotehe, an hour before sunset The pa strongly stockaded, is situated on a knoll, overhanging the right bank of the river, very sleep on one side, and on the other, or land side, defended by a gulley, which forms a natural ditch. No engineer could have selected a more defensible position, as it commands the country around. VVe paid a visit to Te Wherowhero whose ware is built on the left bank, a short distance below it. We found the old Chief seated on a mat in iront of his residence, enjoying the coolness of the eveuing. He received us very cordially, as he lay uutler some obligation to me from a circumstance it is unnecessary to mention, which took place in the early days of the settlement at Auok laud. Our conversation turned ou the projected road from Aucklaud into the interior, a theme which seemed to occupy the Native mind. He remarked that the Chiefs of Rotorua had said they would kill the first white man that put a spade in their ground to form the road :— " but they are fools, and it is bad white men who have poisoned their minds. 1 wish it made, and where it passes through my ground, 1 will send my people to plaut potatoes for the use of the men who make it. Now that the Governor has prevented us from getting guns and powder, I have no wish to fight with him"— " for," said he, laughing, " I had enough ol fighting, without guns, at Matikitiki, and 1 am too old to run away vow, as I did then." Alluding to the storming of that pa by Shonghi, who being possesssd of a few muskets, while the Waikatoes had only their usual weapons, struck them with such terror that they fled in contusion, and in their panic falling headlong into the deep ditches that surrouuded roe place, as .wnuy were trampled to death as were slain by the Ngapuhi^ It is said that fifteen hundred tell on that occasion " Nene Waka has gained renown," he went on to say, "by being loyal in the North, 1 will gain the sattif by similar conduct, if war should occur here in the South." In looking at h»s five mild countenance, few could imagine that he was once a barbarous savage, who is said to have killed twenty prisoners with his own hand, in the Tarauaki war, as a sacrifice to the manes of a kinsman, who, having been treacherously slain by that tribe, gave origin to the invasion, which terminated in the almobt total destruction of the people of that country. He was about to eat his evening meal of potatoes and a delicious small fish caught in the river, a portion of which, according to Native custom, was presented to as in a small kete or basket made extempore of fiesh flax, and which after being used as a plate, is thrown away. Taking a cordial leave of the Chief, we retired to a small hut which had been made over to us wluch we thought it advisable to occupy, in despite of fleas and its uninviting appearance, as it threatened t0 DEc* 29 —There had been no rain in the night, and the morning was bright and beautiful, so while breakfast was preparing, 1 strolled about to view the locality. The- terraces T which I have remarked, characterize the banks of the Waipa, are seen here to a greater extent than 1 had observed them elsewhere, lwo could be distinctly traced, extending on either hand until hid by intervening woods-the lower one narrow, the upper one about half a mile in breadth, but both formed of the richest alluvial soil, and extensively cultivated. 1 Passed through several fields of wheat, looking healthy, X sad y overrun with weeds, particularly the dock, which is not indigenous, but has been either brought into the country among English b eeds, or as is currently reported, was introduced by some rascally fellow as tobacco seed, which it much resembles. It has now become a perfect nuisance, which it would be almost impossible to eradicate, as 1 haw patches of this noxious weed covering nearly half an acre, and I was told that it has found it! way to every part of the river. These terraces are evidently ancient and successive hJu nf rhp river, when in the winter it must have reSbW^ISJWSng lake, the gradualsubsidence of K£ waters in the summer, alter depositing the alluSum, sloping down its sides, and thus onmug a SrSe, for all deposits from water have a horizontal surface. In this manner the process has gone on for a S* of Bges, Us bed being gradually deepened by the act on ot the current, while its boundaries, narrowed by amual deposits, assumed its present form, and 1 was Sbrmed that even now, .the water often covers the lower range of terraces during the winter floods. The Western hills which both above and below Wata Wata, impinge on the river, recede at both points, and enclose a semicircular area of undulating ground, con£nSs several thousand acres, prettily dotted with woods, the soil being a light loam. It is not cultivated bvthe Natives, and would form a very eligible spot for a settlement. The Herepaino, a small river, nocnavigable however, traverses it and tails into the Waipa, above the Native settlement. . A short distance beyond Wata Wata, the banks increase in height and the terraces disappear, but three miles farther on they re-appear, covered either with wood, or cultivation, and are backed by bare fern hills. As we advanced, the river in its windings, again anpreaches the Western hills, which beautilully wooded, formits immediate boundary on the left bank, when, suddenly turning westward, they permit the exit of the stream that runs from the valley of Kuuawamwa, which is navigable for small canoes during the winter. Immediately beyond its mouth we landed, and proceeded to the valley on foot, to the residence of my companion, passing for two miles over bare fern hills. The Valley of Kunawivniwa is a perfect basin, entirely anclosed by hills, except at the narrow gorge through which the river rushes, the bottom being a flat containinir several thousand acres of the finest alluvial soil, Generally dry, and covered with more grass than 1 had ever before seen in the same space, a few spots being alone swampy; atony the course of the low streams which wind through it and join to form the river. Otfsets from the aiea 1 have described, branch off into the Western hills, which are richly wooded, and form a scries of beautiful vales, while to the South it is bounded bv that magnificent mountain-range called Pirongia, which slopes abruptly down, clothed from its highest peak nearly to its base with magnificent forests— a spur irom'whicb, sweeping northward in a semicircle, joined the hills on which I stood, and completed the enclosure —a spot more adapted either for pastoral or agricultural purposes, does not exist in the island. My companion was one of several young gentlemen, who attracted by tue independence ©f the lite they can eniov iv the interior, have located themselves in various parts of the Waipa country. Aa they generally possess some private income, which enables them to command the luxuries necessary to au European, they can live enough in a country where the mereneces saries of life are so abundant and cheap, and they generally manage to pay their expenses on their occasional visits to Auckland, by carrying with them pigs or flax, which they obtain at a comparatively cheap rate from the Natives in return for tobacco and English manufactured goods. They amuse their leisure in hunting wild pigs, and shooting wild ducks and pigeons, and most of them cultivate wheat, which they grind in a hand-mill, and are thus supplied with breadIt must be confessed, however, that one regrets to see men of good education and talents, living so completely separated from their civilized brethren, at the same time, their just and honorable dealings with the Natixes, so different from the custom of the low fellows who once formed the only specimens of civilized men known to them, must give the latter a favourable impression of our character, which the dissolute and knavish habits of the pakeha Maories had much weakensd. They generally attach themselves to some Chief who patronizes and protects them, and who in talking of them always designates them as— «« taku pakeha," my white man, and which often excites the jealousy of other aristocrats who do not enjoy this addition to their " tail". If a road were opened into the interior, many of these gentlemen would procuie cattle, which they

are now prohibited from doing, by the almost utter impracticability of driving them across the numerous swamps, and other impediments which intervene be. tween them and Auckland, they therefore content themseWes with goats which afford them abundance of milk, I spent the restof the day very pleasantly, wandering about the beautiful environs of my companion's house, and after partaking of a good supper of pork, potatoes, damper and tea— tee-totalism reigning heie without the pledge ,— lretired to rest on a good fern bed, in a neat and comfortable raupo wure, (To be continued,)