ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 1, 2 August 1842, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Colonis Sin, —As I believe but few pdf sons d travelled overland from • Auckland to 1 Nicholson; I take the liberty of forwarding you a rough description of my late journey fi the former settlement, which, by insertion your journal may, perhaps,, be of, service to} sons- desirous of mailing a similar “ trip pleasure !” I have the honor to. he, Sir, ■ Your Obedient Servant, " ' ROBERT SUTTON Wellington, Port Nicholson, T August ~lst; IS42'.‘ j "

I left Auckland about the 14th of March 1 intending to follow the last year’s track of late Captain Symonds and Dr. Dieffenbach,. proceeded to Ona-hunga„ at the head Manakau Harbour, distant from Auckland al six miles. I was here joined by some Nati proceeding to the Wai-pa river, with who bargained for a., conveyance as far as-they sin be going. • ’ ' • We started off, and m about two h

arrived at Karanga-bape, a settlement form belonging to Chptain Symonds, about four miles below Ona-hunga,. on the west ban! Manakau I-larboui;, nqw occupied hy ; .,a jl Company formed iiv-Scotlaad, under the tit “ The Manakau Company.” The harbour is well, known to render any observations : I nr make, important.. It appears, like most of Harbours on the Western Coast, to be gracln filling up with sand and mud banks.' The < channel, up which vessels of any size cau ] ceed, is a very narrow.one.on, the west-sidy. Captain Richie of n th,e: Brilliant,;. phbljsM November, hist a. &Ql7 intelligent and cor account of the entrance and the ifitbrior of

Harbour. There is little or no ground on the western side lit for cultivation, the clear land being composed generally of a light clay soil, and bearing nothing but low fern and stunted Manuka. The Kauri forest is considered, with the exception of that at Kaipara, the finest in the Island. The country at the back of the forest, is generally undulating land, declining towards the Wai-te-mata, and intersected by numerous small branches of that river ; there are however, no Maori or European settlements on this side, nor is there any appearance of the land having been ever used for cultivation. Leaving Karanga-hape, we crossed the Harbour, a distance of about eight miles, and entered the Awa-roa, a river, of considerable size running towards Wai Kato ; its breadth for the first seven or eight miles is very considerable, varying from two to four miles, and numerous native settlements are established on its bank, which are visited during the Shark Fishery season, when, an immense quantity of oil is procured. The country on the right hand, consists of steep hills, lightly covered with fern, and divided one from the other by deep gullies, through the centre of each of which flows a rivulet of pure water; and wherever the sides of a hill is found to he accessible, a native cultivation ground is as sure to present itself. At a distance of about nine miles from its entrance, the Awaroa begins to narrow considerably, and the country assumes a more level appearance, the hills receding gradually, large extents of flat land intervening between them-and the river. The soil, however, does not appear to improve in quality. A white man named Bushell, (better knGwn by the soubriquet of Wai-wai-rafau or Wooden-leg) lias here a very comfortable trading station, and bears the character of being very hospitable to travellers. A few miles further up, on the east bank, is an agricultural station belonging to the Rev. Mr. llamlin, Church Missionary, at which he grows a considerable quantity of wheat yearly. Ascending to a distance of eight miles above Bus hell’s, the river terminates in a quantity of small creeks, running in all directions, to distances of from one to three miles, navigable at high water for canoes. At the extremity of one of these, being the hauling- place for canoes going to Wai-kato, a native chief, E’Katipa, had built me a most excellent warn house, and glad enough I was to reach it,, after sitting cramped up in a small overloaded canoe for upwards of twelve hours. We here stopped the night, and made preparations for-dragging the canoes over the crossing place early the next morning. • The next morning presented .a scene of much hustle and importance, the Maories making preparations for hauling the canoes over the crossing place, a distance of about a mile and a quarter. Having packed up our traps, and had them conveyed to the creek running into the Wai-kato; the canoes were dragged over, about twenty natives putting their strength to each, and in an hour’s time we embarked, and bv degrees forced our way down the rivulet. One passage was extremely tiresome—numerous logs filling up the channel, having been, some time since, thrown across for the purpose of preventing a neighbouring tribe gaining access to the settlement at Manakau. For about six miles, the stream winds through a thick Kai-ki-tea forest, and emerges into the Wai-kato river, at its broadest part, being about five miles across. The navigation is intricate, from the quantity of low flat islands which constantly occur, and which, from their similarity to the eastern hanks, are liable to confuse any person unacquainted with the channel. Proceeding for about four miles towards the Heads, we crossed the Harbour and arrived at a large Pah, above the Missionary Settlement, where we were hospitably received, and fed by the head chief, whose name I have forgotten—hut who expressed great surprise at my presumptuous determination of crossing the island alone. Wai-kato is a Bar Harbour, and the entrance very narrow. The best channel is that to the north.

The north bank of the Harbour is- composed of low sand hills, presenting a dreary and barren, appearance, without a vestige of vegetation. The southern side affords a strong contrast, being formed of lofty lulls, clothed with fern, numerous cultivation grounds shewing themselves in the gullies and flats.

The natives arc almost all converted to Christianity, through the exertions of the Rev. Mr. Maunsel], who has laboured long* arid successfully in the Missionary cause.

Leaving Wai-kato Harbour, we proceeded up the river, which is from three to live miles la breadth, and studded with numerous islands of mud ; low, swampy, and covered with Flax and Nikau. Eight miles from Wai-kato Heads the water becomes perfectly fresh, and num 21*01 s swarms of wild fowl show themselves in every creek and angle of the river. The left or east bank is, for a distance of fifteen miles, flat and generally swampy, with detached woods of Kai-ki-ha, presenting a desolate and sombre appearance. The western bank rises into high and precipitous hills, covered with fern. This dsscrintion'of country extends for about miles above the ! Wai-kato, when we reached the station of Mr. Marshall, a most industrious' and enterprising settler. This gentleman has* with great labour, drained an

extensive marsh on the bank ofTlie river, and describes the country at the rear of tliq hills to the westward, as being of the finest description. He stated that he could lira a plough without hinderance over upwards of a thousand acres,; of an extremely rich soil. Part of. it lie has already under cultivation.' Leaving Mr. Marshall’s station,, the features of the country gradually soften, the hanks of the river becoming- level for a distance of two or three miles on either side, gradually rising into a succession of undulating hills. The vegetation also assumes a more healthy character, the *flax plant being superseded by high fern, and the Manuka disappearing entirely.

Numerous small detached native settlements .present themselves, surrounded by plantation, grounds, and every description of vegetable appears to flourish with the greatest luxuriance. Many of them, however,, were deserted, and the land formerly under cultivation* is now overgrown with the sow-thistle and rank grass.. Our progress was necessarily slow:, having to. contend with a strong stream, and the natives* insisting upon stopping at almost every station,, to shew the riches they had obtained at Auckland, and to have a “blow out” of corn and potatoes. Anxious as I was to proceed, I found it wasuseless trying to hurry them,, and whenever they came to a halt, 1 amused myself by procuring a few pigeons or duck, of the latter of which there arc immense quantities, and so tame that they woidd allow me to approach within twenty yards of them. For two or three days journey, no variety occurs in the features of the country, except that more flat land presents itself, and the native settlements become more numerous and of greater extent. I saw several deserted Pahs of considerable size, the inhabitants of which had been destroyed a few years since by the Nga-puhi tribe. On passing through a rough passage of a mountainous range, running in an easterly direction, we entered a thickly ferned flat country,. and arrived at the junction of the Wai-kato and Wai-pa rivers. The former is considerably the broader of the-two, but not as deep,, numerous shallows and lulls preventing its navigation, even by a canoe ; indeed, the natives themselves are unable, with any degree of accuracy, to point out its course for more than a few miles. All they know about it, is, that it goes as fair as Lake Taupo, and that there are no settlements on its banks.

' /To be continued.)

To the Editor of the New Zealand Colonist.

Sir, —In the- Gazette of to-day, I observe that Mr. Revans complains of a want of courtesy on my part, in having issued a writ against him, without previously writing a letter to him, requiring a-retractation or justiiicitiou; and he proceeds to say, “this course has not bom pursued in this case, and we might make some re narks upon the want of courtesy in the proceeding, but, bearing in mind who the parties concerned arc, th -//, (the remarks or the parties?) would be thrown away.”

I am quite aware that it is customary, before the adoption of afljjpjfihil proceedings, to address a letter to the parly by \vhosmcohduct you are aggrieved ; and I should have do te so in the present case if I had laid no previous exp.-lienee of Mr. Ilevans’s sense of custom and courtesy in these matters. I have had before to address a lett.-r to that gentleman on the subject of a violent and unfounded attack of which his paper was the vehicle. To that letter I have never received any reply, but it was published in bis paper, with sundry not very court ous comments. That Mr. Revans, after-having thus placed himself beyond the pale of the ordinary courtesies of b isincss communications, should now complain of my not writing to him, would surprise me if I knew less of him.

I must say, that Mr. Horans is hard to please. He attacked, or rather*, he allowed his paper to be made the medium of an attack upon, one gentleman, and I threatened him that I would move for a criminal information. Upon this, he was very wroth, and attributed myproceeding to a wish to put him in prison, in order that your forthcoming paper might be relieved from- his formidable opposition, and asked, “Why do you not bring an action ?” Now, when an action is brought, he is equally dissatisfied. ' There is one course open to him, by which he may a.void both actions and criminal proceedings, and that is, tabs more careful in ascertaining the truth of charges before he allows his paper to be made the means of their, dissemination, and rather mors guarded in the language he employs. I am, Sir, Your Obedient Servant, R. DAVIES HANSON.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Colonist

Silt, —I beg to address a few remarks important to this Colony, and to the parties for whose benefit I am writing.. At the late hour I sit down to address you, I cannot enter more fully into the subject, than merely stating the facts of what I wish to convey, viz. that foreign ships are allowed to anchor and whale in. the bays I on this coast, to the great injury of the shore parties or | hay whalers. At this present time there are two French i vessels whaling in Cloudy Bay, where there are three" - ' shore parties all fitted out from this Fort; and I think j that it is a great piece of injustice on the part of the Government not to protect the .hays from foreign infusion ; it is not merely the unfair competition in being obliged to compete with foreigners on your own ground—it is more ; it is extreme injustice on the part of the Government, who make the bay whalers pay duty on then* spirits and tobacco, while the foreign whaler can sell, duty free, in the face of the custom-houfee, and defiance of the law. . s I am, Sir, , Your obedient servant, Cetacea. August 1, 1812..