MR. SUTTON’S JOURNAL.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 15, 20 September 1842, Page 3

MR. SUTTON’S JOURNAL.

(Continued.) t

Although Ruapaha, and some hills of less elevation, were covered with snow, not a vestige was to be seen on Tongariro. My expectations of obtaining a fine view of the country from the top of the mountain were not realised. The range of hills bordering Rotoaira shut out both that lake and 'Taupo. Ruapaha prevented my seeing any part of the intervening country £S far as Mount Egmont, and to the south-west nothing was visible but an apparently sandy desert, bounded by an horizon of forest. My descent of the mountain did not occupy much time, and I hardly felt myself repaid for my exertions and fatigue. I reached Rotoaira the same afternoon, when it commenced raining heavily, and I was detained nearly a week by had weather, the natives refusing to travel. A fine day at length presented itself,, and I made

preparations for a start. On examining the contents of my knapsa.de, [ missed many things, and found out that, during 7 m absence, it had been thoroughly ransacked. The opinion of the natives of Taupo, regarding the Rotoaira people, was perfectly justified in my case. I have, in various parts of the island, left articles in the hands of the Maories, and in no one instance had I ever 7 before experienced a breach of the confidence reposed in them. Everything being prepared, the usual qr*stion arose regarding payment, and I thought their demands rather exorbitant, a blanket and a sovereign being required by the principal chief, and the same for the guide. This they insisted upon having in advance, and I was, with considerable reluctance, obliged to comply with their demands. lat length made a start, pursuing the same path I had before taken in going to Ton-gai-iro.. The country, for eight or nine miles, consisted of undulating grass land, composed principally of pumice-stone and decomposed scoria. We crossed several gullies and streams, the latter being tributaries of the Waikato, some of them, from the recent rain, containing a considerable body of water. The banks of these gullies were generally covered with toatoa and tov/ai. To our left was a large grassy valley, extending as far as we could see, in a south-west direction, being, apparently a continuation of that which I have before mentioned communicating with the Taupo and Rotoaira country. Could access be found to it, a large extent of excellent pasturage for cattle, might be laid open, which would improve every season. At riving at some temporary huts, we determined to camp early, as there were none to be met with for several miles. The following morning we were aroused by tlie arrival of a lot of natives from Wanganui proceeding to Taupo. After some conversation with my guides, the latter were persuaded to demand more payment, in addition to that which I had already given them ; and, finding that I was not disposed to accede to their demands, they threatened to return to Rotoaira ; at the same time intimating that it would be impossible for me to prosecute my journey alone. They distributed nearly the whole of the provisions amongst the new comers, and one of the two men I brought with me started back to Rotoaira, having previously abstracted two shirts and a pair of trowsers from my knapsack. It was with considerable difficulty that I persuaded the other native to go on with me, and we had not proceeded more them seven miles, when, on my arrival at some old huts, in a deep gully, he also started back, alleging, as an excuse, that we had not sufficient potatoes to last us on our journey ; taking care, however, to carry tlic greater part of what we had remaining with him. I resolved to wait that afternoon for him, although I’had but faint expectations of his return. I suspected I had acted injudiciously in giving the payment in advance: nor was I mistaken; for I have never since obtained a sight of my guide. The following morning, after some little reflection as to the best course to be pursued, I determined to push on by myself. 1 7 was induced to do this, knowing that I should be able, from the tracks of the Maories, to find the route by which they had come. Leaving, accordingly, the heaviest articles of my baggage to their fate, I strapped the Maori’s bundle on to my knapsack, and with a tolerably heavy load, recommenced my journey. My progress was necessarily very slow and fatiguing, and I was obliged to have on the road a heavy mat which had hitherto protected me from the rain. The path ran in a south-west direction for several miles over flat grassy land, the soil of which was composed principally of pumice-stone and decomposed scoria, intersected by numerous deep precipitous ravines. Winding round the base of one of the low ridges of Ruapaha, I crossed a small sandy spot of about two miles in diameter, over which were scattered large masses of rock, of various shapes and sizes, and then entered a thick forest of kaikitca and totara. The pathway was entirely obliterated, and it was only by observing stones upon which others had been placed, that I was enabled to continue my course with any degree, of certainty. It was late when I arrived at the confine of the wood, and after making a large fire, I had considerable difficulty in finding water. I, however, after a long search, procured some from a hole, apparently of artificial formation, and slept soundly after my day’s walk. In the morning I entered the One-tapu, a sandy desert, about nine miles across; over which I could see no path. The walking was most tiresome, from the yielding nature of the ground, into which I sunk, at each step, above my ancles. Following a line of posts which had been erected by some previous traveller, I toiled on with my heavy load, and about five miles from my last night’s resting-place, arrived at a stream about four yards broad, and two feet deep. My annoyance was extreme, when, on attempting to drink the water, I found it so strongly impregnated with alum and sulphur, as to he perfectly nauseous. The temperature was considerably higher than any of the mountain streams I had previously crossed, and the water had a milky appearance. I have since been told by the natives that this is the source of the Wangaihu. —(To be Continued.)

Extraordinary Birti-i.—A woman of the name of Ferrers, living in the district of the

Grange, was brought to bed, on the ?»d of .Inly' last, of six children at one birth: a circumstance, 'we suppose, unparalleled in the records of medical history. The mother is wife to an honest and industrious man, following the labours of splitter and fencer; she is -rather a small'woman than otherwise, and professes to have felt no more inconvenience previous to confinement than in ordinary cases. She has been a mother twice before. Her height is five feet four inches, fair complexion, and freckled, light blue eyes, brown hair, and an intelligent expression of face. She is Irish by birth, came out in one of Marshall’s vessels, is twenty-six years of age. The only remarkable symptom—she experienced was in tlie growth of an inordinate appetite, her husband having been obliged to purchase an extra ration for her use during pregnancy. She was first taken ill on the Ist of July, had several pains daring that and the following day, and was in actual labour sixteenhours. The children are. or rather were, all girls; one, however, the first, 'was st» -born, and two died afterwards. Fortunately, the poor woman had several female acquaintances, who took care of the little strangers, and consoled her under tlie prospects of starvation that attended their first appearance. She is now suckling two herself, while her eldest girl feeds and nurses the third. They are remarkably thriving, and the mother, recovering from the fright and wonder attendant upon so extraordinary a birth, is getting quite proud of her offspring. During the period of labour, she was fed, at intervals, with a teaspoonful of hot brandy apd water, having, in that distant part of the country, no other luxury or remedy whatsoever to resort to. We have often heard of the fruitful nature of the climate, and its wonderful effects in assisting the disappointed passion of philoprogenitiveness ; i:r.t e'.mid scarcely credit, unless assured from undeniable sources of id truth, so singular and powerful an instance m its operation . —Pori Philip Gazette, Aug-kst AS .