Mr. BRUNNER'S LATE EXPLORING EXPEDITION, [From the Nelson Examiner.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 338, 28 October 1848, Page 3

Mr. BRUNNER'S LATE EXPLORING EXPEDITION, [From the Nelson Examiner.]

(Continued from our last.) November 15. — Natives read service. c There are only ninety-seven natives, adults and children, living on the West CoasJ, north of latitude 44°, 29 of whom are memter,^ of the, Church of England, and 68 W,esleyaps. They all profess to follow some faith. r ,»j 16th. — Started early this morning, and after Walking about sis miles, arrived at Parika, the, residence of Tuarope, passing in ourj journey a small stream called Himakura,,, of no note or value. At Parika we received, the; wejc.ome of strangers in a bountiful supply of fern "root and preserved, wekas and fish. There i-* nothing remarkable here, and, the place is j only a summer residence on account of the eels in the , river. , „ , , The natives preseive the birds they catch during the .winter months, wljen the birds,, are, ; in excellent conditioni in. ; a rimu or , sea-we,e,d,, bag. The bird is opened down the back, aad' all the bones taken out ; the flesh is then laid in a shallow platter made of the _bark of the totara tree, called a patua, when they cook the hird by applying red hot stones. They then place the cooked birds in the rimu bag, and pour over them the fat extracted while cooking, tying tightly the mouth of the bag. I have eaten of birds kept two years in this manner, and found them very good. Eels and seals are also preserved in this way, using whale oiLfor their preservation. The natives much worship their greenstone merisj'.^pr battle-axes of -former times ; so much so, that they are buried with their owneis, when, after remaining in the gropnd some five or six years, they are, dug up and given to- the nearest relation of the deceased. They, have also safe ; hiding- places for them, , in order that, if surprised and conquered, -as in former times, their enemies Height not i; find tlfem in their spoil. „ I saw one belonging to Te Raipo, which has descended from time unknown, and for ,which they say Enihu made war on their tribe to' obtain, but could not find, it, the men being hid at the bo,ttom of a depp pool of water. • „- 17th. — Staying at Parika, eel catching for our, onward dietary, ( , , , 18th. — A showep ,of- rain formed,,, in pur united opinion, a sufficient excuse {or remai/j*, ing here another day. We managed to. .dry enough , e,els ' to last 'a -week. There no provisions to be found here saving the Katd'ke. "./ ''"' ' I9thr — After walking about three miles, we 'came to a headland called' Titihaea, from which I slipped, or, rather was washed from a rock bythe sea,, an ray feet between the rocks', jput dul my, right ancle vyln^ .caused, me much pain. r I^\yas w afso\hurtjjn several places by 'the'* sharp, edg.es pf the granite, „ Finding T could' hot clfraijer' the rocks,. I allovved' my'sei^tq be led '^towards Parjka, which my lameue'ss, and tlie'tide, prevented usVeVctrmg. !< \_ ' ' '•/,'.[,,. ''' >." j '^dth.-^—^Vith^m'pch.pain I cra,wi'e3.tq Pari r ka, where I bound up my leg, 'and repeatedly

bathed it in cold water, which served to lessen the'pain. J, dressed my other scratches with weka oil* * 21st. — At Parik-a.,. Showery. ( 22nd. — Atten,ded i the native service. 23rd and .24th. — Rain. , Ancle in much pain. „ ; s •> 24th. — Day somewhat better, but my. ancle still refuses to assist to support my frame, r , *- 26th! —^Faeturiand Tipia rpquested leave to return to*Taramaku, leaving Te Raipo with me. This, l was, compelled to agree to. Almost consumed by the quantity of fleas. • From the 27th of November to the 10th of ; December, Mr. Brunner remained at Parika,' unable to- travel in consequence of the accident which had occured to him, which caused him great suffering. During this time also was 'much rain . December 11th. — Yesterday I resolved to return to Mawera,, and.then rejoin my ownnatives,_and endeavour once more to, see a white face and hear my native tongue, so I retraced my steps, to Porangirangi. ■" T was induced* to make Parika, or rather Titihara 3 the terminus of my southing, Jot several reasons'. My lameness had made me, anxious to return to Nelson, the summer sea-, son was fast approaching to a close, and I dreaded the idea of another, long winter ; the country I was travelling through was quite worthless, and certainly so in respect to Nelson • and I had a wish of returning by, a fresh route, and of seeing more of this country ; I also resolved to try getting back by the Mawera, if I should abandon the idea of crossing the island from Taramakau to Port Levy. Had I urged the natives to proceed, more south with me, I could not get their services to assist me with a canoe up the Mawer,a, r So that being here without resource's, I was much at the mercy .of" the natives, and Ekeliu, having a, runaway wife from Wakapunkaj 'he dared riot r ( eluru by the coast, the shortest route. Wheu I told Te Raipo of my resolution of returning, he was' very glad, and, said, that having only one white man was' too gsea\a responsibility on his hands j if there were;^wo he' would not care, as,, if any. accident ..occurred, one might live to tell the fa,te of ihipther. "But," said'he, "if yo'u/djed,*it wouldtbe^said thai Iha'd JallecT you' for the sake of eating or plundering. f , - _ " T)ecember is a glorious montli ,of dietary among the natives on, this coast, for fisl;, fptit, and vegetables are now coming ' in. season.. The rivers large and small, abound in eels. The fruit of the ekiekle, called by* the natives tawara, is 'now ripe, which is very luscious, partaking^more of a conserve than a fruit. The honay of the flax blossom,, t called korari, is" in season, 'and when mixed. -with fern root, forms a species of confectionary. * The natives also commence on the young potatoes and turnips, and m'alce large ovens of the mamaku and a' species 'of the ti, the stem of which, called koari,'is the eatable part, and to the tast&'is sweet and pleasant.. This month the saftd-fly'is most numerous, driving the natives to all sorts' of expedients to get rid of them. Fire is the best protection ; and you see all the houses with fire inside and outside, placed so that the smoke protects the entrance to the door-way. You partake of your meals under the shelter of the smoke of a circle of fi re , s » the natives objecting to eat' in their houses, on account of the large (neat-fly. ; The natives prepare a very palatable dish of the ti and fern-roo.t. They extract the sweet particles of the ti. by beating and washing the same in a proper, quantity of water. When about the consistency of honey, they put some layers" of. well-beaten and co.oked fern root to soak^in the liquid, which, when properly moistened, eat with a similar relish to gingerbread". This can only be made when stopping two or three days at a station. The root of the'ti is the part used by the natives, and is generally from three to four feet in length, of a conical shape, with an immense number of fibrous roots attached to, it. The natives, whose tools consist of a pointed "stick and their hands, consider they hav,e performed a glffio'u's day's work if they .manage to obtain five ti roots in the day. It requires ah infmense oven, anil must remain twelve hours baking. Collecting .ferjn .root is very difli'cult/fhere being but a t very small quantity eatable, and that of the oldest' and deepest growth. " I do iioi "believe, saving 1 the fruit of ithe tutu, there is ' anything hi New Zealand ,poisoncus, that you may fancy \' ii aYe compelled by hunger 'to eat. 1 12th. — Again reached Matakaihau r - and - sle P t : i« r • i :>: > • , . 13, ib. — Nothing dojng. " - >Vrt ; * I , J ( 4th. — Walked to W^'iweka. • .^ ' A ; Ijstb. — Retraced my s,f ep§ } to ..yVJajhau^ I .46th. — Showery, bu^ walked^to .Qkarito, 'and fpjqnd.the natives^gone to s|Vae^gafluj.. j l^th. — -Proceeded tOj Waeuganui,fap(J, found the-natives, wbo^gaygjXts-a.feed^tf *pptat9es. ; ; ' I ,PV sqcejßd9^}o^ai|a.^ s qcejBd9^ }o^ai|a.^ .We found, thejriJwr miicli' Wollen from the v melting of* the snow

on the mountains, so we bad to construct a raft. 18th. — Completed our raft, which was a work of some difficulty, owing to my lameness, and finding no materials but heavy wet logs. Came to the potato garden atPaiere. 19th. — Being a short walk, we reached Okitika, to enable Te Raipo to attend Divine Service. 20th and 21st. — At Oki'ika. 22nd. — Walked to Arahura, where I feasted on early potatoes — a treat, having lived lately on fish. 23rd. — Walked to Taramakau. 24th. — Walked to Mawera, there being a great meeting here to attend Christmas JDay. 25th. — Christmas Day, This day is very observedly kept by the natives here, both as to the feasting of the body as well as the soul ; large quantities of provisions being consumed' between each service, which is held four times during the day. 26th. — Rainy. 27th. — Ekehu having gone with a few others to fish at Pokikohua, to procure provisions for our journey, I returned to Okitika to wait his return. Walked to Taramakau. 28tb. — Walked to Arahura. 29th. — Walked to Okitika, where I was free from fleas, dogs, and old women, the native Tipia having built a new house to receive me. While I was at Okitika, one of the native children the son of Tipia, a boy of about seven years of age, took such a fancy to me, that it was with difficulty I could part with him, for when I was leaving he clung round my legs and cried, and at last I was obliged to remove him with force. His father wanted me to take him with me, but his mother refused to part with him, at which I was glad, for he would have been much trouble to me in difficulties, and not able to bear the hardships of the bush. 30th. — Ascended the river in a canoe to see the grass plain, at which I was much disappointed, finding only 2,000 or 3,000 acres, with a small lake, called Kuniere, much noted for the quality and quantity of its eels. 31st. — Terminates an eventful year of my life, the whole of which I have spent amongst the natives, and chiefly on the banks of the Buller or Kawatiri, and during which time I have lived on the natural produce of the country, and the few potatoes I have had on the coast, which from want of cultivation, are almost in their wild state. ~ I have never heard a word of English the whole year. January Ist, 1848. — Returned to my house on the banks of the river. 2nd and 3rd. — Bain and fresh in the river. 4th. — Made a large humu of kauwara. sth. — Eine. My ancle again painful. eth.-np-At Okitika. 7th. — Ascended river in canoe eel-fishing. Bth. — Suffering nnder the pain of a severe tooth-ache. 9th and 10th. — Rain and wind. 11th. — The fresh having during the night risen to the threshold of our house, we were compelled by daylight to take to our canoe, and paddle down to a house at the mouth of the river, on reaching which we lit a fire, and made ourselves comfortable. By the increase of the gale, a larger sea than usual broke over the banks, and, driving in the side of our house, carried us and it some yards into the bush. The gale abating towards night, we managed to get under shelter. 12th and 13th. — -Staying here owing to a fall of rain. Ekehu, with two friends, came seeking me. 14th. — Walked to Arahura. 15tb. — Walked to Taramakau. 16th and 17th. — At Taramakau. 18th. — Walked to Mawera. 19th. — At Maw-era. Showery. 20th. — Tipia returned to Okitika, having accompanied me to carry a kit of dried fish which bis wife had given me. 21st. — My face had swollen so much that I could not manage to eat. „^^ . „ £Bd.~- My &cc somewhat 'iJettW. "''Sefwing canoe and preparing for a start. 23d. — Crossed the river to attend Divine Service. 24th. — This morning an arrival fcjjm the other side of the river announced the death of one of the women. Crossed the river to attend the funeral. 25th. — Finished sewing canoe and packing provisions for a start in the morning; 26th. — This morning freighted our canoe with our provisions, clothes, and fishing apparatus. I considered myself on board the admiral's canoe, it being the largest and first to start, having in company three others. It is really a very exciting scene to see four canoes poling and paddling up a fine stream on a fine day. We stemmed about five miles of the river, and camped at an old fishing station, prettily situated on an island, called Mauta-, pu, which rises about one hundred feet abdve the level of the river. At this place the river is confined between two black birch hills. About a mile above Mautapu -is a seam of coal of apparently very fine quality, present-

ing itself under a strata of mica slate. The coal is bard and brittle, very bright and sparkling, burns freely, and free of smell. The seam is some feet deep, and level with the water's edge. From this place the valley extends itself to a large level district for New Zealand. There is much open land here, and a fine run for a small flock of sheep, and some fine fern land fit for arable purposes, belted by a beautiful bush. The level land is about ten miles deep from hill to hill, and stretches away as far as the eye can reach. 27th. — Paddled up the river to a point where it divides itself into two branches, one of which is called Kotu-urakaoka, and is a pass to the East Coast, bearing S.S. Stopped here for the night, the natives wishing to fish. This is the place where Ekehu lost his father and himself was taken prisoner by the Ngaitau tribe. 26th. — Commenced paddling up the branch or the, pass to the East, leaving the women and children behind, and kept on proceeding until late in the evening. The branch of the river is wooded, with a belt of considerable extent of level land on either bank. 29th. — Ascended the branch and by night reached the lake, a fine sheet of water of about six or seven miles square, near the middle of which is a small low island, once a fishing station, where we camped. Fine day. 30th. — Examining about the lake in canoe. It is very deep, has a sandy and mud bottom, and in some places large granite rocks. The immediate country around the lake is a low bush, bounded by a pine forest, and reaching to the black birch forest. Towards the east the country is low, but to the west bounded by a high mountain range. This is the lake frequented by the natives on their route to the East Coast. This was a memorable day for me, having just put my last bit of tobacco in my pipe. lam afraid time, or rather wet weather will seem long, now I have no amusement left. -There is a fresh water muscle, called kaiehau, abounding in some lakes, and which we found in the Totoroa, which, when boiled with the roots of the raupo, or bulrush, makes a palatable dish, and is the favourite meal of the celebrated savage Rauparalia. 31st. — Returned from the lake to the main stream where we left the women and canoes. During our absence, the women caught a supply of fish. There are houses of former times on the banks of this river, resorted to by the natif&s , in summer months, when they live on eels, fern root, and the liquor of the tutu berries. The tutu here has a much finer flavour than in most other places, and you may eat freely without injury. February .Ist. — Again started, leaving all but my own party behind. The fine open and long reaches of shingle bounded either side of the river, which is deep, and hardly fordable. It runs nearly parallel to the coast. In the course of the day we passed the mountains at the head of Kararoa, and camped for the night under the range of the Hikiwi and Waiwero. We made at least fifteen miles of the river in the course pf the day, three natives working the canoe generally, and at all times assisting. The foliage of the country is chiefly pine, with a belt of manuka on the immediate banks of the river. 2nd. — Ascended four miles, when we came to a point where the river again divides itself, a branch running cff to the south-east, the main stream, which was our course, still making' for the.north. We camped at this junction' to explore a-head previously to taking tne I canoes. To this place the country is chiefly I wooded, but at the junction a grasf plain commences. 3rd. — Rainy. 4th. — Rainy. My Ngaitau guide told me he must return to see his wife and children, but that, if I would wait, he would come back. sth and 6th. — Rain, with thunder. 7th. — About mid-day the wind chjHiSgdk the cland&Jbegan to break, and the nignt showed for a fine morrow. We set off exploring, when we found a patch of fern, which we quickly rooted up to examine its quality, and approving of the same, we resolved to spend the next day in drying fern root, Took to my fourth pair of trowsers, leaving only one pair in the kit. I find nothing so useful ajid durable for trowsers in the bush as good duck; fustian is the worst of all materials. Bth. — Started for our fern patch, and leaving the natives to work, I, with some difficulty, pushed my way through the low underbush, and ascended the grass terrace, which I found to run along the river's bank for about four miles, and, stretching to the south-west some five miles, forms a nice little sheep run of very excellent grass, well sheltered, being bounded and intersected by a fine forest, containing some good trees. On the northern bank of the river theie is nothing but a forest stretching to the chain of mountains on the coast. On returning in the evening, I tested the quality of the fern root, which .was found very sweet and agreeable to the taste, particularly so when mixed with the juice of the tutu.

9th. — This morning we packed up our loads, which, when collected together, was found to be rather bulky, but mine was light, though large, consisting of dried fish. We came on about a mile to our fern root, when we camped, to allow the root to dry and enable the women to enlarge our kits. 10th. — Made another start, hut, after accomplishing rather a long mile, wtre brought to a stand by a fall of snow, when we erected a shelter at the commencement of another grass patch of large extent, on a level with the river on the northern bank. 11th. — The appearance of the weather induced us to remain in our shelter, in which we were justified, a long shower of rain falling at noon. 12th. — Made a start, and came on about two miles, when Ekehu, looking back, discovered the smoke of afire, which he supposed to be the fire of our Ngatau friends returning. Ekehu and I, leaving our loads, when we found it was our late house which had taken fire. We walked about four miles during the day, and again built another shed. The river's banks are a series of grass and fern patches, running back to the main forest, and some three or four miles deep, interspersed with patches of underbrush. 13th. — Rain and sunshine. 14th. — Walked about three miles, and came to a large shingle bed, where the river divides itself into several branches. After some exploring about, we took the branch to the north, and ascended about two miles, when the rain began to fall ; so we had to erect a shelter at the edge of a grass plain of some miles square, cf a soil apparently of very good quality, well sheltered by clumps of trees. 15ib. — Rainy. In most of the charts of New Zealand there is laid down about the middle of this island a large lake, called Lake Viora ; no such lake exists, but there is a large mud flat, or salt- : water lake, called by the natives Wiora, on the East Coast, near to Port Cooper, bounding one side of the sheep run of the Messrs. Deans, and having the same pronunciation, I imagine to be the same lake improperly placed. 16th. — A rainy morning, but moderately fine afternoon, with rain at night. I made a sally out, and, ascending a high tree, found we had taken the wrong branch of the river, its bearing being too much north. I believe this is the pass to the Tuhinu, which the natives formerly travelled to catch seals at Tauftangi. When, ther -weather will permit^ u£? must retrace our steps to the main river, which must be my course. The shingle and bed of this river is in many places strewed with coal, though of an inferior quality to the seam nearer the sea. In this river is found the "stone used by the natives for rubbing down their ponamu, in quality resembling a Newcastle stone, though somewhat closer in the grain and texture, and has a fine cutting quality. 11 th. — Another dirty day, at least too wet for our leaving our shed to brave the rain, but we managed to flavour our mouths with a fine eel and two wood-hens. A sharp frost at night, and very cold. There is a particular tapu existing among .the natives relative to the eel. You must wash your hands before going to catch them, and also en returning ; the bait must be prepared some distance from the house ; for cooking the eel there must be a distant fire, for which you must have a special tinder-box ; your hands and mouth must be washed before and after partaking of them ; and should it be necessary to drink from the same stream from which the eels are caught, you must have two vessels for water, the one to drink out of, the other to dip from the stream. Whether this relates to particular places, I am not aware j. but at Okitika and Okaritu I found it strictly adhered to, having had at the former place to walk half a mile for water, when a stream was" only within a few yards of our station. * fTo be continued.)