VISIT TO KAWHIA.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1100, 17 October 1883, Page 2

VISIT TO KAWHIA.

Bv a Southern M.H.R

(From the Dunedin Herald)

The township is about fifty yards from the beach. It is a rather pretty spot. The land rises from 10 to 100 feet above the sea level, is well grassed, with here and there clusters of willows, a Norfolk Island pine or two, and some fiuit trees. The “township” measures 41 acres, and has been duly laid off on paper, but I saw no survey pegs.. Its frontage to the harbour is limited—the Natives hint that the foreshore is theirs. The block was recently acquired by the Government from a private owner holding by virtue of a Grown grant dating some twenty years back. The Natives are under stood to question the validity of the original grant. They, or some of them, assert that no formal deed of cession

was ever made by lbom, ami that the Governor might as lawfully have Crown-granted away from them the whole of the circumjacent territory, this is what om; hears from some of tho “old hands” who have domiciled among tho Natives. These men, women, and children, to the number of seventy or eighty, muster on the bead), close to which is their village or kailc. There arc two or three small weatherboard houses inhabited by whites, one of them a store of the backwoods type. The Natives seem friendly enough, hut we learn on inquiry (hat Tawhiao, the Maori King, left the township the previous evening on hearing ol tho visit of the steamer. Many of the Natives came off in their canoes, among them John Wesley, a highly batoned and influential chief, between whom and some of our party grim jokes are exchanged about the “good old times” when a white man was considered “game.” Two of Tawhiao’s sons are pointed ont among the groups on sho-e. They bear no distinguishing tokens of belonging to the royal family. Sickness is said to be prevalent—intermittent fever, scrofulous and lung diseases. Herbal remedies are the only ones available at present—certain hot springs on the beach near tho coast being resorted to by way of adjunctive treatment. A considerable area of land adjoining the Government township, still in the hands.of the Natives, is quite ns suitable for building, purposes, and has tho additional advantage of bung nearer to deep water. Tho construction of quays allowing vessels of 20ft draught to unload alongside would be inexpensive—a more breastwork being required. The erection of the second beacon on a sand-bank about two miles from the first is speedily completed. These in line bring ships over the bar, on which there is 18ft of water at low tide, with a rise ranging from 8 to 10ft. Tho harbour is thus on a par with, although loss sheltered than, Port Chalmers, while the navigation of the main channel is certainly much easier. The others are shallower, and lead np to rivers, of which some four or five fall into the harbour. Roughly speaking, it is four or five miles wide by seven in length, but much of this area is occupied by sandbanks uncovered at low tide. The surrounding country is rather hilly, and for the most part covered with fern or bush, the latter chiefly red and white pine. Here and there up the rivers (tidal) previously mentioned are numerous clearings, now neglected, where wheat was formerly grown. The soil is rather light, but there are many rich patches. The sweet and common potato, tobacco and peaches are said to do well, but there is little or no attempt at systematic cultivation. In the hands of European settlers the fern and bush would no doubt soon give place to grasses or cereals. Meantime it is all “ King country,” supporting a sparse Native population whose whereabouts in the early morning could be traced by the smoke rising from among the hills and gullies. When the existing difficulties as to sovereignty are overcome, Kawhia will be a busy place. A railway line of 25 miles would connect it with Alexandria in the Waikato Valley, and enable it to compete successfully with Auckland as the shipping port of a large and fertile district. Having regard to the fact that at New Plymouth, further down the coast, a breakwater is being constructed at enormous expense to serve the trade of a by no means extensive district, it would seem to bo at once wise and expedient to deal with the Native owners in the Kawhia district in a liberal spirit. Half a million of money judiciously spent iu the purchase of Native lands might be a good colonial investment—one from which immediate and large returns might be confidently expected. Coal, limestone, and freestone are among the undeveloped resources of the Kawhia country, and would be speedily utilised were the rule of the Queen to supersede that of the King. A stop in this direction, however short, has been made, and judging from past experience the day is not far distant.