THE WEST COAST.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1119, 30 November 1883, Page 2

THE WEST COAST.

What the “ Dunedin Star’s” Correspondent thinks of It. (Continued.)

An effort is being in.vie by two gentlemen—Messrs Robert Cooper imd Perciral Barker, of Poverty Bay—to''purchase a swamp called Ngaire, about ten miles from Hawera, and containing 8,000 acres, for agricultural purposes. ; It; is estimated' that the draining of this swamp will cost from £25,000 to , L 30,000,. ana residents in Hawera arc anxious to ace the land opened, as it is expected to prove the best farming country in the district. This iswamp, situated in the midst of a- dense forest, is the place where Colonel Whitmore's men crossed on fascines when pursuing Tito Kowaru.; It is cstirnated that the swamp Will take three years to drain ; but when that work is finished, the, land will, it is thought,'be the best' tural purposes in the district, and will be cut in small farms* and ‘sold on deferred payments. Some.] parts of the country around Hawera; will -carry, f one . bullock or five sheep to the acre.. In,the district — • including Normanby and Manaia —there ! are fully and only one doctor, which pfoyes that-the locality is not drily a good one for farmers, hut also that the climate is exceedingly healthy. As, a proof of the' soil, cocksfoot grown in" the district was shown to,us that measured 7ft 6in high. Yet the. potato crop was a very poor, ope last year, and in all the townships we passed through, O.vnaru potatoes were being retailed. The failure of this crop in the North Idand is attributable to' The unfavourable state the weather last season.^Between Waverley and Hawera many largo paddocks have been ploughed and laid down in wheat or oats, while other patches ha ve excellent winter feed, and the cattle are all in excellent condition'. From Hawera the railway line runs around the east sidenf Mount Egmont to New Plymouth, while the coach takes the west side, on abroad (hat passes through several small, settlements that have apparently been mm-h improved since the cessation of hostilities with the Natives. In many places the settlers have unfortunately boon put to much trouble to clear the gorso from their paddocks, as (he country is overrun here and there with the nuisance; in fact, wherever the eye turned the bright, yellow flowers- adorned some parts of the landscape, i On the road from HaweraToDpunake, a distance of twenty-eight miles, there are a|few olacca of interest, they having been the scene of some of, the Trimbles during the Maori war. Nine miles from'Hawera there is a rising township named Manaia, situated on the main road, and containing five stores, a post and telegraph office, public hall and a school-ho use and three'hotels. Between three and four tniles from This township the notorious Tito Kowaru has his jpcih, at the edge of the''bußh, which is'known- by the name of Okniawa. The Government have also a village settlement by the same name three or four miles to the northward. The next settlement on the main road is Otakcho, the sections in which were sold two 3-cars ago. It now. comprises a. post and telegraph office, store, hotel, blacksmith’s shop, baker's, shpp and a| few private dwellings, tlie-'popula-tion, including residents in the district within a radius of two miles, being 160. The next place of cajl,/after a few miles’ drive, is the Oeo close to which are the residences of Hone Pihama and Captain Good, the first European who settled in that'part. Hone''Pihama is the chief who fought ragainst General Cameron’s troops with great’ bravery,* and so skilfully laid an ambuscade that ho nearly succeeded .in capturing the British commander. But efter the war ho became friendly, built the Oeo Hotel,"and used to contract for the conveyance of mails from Hawera to New Plymouth. The Government allotted him 1,800 acres of land out of The reserves, banging, to himself and his people, the .latter.,bf.,whom only got the remainder, 750 acres. Hone leased. 1500 acres to Captain Good, who has been living op the property- five or six years. Captain Good is one,., of the old,Taranaki' fighting men, and has brought up a= large family. There is a. large extent of undulating country between Hawera and Opunake, in its natural wild state, covered with flax and font. It is estimated that there are no less than twenty large* mountain streams between the two places, so that hardy and industrious settlers Would find plenty of remunerative employment in this locality. The land, however, is more suitable for grazing than agricultural purposes. On the coach crossing a creek at the Opunake town boundary, a little after dark, wo found a sentry stationed there;, for the purpose, I learned, of guarding against the approach of a number of Maoris, It was at _ this crossing place that 250 natives, with Tito Kowaru at their head, were stopped by Colonel Roberts’ men a few months since. Tito, t appears, addressed a few words to his people, and they retired peacefully. Three or four days after that, 60 natives cam© back, and Colonel Roberts allowed them to pass, telling the Maoris that they must not stay longer than twenty-four hours, although the Government were willing to allow them to pay their respects to Te Wljiti. The natives proceeded to JParihaka, and returned to their pahs in due course.

°pu nakc has a population of about 400, inclusive of 40 or 50 of (ho A.C. Force, and is shunted on an emincncc'ovcrlonking the son. There arc five stores, two largo hotels, post and telegraph offices, two banks, a sclioolhonse (in which divine service is held), a flaxihill, brewery, a drill-shed (capable of bolding 500 persons), and a strong redoubt. Having a letter of introduction to Captain Morrison, I called upon that gentleman, and he courteously showed me through the rsdoubt, which commands a good view of the country around. Nothing worthy ot particular notice was to be seen until we reached a quarter acre allotment, fenced in for a burial ground, close to the redoubt ; the most conspicuous feature in which was the grave of poor Miss Dobie. The last resting place of this murdered lady was surrounded by a nice iron railing on a stone wall n foot high, with a marble monument in the form of a cross, and a circlet of thorns around flic junction of the angles, on the base of which was cut out the following : —“ Mary B.itrix, daughter of Major H. M. Dobie, Born 22nd December, 1850; died 25th November, 1880. This memorial was erected by (he non-commissioned officers and men of the Armed Constabulary at Opuuake, Caps Egmont.” Opuuako boasts of a harbour, in the form of a small bay, which could be made a safe port; and it appears by an official record kept by Captain Itobertson, that small steamers, can land goods and passengers 3 0 days out of the.365. Mr Wilson Hursthouse, C.E., suggested to the inhabitants of Opunako that a small breakwater, to cost about £16,000, would bo sufficient to allow small vessels Cup to 12ft draught) to conic in and .discharge their cargoes with perfect safely. This is the Mr' Unrsthouse who was taken prisoner and cruelly treated; a Tew months ago hy To Malmiki and his followers, but was subsequently liberated by To Kooth At .the base of the northern headland, a long reef runs out across the bay, _with about Oft of water on if at dow-sjiring : tide, and inside from 17ft to 23ft. It ja, deemed desirable to put a. groin some distance iii from' the reef, which would " give, with n;B(rnight entrance;* 17ft allow water spring tides. Beacoiisare fixed for the guidance of vessels, and a lighter, in the shape of a large whaleboat, drawn in and out by a rope, is used for discharging the small craft trading to this port. -Qf course there is the usual flagstaff, with. The necessary harbour- master, or pilot, but. unfortunately there dobs not appear to -be :: for, that official to undertake/ ;