TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 41, 5 April 1873, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD.

Sa, —I send you a few jottings respecting the road from Gisborne to Waiapu. Perhaps they may be of interest to some of your readers, intending travellers on this Coast, but m the first place allow me to correct one or two trivial errors m an article that appeared in your journal of the 26th ultimo, respecting the above line of road. You are in error as to the natives having been paid five shillings a day wet or dry, they having been paid only for the days they were at work; neither were the whole of the Ngatiporou engaged in road making but only a small section of them ; and of the work executed about eighty chains have been made available by Mr. Winter only some thirty chains were useless, as not being on the line chosen by that gentleman. The cost has been about 50 per cent above the estimated amount, and this would not have been the case had the natives not been started at five shillings per day, before the Government had positively decided on laying opt the line, and previous to an Engineer being sent to do so. Neither is a dray road laid out from Te Awanui to Te Horo; it was proposed to do so, but from the nature of the country it was found impracticable.

But to proceed, first I should advise any one to leave Gisborne just after high water, which will enable them to pass round the poipts on the Coast. From Gisborne to Tapui Point no difficulty lies in the way, but here there are some nasty rocks to pass. Arrangements have been made to make a road round this point. From here you continue along a good sandy beach till crossing the Pakarai river where a ferry has been established, thence on to Puatakino hill; here you leave the beach to avoid Gable End Foreland, the track, however, is very bad, a swampy creek has to be crossed, this will be bridged very soon, and the track ent over the hill to Waitotara where you again come on to the beach. From this point the road lies along the beach past Puatai (Mr. Priestly’s station and about 27 miles from Gisborne) and is very. good till you reach the hill called Kohi Kohi; over the hill the track is, at present, very bad indeed and very dangerous, from the late heavy rains ; two horses were killed here and their remains are lying in the track. A cutting is being made over the hill; but I am unable to form any opinion upon it, as the work is not sufficiently advanced to enable anyone to pass over it. From the top of the hill a magnificent view of Tologa Bay is obtained; on descending the hill the track passes through a swamp which is very bad ; the line has been laid out and the work commenced, it being proposed to cut a ditch bn each side of the track which I think will keep the track dry. On reaching the Tologa river, orjproperly, Uawa, you must swim your horse. There is a ferry boat plied by a white man ; also an excellent hotel kept by Mr. J. Trimmer, where the traveller will do well to take up his quarters, having made a good days journey of about thirty seven miles. Journeying north the track passes through a great deal of swamp and crosses several ugly creeks, and although the line has been laid out no work has been commenced. On leaving the flats the track crosses a saddle through some bush, and descends to the beach at Te Kopuni, about forty three miles from Gisborne. After leaving the beach at Kaiaua you ascend the Marau hill, the cutting over which is all but complete; the old track descending to the beach at Te Koaaumu is very dangerous indeed. From here along a sandy beach, till the Puharariki hill is reached, where the track has been completed; formerly a horse had great difficulty in ascending this hill without its rider, but now a horseman can keep his mount the whole distance. This portion of the work has been performed remarkably well; the descent to Anaura is not yet completed, bijt the existing track is not so bad. From Anaura (about fortyeight miles from Gisborne) to Waipare the track is along a sandy beach for about two miles, when you ascend the Taumata Kohawai hill, over which a track has been cut as far as Omanuku, where there is an accommodation house kept by Mr. Duncan; Jthence the track continues over the hills and is partially completed till you descend to the beach at Mangatawa; thence along a sandy beach to Marahea; thence to Tpngoiro, $ distance of about two and half miles, the track lies along almdst impassable rocks, which can only be crossed at low water, and then it is very dangerous; but a.line has ’Seen laid out over the hfils at which the natives are at present at work. From Tongoiro the line runs over a high range called Te Reinga; this portion is not yet completed, and what has been done has suffered from slips'after the last heavy rains; on descending the hill you reach Wahoa, whence to Tokomiro and Te Puku (about sixtv4wo miles) along a sandy beach till you rise the hill called Tawhiti, over which • great portion of tire line is completed; this comprises some silty cifiuns which the natives made at five shillings a day,- but they have only been paid a little over the estimated cost at contract rates; the work is extremely well done, and the road formed for a width of sixteen feet, which was far more than necessary, as only a bridle-track was contemplated. Descending the hill you reach Waikawa thence along a beach passing Waipiro Aku Aku, Matahu, (Msjoußopata’s pah) and Wharepongo (about 78 miles). Here the track leaves the beach and passes dvfr the hills to Tuparoa, three miles of which has been completed and passed. Continuing over the hills to Reporua, the most of which is completed, another beach is traversed to Te .Awanui,‘(the late purchase of the Government, some eighty five acres) the principal landing place along the coast, vessels being able to land and ship cargo in almost any weather. The line continues along the beach to Taumata where you turn off to cron Waiapu river, over which a ferry has

been established, it being impossible to ford the river for several days even after very slight rains. After crossing, the road runs along the flats to the Waiapu pah, a total distance from Gisborne of about ninety two miles. The works already completed are a great boon to travellers along this coast; and on the completion of the whole the greatest drawback to travelling on this line will be removed. On looking over the works, there is no doubt that at portions of the line the gradients might have been made somewhat easier; but when the difficulty is - considered of laying out a line over precipitous hills and for the most part through bush and dense scrub, great credit is due to Mr. Winter for the evident pains he has taken ; and the work reflects great credit upon that gentleman and upon the natives under his supervision. • ■ Trusting I have not encroached too much on your space.—l am, Ac., R. M. Skeet. [We believe Mr. Skeet has satisfied himself upon the subject of his queries, and we are obliged to him for attempting to tone down some ugly facts; but the question remains unaltered. We did not say the natives had been paid 5s a day; wet or dry, and we are aware that they “ have been paid only for the “ days they were at work.” But that’s just the essence of the difficulty of which we complain, and which Mr. Winter had to surmount. The natives had been promised five shillings a day wet or dry, whether they did little or whether they did much; and as they were not likely to do the latter, the effect which that arrangement had on their minds, militated greatly against the attempts made to introduce a system of contracts among them ; and which influenced them so much against Mr. Winter that they have expressed veiy strong desires to have him removed from their district. They look upon it as a breach of faith on the part of the Government; and it has induced other natives along the coast to reject the contracts and to make feeble attempts to oppose the road. We are, however, perfectly ready to admit that the just view Ropata has taken of the unreasonableness of their demand, has greatlv modified their opposition. — Ed. P.B.S.]