OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 31, 4 January 1884, Page 2

OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SETTLERS.

[by our special reporter.] Ten years ago the District of Poverty Bay presented a very different aspect to what it does at the present moment. Then, what are now smiling homesteads were uncultivated lande — in some places swamps, in other directions scrub or bush, with here and there a Maori whare or settlement, reached only by native tracks. Roads we had none, and the means of transit from one part of the district to another entailed much labour and expense. There are very few districts in New Zealand that have made such rapid progress in a few short years as ours, and therefore, I feel assured that a few notes upon the progress here made, written in plain and simple language, and some brief descriptions of the farms and homesteads, together with an occasional sketch of the occupiers or owners en passant, will not be void of interest just now, a period when Poverty Bay is beginning ' to be regarded by the outside world as a desirable place for settlement, and where, in consequence of the fertility and richness of the son, there is every promise ot the industrious settler reaping a good return for the \ iuYefctmeul of his capital and the application /

of his labour. There are now to be seen in this district ample evidences of what can be done by systematic farming and sheep and cattle-rearing. Each year has witnessed the opening up of the district by means of roads made by the Cook County Council and the various Road Boards in the several ridings Within the County. In some parts—notably from Gisborne to Ormond—the road is in a good passable state, excepting here and there a few ruts that will, unless speedily tilled up, occasion unpleasant experiences. This is not the first time the Cook County Council have been reminded of these defects. In the interests of those whose horses and vehicles regularly or casually pass over this road I must say that it is full time the holes were filled up, or presently the roau will get into an impassable state, and then it will cost more for repairs than there are funds at command to meet. At present} “ a stitch in time will save nine.” A few barrows of shingle here and there will now be of more value than as many cart, loads some months hence. On Monday I took a ramble to Roseland; thence about a mile beyond Mr. Murchie’s store to a road on the left, leading past several farms and homesteads, I had heard a much of the beauties of the district in this / direction, and when! Malted it was in front ' of Bushmere House. Bushmebe, the residence and property of Mr. Montague H. Smith. I was invited to remain the night at this cosy oot, and I at once accepted the hospitality proffered by the worthy proprietor. Monte, as Mr, Smith is familiarly called, is no stranger to the good people of Poverty Bay, or, in fact, many parts of this Colony. Young as he appears to be, he has seen much of the world, and he is one of those who, as to the good things of this life, is well provided for. Prior to purchasing this pretty estate of 425 acres of freehold land, Mr. Montague H. Smith was a popular knight of the hammer, in partnership with Mr. Carlaw Smith, of Gisborne. Immediately upon purchasing Bushmere from Mr. J. B. Poynter, Mr. Smith retired from commercial life, brought Mr. Bead from Akaroa, Canterbury, to undertake the management of his farm, and then devoted his time principally to his favorite pursuit—the turf. Possessed of considerable means, Mr. Smith has invested largely in race-horses, and takes a special pride in his stud, and to his love of sport is attributable latterly some of the best racing in this district. He keeps a good staff of boys ” to look after his race-horses, those in the stables at Bushmere at present being a very old favorite, Kingask; a new purchase when in Canterbury recently called the Cynic ; the thoroughbred stallion Herculaneum, and a youngster being broken in and named the Wester; also an Elsa colt by Antares. Tim Whifller, Rubina, and another late purchase, Melbourne, are at present absent. At four o’clock on New Year’s morning my turfite host was out and at work in his trainingground, a practice he regularly follows every day when at home. The work of training goes on in his absence with the same regularity. I must now leave Mr. Smith as a lover of the turf, and refer to him as a farmer. He knows that following the plough and shearing sheep are not in his line, and for that reason he does not trouble his head about the work. And why should he ? In the hands of his manager, Mr. Read, this splendid estate is well cared for, evidence of which I saw shortly after breakfast yesterday morning, when I was entrusted to Mr. Read’s care and in company we strolled over the grounds. The house—which is not a large one—containing, I think, eight rooms, is pleasantly situated on the bank of the Big River. It is one of those bewitching, snug little places such as ought to lay claim to the word “ Paradise.” The rooms are snug, well-ventilated, and very nicely furnished. There is a homeliness about it that makes a man feel he should like to rest there away from the world and its busy life and excitements. In the front is a nice little lawn-tennis court, standing in the centre of which is a sun-dial, from which the lord of Bushmere and his family obtain the correct time. Shrubs, flowers, fruit, and ornamental trees are here, there, and everywhere in profusion, and help to make up a pretty picture—an enchanting scene. The oppressive heat of the morning was relieved Dy a pleasant breeze from the river at the rear of the house, coming as it did through the foliage of the trees and bringing with it the sweet perfume of the honeysuckle, the scent of the rose. Leaving the precincts of the residence, I proceeded with my guide, Mr. Read, to the stock-yard. Here the arrangements for mobbing, shearing, dipping, storing wool, and everything peculiar to the business of sheepfarming had been carefully provided for, which enabled the operatives, principally Natives, to carry on their work without difficulty. On the estate there at present 1,600 sheep, including forty Lincoln stud rams and about 600 lambs, all appearing in excellent condition. Of cattle, there are about seventy head in the paddocks, mostly very good specimens. The horses, which include five thorough-bred brood mares, stinted to Mr. Smith’s own entire, Herculaneum, and five draughts, stinted to Sir Julius Vogel, look well and healthy. Running in the paddocks are two grand yearling fillies, one by Hippocampus, the other by Woolbroker. These promise to become flyers. There are also two foals by the thorough-bred horse Randwick, two by Javelin, and some draught filly foals by Earl Derby. I have named the sires of this young blood to show that in horse stock there are some good breeds to be found at Bushmere. In the wool-shed, Natives were busily engaged shearing lambs, some of them, though only young, yielding splendid clips. The output of wool from Bushmere adds more than forty bales to our exports this season. In one small paddock near the house, Natives were engaged reaping a splendid crop of ryegrass seed. In a large paddock adjacent to the wool-shed, I noticed a lot of small stacks of this seed, which has been a very prolific yield, awaiting the services of the threshingmachine. In a paddock of forty acres, on the opposite side of the road, the manager, in company with a number of Natives, had that morning commenced operations with a reaping machine, one of those implements that save so much time and labor, and entirely supersedes the old style of grass-seed reaping. It is of immense value in a season like the present, when the harvest truly is plenteous but the laborers few. Last season some specimens of mangolds, weighing about 601 b. each, were exhibited at Messis. Common, Shelton, and Co.’s store, grown on this estate, also a pumpkin weighing 951 b. Such produce speaks volumes as to the nature of the soil at Bushmere. This year, in a paddock close to the kitchen-garden, which, by the way, is well tended, is a patch of mangolds which bids fair to equal, if not to supersede, • The yield there W year. The cultivation of ' oats is too generally neglected in this district, but not so at Bushmere, proof of which I saw in a small paddock, where the crop of oats was fully six feet high, and coming out in the ear. Much of the land in various parts of the estate, since it passed into Mr. Smith’s hands, fourteen months ago, has been very much improved, notably a patch of thirty-five acres broken from swamp and rushes, which is to be ploughed again in the fall of the year and then laid down in permanent pasture. It is at present under rape. There is some useful bush on the estate, which supplies timber for many purposes. There will be an abundance of firewood, and to spare, for many years to come. . The fruit trees snrronnding the residence include citron, limp, peach, plum, apple, nectarine, fig, mulberry, and lemon. In conjunction with Bushmere, Mr. Smith holds a lease of eighty acres at Tutoko, about a mile distant, where fully thirty acres are under hay, and the balance of the land finds pasturage for a number of sheep and cattle. I I cannot dose this notice of my visit to i Bushmere without paying a tribute to an old I respected settler who has left the district. I I refer to Mr. J. B. Poynter. It is to his exerI tions, forethought, and capital that this little I estate owes its beauties. This gentleman had been in Poverty Bay since the year 1866, but did not take up the lands of Bnshmere until 1873. He encountered very many difficulties in bringing this estate under cultivation. At that time access to the land or any particular point was no easy matter. The fruit of his toil is the beautiful spot now owned by Mr. Montague H. Smith, and it cannot, from its splendid situation, fail to be the admiration of every one who passes that way; and * the distance to the house from Gisborne is seven miles, a good thoroughfare leading to it. The next adjacent farm nearer Gisborne is Mr. Ewan Cameron’s homestead at Toanga, a t description of which will form the subject of \ . my next communication.

I THE BATTLE. OF THE SOtIJDAJL I The Melbourne Leader of the 13th uh, is responsible for the following “ The great I battle in the Soudan between the Egyptian I force and the followers of the Mahdi occurred towards the end of last month, lasting three days, but the exact dates have not been received. Wiring on the Ist ult. the Khar; tourn correspondent of the Times gave the following particulars of a conflict in which the insurgents were defeated with a loss of BUCO killed :—Fu- tnirty days no news of Hicks Pesha and his army of 11,000 men had been received here. and great anxiety was consequently beginning to be felt. An Arab came in yesterday bringing important intelligence, which has since been confirmed by two soldiers who have arrived from Duaim. It is stated that one day from 25,000 to 80,000 Arabs were found encamped near Hicks Pasha, on the Khor-el-Nilj a torrent 3 leagues from El Obeid. Next morning the Arabs divided themselves into two columns and attacked the Egyptian squares on two sides, thus permitting Hicks Pasha to make use of his 6000 Remingtons and all his Krupp, Nordenfeldt, and rocket batteries. The Arabs, who were armed with lances only, failing after some time to reach the square, fled, leaving 8000 of their number killed, all their women, food, and baggage animals. The MacUii himself was not present at the battle. Hicks Pasha pursued the main body of the fugitives, and overtook them at Melbas, where he found the Madhi posted with the fugitives, and 2000 cavalry, his body-guard. The Arabs again attacked and were defeated with great loss, the horse of the Madhi being killed. The Madhi was reported to have been cut down by the light cavalry sent out in pursuit. The Arabs then fled to El Obeid. This town was at once closely invested by Hicks Pasha, who was master of the country round, and had established his head-quarters at Melbas, 2 miles from the besieged city. On the 4th inst. the Arabs report Hicks Pasha was in full possession of the town and of the Government Treasury, the Egyptian loss having been uri.”