A Walk Through the King Country.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 147, 27 March 1886, Page 5

A Walk Through the King Country.

From the Auckland " Star."

Mr Coriull, of the Bank of Now Zealand, who is now quite a iamous pedestrian, haa placed some particulars at our disposal of his trip from Auckland to Taranaki. He says :— " 1 started from Auckland by train at S a.m. to Te Awamutu, and arrived there at half past two p.m. ; walked to Alexandra, and then to the old mission station, well-known as Kopua, arriving there at 6 p.m. I spent the night with Mr Ormsby, a half-caste, and once a Three Kings student under the Rev, A. Reid. Mr Ormsby ha8 a family, and owns a great deal of land about. He gave me a most hearty welcome. [It is well to remark that Mr Corkill had letters of introduction from the Rev. A. Reid, and these were a sure and safe passport all the way.J I started at half -past S next morning for Otorohanga, about seventen miles from Kopua, Got dinner there with the Maoris. This is a native settlement, and is situated near a projected railway-station as laid out by the surveyors. I was up to my waist in water in crossing the river Waitomo, a running stream of considerable velocity I visited all over the settlement of Tahuahuhu. It is a forn country. Tho next place I arrived at was Te Heuheu, another settlement about 20 miles from Otorohunga. Then I started to a place known as Mangawhitikau. Betore reaching that placo I was compelled to spend the night in the bush, and had to do the best to keep myself from being devoured by mosquitoes and other night vermin. On Monday morning went into Mangawhitikau and had breakfast, This is a settlement of some importance, being composed of about 50 houses in the two portions of the village Started off again for Morahuiao, which is a settlement in the Uppor Mokau. i mot Wahanui and his fine wife, and received a hearty invitation from thorn to dinner. To him I presonted a letter from Rev. A. Reid. In this place I met tho two gold prospectors, > es&rs Wilkinson and King, and had a talk with them for a short time. I then started for the Wairere Falls on the Mapara, a tributary of the Mokau. The rush of water over the clifla was something grand. There are three falls side by side, and these form the rapids, which flow on for a consideiable distance. I forded theso rapids, and on the other side met the chief ot tho village ot Ruangarohu, who asked me to stop, but wishing to make the villago of Teoteo,! decliued^his kind invitation. Unfortunatoly, I was overtaken by the darkness, missed tho track, and had to lie down and try to sleep as best I could. It was close to the banks of the Mokau River, and I came across a fisherman's whare and was thankful for a covering. I was up next morning by daybreak, and after two hours hard walking came to Totoro, on the opposite side ot the river. Here I found a chiof called Tawaka, a nephow of Wahanui. I had a good bieakfast with him on pig and Dotatoes, and this was not to be despised under tho cravings of hunger. I then moved forwaid towards Mokau, crossed a rough rango of mountains with dense bush, and emerged into a wide plain through which the Awakino Hows. Three hours of hard walking brought me to this river, and then by some means I came upon it again, and imagining that I had lost the path, pushed back again to where I had started. I came on again and found that I was correct in my route, although it was not shown upon the map. Arriving at Totoro I spent the night there. Tho next day I got a Moari boy as guide, and was on foot for 12 hours. I crossed the river Awakino 12 times, the depth being from my knees to my armpits. During my pushing through the bush, it was so dense that I could not tell if it wore raining till I came out to the river. I saw no house or being for 12 hours. There were plenty of wild pigs, and hosts of native birds. The climb over these places was something fearful, especially between the bends of the Awakino, which was very mountainous. It took me three hours of hard walking to cross at thi? place. At 7 p.m., reached Te Wetere's settlement, at the mouth of the Mokau. Here I met Mr Porham and other members of the party who have been "'^nagging" the Mokau, which they havo done for three miles above the coal mines. The chief made me very welcome. In themorning, I crossed the river, and had breakfast with the snagging party As soon as the tide allowed, I crossed the Mohakntino at its mouth, where I was in water up to the armpits, and a fierce current was running. I then followed the beach to the Tongaporutu, and had several times to wado to the waist to got around the numerous headlands which abound. This fording was more difficult than Mohakatino, because of the numerous quicksands at the bottom I kept along the beach to tho White Cliff's, and rested at the armed constabulary station. There is only a sergeant and one constable here now. I arrived at Urenni at 8 p.m., spending the night theie, and on Friday morning arrived at Waitara. I can speak of the wonderful amount of hospitality I received fioru every native. They wore kind beyond measure all the way. When I got to Waitara my clothes were nearly all torn from my body, and I looked more like a beggar in rags than anything else. To any intending traveller I can say you need not fear anything, as the greatest kindness will be shown, and every effort made by the natives to help you on."