THE FRONT.

Tauranga Argus and Opotiki Reporter, Volume 1, Issue 20, 6 April 1867, Page 2

THE FRONT.

OUR OWN CORHESPONDKNT.)

EX PF.DITION TO ROTORUA.

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. 3n oda y, jNfardi 17. Wars, runiors of wars, and desolation ! Wlien will tliat tinie an-ite wlien all nations shall dwell togetlier in unily, wlien ihe gim shall he lai-d aside, and peace and prosperitv floflrisli 011 eartli. Lookiiisi at the present state.ot affairs througliout the whrhl. oue wouhi ahnost. #espair of sne'i resnlt : iiat the oi ! pr aphecy is working slowdy it not surelv out, and the 1 iy may n t be far distant wlien thoasan ls shall k iow of war-onlv hv tra-lition : and of u", as a se ni-civilized peap'e, wlio niade right s ibservient to niiglit, and lived in a state of chronic warfare But to the p oint. ; Simday was a dav devoted to anvthing hut rest. \n excited1 ero \d had gathered round the orderlvroom 'and Quarterniaster s Htore, wh re a uotice was posted up, c lliiig for fitty volunteers uuder Lieutenant Kidd, ti proreed to Botonta at onco to aid the Arawas, as the eneniy were reported to he j uiusteritig there in force. i lie reqnired number was speedily ibtoiued, and then ens'ued a seene t bustle. Sei vuig out ot rifies aud aiuuuition,. failiiig-iu aud ialiiug

cut noRT of ti c men : f t tsy pfir"tle> visliina.-to knotv tliewhv atid tlie v licrefo'c of so sudden a niov'e, iu sliort, f >i" tlio time being, confusiou rciy suprenio. About f> p.m. liowevcr. the comnyition liacl somewliat subsuled tuiti ve were euiba.rke 1 011 boanl tlie p s. Stmt, -iu nbout as sobcr, and resp-ectable a condition as could weli e expected of a bateh of eiviliscd and enliabtened niilitianien. Niglit ftdl, and tio moon rose bigli $ * in tle liearveiis, throwing a shade of siflncss and bcantv ovcr tlie Inndfoaje ] was about inadvertently, * to rc vert in glovving terins to a ccrtain griyn aentiiiel, at-tlie entrance r-f of tlie liafbor. but die bas been clescribcd in sucb different pbases of liis 1 eauty, 1>y so nlany feeling -p pi ns. tlmt I refrain Itwasmidnigbt ore tte weighed anehor and stocd on our course, but after a fow liours quick steaiuing we cast ancfior in tlie Maketu liver about 4 a.m. A- , Monday, Marcli 18. Maketu is an unii'i teresting » looKing pl'aee, ponslsting of a few wooden buildings, situated o:i a flat of some extent. It. is a bar boun 1 liarbor, and like all su di is s ) metime's difficult of approacli On tlie left as vou enfer, is a large pa, luiilt 011 tbe etL.e ofa eliff : it is a ,splendid position and miist have boeii an invaluable stroiigbold to fl'ie. Maoris. Ilere to \ve eneoutered one ,of tliose social evils a ] >u hlit-, bouse, which was, __stoniiod and «•'. takou possession of, witli tlie uiost comniendable energy, " 1 aving nuinbers incapable on ihe field. \s soo.ii as ti iq . stortes wdre safely -*"W Wrsob-Wni a party tohi otf to ward theiii ,to Rotorua, we we;e nmrcdied a sliort distauce beyond Maketu out of tlie reach of teinptation, and encainped at a portion of tbe road knovvii as tbe 11 Willlows" frt.ni tlie tpja'ntity of th >sy trees grow'ing on, e'ther sid'e f >r several mile.s. Tbis portion of tlie r ad sbows no littie enginoering tkill on ihe jiart of tlie Maoris, being 111 ide tlirougli a swanip Toi- a distauce of at least two iniles. ~w Ti.esday, Marcli 10 Left tbe Willows ti i is morning at davbreak and niarci ed aloug a fine level plain for several niiles, till we arrived atastream wlierr we lialted and liad breakfiist Started again iiniiiediatel# after, over liills and dales-and thrnugh densc bush till niglit fall wlien we encainped on the snoie, ot a lake. j VVednt'S'lay, Maitdi 20. I Davliglit saw us agnin on th.- «i -ve. crossing t.lte lake in canoes, a so.me\\ luiy leiigfhy ai> 1 'langerous | ir.ode oi transit. Time ai.tj a littie p>. ver t t:e ti »\v ■ j e\ er oveicame tliis obstacle and we uvi :oon .vimling aloiiff Ijie ciroulWs track at a rajii I . .e ■. I'lie couiitiy after tliis beeame mere lirokeri, taH iuggfed liills, li.^int; anruptlv, with liltlc growtli of f'ern. and deep ra vines and swamps intervening ° Tlie next halt " av.is at a pa, a grainl Imt decaying specimen of native foiliiicalioii. We ei teretl tli.o'agli a door, surro.nnded by tlie most elaborale carving, and sprmotnt^d bv ca'rved heads of orotesquc appearance. Tlie women met us iiiside wit'i tlie ntiriost hospitality, bringing . j kits of potatoos and pnnipkins. One thing th.it strnck me as peeu'iar, was tlie imnieYise nu nberof children to be seen in every directum, it was ividintly a sort ot cit\- of refnge for the women and children while the ni. ii were fighling. Tliere were the lymains of what was once a tine cl.apel, hut now cotnpletely destroved. ihe windows taken .out, and most of tl e wa lla toru awav. A itei resting here a short time we passed out tn au tlter gate, aiul resumed our j.mriif v, marching through a fine piciure-qne countiy ; there is, howeVei Ihe tame fault to be fotii d whfi tlris as with fno t .Vw : Zealand sccnery, namely the great Jack of bush whert it is most neede:h This lcavea a^sombre, dreary samt-

pss'wliere tliore trouM otberwise'be a bright and evo.r arving p'>n»raniH. And - now we were. anproaching he land of stenm and sulpher. whieli latter made us inpWaaautlv nware of its exi tence some time beforeliantl. The first spring we eame to was spouting itr» on Mie beaeh, a few yarfts from the lake. Tlie lake at this jiar't was of a duJl yellow color, dreadfnlly impregnated with sulpher, large niasses ^>f whioh are scaf'ered all through it. As we were ascending the rise to O'linemuftl, the Arawas freated tts with a grand war dance gun in hand. they llien formed inta two parties. one on .eaeh side fhe road out as.we marched through them gave th'ree cheers for the p ikeh i°. Tliey were evi l oif lv deliglfted 1a see us and treated us witli t l«e greatest hospitality, providing us with wtiares and bringing us preseut^of potatoes. Tlinrsdav. !\Tarch 21. A mor" wonderful sight than tlie boi'ing spring^ it would be hard to eone.eive. : Let the reider imagine a hill fdoping gradually dawn : at tlie bottom, a strip of low land fnnning out ii to the lake and farming two small bavs, from wliicb ascend a continned eloud >f ste'am. On the beneh, nn l scattered rou*'d tlie margin , of the lake. are spriifgs of all siz^s and femneratures from boilirfg heat to eold. "Ruilt among these is the vill ige. Some of the boiiing lioles arc per'eetlv free from sulpher, these are carefu'ly stoned round, and used as co(,king places by the Maoris, who bring their potatoes er whatever theyhave trt cook 111 kits and'just lav them in till done. Tbe time for eooking a kit of potatoes is a quarter of an hniir. Socb a. t' ing as fire 1 is unknown. Tbere is one spring raid to . possegs peeiiliar properties in .wbicli all the newlv bo 71 infants are plaeed. This comjiined witli a pofatoe now and •lien is said to rentb-r theai i 'deprn 'e l of 11 nourishment from their ir.others. and mak'e fine healiliy children of them. Some places emifc boiiing lriud with a horrible sound, and it is impossible (o lonk at ihem and think 1 f tlie po-sihility of falling into such a place, without n shudder. Tlie lake is exceedinglv plcisant to hathe in, being more than lake warni, tlie( only drawhacks are the stones as vou firf enter and (he^ niuddy bottom, The Maoris are in it mqrn norn anff j night. It is their gre t deligj\t, ab>nt nightfall to ?-quat up to the shoublers, in it with a piece of smoulderi og f'ern- 'ree harl liy, nn a stone, with whic". to liglit tlicir pipes. They will remain tliis way the wlipTe evenitigcb.anfing ahd practistng tbeifhose exfraordinary | iuoveinents with their iiands. Fresli spring-s are'conj inu iby breaking ou'f aird stenm sometimes forces its , way through the sand witli gv'eat noise. Ii would be ' havd to find n place so fitted with every comfio'rt atid ! e^uvcnienee f r its fnluildtahts. but uaifoi tuna' ely, with | the Ma. ris it nlv tends to increase their lazines«. an I j in.s'ead of makiiig it, as thev could do oue of the Jnost attractivc places in >rew Z • ilaitd, thev wallow in tlie water like so 111 ipv swine,yind let it lie yea!'' after yenr withuut niaking anv ioiprovements. Oue cliief more enterpyisiug than h'is. fcllows keeps h sorf of resfaurant. ;it wliicli cxceilent accoinvno,|atioii can be ha I. botli slecping and otkerwise. Ju lgin.g -from the frequedcy 1 with whicli theclrnpel hells go, T slioiild sav tlie Afavv is j are a good and powerful people. Tliere are two religions t.olerated among tlicm Profestant an 1 Catholic. ! :, • - • . SiifuriTt.'y, Marcb" 23. ] Marched from Ohinemutu this morning at four o'clotfk to attack tlie enerqys position. \Ve were to t-> some cause other the or ler was counPennanded. Huinors were current to tl.e efFeet tliaf tlie Hatihaus liad taken up a sfrong position 011 Pinaku, liad built a cou'ple of pns, iiud rifle-pit.te.ff the wliole cr >wn nV the liill ; we t here ture, expected shani tigliMng and every one lc/t, preparpd for ,the 'emcr encv. At'tor niarclii g about tliree niiles we canie to a river nd wcrfe fenied across ]„ (! moes. II, §1 we met M ijor McD 11 e:l and tlie 150 A-itnvns that liad left t're proeeediug eveliingv; here too ewtiM be s'ren the main liodv of the Arawas following up iii.bur w.ike, with fla.gs fiying, and all tlie aitribhtes of M mri warlare. Canoes tiill of women were sailing up the lake bringing potatoes and eorn to ^be'm nle rcadv when the ligh.ting was all o^er. 1 here were three beaufitul war canoes lying in the river capahle of hobling ' sixty people,, eacb. The amonnt of tinie^nd troulile expcnded in carving these tnust li'ave been something etionnous ; everv avtiilable portion being carved, even to the handles of the paddles which were ranged systematical'y along. rhe si ie one to every seaf. The prows were gaily decorated with leathers and small lookicg-glassss, presenting a somewhat strange appearance. ( l'o beCoiitimie 1 in our next.)