EXCURSION TO QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND.

Colonist, Issue 133, 28 January 1859, Page 3

EXCURSION TO QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND.

(From the Wellington Independent, January 15.) Wednesday last, the day ultimately fixed for the excursion to Queen Charlotte's Sound in the steamship Lord Ashley, was all that the numerous pleasure seekers could have wished. The early morning was just one of those for which New Zealand is so remarkable. The dew of the previous night made everything look fresh and sparkling as the sun rose from behind the eastern hills; a gentle air from the N.W. giving promise that the heat of the last few weeks would be tempered by a refreshing breeze. The people of Wellington are by no means noted for getting up with the lark, and the necessity for being on hoard ship by 8 o'clock, must have caused an amount of self-denial and exertion whioh ought not to pass unrecorded. How many took breakfast over night we have no means of knowing, but judging from the amount of preparation requisite iv our own domestic establishment, where early rising is a, habit, we believe the majority of the excursionists must either have taken some such sagacious expedient, or otherwise gone without. Shortly after seven, PlimmerV Wharf began to be occupied, and by half-past seven, a large crowd, including many from the Hutt, Karori, and other districts around Wellington, were assembled, but unfortunately in anything but holiday tempers. The town had been placarded the previous day, with the announcement that watermen would embark and disembark passengers at 6d. per head, and the steamer's boats were also to afford every facility. The watermen, however, demanded eighteenpence, the usual fare, no boats belonging to the ship being in attendance. The Wellingtonians, like other people, are not particular to a shilling or two on holiday occasions, but they dislike to be imposed upon at any time 5 and thinking that a few of the boatmen were endeavoring to do so, most of the passengers preferred waiting until those engaged by the Manager of the Steam Company made their appearance. None however came, and on its being understood that the watermen had not been parties to the arrangement announced, and that there was no help for it, the boats were rapidly filled, and by half-past eight, every person was on board; only one of the steamer's boats having at last been sent to their aid. The irritation caused by this breach of faith was not in any way appeased on gaining the steamer's deck, where the dirt consequent upon coaling Was only then being washed off, and not the slightest vestige of a seat or awning having been provided for the accommodation of the 300 people who were there congregated together. -For some unaccountable reason a long delay took place, and it was not until half-past nine that the Lord Ashley got under weigh. The day being remarkably fine, with just enough of wind to make it pleasant, the excursionists soon settled themselves down, and after passing through Chaffers passage, the fore-and-aft canvas was set, and on opening the Strait the vessel's head was put direct for her destination. Mana, SKapiti, and the Brothers, with a brigantine making her way to Port Nicholson, served at first to occupy attention ; but soon there was a cry for music. The. musicians, whose services were announced as having been engaged, made •their appearance in the person of a solitary fiddler, who had scarcely begun to scrape, when he missed his footing and broke his fiddle in the fall. The southern entrance to the Sound was •reached at 2 o'clock, and as the steamer wended her way along the smooth water of Tory '•Channel, everybody became fully absorbed with the picturesque scenery through which they were passing.

Queen Charlotte's Sound is connected with the earliest history of New Zealand, and familiar to every reader of Cook's voyages —the rendezvous of the immortal uavigator. Ships Cove is jusfc within the northern entrance, and the Sound in that neighborhood is more thickly wooded, and presents even greater charms to the lover ■of beautiful scenery than does the southern arm, ■up which the Lord Ashley steamed for a distance of about 25 miles, to the site of the township of Waitohi, or Cromwell, as it has been "renamed. The Sound too, was the port iv which the Tory, with Colonel Wakefield and the other officers of the New Zealand Company, refitted after the voyage from England. A reference to a chart of the Straits will make our readers better acquainted with the extent and peculiar configuration of the Sound than any description of ours can do. It more resembles a noble river than anything else, bounded on •each side by high hills, here and there receding ■and forming delightful little bays, each with a few acres of gentle slope, the future sites of villas, such as give so exquisite a finish to the bays of Sydney harbor, to which the Sound in many places bears a close resemblance. Only ■here and there are the hills olothed with forest, most of them being covered with a verdure of •almost spring freshness ; with a little burning and clearing they would prove valuable pasture for cattle and sheep. Many of the hays afford excellent anchorage, tbe channel itself being too deep for that purpose, and of the abundance of fish to be found in them, the most ardent pursuer of-.piscatb'rial'pleasures could not complain; the oysters which furnish our citizens with many a supper are dredged in the Sound.

About 5 o'clock the Lord Ashley arrived off '" Cromwell," a pleasant enough looking place, ait the bottom of what is called Newton Bay, hut more generally known, like the township, by the native1 name of Waitohi. It was expected before starting that there would have been time for a run on shore, and some parties had even provided themselves with all the requirements for a pleasant pic-nic; the lateness of the hour of course rendered this impossible. The only boat that was lowered being employed in landing a party of laborers who had been hired in Wellington to make a roadway in the neighborhood, we were unable to form any very reliable opinion of the position and prospects of the people on shore. From the deck of the vessel, the flat on which the township is situated appeared to contain-about 1000 or 1200 acres of land, with sufficient slope to afford excellent drainage; a small creek runs through it, providing for all the present, fresh water wants of the few people who inhabit the twelve houses which Cromwell appeared to us to be able to boast. This township was called into existence by the necessity for providing a shipping port for the Wairau district. Port Underwood was long considered a 6 the most fitting place, but a committee of Nelson landholders, who explored the district some ten years ago, finally recommended Waitohi. The

distance from the township to the Wairau is about ten miles, through a tolerably level valley nearly a mile wide; whether there is a good roadway yet made, and to what extent the amount of export from the Wairau has reached, were particulars we might probably have learned if we had been able- to laud; but we should imagine from the wool-vessels always loading at Port Underwood ;in Cloudy Bay/that the Cromwell of New Zealand is not destined to make such a figure in the world as its distinguished patronymic would suggest. As a port, the bay presents many advantages; it is perfectly sheltered, a whale line being sufficient to hold a 500 ton ship, and deep water —four or five fathoms—being within 100 yards from the beach. The distance from the Straits to the port may at first sight appear an objection, but as it was never supposed that the town was to flourish by stray vessels putting into port from stress of weather the objection is of no moment. If Cromwell can offer any inducement, commerce will find its way there; its people will not need supplies while they have the means of purchasing, nor will their produce spoil for want of shipping to export it.

Having hoisted up the boat, the Lord Ashley steamed homeward about 6 o'clock, clearing the entrance of the Sound before dusk, and then making her way, rather slowly, across the Strait. About 11 we were sufficiently South to bring the light at Pencarrow to bear, from which the vessel was about 16 miles. The brilliancy of the light gave universal satisfaction, and now that steamers are almost daily passing to and fro^it \vill,'be of the utmost service,\and tend to inspire ladies, and those who are timid of the sea, with confidence; many will probably be induced to visit their friends in the other provinces, wheu without a certainty of the supposed night dangers of the Wellington Heads being thus obviated, they might otherwise prefer staying at home. About 2 o'clock the Ashley's gun announced that she had arrived at her journey's end after an 18 hours' trip, during which she had ruti about 120 or 130 miles. The arrangements for disembarking were°as bad as they could be. The tickets were now asked to be delivered up, and passengers had to descend the gangway in single file. Most fortunately the harbor was calm, or how long" it might have been before the passengers reached the shore we are at a loss to guess, it being fully half-past 4 o'clock, before they all had disembarked; the same ship's boat that was used in the morning was all the facilities offered in aid of those belonging to the watermen, who charged eighteen pence as before.

We cannot draw this notice to a close without alluding to the total want of every prepara tion or arrangement for the convenience or comfort of the excursionists. The want of faith in reference to the boats, and the unlooked for expense it imposed, especially upon families; the washing decks when the people were on board ; the absence of seats and music; the indifferent commissariat arrangements, notwithstanding

that the stewards and stewardess were as active and obliging as ifc was possible for them individually to be ; tended together to spoil an excursion which was looked upon as a step in the right direction, and which, if properly managed, would have insured more benefit to the Coleman line in the shape of passenger traffic, than any other proceeding the Manager could have devised. We exceedingly regret that we are obliged thus to complain ; but justice to the public compels 113 to do so. The fineness of the day, the novelty of the excursion, and the interest attaching to the Sound would have made up for any model'ate amount of discomfort; but the entire absence of system, and the annoyance universally felt at the little faith which was kept with the public, spoiled a day that would otherwise have been a source of the greatest pleasure. We can only hope that ere the summer closes, the Lord Worsley may be used for an excursion elsewhere ; she gave the utmost satisfaction when she took the Auckland people to Coromandel, and such a trip here would be the only means to regain the name which has so unfortunately been lost.