THEN AND NOW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 184, 3 February 1914, Page 6

THEN AND NOW.

TARANAKI IS YEARS AGO. (Lyttelton Times.) The province of Taranaki, which is advertising itself ju.il now as the holiday resort of Now Zealand, wears today a face vastly dili'ereiil from that ■which it presented just I'orly-eight-years ago when General Chute complete,! his historic march round the "back of the mountain." White settlement, in the province in those days was confined to a narrow fringe along the coast on the New Plymouth side on the north and west, and about Ilawera and Patea in the south. The whole of the intervening country was in the hands of the Ila Lilian Maoris, and for the ino.it part it was dense forest. There was no road even for horse travel through tlie heart of the province on (lie eastern side of Mount Egmont. There was an ancient and bush-overgrown war-track from the Waimate Plains in the south side to the open country near New Plymouth, but tliis was almost unknown even in the Natives. White men and Maorialike ,liad to keep to Ihe coast all the way up from Waiiganui in \ew Plymouth, and when the war of the six

tifs Worked even this rough road there was no communication between Waiiganui and Ihe Taranaki (own excerit by sea. The places iviw occupied by (he populous towns of Stratford and inglewood and F.ltham were a wilderness covered with dense forest. A ureen garment of pathless bush clothed the whole province indeed from Ilawera to Xew Plymouth, more than fifty miles away. It was from Ketcinarae. and Ihe southern edge of this region of invslefv and danger, that General Chute set out on 'his march on January. IStiti. Sir Trevor Chute was Ihe first and only Imperial gi al in the \ v w Zealand wars who ventured boldly into the bush, and this particular march was jndertakeii chielly for tli* purpose of showing the Maoris that he and the British soldiers, under him had no hesitation in penetrating the forests wJiich the rebels regarded as their best protection. The general's fore consisted of three companies of the l-lth Regiment. Yon 'l'cinpskv's Forest Rangers and a Native Contingent, composed chielly of Waiiganui Natives. F.aeh soldier carried three days' provisions and left his knapsack behind. From Keleniar.ie, where the township of Xornianb.v now stands, the column struck into the bush. the Maori guides leadiim' it along the ■historic! AVhnkanhiiraiigi track, which cut across the spurs and ravines of Kgnionl.'s eastern slopes. It. was a. most diilicult march, for the country was a succession of creek-gorges and .sharp spurs, and main creeks had to be romrhlv br'nUred'for the. column's packhorses.' There was only one slight skirmish on the journey, which occupied seven days. Four days out tile rations were exhausted, and a number of the |inck animals were killed and the hungry and exhausted soldiers had to satisfy their appelill's with horscllesh. Most of this lime it was raining as only Taranaki and Weslland can rain, and the continual marching and sleeping in wet clothes was more trying than actual lighliiiL'. Tile pioneers had to clear the vegetation from the track as Hie foot of Mount Eginont approached. At last, the column reached the open country near I lie Matailawa redoubt: and the troubles of the bush were oyer. The New Plymouth settlers gave the soldiers a meat reception' when the force reached the town, and treated them to il banquet which was very welcome after./!he rations of horscllesh The return inarch was made by way of the West! Coiisl, to the .headquarters near when, ilawera town now stands. Those who travel through Taranaki to day would be surprised, no doubt, at a force (akin!: seven davs to cover the distance from Xornianby to New Plymouth, which the railway train ami the farmer's motor car now traverse easily in about three hours. The route of General Chute's march of sixty miles was closely parallel wiih the present road and railway line, but the extraordinary rough character of the heavily wooded' country of ISllfi is diilicult .to ■realise in these days, when the daily farmer has, so completely changed the face of the land.