MT. EGMONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1921, Page 9

MT. EGMONT.

THE FIRST ASCENT. DR. DIEFFENBACH’S EXPERIENCES. the MOUNTAIN “TAPU.” (By “Juvenis”) The story of the first ascent of Mt. Lgmont was related to the GovernorGeneral on his visit thither last Saturday. It is a very interesting story, and it is not surprising that the distinguished visitor manifested a good deal of interest in it, also that he came under the influence of Taranaki's sentinel, that eternal symbol of strength and majesty which gives life to the plains over which it .stands guard, and that Lord Jellicoe expressed a desire to renew acquaintance and know it more intimately. That is a feeling not peculiar to Lord Jellicoe: it affects all who have imagination and regard for God’s majestic and sublime handiwork.

Dr. Dieffenbach was a celebrated Austrian naturalist and botanist. He landed in the ship Tory at the sugarloaves on December 1, 1839. Here he and his party found about twenty natives. The place seemed to be a fishing station, and those of the Taranaki tribes who had I not left in consequence of the. Waikato | raids on the district were living in concealed potato plantations, or further south of Cape Egmont, probably at Umaroa or Opunake. On the arrival of the party from the Tory being made known, the natives soon assembled, and with tears welcomed their old friend Richard Barrett. The natives even then were afraid of the Waikatos, for in the evening, noticing a fire in the direction of Kawhia, they kept awake during the greater part of the night, fearing being surprised by their enemies. On proceeding northward, Dr. Dieffenbach says he found “three small creeks,” the Huatoki, the Henui, the Waiwakaiho. Everywhere on their banks were traces of former cultivation and of native villages, but no one was living there when he passed by them. Thus the finest dis- ' trict in New Zealand was almost uninhabited—a sad instance of the mutual | hatred existing among a savage class. TOHUNGA AS GUIDE. On the 3rd a start was made northward, the party going along the beach. They crossed the Huatoki and Henui <leeks, and turned into the interior over the downs and hillocks of the flax. £)r. Dieffenbach had decided to ascend Mt. Lgmont, and the natives tried to dissuade him from, making the attempt. They told him that the mountain was tapu; that there were ngarara (crocodiles) on it which would, undoubtedly eat him. The moa was also said to exist there. After much talk the natives were persuaded to let an old Tohunga, or priest, go and show the way as far as he knew it, and with him and an American man' of color Dr. Dieffenbach started as stated above, on Tuesday, December 3. Tanguku-nga-Waikato was the native priest’s name who was to act as guide on this expedition.

About two miles from the coast they came into a low shrubby forest, where the soil consisted mostly of a dark vegetable mould. Not far from this point they crossed the Waiwakaiho River. About a mile further they passed another creek—the Mangaoraka. The forest they were going through consisted of tawa. Shortly after leaving this spot the country began to rise a little. Everywhere, Dr. Dieffenbach states, the vegetation appeared most vigorous, and the primeval forest was often almost impenetrable on account of thick creepers. They scarcely ever obtained a v*ew of the sun, and the shade of the trees produced a delightful coolness, although the thermometer in open places rose to 90 deg., and at six in the evening, on a hill, it stood at 80 deg. Few birds were to be seen, and perfect silence reigned through the forest. At sunset the party had arrived z at the clear summit of the hill, where they found several houses, built on posts, where provisions were stored. It was here they camped for the night, taking up their abode in an old house, where rats ran over them the whole night. A DIFFICULT JOURNEY. Before sunrise the party were again astir, and resumed their journey in an east-south-easterly direction. The thermometer stood then at 44 deg. They descended the hill, and passed several streams flowing eastward, and went through some dense forests. At noon they halted at another plantation, where the party remained that day. The heat was very oppressive, the temperature at noon being 90 deg. in the sun, and 72 deg. in the shade. The native could not be prevailed to start next morning, as he said the weather would

be bad for some days, and he was correct. for towards the evening the rain Legan to fall. It poured with rain all next day. In the afternoon of December 7, the weather somewhat cleared up, and another start was made, but before ihe party had proceeded far the rain again compelled them to halt. They took up their quarters under the shelter of a rata tree, and remained there all night.

Dr. Dieffenbach observes that 'travelling through the bush in New Zealand was rather a scrambling affair, and with a load it was very fatiguing, and could not be kept up for a long time. Fifteen miles he considered a good day’s •work, even in the open parts of the island. They started again, crossing the Mangaoraka several times, camping at night in the open air under trees. Dr. Dieffenbach and his party started early next day*and travelled for some time on the right bank of the Waiwakaiho river. They passed numerous tributaries to it, some of which were of considerable depth. At one place they obtained a view of Mount Egmont, this being for the first time since they had entered the forest. It was covered with snow, and seeded hid with clouds. The party stopped for the night at a low island in the Waiwakaiho river, called Waiwiti, which was grown over with kahikatea, intermixed with a junceous plant, IN THE RAIN. -

The sky was very much overcast, and the provisions of the party were getting scanty. Notwithstanding it was commencing to rain, the party proceeded along the left bank of the river, - and 1 soon got wet to the skin. The trees over which they had to scramble were extremely slippery, and although they preserved their outward shape, the members of the party often sunk knee deep into the soft and decayed substance. To appease their hunger they ate the young shoots picked from the fern, or the mucous undeveloped leaves of the cyathea medullaris; these, with the heart of the cabbage palm, and in open spots the roots of the Pteris esculenta, were the only eatables obtainable in the Taranaki forest. The rain had made |heir only gun useless, but as there was

Ino game, and few small birds, they had . not much use for it. The rain still con- | tinued falling, and all the provisions were gone. They could procure no dry wood to make a fire, and as they had nc- tent they had to take what shelter they could from the trees. Dr. Dieffenbach writes, “During the nights the for- . est assumed a beautiful appearance, the fallen trees, and almost the whole of the surface of the ground sparkled in a thousand places with the phosphorescence of the decayed matter —we seemed to have entered the illuminated domain of fairy land.” It was still rain- , ing heavily next day, and as Tangutu had lost all traces of the track it was ’ decided to abandon for the present the attempt to reach the summit of Mount Egmont and to return again. On December 13 it still rained very heavily, i and the party began to feel the pangs ;• of hunger, having had no food except young sprigs of fern since Tuesday. Dur- ' ing the afternoon the rain began to . slacken, so they made a start for the sea shore, Tangutu taking them by a different, track from that by which they had started. It was slow work, and but very few miles were made during the day. The rain had. however, ceased, and the evening found the party a long distance from the whaling station at 3foturoa. The party started early on Sunday the loth, lout it was evening before they reached the sea shore. During their absence plenty reigned at Ngamotu. The natives had gone out fishing, and the quantity taken was so great that they were enabled to dry large numbers in the sun for store. Pigs and potatoes had also been brought from the South. A SECOND TRIP. Dr. Dieffenbach and his party on returning to Moturoa found there a Waikato chief with his followers, who had come on a friendly visit from Kawhia. A European arrived from Kawhia, accompanying the natives, in order to dissuade the residents from selling their land to the New Zealand Company. There being abundance of food, and the. weather having cleared up, Dr. Dieffenbach began at once making arrange- I ments for another start for the mountain, and persuaded Ekake, one of the chiefs, to accompany the party, Mr. Heberley, who had come with them from Terawhitit where he had lived for several years as a whaler, also agreed to go. The native chief Ekake, despatched a female slave to one of his clearings in the bush, which lay in the route proposed to be taken, with orders to prepare maize cake for the party. A start was again made to ascend the mountain. A different route, however, Lad to be taken in order to visit Ekake’s settlement, where provisions were being prepared. The weather was fine, but the progress of the party was slow. They, however, reached Ekake’s settlement, and having obtained neces- : sary provisions for the remainder of

their journey, made a start for the mountain. Travelling was very difficult. They had to walk for some distance along the rocky bed and through the ice-cold water of the Waiwakaiho. Next day the party reached their last halting at the foot of the mountain. It took Dr. Dieffenbach and Mr. Heberley six days to reach the top of Mount Egmont and to return again to Moturoa. The summit of Mount Egmont I was reached by these two on Christmas I Day, but the natives refused to go be- | yond the limit of “perpetual snow.” On the top they found a perfect skeleton of a rat, which had been carried no doubt, by a hawk. After staying for a short time on the summit in the vain hope that the clouds would disperse, the adventurous men began to retrace with comparative ease, reaching the beach on the Saturday.

ASSEMBLAGE OF MAORIS. At Moturoa, Dr. Dieffenbach found a large number o-f natives, who had assembled there for the purpose of meeting Colonel Wakefield, with the view of disposing of some of their land to the New Zealand Company. A European, with some of the Kawhia natives, had arrived, their object being to dissuade the Taranaki tribes from parting with their land; not so much, it is said, with any disinterested motive, but because the European was anxious to acquire it himself for some Sydney people, for whom he was an agent. The mission aries, who had also an eye on the land, were very much concerned lest the natives should deal with others but themselves in these land transactions. On the Tuesday Dr. Dieffenbach started in a boat with a crew of Maoris for the. Waitara, and he writes: “This >iver ; which is about twelve miles north of the Sugar Eoeves, has a bar entrance, over which there is only five feet cl' water at low tide; but inside the bar it deepens considerably, and ten miles from its mouth I found the depth to be two fathoms and a half.” He returned to Moturoa in the evening. Two native messengers brought news that the Waikatos were preparing to make an immediate descent on the Taranaki tribes, in order to prevent them selling their land, which the Waikato natives regarded as their property. In consequence of this information preparation was immediately made for defence in case an attack should be made during the night. The matter was discussed the previous evening, when it was decided that it was better to shift their quarters to Moturoa, the largest of the Sugarloaf Islands. The natives were very active all day shifting their things, and also rhe women and children were taken there. Dr. Dieffenbach and Mr. Heberly decided to go and reside there till -the Torj' returned, which was daily expected, and eventually they returned to Wellington. - Thus was the first ascent- of Mt. Egmont made.