COAL IN TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1922, Page 9

COAL IN TARANAKI.

EARLY REPORTS. WHAT “INSPECTION - ” MEANT IN THE “SIXTIES.” WANGANUI TO OHURA, VIA TAUPO. (By “Juvenis.”) (I.) In 1860, despite the increasingly ominous threat of trouble with the Maoris, there were intrepid souls who penetrated the hinterland of Taranaki, and who duly reported to the authorities in Wellington the result of their investigations. Amongst these reports was one to the effect that outcrops of coal had been seexi in the banks of the Tangarakau River and in the .Ohura district. The Government sent an officer (Mr. J. C. Crawford) to investigate this report, and the following is his account of his inspection. The nafat>ive is taken from Mr. Crawford’s book “Travel in New Zealand and Australia/’ which is now comparatively rare. The story we reproduce is of that mid-period when it wa.s still a question if New Zealand would become the home of the pakeha, or might slip back into the brown man’s keeping. The rollicking, roaring days of the early whalers were over. For forty years the missionary had been abroad in the land, and for twmiy years the Queen’s run—more or less— in her (then) youngest Dominion. Pakeha and Maori had fought together, worked together, and worshipped together. Now they fought each other, for that Maori madness, the “King" movement, was abroad. The effect of this upon the Maori Is carefully set out in Mr. Crawford’s notes, whilst his description of scenery and country visualises for us an untamed Mao-riland which in the very nature of things we can never hope to see again. He writes: On December 13, 1861, I left Wellington for Wanganui to commence an examination of the geology of the province. My attention had been particularly attracted by the .superintendent ( Dr. Featherston) to some reported coal-seams on the banks of the Tangarakau, a tributary to the Wanganui River, and my first steps were bent in that direction. On December 21. a bright, warm morn ing, we embarked from Wanganui in our canoe. The crew consisted of Topia (or Tobias), Turoa, captain or cockswain, Watakine, Hakopa, Winoka, Hereoia and Pita. The name of the canoe was “Werawera.” The following persons accompanied me on this journey:—Mr. Samuel Heigh ton, who had undertaken to act as interpreter, Dr. Tuke, of Wanganui. and Mr. Jowett, a settler there.

The canoe was roomy and doublebanked, that is to say, it had paddles on each side. 1 had the seat of honor next the stern, and was, in consequence, subjected, every ten minutes or so, to a demand from Topia, who wielded the steering paddle, to give him a match to relight his pipe. “Homai te maat” was his constant call. The ascent of a river, whether by boat, canoe or steam, is a much more tedious affair than the descent. However, we had a strong crew, who plied their paddles well, and we made good progress. Up we went through smiling farms, calling on Mr. Churton on the way, and were delayed rather too long by a tangi at Waipakura pa, where the chief. Dawson, resided. To this place. Mr. Churton paddled after us with one or two Cingalese boys who were in his service, and here Topia’s wife and ehlid came on board. In the afternoon the hills closed in upon the river, and we left the open country behind. The banks and the hills were covered with forest, except where cleared for cultivation. Wild vines, growing .luxuriantly, were observed at the site of an abandoned Roman Catholic mis-

We reached Parekino, otherwise Hiona, or Zion, at 7 p.m., and pitched our tent. The inhabitants of the Wanganui Zion were a poor lot, very dirty, and of inferior physique. Cherries abounded, but the price asked was so exorbitant that we declined to purchase any. The locality was on the northern side of a great bend of the river, up to which point the influence of the tide is felt. During a great part of the night discussions on political questions went on among the Maoris, and we found this was the usual pastime at every pa on the river. The result of this evening’s discussion was that Sir George Grey’s policy was approved of, except in the vital points of roadmaking and giving up the King movement.

The next day, December 22, being Sunday, we were, out of respect to its observance among the Maoris, precluded from travelling, and passed the day as best we could. We bathed, aud examined a bed of blue clay on the opposite bank, from which I got specimens of pectuneulus and other tertiary fossils, viz., mytilus, ostrea, pecten and waldheiraia. The situation of Parekino is pretty, that of the church picturesquely so, and here I first observed that incessant shooting to and fro of the canoes which gives such animation to the scenery of the river. The dogs were numerous and troublesome, and reduced our stock of provisions during the night, but as among the Maoris these animals are never fed by their masters, the poor brutes may be excused for prowling about to see what they can find to devour.

On December 23, we tpade a start at 5.30 a.m.. and reached Atini (Athens), formerly Warepakoko, at 10.30, having shot some ducks on the way. The hills around Athens assume a somewhat emphitheatrical conformation. The hill Taupiri lies near this settlement. It is simply a scarp of tertiary sandstone, from some cause or other higher than the surrounding country, and is not volcanic, as given in a section by Hochstetter. At a place of such importance as Athens we had to wait upon the chief, by name Hamaraina. He was the possessor of a very handsome mere.

Between Athens and Corinth, I observed many concretions in the cliffs. They were in lines or strata, like the strata of flints in chalk. The banks of the river throughout were beautifully wooded, and the weather was very warm. Pigeons and other birds flew above us. The sun’s rays partially intercepted by the vegetation, threw a brilliant light upon the river, and the whole scene was like fairyland.

After passing Corinth we met the canoe of the great, chief Pehi coming down the stream. Nothing is more picturesque than a large Maori canoe with its occupants, and nowhere do th? Maoris appear to such advantage as when paddling or poling their canoes. Their rather heavy figures then assume an attitude of extreme grace, and it

would be hard to say whether the turn of the arms and body in paddling, or Hie balance and movement of the whole figure in poling, is the more becoming; moreover, the canoe itself is formed with graceful lines. Place a white man in the same position, and, however powerfully he may paddle or pole, his movements are awkward in comparison.

The canoe of Pehi, alongside of which we now lay to hold communication, was a' fine large one, and held the usual heterogeneous crew. Pehi himself, an old and crafty savage, wielded the steering paddle. His crew was composed of both sexes, old as well as young; a cargo of potatoes was in the centre, and on it stood a dog, while a cat was in the bow, and a kaka at the stern. We had a long talk as to the ascent of the Tangarakau, and, having presented Pehi with a bottle of porter, we parted company. Soon afterwards, we observed one of those ladders so common on the upper Wanganui, by means of which an ascent is effected from the river over the perpi adicular cliffs to the villages and cultivations above.

In the afternoon we reached Karatia, or Galatea, a large village on th? right bank, and possessing a large church. Hero Captain Topia and our crew wore welcomed with a grand tangi. Watakini’s performance was in the highest style of art; the tears rolled down his checks, and he looked utterly dismal. The cultivations of Karatia are extensive, the plough having been brought into use. We found the Natives civil and obliging, and one old lady, to cur horror, presented us with a dish of lillipee, which is simply flour and water. In consequence of the time the tangi consumed, we were obliged to remft'D for the night at Karatia, where we heard the usual discussion on the political situation. Hipurangi is the original name of this place.

On the following morning, December 24, we continued our ascent of the river, frequently passing eel weirs. Wo landed at Watakini’s residence, to give him the opportunity of rubbing noses with his friends. It appears that he is divorced, a mensa et thoro, from his wife. We observed a mil] on the left bank, winch is worked for the Maoris by one pestal, and passed some strong rapids and long, deep reaches. I was told a story of the Athens chief, Hamarama, which illustrates tb.e agility and coolness of the Maori in war. In a fight with the Waikatos, he received the discharges from two barrels, dropping each time into a hole, after which he sprang up again unhurt, and with his spcai* killed his opponent. We landed at Ranana, or London. formerly Kaweka, where a long tangi was performed between Captain Topia- and an old woman. After leaving Ranana we landed on an island while the canoe paddled up a strong rapid. This, I think, is the island on which the great light took place afterwards between the friendly and the rebel natives, and in which the former were victorious, under Mete Kingi. The gravel is composed in large parts -of pebbles of igneous rocks. We passed the old Pukehika pa. once a very large settlement, now deserted, and also an unfinished church embowered in a lovely grove of karaka trees. Jowett, who had been in India, called it a tepe. The thermometer was 114 degrees in the sun, with a similar range for some days past. We passed the residenceof Father Lampilia, the Roman Catholic missionary, but had not time to call. He is said to have great influence al] along the river. He plants vines and produces wine. Here we were still passing between steep cliffs covered with most superb festoons of vegetation—trees, ferns and creepers; pigeons wheeling overhead; long deep reaches were frequent. At 6.30 p.m. we reached Pipiriki, the capital of the Upper Wanganui, and pitched our tent on the left bank.

At Pipiriki the formation of the ground is rather more open than at other parts of this remarkable river, and there is sufficient land of an arable character to supply the wants of a considerable population. The cultivated ground is a narrow belt above the river clilf, beyond which the higher land rises steeply, covered with forest to a further height of perhaps six or seven hundred feet. The situation is pretty. The Maori whares are embowered in groves of karaka or of fruit trees, such as peach, cherry, etc. The peaches were then unripe, but we obtained plenty in our subsequent descent of the river. As usual in the villages of this river, Pipiriki contains a large church. There was also the weather board house of Mr. Booth, an English trader. The chief settlement is on the right bank, but there are extensive cultivations and many dwelling-houses on the left bank. The movement of the canoes up, down, or across the river goes on all day long. The follow-ing day was Christmas, on account of which, as well as the rain that had set in, we could not proceed with our journey. We crossed the river and ate our Christmas dinner with Mr. Booth, after which we visited Hori Pa-

tene, the principal chief of the village, and found him occupying a wretched slab hovel for a palace. He was a civil and pragmatical old gentleman, of rather good profile and pleasing expression, and made no end of excuses for his poverty and inability to supply us with, food. His chief scribe sat beside him writing a letter. Some of, the men present were remarkably handsome, with fine facial angles. Hori’s daughter reclined on the floor suckling a child, although I should not have taken her age to have been more than fifteen. A very interesting-looking girl, with soft, pensive, sleepy features and a gentle eye, but very dirty. A discussion was entered on as to the ascent of the Tangarakau. the conclusion of which was that to reach the coal-seams, which was the special object of the mission, would take from three to seven days. Hori Patene, it was stated. had written to Te Waka. the chief owner of Tangarakau. to ask him to agree to the ascent. In the afternoon we visited two fine waterfalls on the left bank, of which the stream of the principal one was very fine and picturesque. and utilised for a flour-mill, but. of course, the mill was out of order and not working. The name of the stream is Taukore. and it cuts its way through perpendicular walls of sandstone, say fifty feet high. The whole of this part of the country is cut up by numerous narrow gullies, the result of denudation in existing lines of drainage. To what account is this broken country to be turned? The soil is rich and the climate extremely favorable to vegetation,

but the difficulty of making roads is enormous, Were it in Europe, the slopes of the hills would be devoted to the culture of the vine and the olive, and probably some system of arboriculture or of vine-growing will eventually prevail. (To be Continued