COAL IN TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1922, Page 9

COAL IN TARANAKI.

EARLY REPORTS. WHAT “INSPECTION” MEANT IN THE "SIXTIES.” WANGANUI TO OHURA, VIA TAUPO.

(By

“Juvenis.”)

(in.) On January 12 Mr. Deighton and myself went to Major Marshall’s where Mr. Swainson then resided. Here the land is very good and there are some fine paddocks. The native name is Tututotara. It lies near the forest and the scenery is very fine, I may say magnificent, looking up the course of the river. Mosquitoes and safidflies abounded. The garden was good; raspberries. strawberries, red currants and cherries were in season and plentiful I observed four terraces from the lop of the plateau to the bed of the Rangitikei consisting of drift gravel, but showing fossils in places. On January 14 we got away at 8.30 a.m. Our crew consisted of Mahia as captain, Hohepa, (Taioneone) Hohepa, Anatipa. Thus •out of four men we had two “Josephs”; that I think, is the meaning of Hohepa. The Rangitikei river is much inferior in size and depth to the Whanganui; consequently the canoes which navigate it are smaller. I may also state that the crews have not the same physique, and that the population of the district is sparser. In the lower part of its course the Rangitikei has a shingly bottom, like the rivers of the Canterbury Plains, winding and sprawling through a broad bed of gravel, which again ' bounded by cliffs o-f gravel, sand and clay, with tertiary strata in places. This lower part of the river is mostly open and free from forest. From our point of embarkation, however. the character of the river changes. It is bounded by cliffs at a moderate distance from each other, and the bed of the river, although still of gravel, has not room to-spread into the great sheets of shingle which we found further down. We spent six l days in passing through the forest. A section of the cliff gave me the following result in descending series:—l, Drift gravel; 2. soft sandstone with marine fossils fifty or sixty feet thick: 3, blue clay with fossils. I was informed that at a place called Ekipi. the cliff being thrown by the earthquakes of the year 1855, had blocked up the river for two days, during which time a lake formed above and the river became dry below. This is an accident extremely likely to happen in the beds of any of the rivers on this coast from the Rangitikei westward, and might produce serious catasWe spent the night on a gravel bed at a place called Waikokowai, where I found some lignite containing impressions . of ferns. The Rangitikei seems to have none of the long deep reaches so common in the Whanganui, and I may add so beautiful in fine weather. Some of the scenery, however, which we passed i through during the afternoon, much re- ! scmblcd that of the latter river. Game ! was plentiful and we shot eight pigeons I and one duck, a welcome addition to i our larder. Mosquitoes and sandflies were troublesome and abundant. On January 15 I observed the seam of lignite in the cliff about twelve feet below/the surface gravel: it was several inches thick. We passed Rangatira hill on the right bank, where I was informed a “Tamiwha” formerly lived, and as we did so, some blocks fell down from the cliff, which we naturally gave the “Tamiwha” credit for upsetting. My impression is that the Rangatira marks . a line of higher 'terrace, or rise, to the I interior. At u p.m. we encamped at Makohine on the left bank; the place is tolerably open, and a large bush fire was burning. Here the road from the west coast strikes the river. We met a party of natives from Taupo. They had walked so far and were making a bark canoe to take them down the river. I found waldheimia here. T observed the Maoris preparing to catch eels with meat on the end of a piece of flax which was tied to a rod. The scenery is very like that of the Whanganui, except that the cliffs are not nearly so high. We observed a good deal of totara. Our encampment was highly picturesque —the natives round their fires, the tents, the cliffs, the foliage, and the river, lighted by the. clear starlight and the camp fires. At this place large bush fire was close to us. and the effect of the burning embers falling in streams of fire over the cliffs was magnificent. On January 16 we started at 8.30 a.m. after a good bathe and an eel breakfast. At 9 o’clock we stopped at Kaitarepa on the left bank to get a pannikin; we had left without one and had found the inconvenience of having nothing but a lid of a tin to drink out of. We passed Te Marakiraka and Te Rangiau on the right bank and reached tapue on the left. Here an aboriginal brought a side of pork as a present to our crew. At 11 a.m. I saw the Otaire range bearing N.N.W. It is covered with forest, and has every appearance of being only a higher part of the tertiaries. We passed a deserted pa on the right bank, called " aimanu. Here we shot a cormorant. On the left bank opposite is Putatara perched on the top of a cliff. We passed to dine at Otaire and found here pecten waldheimia. spirifer, etc. We passed Taupakamau. Koan, and Te Horeta on the left bank, and at 4 p.m. ascended a bad rapid and soon afterwards passed a waterfall on the right bank. Few waterfalls on this riVer are to be compared with those of the M hanganui. We nearly came to grief at a rapid below Te Whata, Anatipa and Hohepa (Taioneone) were towing the canoe up stream with the painter, when the former slipped and fell into the current. Both lads were swept down stream with <rreat velocity: the canoe went rapidly in the same direction, and turning broadside to the stream, half filled wit a water and threatened to be dashed against a cliff on the right bank. Hohepa. exhausted and nearly sinking, was rescued by Mr. Deighton, who caught him by the hair when he was below the water. The situation wa> one of danger which, however, was over in a few seconds. The eanoe was then baled out, and being lightened by some of us landing and walking above the rapid, was towed up. We passed some more bad rapids and camped at Whata,-a confined *pacw with whitxi blue clay cliffs containing nodules. slept on fuschia boughs after a deli Icious bathe, the weather during the : day having been intensely hot. Mahia I and Anatipa. went to catch eels, m which they were successful. Die eel Jis caught with strips of meat or guts tied as bait to the line with flax. I On January 17 the weather was cooli er, and wc started at 5.30 a.m. The > Maoris indulged in singing airs, which

put me in mind of the drawling music of the Arabs and other Easterns. Having passed a succession of rapids, we stopped at Pohunga to dinner. Here the Taupo road crossed the river. The cliffs now are entirely of a bluish-white clay with marine fossils beneath, and drift gravel, as of an old river bed, at the top, from five to twenty feet thick. While dinner was being prepared, two pigeons alighted on a tree just above the fire and were dropped by Mr. Deighton almost literally into the pot. At 4.30 p.m. we passed the Kauwhata junction. This tributary is almost as large as the main river, and falls in on •the left bank. Here we shot a bit? ■tern, and encamped a little higher up in the most picturesque spot. We passed some large boulders of volcanic rock to-day. apparently not in situ, and suggestive of the question, for future investigation, how they got there. Anatipa .adorned his head with the bittern’s wings, and they made a magnificent headdress. The roar of water heard during the night was very great. It must be awkward camping on the Rangitikei when floods prevail, as it is difficult to find any ground upon which to rest except the shingle flats and the cliffs are vertical. On January 18 we passed through cliffs entirely of sandstone, with bands of flat and rounded stones. At Kaiinanga, Deighton shot a pair of whio, or blue ducks. We passed Hautapu at 10.34), a large tributary falling into the right bank. Here the Taupo road touches the river. At 11 a.m. sighted . Buahine, bearing north-east by compass. At the Tokakaitangata rapids, which were very bad ones, we got another pair of whio. If I remember aright, these boulders are of igneous rock. Kowhai is plentiful, and festoons the banks like weeping willow; totara is also a common tree. At Terare, an old deserted settlement, we foraged and got onions, potatoes, cabbages and a pannikan. We soon afterwards reached .Vlaungatutu, where the stream of that name comes in on the left bank between cliffs of nodular band sandstone about two hundred feet high and only twenty to thirty z yards across. Here , the crew insisted on camping, although it was a disagreeably confined space, between high cliffs on both sides. On Sunday, January 19, in accordance with Maori custom, we were oblig- ! .to hnb. The heat was excessive, and bathing delicious. We fed excel--1 lently on whio. ’ On January 20 we passed through Te i Wahaihai. or, the cleft. Here the river ; has perpendicular cliffs on b.oth sides land winds much. The height of the . cliffs is about one hundred and fifty feet, the breadth of the river about 1 thirty yards. The crew seemed well j aware of the military strength of the locality, and said with triumph, “These I are the paraki Maori” —i.e. the Maori ! barracks or forts. I observed a small flounder in the river. We reached Moawhanga, a tributary on the right bank, which, leaving the main stream, we, after dinner, began to ascend. This stream is often not more than ten or j twelve feet wide, with perpendicular j cliffs, and with the trees actually meeting in many places overhead. The i scene is unique, and the light and shade i produced by a bright sun gleaming through the foliage is most remark- : able. " Our canoe voyage of six days was now over. We disembarked, and . were not sorry to emerge from this ; deep ditch and to ascend a cliff about I two hundred and fifty feet high, whence Iwe obtained an extensive view over 1 forest and plain, a sight which we had i not enjoyed for many days. We walk--led to Pawawera, a small village. Here we found no one at home, so we took 1 possession of the principal house and spread out our blankets to dry. I I walked out and obtained a view of | the open country of Patea; it seemed a good grass country. I found tobacco I growing here, and that thistles had | reached the district. Tcngariro and Ruapehu were hidden. During the evening, we had one of those disputes which are ever apt to annoy those who travel with .Maori guides. Our crew proposed that they should there and then be paid and return home, leaving us to find our way as best we could manage. In this case, however, there was a written agreement to take us to Patea, and on this being pointed out;- they agreed to adhere to its terms. After this we had a cold night, but no mos-' quitoes, consequently peace and comfort. On the morning of January 21, Ruapehu was in sight at daybreak in the direction that I had indicated by compass, which differed materially from that pointed out by the Maoris. We got our packs ready, and started on foot at 9.30 a.m., passing various signs of population, including a pigeon hung up in a tree. The road led through bush. At 10.30 a.m. we got the bearing of Ruapehu, X. 55 degrees W., Ngauruhoe throwing up dense smoke. We met two old women and a child, and had a tremendous tangi. After' walking- through bush for two hours, occasii ally looking down some three hundred perpendicular feet into the bed ■ of the river Moawhanga. we reached the Papatahi pa, a settlement of no great size, situated in the middle of a potato garden. We found here only two men and several women and children. Deighton and T were some distance ahead of the crew, and informed the inhabitants of Papatahi that the latter wore approaching. One of the ladies thereupon decorated her hair with green leaves and prepared for a tangi; so that when our men approached,, she was ready with her wailing cry. She ! performed her part in style, and the i performance lasted a long time. The crew were fed and paid, and took their departure for the river, while one of the Patea natives went to look for horses for us. Meanwhile I walked to the top of an open hill to reconnoitre the country. The view in the direction of Napier shows flat topped hills, evidently lime stone tertiaries. Tn the pa were seven teen dogs, one calf, two pigs, four hen and one little chicken. In the evenin' the Maori returned, having procured only one horse, a grey, so ho had to pack the horse with our baggage and walk to Taupo. (To be continued.)