OHINEMURI.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2822, 1 March 1878, Page 3

OHINEMURI.

(FROM A COBBKSPONDBNT.) Paeboa, February 28. A gentleman who returned from To Aroha last evening has informed me that s largerock, which blocked the navigation of the Upper Waihou rirer, and over which there was about 20 inches of water, was cleared away by a charge of 951bs weight of dynamite, which blew open a passage 14ft wide, with a depth of over 6ft. The bag enclosing the dynamite was 80ft long by 8 inches wide, and the explosion caused a small earthquake. Apparently the whole body of water in the river rose 100 ft* and looked like a waterspout. The charge was applied by Capt. Tizard, of the snagging steamer Tui, under the personal superintendence of M* E. Thompson, one of the six agents who are travelling over the whole world to acquaint the public with the advantages of dynamite as an explosive. In dealing with the snags themselves in the river, the most ugly and impracticable have been dealt with by five charges of the explosive. The only thing that can be said of the snags is that they were there before the charge was fired, and after the column, which ascends in the air 16, 20, or 30 feet, has disappeared, the snags are there do longer. As a destructive agent, and for the removal of obstruction!, guoh as those we are now treating of, dynamite is J^e a 9 wonderful in the simplicity of its application as it is in its awful power of destruction. In some works for which tenders were called a few days ago by the County Council, an obstruction—the removal of which was valued at from £60 to £100—was removed from one of the lines of road in two days at a cost of about 50 shillings by the ap- j plication of dynamite. While on the subject of the snagging of the Waihou, I learn that on Monday last Mr J. C. Firth personally concluded an arrangement with the Ngatirahiri hapu at Te Aroha by which they agree to give their consent to the snagging of the Waihou above Omahu for a payment of £55. A much, larger sum was at first asked, but this j was the sum agreed to be paid and accepted. In this negotiation Mr Firth showed himself quite an adept in dealing with the Maori " taihoa." In the early part of the transaction the Natives said that no "earnest money" was forthcoming ; £5. was than laid upon the ground in due form and ,- remained there until the offer made at that time had been conclusively refused, when the Natives told Mr Firth that if he wanted the money he should pick it up. This he did, and put it in his pocket at the same time, shaking hands all round, and taking his leave in the most affectionate manner possible. The Natives lookedjon with open-mouthed astonishmentT^i last bursting out with a cry, " Kanui to ringaringa; kaore te haute." (There's a great deal of hard shaking, but no shout.) They did not get even a solitary nobler on this occasion, but the following morning two emissaries were despatched to receive the amount of the offer made.

I learn that tho line of road being marked out on behalf of the County Council will knock even the much talked of Parawai-Kirikiri portion into a cocked hat. It is through splendid country, with an unsurpassed view of the mountnins on one hand, and the magnificent valley of the Thames on the other, while it runs as straight as the flight of an arrow from the outlet of the Eotokohu Gorge to the Hot Springs, which an irreverent writer in jour journal some years ago termed the " Devil's Sulphur Works."