THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8168, 26 June 1906, Page 6

THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

(Ficm Our Own Correspondent). May 18. These lonely islands, that ars> part of New Zealand, and are one of the firs!; portions of the British Empire to meot the new-coming day, were discovered by Lieutenant Broughtou in 1791. He named them after his good ship. The inhabitants then were Morioris, cousins of! tiio Maoris of New Zealand, who later uu, iu 1832-3, landed and conquered the ill-armed aborigiuies,and slaughtered them iu hundreds. At the present date the roll of the survivorf can be counted on tbe fingers of two bauds. Iu appearance they can hardly bo distinguished from the Maoiis. Roughly speaking the islands lie about 500 mfea east of New Zealand. There are two large islauds, Cbattiam Island and Pitt Island, together with several islets An irregular steamer service couneots the main island with Lytteltou. The steamer "Ripple," that has just entered the service is a new boat specially built for the couveyanoe of sheep and other live stock. The pnsseuger service Is not very great. The vessel leaves Lytteltou about the Ist of June, August, Ootober aud December, and thereafter more frequently till April. She visits the main portion of the group, picking up freight and the mails, and then returns to New Zealand. The trip across occupies from two and a-half to four or five days, according to the weather met with. After leaving the high mountainous coast of the South Island the first thing that strikes the traveller when he gets his first sight of the Chathams ia the low level of the islands. As the highest point on any of the group barely reaches 1,000 feet that is easily acoounted for. There are portions of the coast of Now Zealand that it greatly resembles, but one misses the background of snowcapped mountains. After lauding, the difference ia even more marked for hard, solid ground, is conspicuoas by its absence. For quite a distance from the landingplace at Waitangi, the roads are merely tracks through the sand or along the beaoh, but after three mi'es ar so the ground beoomes firmer and grass aud everything else seema to grow wonderfully. Vegetables aud grass aje growing practically all the year round, 1 believe. Another notable feature is the stunted nature of the tieea. You Bee the ake-ake of New Zealand growing everywhere, but very few of the other trees so familiar to New Zealanders. in fac.\ very few ornamental trees of any kind. 1 brought with we a couple of young karaka trees. I might have saved myself the trouble; they grow here to perfection, asd their name is legion. Firewood there is in plenty, though it is email, a'ad so far as I hnve seen not so good as New Zealand wood. For building purposes timber is brought from the main land, though aorae houses are built of pungaa, Fenoing posts are got from the native fcuub. Of the climate J am not ydt qualified to judge, but compared with New Zealand it seems decidedly warmer, and more equable though the sun does not penetrate the clouds as is the case there; there are more cloudy overcast days. \ A strange feature of the islands is the bogs or tarns or whatever you like to call ihem. It is the land of swamps,. Te Whanga Lake has an area of over 50,090 acres, and reaohes from the north almost to the south of the main island. It is deep in places, but oan . be forded in two or three Ppots. One ford is four miles long, and very seldom does your borse sink much above his knees. You fix your eyes on a point on the opposite side and steer straight for it. Te Whanga is full of eels of all sizes, sometimes so thick in plaoes that, your horse has a difficulty in pushing through them. Wild ducks, the common ones found in New Zealand, are there in hundreds; black swans, also in hundreds, shagß, gulls and other water fowl make their home there. But the banks of this and all the other lakes are soft and muddy, and in places unapproachable.

Shooting commenced on May let, and the duclijs and swans have since been kept moving from one lake to another. It is astonishing, considering the population, whiuh is under 400, the number of guns that are out, and the census of the wild fowl must now be hundreds less than it was this time last month. A peculiar and interesting faot, blso, is tnat one finds swamps and small lakes right on the tops of the highest hills, and frum what I can hear, it is praotioally impossible to drain them. However, there, it, I be lieve, about, 175,000 aores of good land, and Maori and European alike are making the best use of it. Oertainly the stock look the picture of health, and taken all round, seem to be larger than their relatives in New -Zealand. The population, especially the younger branches of it are fat and healthy looking, a fact that speaks volumes for the islands as a residence. And if you would see real hospitality, you need go no further than these same islands. The people one and ill cannot do enough for the stranger that comes into their midst. It is always the case, however, where few people are settled, and this is certainly no exception. One that amuses the newcomer is the type of vehicles. There are, of course, one or two (Jrays and spring carts from the main land but for going along the sandy roads the universal conveyance is a low trolley, and very suitable and useful for its purpose it is. It is not above 18 inches from the ground and the body resembles nothing so much as an Eskimo reindeer sledge. Some of them have four sledge runners some have two runners in front and two heelt) behind. Others Have three wheels, one Id front and (wo behind, Ihey require careful loading and skilful steering they axe without shafts, poles brakes Or any steeling gear. They take a good load, too, and one ride on many a worse conveyance. You have not far to fall, at any rate. Three miles from Waitangl I» Te

One,whero aro situated the Church of England, a small but compaot and nicely finished building, the Library and Institute, containing over 2,000 of the very latest and best books, and the innin Government school and teachers' residence©. The school building is a new one, and thoroughly up to-date. There are over 50 pupils, mixed Europeans and Maoris. An intelligent, brightlooking lot they are, too. There is a scholarship given to the best of thorn overy two yeurs, £4O a year for three year?, at any college in New Zealand, to be chosen by the lucky one. The coasts of the islands abound with fish, hapuka, bluo cod and most of the Niw Zealand fish are caught with little trouble. flounders are also to be found in the big lako, altogether, as far as one can judge,'there are many worse places than the Chatharaa, aud, especially as concerns food supplies, very few better. I had almost forgotten the potatoes. I was told before i came that I bad not seen potatoes till I had been to these islauds; aud true it is. They grow well all over the islands, and are thejrmaiustay of natives and whites alike. They have some varietios, too, that are seldom seen on the main land. There are hundreds of fantails hero; they are even tainer their relatives of New Zealand, coming into the house by the open window aud twittering about the room as if quite at home.

The population is very scattered, but on any notable occasion, or publio holiday, they generally manage to get up a dance or something, either at Waitangi or Te One; and in the Christmas week a race meeting is held at the former place. The value of the Cup is not parhaps so great as the Melbourne Cup, but the excitement and enjoyment fully compensates. As a place for a holiday, it would certainly be an experience for anyone to visit the islanda, and in the summer time one could come over from Lyttelton and back iu a week, or atay till the next visit of the boat, and be back in three weeVs or less than u month.