SIX WEEKS IN SOUTHLAND.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 229, 22 December 1893, Page 4

SIX WEEKS IN SOUTHLAND.

It was early in the morning of Friday October 13th, that the good steamship Wairarapa steamed into the port at the Bluti, from whence I received my first impressions ©f the district of which I write. Viewed in the early morning when the sun is sending its morning rays, softly across the hill at the base ©f which, it is built, the town appears to the observer as being compact, pleasantly situated and pretty. Though small, it is exceedingly busy and lively. This is due probably to the fact that it is the outlet ®f all the produce grown for a distance «f 150 miles back, and it being a first and £aal port of call. We had not been in. a great while when the train from Invercargill made its appearance and with it my son Willie, with whom I was to spend my time. A few moments spent in handshaking and collection of luggage, and we were putting out of the station towards the grsat Scotch centre of the extreme south. A few sawmills, a little scrubby bush, a considerable area of tussock and the estuary which comprises the so called harbour of Invercargill, forms the whole of the scene Which meets the eye on tbe journey up. In

fine weather it is not at all a bad trip, but when the wind blows and the rains descend I am told it is most wretched.

Fifty minutes of travel in the rear of puffing Billy and we were safely landed on the platform of the Invercargill Bailway Station. It would be as well here, to add, that this junction of the New Zealand Railways is about as complete in the way of accommodation in the various departments, as any other part of the colony can, I think, boast of. There is a good station, a large commodisus yard for the rolling stock, first-class goods accommodation, and perhaps the finest engine shed of which the Railway Commissioners can boast; the whole being situated on the shores of the estuary, at the lower end of the town. Having had a look round, we strolled leisurely towards the residence of Mr D. W. McKay (an intimate friend of my son’s) where it was arranged I should reside during my sojourn among the Scotchmen. We were met at the door by both Mr and Mrs McKay, and a very hearty invitation extended to me to make myself comfortable and feel at home with them. In the spirit of the offer was it accepted, and now as I review the few short weeks during which we have been thrown together, I can not help but feel grateful for the extreme kindness which has been 'meted out towards me in that home. Introduction over, things put away, a look round the garden and a romp with the children (of which there are two) and we (Willie and I) took a stroll through the gardens which serve also as a Park and Domain to the Invercargillites. There is practically nothing of beauty to be seen therein, the severity of the climate preventing the varied and luxuriant growth which is found in more favoured parts of the colony. Advent of dinner time put an end to our ramble, and Willie having to return to work, I was left to put in the remainder of the day by myself. The day following (Saturday) being a half holiday, the best use thereof was made by our going together on a tour of inspection of the town. -The one thing noticeable atove all ethers is the exceedingly well to do air which prevades the whole place, and the entire absence to the eye of the visitor of poverty and depression. After the experience which was mine in passing through other large centres, this was indeed refreshing, and tended greatly towards prejudicing me in favour of the town ao much lauded by the canny Scots who live within its precincts. It is beautifully laid out, streets from a chain to a chain and a half in width and running at right angle? to each other, all allotments of a quarter acre in size, and save in a very few instances, have but the one dwelling erected thereon. This naturally, dees away with that crowding so often the outcome of speculation, is much more pleasant for the inhabitants, gives a nice appearance to the place, and to crown all is decidedly healthier in every way than those towns where room has been sacrificed for the sake ©f gain. One is not struck very much in regard to the beauty of the place as he wends his way along the broad and well kept streets, for the reason that being ©n a dead level almost, it of a necessity follows that each succeeding scene is identical with the one just witnessed; but come with me to the top of the water Tower (whence the supply of the town is drawn) and see ! the scene wears quite a different aspect. Viewed from there on a fine clear day, it is quite a pretty sight, and it is necessary for the visitor, if he wishes to see Invercargill as it rea'lly is, to make the ascent and note the pleasing appearance of the well kept streets, the comfortable homesteads, and the many pretty spots of shrubberies and ornamental trees which are dotted all over the place, Sunday morning we were up betimes, and made preparation for visiting the Old Men’s Home, where the Baptist folk hold a service every alternate Sunday morning for the benefit ©f the inmates there. It so happened that it was Willie’s turn to address the aged congregation, so I was doubly honoured. It was quite a pleasant and profitable hour to me and I enjoyed it very much. If looks and appearances go for anything, I should say also, that the old folk there enjoyed the service as much as I did. From the Home we wended our way towards the Church and spent a very profitable time there* In the evening I went out into the suburbs to a mission station, where it was again my privilege to hear Will speak of the Saviour’s love to the people assembled there. During the next succeeding days, I visited various places of business in the town, made myself acquainted with all of au interesting nature which crossed my path, and spent my evenings in listening to the phonograph, political addresses by the member for the town and the Hon. J. G. Ward, and attending the various meetings in connection with the Baptist CUurcli. On Friday 20th, I took a trip out iu the counfry as far as Makarewa where Will had in the meantime gone to work, and spent a couple of days with him in the van. This van is the house- on wheels provided by the Railway Dept for him to live in when he is away from home. Whilst he worked, I walked round, got some rab bits which the auks had just killed, came home and cooked them for tea. And my word didn’t they go high. It was a long time since I had enjoyed the taste of bunny

and I tell you what, I did enjoy it. In t;ie evening I fell in with a boy who is a bit of a rabbiter and we went together rabbiting having some splendid fun and securing some four rabbits. Qn Saturday afternoon we

took a walk through the different districts intervening between Makarewa and Invercargill and had a good look at the settlers’ homesteads as we went along. Most of them seem to be very comfortable and have good little farms. The land is all level, af easy access to a market, and of good quality. On our way we dropped into a tea-pot manufactory, and through the kindness and courtesy of the proprietor, were shown the whole process of manufacture from first to end. We had a very profitable hour and a half there.

Early the following week I paid a visit to Lumsden, some fifty miles in the directi on of the lake district, and put in a week or more with another friend of Will’s named Sargent. Whilst there I had a good look round the district, spent a day or two rabbiting, securing- a good number, and took a run up in the train as far as Mossburn, some 12 miles further on in the direction of lake Te Anau. Nearly the whole of the land in these districts is taken up by companies and syndicates. On the whole, it is only of average quality and covered with tussock. By degrees it is coming into cultivation, but at present it is largely used as sheep runs. In its native state it \vill carry about one or two sheen to the acre. Cattle in this district are m*st miserably poor. My next port of call was Balfour, a small district on the Waimea Plains. By this time Will had come up with the van and was bent on working his way through the plains, so I thought I could not do better than go with him as cook and see the country at the same time. Almost the first man that I clapped eyes on when the train got into Balfour, was Jeffery, an ex Detective in the Auckland Police force. He was digging in the garden of the local hotel where, it seems, he is employed as handy man. I went «ver and introduced myself, and we had a good long confab together over old times. It did me a world of good to hear him relate his experiences, and I enjoyed a hearty good laugh at his recital of various experiences which had been his since last we met. He is not much altered in appearance, the chief alteration noticeable being his beard, which he now wears all over his face instead of on his chin only, as of old. Kingston Grossing, Riversdale, Pyramid and Mandeville were all in their turn visited, but as they are all on one large plain, there is no difference scarcely between the sights and habits of the people in either of them. On Saturday, Nov. 4th, we took a trip into Gore, the largest town inland in these parts, had dinner, a look round, and got in the train again for Kingstown, the railway station at the extreme end of the section bore, and something over SOmiles from Invercargill. We had to travel over old ground as far as Lumsden, But from there to Kingstown the scene was new, and consists chiefly of a rich plain and very lofty hills on either side all the way. Our ride from Gore though, was somewhat marred by the presence of a wotnon in the carriage, the worse for liquor. The antics she cut, and the annoyance she caused were amusing and vexatious alike. Nothing would satisfy her but that all hands must have a swig out of her bottle of grog, and as might be expected, no one cared about accepting of her generosity. This riled her to such an extent that she made things lively for us all the way. However, we reached Kingston soon after seven o’clock, and found the steamer for Queenstown in waiting, so we got aboard and sailed away across the lake. The lake is named Wakatipu, and report has it that it is 50 miles in length and 4 in width, but I think if 10 were taken off the length and 24- off the width, it would be nearer the mark. Queenstown was reached about 9.15 p.ra., but being dark, little or nothing was seen on the way up. After we had tea we took a stroll through the town which is a very compact and rather pretty one. The places of business all seemed to be pretty well stocked and doing a fair trade. The chief support being drawn from the mining community working some little distance back. On Sunday morning we rose early and went on a tour of inspection whilst all the rest sf the folk slept. When the sun is yet young, just peeping freely over the hill tops, and the sparkling dew is lying fresh upon the vegetation, Queenstown is seen at its best. Though situated away up among the snowy regions, it is a first-class place for fruit. The show this year is about the best I have ever seen. The eodlin moth is not known there, neither are the orehardists in these parts pesied to the same extent as the people in the North with insects and the like. We witnessed also, the spawning or breeding beds wherein the trout are hatched. At the time of our visit, there were about 250,0U0 iu the beds. There being no tributaries or small creeks for the fish to go up, the spawning process in the lake is a failure, the waters being too rough for the young fish, killing them before they come to maturity. To overcome the difficulty and keep the lake stocked with fish, the Society have the spawn taken out of the fish when they are caught, and hatched out in the beds or ponds. When they reach

a certain age, they are transferred back again to the lake. The lake at the present time is literally full of trout, a very large trade being done in exporting them to Melbourne. The seenery about Queenstown is by no means beautiful or pretty, but the rugged, precipitous mountains, which rise to a height of five or six thousand feet, stand out in bold relief and marked contrast to the calm, blue and placid lake which they encircle. Time did not permit ©f the ascent of BenLoinond or the Remarkables, from the summit of which I am told there is to be gained a splendid view of the surrounding district. Barren and bare as they are, they are magnificent and grand in their way, and well repay a visit. It is a different sort of grandeur to anything else t© be seen in other parts where I have hitherto been, and affords ample food for study and reflection, as the tourist leisurely strolls round the shores of the beautiful lake. At 8.15 a.ns, on Monday morning we were once more en the steamer bound for Kingstown. The trip down in the early morning was really beautiful, and was made the more enjoyable by the presence of the local band who were on their way to the contest at Christchurch; they favouring us with some selections on the way down. By mid-day we were once more at Mandeville, where at present I am fixed. We had perfeet weather for our trip to the lake, and our new experience was more than appreciated by us both. Since I have been located here, I have made the acquaintance of the local miller who has been kind enough to shew me through his mill, and take me out for a fish. The day was however, too cold to permit of our being successful with the rod. All day today it has been raining as hard as it can and I have taken the opportunil y offering of getting this narrative put in hand. Tomorrow we make another shift down the line to a place called Stoney-ereek, from whence I aui in hopes of securing some interesting information for the completion of my yarn. I have been here a month now, aud leave on the 24th, a fortnight hence, for Melbourne. Before I go, I will send the remainder of the story to you, but as events have not yet taken place enabling me to send cbe thing complete, I forward this to keep you going in the meantime. So far the most noticeable features which I have witnessed iu these parts are, the tremendous size and enormous quantities af Auks that are to be seen all over the place, the beautifully level land and the easiness there is in getting about, and the terrific numbers of rabbits which literally swarm all over the country As far as I have seen, Southland is not at all a bad place to be in, and is certainly not nearly so rigorous in climate as Northeners are usually led to suppose. Now I suppose I must out my yarn short or else you will be getting weary of me, so with kindest regards and best wishes for your welfare, I for the present will say farewell.