A Holiday on Stewart Island.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 14, 25 March 1899, Page 1

A Holiday on Stewart Island.

(Continued.) After tea we all went round to Golden Ba t v , and as it was a beautitul night a paily got into a boat and went for a pull on the inlet, which was as as calm as the proverbial null pond. The wnter walked round to Thule, to see how the new ar1 n als w ere getting on. He found that they had got eveiythmg in the cottage ship-shape, and as some one suggested that an hour on the water would be \eiy pleasant, an embassy was sent up to Mr Bankin's to ask tor his boat. Mr ltankm came down himself, and said we could have the boat as often as we liked, and ho offered to come with us on this occasion. "Wo were soon afloat, Mr Rankin taking charge of the tiller, and four rowing, one lad,\ and three* gentlemen. One of the latter was an expert oarsman, but the rest were only beginners, and tor a while they found that to keep time with one another in a boat is not such an easy matter as it looks. We passed the Golden Bay boat, but they would not accept our challange to race, so we lelt them, and set off for Ulva, which is about two miles over the inlet. We found that rowing was veiy good exercise, and by the time that we leached the lauding place at Ulva we were quite ready for a spell. We went ashore and called at Mr Trail's store. Tho \oung ladies wanted to buy chocolate-., but unfortunately such things were not kept in stock as they are seldom or nev or asked for. Ho wev er, a big si\peaee woi Ih of "scotch mixtiues"" kept the paity well engaged on the way back. Those who had not been in Mr Trail's store befoie were astonished at the stock he had — anything from a needle to a cuttei's anchor being procurable. We had a look through the bush, and abouthalf-past nine prcpaied to go hick. B"fore we got on board, another boat load came into the bay, but the^s immediately turned round and went back, without landing. We could not make out who they were, nor could we lind out when we got back, but they must have been a party of natives fiom the Neck. We took about an hour and a halt to get back, after a most enjoyable spin. The summer evenings at Stewarts Island are delightful. The twilight lasts till after nine o'clock, and nothing can exceed the pleasure of a pull with a party of friends on Pattersons Inlet. After landing, we got supper, and the writer had to make his way back to Half Moon alone. The track leads through the bush, following round a cliff overhanging Thule and Golden Bays, and as it is on the extreme edge in some places it is not the safest place for a stranger to go over in darkness. I rather foolishly declined the offer of a candle, and was forced to make the most of a rather limited supply of matches, which .Listed

just long enough to show me on to familiar ground. When I got in I was told that a search party was being organised to look for me, but I found out that the others who had been on the Inlet had arrived only a short tune before me. They too, had gone over to Ulva, but they had not been able to strike Tiail's beach, and although they shouted and cooeed they could not make us hear them. Everyone blept without rocking that night. Next morning was bright and warm, but there was rather a strong wind blowing. We had arranged to go to Glory that day, Glory bsmg the name of another of the beauty spots of Pattersons Inlet. As it turned out, we were not fated to get to Glory, for when we gathered at Golden Ba^ Oui Oui told us that if we went there we would most likely have to beat home against a gale, and might perhaps not hti able to get back at all, and we found that he was not far wrong. We had a very laige party on board, in fact we had rather more than the cutter could comfortably carry, and we had an exciting, if not anxious experience. We decided to go to a place called Price's Inlet, which was in a north westerly direction, and we had to do a lot of tacking to get there. Soon after we started, the wind freshened considerably, and after getting round tha point we found ourselves in rather choppy water. Some of the party wanted to put back at once, but it was decided to keep on. The wind got worse, and what made it more awkward, cams in squalls. Once an extra strong gust struck us, and the little cutter healed over so much that several of the ladies jumped up off their seats, but as she righted again almost immediately, they sat down again. Oui Oui took a reef in his sail, and in order to lighten the load, four of the gentlemen got into the dinghy which was towing behind, and as the wind almost immediately began to abate, the ladies, wh ) had been cry silent for the last half-hour, began to find their voices again, aad to laugh at their feats. We noticed thai another cutter which had left Golden 13 ly with us had put back, and we hoard afterwards that when they got to Oban they told the people there that we had had a very narrow escape, as our sails \vei«i neaily touching the water. This was greatly exaggerated, but still several of the party said that they had had enough sailing on Pattersons Inlet to last them for a while. We had some trouble to find water in Price's Bay, but at last n small stream . was discoveied, and in a sh^rc time luncn was ready. We had a big contract getting everything ashore, as the beach was a sanch one and the water was very shillow , and when wa d d gat ashore we had to force our way through veiy th ck bush to get to the fiie. However, that was managed at last, and we w^re all busily engaged when it staited to rain. Those who had macintoshes and umbivllas with them made use ot them. Those who hadn't, got under trees, and prepared to wait till the ram stopped. But as it kept on, and there were no signs of it clearing up, we reluctantly decided to get on board the cutter and make our way ho ue. Wo found that the tide had gone out, and we had to hunt round for half an hour before we could find a suitable place to get tho ladies into the boat. However, with the assistance of Rattray we manged it all right, and soon we were sailing along with a good wind behind us, making good time for Golden Bay. The rain ceased, and the sun shining out through the -mist, our spirits rose accoidingly. We passed the time with songs -and choruses, and our sportsmen kept continually potting at penguins and shags, so we were quite surprised when we rounded the point -and found ourselves at our journey's end. The writer and his j'rtist irjend accom

p lined Oui Oui and Kattiav when they K'tiuntd to the Neck, .ut! the s.ul o\ ci vis mtht e\.hili.uatii'^. The wind had nsen a^iin, and <ib wo wolo siihrn; betorc ft. we n\u\u d b.-e hie loi oni landing place. <tiul got owrni double qipck tune On oil!" wax. we passed ji Miiall ( nLU'i beati ig ,'g.iuiit the bico/o, making toi (iokL'ii )'- n. I(s had gone out in t>ic n.oiniii'' to Cilov\. and when we suv Ik>". '.'tu «,'■> -.tiiifjghnq to get back we ueio \oi\ s'ln.l 'juleed that wo had gone m the othei Election. ]Jv tin, it wi. blowing ,i qalo and wlicn wc^eve geltipgmto tho diiiyliy to low ashore, wo had to »o tlnouoh a lsgular ,<;\mnastiij ptifoKiiance. Wo toiincl that getting out of .i, ciitti] thnt is {;oing^U]>iiito a clingh\ that is <;ouii, dov u "\\asrathei a dehca.te optuition, but none ot Qj tell ovoiboaul, and wo :'ot ashoic m ■- ifet y, and weve met at ihe Liiiding pLuo In the Ihompsoii 1 -. When we got up to the <,ehool, which it* built on tlio top ol a ( hif, we baw that tlie cuttci we hod p.v-c-od ]i,itl < bt i oii blown back, and toiced to s^jt imdor tho lee of Native Isl.'ind. I bi'lic\c tlie\ had to continue- then way l >uud the island, and make loi Halt .\looji J>.^ instead ol Golden Jsa\. >Te\t nioinin". Fnda\. was the date h .od lor a concert at the ]\ec L m aid oi a l;bnu\ lund, and the natnes wcu qienth eccited about it>, as seM'i.il ot the \i^to\~, hid promised to a-sist. On Tliiu-d,i\ cvenni" quite a nuinb^i turned np at tin. vhool house for a practice, and a couple s,t hours were spent most pli^i^inlly. It was an aiiqed that Om Oui Miould eet the lwnen next day and take her o\er to O)baii xnd bung af'cro^ au\ people commy to tho conceit. The IX v."i is the cutter m whu-li the fit-hmn cot'ipv.r, send time n->h a"i'oss to the lihifi", and a.s it-has deck loom for lilty people, it was thought that a huge numbei would make tiie tup; "Whenevei there is h conceit at the Keck oi at Obdii, the people all lound 1 co ne in then catleis. or whale boate. oi dmqlaes, \v Inch seems rather peculiai to peoole who .tip accustomed to.tiain, or buL^ieo, or InLes. Of coiuse, a^ they ha\o so nvich to do with boats, all the people o>i Sfowu.it' l 3 Island are good i ismen, and soih"v iir "* i,i,J'i" n '.Oi.i d\ v . I i to bo iji ks« iucon\ement than n sfcidngei would .suppose.