FACTS GATHERED IN NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1477, 7 September 1883, Page 2

FACTS GATHERED IN NEW ZEALAND.

[By 'R, C. W. C.l Prom the Dunedin Star.

There are it is said, many attractive features in the Wairarapa Valley; but the: prospect is anything but cheering along the line of railway, and in the

townships evidences of that speculative spirit which denotes prosperity or confidence in the future are wanting, Leaving Masterton by Cobb's fourhorse coach at 1.15 p.m. on a fine day, we had on tho road to ■ Palmersto# North a pleasant drive thrdugh a fine pastoral country where several prettily, situated homesteads are to be seen until Dreyerstown (at the edge of the FortyMile Bush) was reached-—a distance often miles. The work of formation for the line of railway, is being proceeded with between Masterton and Dreyertown. On either side of the road, through the bush to Stony Creek, the land has been partially cleared byj settlers on small allotments, and is oi an undulating formation) the small.

hills' containing limestone of a good quality, which is, being operated upon in a most primitive style in two or three places by lime-makers, j; There is no lack of water, close to the (holdings, as a.'Marga stream is to jbe "seen here and i there at different points of tho rjoad [from Dreyertown to Stony Creek, _ At the latter .jjlace,. after a gebond team,has,to jourriejj. ox eighteen miles to >Eke(athe .Porty-Mile Bush) is thb most at-

tractive of "the-■whole, the variety ofc the foliage in the'bush, and the repeated changes of Scenery as the road 1 '.winds, around gullies and sharp turns on the side. of.the range, keeping the attention of. the traveller riveted on the beautiful panorama above and below the highway. :. In some places 1 arc so slim p tliat th& leaders' beads t nearly touch the, side of the outtmgs>but" Old Ite" handles tta nbbou with much caVe and skill, aricf the ( conveyance rolls aloiig. in perfect safety. The road, too t is in good: order, / and no less than eight substantial truss / bridges have lately been' constructed! across the creeks oii : tlio side of the' range. In summer this would be a most delightful drive; but, unfortunately, thick rain, with" a Stiff breeze, set in shortly after wb entered the bush, and my pleasure was Bomewhat marred. Eketahuna, the stopping place for the night, was reached at 5,45 p.m. • and; here comfortable quarters were obtained in the Hotel. Good beef and - mutton graced the supper table, and justice was of course done to the repast.. .At , the. early hour of three o'clock the next'. morning tlio signal was givenifor getting up, and, having partaken. of.brfaKfest,we.-left at an hour later The ; first staged diataicf of sixteen milea, or t.w? small habitations and a atable) waa a . m 9 3 t . uninteresting one, the morning being dark) and the road running through a densobußh.oiccept here and there, where .blackened' stumps gave evidence of the busman's handiwork,, . The, same may be said of the nine miles stretch of, road to tbo Manawatu River, which we reached about eight o'clock, Here we bad to cross the rapid stream in a'canoe, the punt haying been carried carried by the late flood, and .the work of transporting the luggage and passengers was speedily performed-the long narrow dug-out being under the skilful control of a Maori.; First tho luggage was taken across, and then four passengers, the driver, and the Maori , proceeded over in the canoe,: the gunwale of which was only about six inches from the surface of the stream. Some amusement was caused, .m the preparation for the start. A, plank was placed on the bottom of the canoe, and a box put into, position as a .seat for the lady passenger, while the gentlemen had togo down ou : their knees and bold on by the gunwale. Previous to starting I was turning, around iu the fiail jraft, and stepping on the greasy side of the canoe, slipped and came down a regular "cropper." That canoe shook a little; and, nothing serious happening, the , laugh became general. On the opposite shore another coach awaited us, and the horses having been taken some distance up the bank of thestream by a youthful Maori, and ridden ov«r the ford, we were very soon on the road again. The contract to construct a bridge over the Manawatu, at the site of the old punt, has bi'«n let to Mr H, McKenzio for L 15.000; the work to be completed within nine months, The bridge is to / consist of twelve 80ft spans; five of J, the piers to be of concrete and the remamder of timber. : This timber provision is a grave mistake, ns there is plenty of gravel at hand; and the danger of the piles being carried awav by tho first heavy flood is very great. During the last flood large'trees were carried down the rapid stream with sufficient force, I learn, to-carry away any piles. • So much for the "pennywiso and pound-foolish" system of the powers that be! The contractor has erected a saw-niill at Taihoraiti.<sixteen miles from Woodville) to cut timber for his work, he having the contract to construct two. other railway bridgesone across the Whakurapu, and the other over the Mangatare, When the railway contracts in hand are completed there will be only a gap of sixtyfive _ miles between Wellington and Napier, After leaviug the river, vdrive ovor a rough road, through partially-cleared bush country for four miles, took us to ■ Woodville, which is said to be on® of the most rising townships in the North Island. Building is the order of the day in Woodville. The old hotel-kept by Mr Murphy has been enlarged; Mr M. Mackenzie has built a large and \ery convenient hotel of two storeys on a corner section of tho main cross roads; and the Bank of Now Zealand has a large two-storey building in course of erection. There are two large stores in the place, and several smaller buildings are going up. Woodville is nicely situated oniigh ground, wiMi good facilities for draining all • parts of the town, a short distance from the Manawatu River ; and it is at this place that the Napier and south-east aud west roads meet. There sppAwu to be a perfect building "rush" at j|\B place, and I was amused at noticragT Bft by 10ft wooden. building,; oAtia front of which were fastened up two strips ,■ of calico with the words "Baxk of New Zealand—temporary premises" painted on them. • The

country around.. Woodville is Hftid to be a fine agricultural and pastoral one, there being no less than 800 farmers, with holdings of from 100 to 1,000 sores, in the district; andthe fact of the town, being, centrally situated, gives'hopes that ere. many years have passed it will become a place of some importance, Already arrangements for acarting a. cheese factory are in progress mu! a " paper man/'' is about to settle down there, and "watch over the.

inteietjts.of the district,"