Divorce Court.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3434, 13 February 1890, Page 2

Divorce Court.

': Wellington, Thursday, : : In the Divorce Court in the caso Seale y Beale, on the wife's petition fpr sejaVa-'ion oh the grot-rid of cruelty aW adultery a decree nisi Was granted with coats. The parties were' married : at '.Obristcliurph.'.'in 1871, hnd resided latterly ona sheep nut in ibo HswW's Day distriol," '..•

■:'/ Excursion to the Raui|cs< , ut -'■■ A3 soyerai persons are talking of r making a trip-to-the'' mountains, it c IBS)- not be pat of place if m supply 1 fuller details of the journey, of last t Batui day's party, with a few hints i that may prove acceptable lor the ] guidance of future tourists. The s start was made from Masterton at 2 • o'clock p.m, aud M>' Moore's homo- ■■< stead was reached comfortably ■ by | 8.30 i' This is two or three miles beyond the' Waingawa "ford at Falconer's. The track runs through Moore's paddocKs, and is well defined until dipping into,the bed of the Maungatarere stream (or' as some call it" Little River.")' It is then a succession of bush tracks and river bed, and is rather rough on the horses on account of logs and bogs,This part'of the journey is of an hour and a halfs duration, steady riding. After crossing the river again the bush at the foot of the mountain is entered, and a little off the traolt the best ground for camping the horses is reached, It is a small natural clearing on the bauks of the stream, which can be rendered secure by making a ring fence of lho i tether ropes. This is the place where the party of Saturday should have left their horses; instead of' that, they went further on and faced worse There was plenty of feed, lint nothing to prevent the animals wandering away at their own sweet will. An hour was lost in cutting' away fallen trees, and clearing a pussage in for the horses. Here the swngs were transferred from the r backs of the quadrupeds to those of the bipeds, Alpen stocks were cut, and with their aid. the ascent of the leading spur commenced on foot, exactly at six , o'clock. A good spell of stiff climb' i ing ensued, all tho party keeping well together. It was light bush all the first part of the way, and there wa.i an en tiro absence of underscruh, 1 Tho track being, fairly worn, it was easily dißcsrimble, and good time was . made, On emerging from the bush, came a stretch of sandstono broken i rock, with nothing but dead manuka stakes thereon. A sharp dessent lo 1 tlio right brought the party to ! Beetham's camping ground, in a | hollow, and near here wider was , obtained, It was now half pi.st :ieven o'clock, and a consultation look , place as td' camping there for the ! night. The majority decided to pro- ; coed, it being represented that three quarters of an hour would bring them 1 to the upper camp, This was a mistake, as their fast had been too I long, and tho unaccustomed-travel- , ling began to tell upon some of the , party. The leading members did : not consider that the strength of a > chain is it weakest link. From here r there was a good stiff, pinch to 3 negotiate, through dead manuka and ' then bush. Tho shados. of.night , coming on rapidly, made travelling f difficult, and the tail of tho party got. i 3oparated from tho main body, an i, ' missing the track, they lit a fire and 1 camped till moon rise. They had no ' water, and there was none obtain- } able, and they felt a longing desire j for a share of the billy full in r possession of the inam body,' About - 11.80 there was light enough to i! search for the route, whioh was 1 found with diffioulty on account of • wild entile tracks. They walked oil, 1 stopping occasionally to cooey, and f were rejoiced to hear a response. On jj arriving at the spot where tho main , body wore rendezvoused, in a deep I glen, they found to their sorrow that i not a drop of water remained, and i none was procurable nearer than . the uppa'camp, This decided them • to push on witlithe guide. The sky was clouded over and the track was difficult to follow but tho right , trail wasstruckand the happy hunting 1 ground was reached in about three . quarters of an hour. This part of s the journey was good travelling on 1 account of the eool breeze across the ; flat topped spur of dead scrub which 1 was crossed. The hill looked in j front like a perpendicular wall to the j sky but there was no. inclination to study its majestio grandeur. Thero ' was a rush for the camp -and swags ' were discarded, A roaring fire was ' made, aud the guide having procured ( a billy full of water it was not , before tea, coffee and sandwiohes , were done full jjstice to, They ) rested till the arrival of the others at 4.25, just as day was breaking. " After a comfortable breakfast tho ' final ascent was commonccd by the , entire party a 5.16. It was rather dark at the first start oft" and it was faired rain would fall. Tlipro wa3 a • heavy mist which, however, was soon i passed throrgh. The first glimpse [ caught of the suns rays was on looking up through the bush on the left, where the topmost peaks were ] seen bathed in a golden radiance. The vegetation here was of a differ- • ent character. There were beautiful , (lowering shrubs, soino with thick 1 waxy green leaves, crape ferns, and other varieties, including patches of i the kidney fern and Prince of Wales, feathers, The sun now began to , penetrate tin rapidly thinning bush i and the effect was charming. All the lower branches of the trees were 1 festooned with' a kind of moss which glistened with the dew,. The bush gradually terminated' in a narrow rocky ledge from which a glorious sight was witnessed, All around to the north, east and south there was nothing but a vast expanse of rolling clouds. Tho sensation was thrilling ; tho appearance being exactly like • a panorama of a restless mighty ocean. The misty clouds seemed to , roll and break just as the surf does l on a rock bound coast. Tlio tops of , the highost hills stood put like islands 1 in tho sea and to the south ons view , looked wonderfully liko in shape to Homes' Island and the harbour of Wellington. Still amending, the Alpino plants began to appear in great profusion. Although it was r.ot the season of the year at whioh the , Dowers are said to be attbeirbest.still, thero was a grand display and the air was filled with a spioy perfume. Manystopped't-ogatherspeoimeiis.bnt others pushed on eager to be the first to cry " Excelsior." The ground was all rocky and broken, with dwarf vogeta'ion everywhere, There wero patches of M, but of a dwarf character and apparently finer and stronger than what grows in the Valley. Several varieties of spear grass, most of whioh was shaping fur bloom. The prickles on the flower buds were about six inohes in length. and in great clusters, whilst each leaf point was as sharp as a lanco. There was a variegatod kind of flag growing in great profusion, whilst, all Ground from every point could be seen everlasting flowors, large Alpinedaisios, a whlto leathery variety, a very pretty plant muoh like a oro'ous andaiut of yellow bloom. There was a wonderful assortment of lichen and moss plants, 1 • tussock grass, heaths and broom. In several places progress liad to be made by olimbing from one ropliy,projection to mother;- 'varied by'scrambling across rocky terraoes and dried up water bolea, full oil dry upringy turf

miowiiiolia.6iiok.;co'iiui bo' p"Ußiitid : Bfevetalf/e'et.- was'lyery narrow iii places, witli steep ; on either Bide.down wliich some of tuff lively tourists amused themselws-by rolling iiaameuso ■ boulderis' and watching tuem rebound, irom,,poiut to point until lost in the distance or shattered to fragments. The trig station" o/i.tbe" top of Mount Holdsworth was'reached at 7.80, arid the guide despatched with a billy for water, Ha had to soramble down the face of the cliiff, whioh wbb almost perpendicular, and return on his hands and knees. The water was most acceptable and very refreshing. Inanhbur'B time all had assembled on the small Bpace on the top of the peak. Most of the party carved their names, ;with the date of the expedi- ■ tion, oh tlie flagstaff. The'telescope 1 was brought into requisition, and; a view of the.Waiohine. Valley and I Featheretou Lake were ohjsincd, i but the former was not distinctly i visible on account of the mist, There i ivas a grand succession of 'mountains, I some of them of the most fantastic i shape. The Mitre was plainly ' discernable, and Beemed quite, close, : but ft looked a rough road to get > .there. Mount Egmont was not i visible, nor could a-giimpse of the sea 1 be obtained on account of the smoke . arising from burning bush on the ; West" Coast. The atmosphere was ! delightfully refreshing and appeared i to have a flavor of the ocean in it. i On a high peak towards Featherston ' a thin line of srailo ascended from a ) oampfire. . i The return journey was commenced . at !) a.m., and the upper, camp was : reached by 10.45. The heat of the : sun was. very great, and the bush - when reaohed offered a welcome • shade. Swugs were resumed at 12.80 ! and Beelham'scamp.reachednt 1.40, 1 which was left at 2 o'clock and theJ lo«er camp readied at 2.40, where, . owing' to the clearing'off of some of s the horses,' there was an hour's 3 delay. Bwags and saddles were , packed on the remaining animals, i and they were led or driven into i Moore's, whero the other horses were ) found quietly grazing. Burdeiiß > were re-adjusted, and a start made i- for homo at 5,50, arriving about 7 > o'clock.

A Tour Throng!) the Forty-Mile Bush(Bv Axmus.) Having just concluded an exceedingly interesting trip through that portion of (lie country which is directly concerning such a large portion of this community (I refer to' the Forty-Mile Bush), a few remarks on the general appearance of the district, or « brief recount of the tour, may not pass the eye of your readers unnoticed. Malting r start from the stables : of Mr W. Neillat an oarly hour on Monday morning iu rather a miniature carriage, known i an the "spider," to which was] attached a trusted and tried animal of tho noble kind, we soon found oiuselves on the Opaki plains. Here it was pleasing to observe the fields of corn being raized to tho ground by those modern labor-saving instruments, the reapers and binders, and, in some instances, being raised again in the opposite direction in (he form of " stooks.'V Harvesting iu real earnest was proceeding on every hand, and it was evident from what could he seen from tho main road, that tho yield flu's season will be exceptionally good. Satisfied that there was little danger of an approachiug bread famine, we passed on, and observing a oloud above our heads much larger than a man's hand, we aaquainted our thickskinned Arab steed with the fact that we were in possession of every accoutrement necessary for making an ordinary journey with a livery hire, and soon we readied the ancient, yet still existing

Camp. Nothing eventful here transpired, beyond meeliug with-our old friend Osborne, the hearty shaking of his ever-oxteadedhand, aud thopautakiug of the refreshments ordinary on suoh occasions. The Camp (or Droyerton as it is now called), does not bear any great evidence of advance, although it is still au important centre, at least so far as some parts of the district are conoerned. - Our stay, therefore, was in no way prolonged, and in almost less time than it token to retold we were at . East Mavmcbvum. Here there are people with high ambitions, people who enjoy high times, and people who apparently enjoy-.eqnally high rents. This was our-conviotion at auy rate, for after having provided our noble animal and ourselves with a much-needed repast, to which we severally did the fullest justice, we wonded our footsteps gently to tho railway station. Assembled together at this spot were no less than a hundred landowners, each beariig prominent -traits of the incessnat toil to which they had been subject; and eaph attired in costumes suggestive of the utmost depression, Wo learned subsequently that these costumes were manufactured especially for tho occasion, but how true this is wo cannot say. This we do kiiow, however, that when the trainamvodtwo gentlemen presented themselves to the gaze of the ansiouß crowd, who wero introduced as Commissioners from the Land Board, and • who' stated [La 1 ;„!»• objects were to re-value the lands iu the district. But only one of tho gentlemen it appears met with anything like a reception, whioh might be understood from the fact that his fellow Commissioner threw out a suggestion that he'was aspiring for parliamentary honors, and was anxious to value the lands at a reduced rental only as an election '• dodge." And the senior of the two could not see that in the light of justice certain reductions were necessary; The result was a complete deadlock, and the unfortunate landholders wore compelled to return to their homes disappointed, weary, and undone, for no business, in the absence of a third Commissioner, could be transacted. The whole concern struck us forcibly as a fair speoimen of Government" bungling." Having sympathised in a. most sincere manner with the victims of these officials, we yoked up, and were again on the trot. Half an hour's drive up hill and down dale brought us to Maurickvillb Proper,

and wo here.made another halt. Several improvements wo noticed in this part, tho prinoipal of which was the recently-erected dairy factory. This institution commenced operations only pn Thursday last, and is ;thus hardly. completed.'' But a fair idea of the business which will be done, may be gleaned from the fact that' no less than. a ton and a half of milk is daily-put'through the oream separator and prepared for churning.; Everything is conducted in first-plass style, and with a marke and fair price for the butter manu factored, tl»industry «lwu]d bo a

successful and profitable one. -Our stay hero is also protracted, and we Wore soon again using the 'persuade*' 'and steaming ahead for that all important terminus of the railway,

Eketahuna, After a couple of hours' navigation, intermingled with experiences in ; someinstances anything butdesirable we cited the "golden gate," or rather;■•;•;.■; the Temperance Hotel, and made this our of .call. I Let line mention hi-re, however, that before we had properly "arrived w'elburJd ourselves in a pit, ifbiob.ifnot the bottomless oue, extended for some distance from the surface of the road, and it wbb only by the exercising of cool nerves aud a dexterity ' which we did not know before was in our possession, that we extricated ourselves from the perilous position iri which we were placed. Lookingaround us we observed at a glance improvements of a marked character. The main is being formed and metalled at a width of one chain, aH.. the happy residents are not only to be blessed with much needed footpaths, but they are going " the whole hog or none," and are having those footpaths neatly kerbed. Bush fires' • have been burning all around, but. have been extinguished by tbereceht rams. It is pleasing to observe that the community can support a medical gentleman, whom we learu, is a dispenser of medicines, and is open to undertake professional work of every description, from the eitraotion of a troublesome molar to •' tlie amputation of a limb, j even ' though the lata' be constructed of. wood. \We were given to understand that the man-in-blue,was, in the country in search of a lunatio'at large, and therefore we were'not. favored iwjtli' an; interview. The burning question-just how appeared • io_ be tlie forthcoming licensing elections, and it is said that nearly every, man in the district will be nominated for a seat on the lionch. Of course the contest is "Lemonade v. ballyhooly," but the result can only be a matter for speculation. A good deal of dissatisfaction was expressed here at the management of the mil way 8, or mismanagement rather, and there is no doubt but . that a little reform could he undertaken for the mutual benefit of all. Very littlo else of importance ,camo . across oar truck, and after. Spending , a night in sweet slumber, interrupted' ■'■'•■ only by the unearthly howls of some hungry dogs in the neighborhood, we prepared for the continuation of ourjouruoy to. PAUIAIOA. The rain descended in. torrents, but this did not stop our career, and we spent an exceedingly pleasant time en route to the " abod* of the Gods." Two hours' drive through the lonely woodß landed us at our destination, .aud; we quicklyjmade; ; arrangements for the refreshing of the inner man. This over, wo bad a tour round, and were struck immediately by the advance being made in this district generally. Everybody appeared satisfied,, even down,to the Town Board Clerk, and )vith}.tuß:.. importation of a little more capital this place Bhould be amongst the most flourishing in the colony. Two or three hours having, been spent in the town, we returned again to Eketiliuna, and having passed through a similar routine to that already described we reached our home haunts on Wednesday evening, satistied with the fact that in the F.orty-Mile Bush thoie remains a posperous future, with every induce., ment for settlement by men oi capital aiid colonial experience. .'....:•