Correspondence.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 727, 13 February 1877, Page 3

Correspondence.

t, IS" OnfCopvfispondence columns bjeuig.impmtiaiUf open io alLmatters of public interest, tee cannot- tie .identified, with the. opinions therein .expressed. INTRODUCTION OF -FALLOW ; Sir ( — Absent eo-onistS' have frequently -b> nefiited « tbeir adopted country by i inti od\iuing animals, birds, and, plants of more or less use aod beauty. Tie most rtceot instance of this ia the shipment to this colony, by Mr D*L Murdoch, < f ;31 fallow "deer. -Of this numtur, 2S arrived in the Thurland Castle, out the ; Bth inst. . So remarkable a success is nmioly <'ue to the- captain, and to Mr • George Walton, under whose- charge „ an' mala vrure placed. It.- U plea; ant «to «■ find, tbe «ffdits^)f colonists gent rally supt ported by.the nob iemea. arid genXl; men of England,. 'By the w.y, a pretty story is v t -Id of the grandfather of the Marquis of i Ex'eter, ;from wlose.-sear, at Biirghley t Park,- the detr were- oJ.tniued. 'J.his XiObltmau, inspired by' an odd fancy, travelled indoor throngh England, asan > aitist. Late tue e-veaing, he arritved at . a Hhepherd's hoase, seeking fond and t shelter, Thv rune hospitality dispensed ly tbe hands of the shephiri'd fair daughter was so agreeable to the uhknow n etranger, that, though a bright morning followed the stormy uight,';. he prolonged •„ his stay, sketching bits of scenery beie Mid tLere. Mtantime ; Ihe beauty and simplicity of the fair sheplicid>Sß won his i; .heart, and at the end of a month!' be atked the abepherd for his daughter, and Bbortly aftt-r wards -she became tbe March iomsa of hxejer, being one of the V h&pdsi mest women of her time. p*ay - pardon for the introduction of this bit, of j-true lomance into your column?, which ■ daily record i be hopes and adventures if the busy i traders and spt culatiot s of this 5 practical age (so c&iieti). Thu Auckland acclimatization Sooiety, to whom -tbe <d<er were consigned, entrused their lauding and location to Mr Thnuuas '. JVlorrin and royt-elf. - t-'ome acooun't of this rather difficult, operation may nob be r without ititercst to your leaders. If you 1 think so, prey insnt tlia Utter, if not, , pkaio cinsign it to your waste-pa^ ei . basket. We engaged Captain .Cast. y'u 5 steamer Gemini to affect, the landing, which viasisuccessfully acooiupHshedthe • evonipg theihip arrived, with the. aid of }. Mi Peicivalaud ptb«rs. Eighteen of the , pt-uswt re- stowed in waggons by .Mr « Olatk'e, of ,'the iEiailway Department, ie.idy for cue morning train to Waikato Ten deer weie sent up <tothe Society's , gardens, to .be transmitted to Wanganui. Tbe Hob < Dr. Pollen and Mr Stewart, • District piaced eyery facility at 4- our disposal, and by 11 o'clock a.m. next ■.> diiy 5 we. had placed our trarelling com' paitictrip- vn the river steamer Bluenose. '. The floiid*d state of the river v lua dwlir progress slow, and the stead yi iairiWpch» r fell all day did not render it a l^reittiant trip. About midnight we » entered' the'' Narrows,' above Hamilton, a ti e inky, darkness of the , night, aird' the ■rapid enwent of the flooded river making the navigation of t-hese ' Narrows ' no easy matter. "Captain Spargo, .whose .coolness and skill I could not but- admire, , iiow lit his lamps,, in tie shape of two ! large braziers, one pointing from' each, , bide of the deck .forward of tbe padcjlei I exes. Just before, entering the • Narrows,'the fires in 'the brazers were in full blaze, two sailors constantly feeding them wiih- wood, and gas-ta.r. By this iiieans, notwithstanding the darkm.ss, , and the surging current, the steamer .was ' kept in mid-stream, and slowly forged ahead, like .some grim monster, with fiery • eyes, fighting against the black rushing »iver. As /she dashed water from her bows, the liquid fire illumined the surging spray, and, as>we passed a ''waterfall fringed wiih shining foliage it'Bparkled ifor an instant with rare and glittering beauty. At length, we reached the, jaw •of the • Narrows/ Under a full head ol . eteam, the boat groaned on her waj through the settbing waters. Thudthud ! wentber engines, loader and loudei i roared tbe steam, drivingfrom the f unne a fountain of sparks. Sheets of 'fl»m< danced from the braziers, threatening -every momeut to set fire to tbe paddle bozos. Had a link or ?a bearing. givei way, it would have been awkward foi tbe deer. length we emerged fron 'Natrows,' and^hough the sensaiioi was new, and the surroundings weir< .and grand, we. were not sorry, to get inti less turbulent wateis. (The Waikat settlers will, doubtless, remember wit] platitude tho handsome conduct of th Waikato ;S.N. Company and .thei Manager, Mr ticherff, in so ably assistin iin the conveyance of these animals. A J3 o'clock a.m. we arrived at the Care ,b idge Wharf, and tumblir.g into bed,, a the National, wesnatoled a >f«w houi .s^ep, to »et ready for the hard work < the coming day. We bad decided i aplace the largtr number of .the defer on W JCuwntbn.'s -Estate, .in the Maungaka^

M( untain*, and T had telegraphed to m; friend, Mr Robert Kirkwood,; to ask th Cambridge settler* to he*p us to or n v^ the deer to their destination. 'Onion? Lyon kindly sent r»two waggrns, ■•will hows and men c*f the A/C. At a?': morn, the settle's mnatered with thei ho- pei, wapgnnu and siedpe an'l'it wonln i dfed, hoiiard to find » finer hoflv« English Taf men than th< se hardy W»i kflto colonists, who ( h ad so promptly rp Rpon<led to our call for help. With Mifc endh men a* Henrv Reynnrrfs Hicks. S'orfy, Williams, Tt'nU'eoennv John JRunoiroan. Snr-ales, Richard IW nnlds, Mnrtyn, Clarke and others. Mi "Morrinand f could not'hnve nccomp'lHiec the fTttremply diffimlt; task bf tansport'ing the deer up a preoepitous range 100C feet.'h ; gh, with fhe clay tracks ns slipnerj as soap 'from.the heavy rains of the previous dnv. We were also fortunate in 'fihding "Mr James Maf-k'y. »nrl a Wgt nnniVrof Maoris at OattJb idge. Thev were very inquisitive about the haVits o) the deer, and -made many • curious conjeclurpß -regarding them. *W ; nnMt-e sail ''If is all right, ." Hohaia'(Mr FirMi) is always brineinf us som« rew fish or \nvV "Ah*," said another, wntchiner-a deer chpwing hia cud, "there ia one of them grinding his teelh, I helipve this new-animalia. a man eater broxisht hero to 'destroy theMnories." Mr Ma^kny who wa9 standing near Haid J< not at all. these animals eat grrrss and'herns, and if they dM eat men, they, might catn 1 * a -stray ••pa'keha as well as a Mnori." The Maori gentlemnn rejoiued by asking, a rather pertinent 'question 4 ;" are the?e nriimals fit.' "for food?" Mr Mackay replied "yes, very good eatin*?,' our -riingijiras (noble-, men) preserve them in lar"j(e r fi i nced hu'lti-: • ; vation9 of grass 'and tr°ee"." ''" Wow" said' 'iboriginal, ' r I do 't- believe that' thia. animal"'pointing to the' bn&k '^tastes like a^cprnmon *Bhe9pi/I think he reßeinbUs •' te nani-nani to a Koroheke " an' oil billy goat) Mffckay lauelierl -and 'said, ' A ebme and help ns to get t Hem' to Vf aun- \ gakawa." 'Intelligprit native-again. made' a« characteristic ; -antiwar by aSkirie the question. "Heaka te utn ma Hohaia me tenei mahi" Whnfc aom vt~A\ Mr Fitth give in pnymenffor this-service'" M"r "Mackay replied, " Captain Cook anded pigs in New-Zealand, and you have good sport and food from them There ►was no utu •{payment)" for that, and tliere can"bc none for thte. 'Now then, let us go and paddle this new canoe and "help '■Hohaia.' At this about a ccore started ' •on horseback. Part of the -consignment -was BPnt to Mntamatain the Thames vliliey..' : Tn' the menntimn-nndor the able minage>. ment 6f Mr T'Mornn, the waggons had been loaded, wit h thYir live freight in pens'and the Ctrvilcade accompanied by mounted settlers- and natives, started , Tor •tha foot of therange. Arrived there, the waggons were unloaded, and "the deer in their bpxesrW;To ; firnTly;le<»hecl on pledgos, each drawn by a pair of. Btaunnh and strong horses. Now came the tug of war. We had -to climb »he'at.eepe?t and greas-' iest road in the country, -arid nothing but the admirab'e position of the upland. • valley* of the :Manu2aka\va,*with i's aburidgrass, •sparkling •■streims, wooded hills' and dells, -would have warranted such a difficult task te ng undertaken as placing them there. "As each sledge was loaded, Mr Miickay told oif a convoy of four" Maoris to accompany it. Three or ffmr set'tlors^followe'l in case 6f accident, and o one by oWe the sledges started. With' steady dffjrts arid desperate struggles amidst terrific thunderttorms ateoded by •torrents of rain, though the wind.'througlv the rain, through the light nin*. these siurdy^fcllowß fought, their <way, -and at la9t' were rewarded by placing the deer onthe charming parkOike valley of Manuga-i/ kawa«without an ac ident'pf any kind.— I am. Ac,' J C Firth. - ■ Hamilton, Feb! I2ih, 1877. „- - - -■ : ' '- • ■ ■;. ,; ■'". V Our fellow-settlers will soon be visiti^r A'uckland and we advise • tliem, -beTGre making any purchases, to walk' into the City Hall Aroade. This is an establishe nent connected after the' London styleBj buyin'g "thwe you can prociire all you require in the way of Clothing and Furniture. . The goods are carefully packed and despatched wiiiiout trouble to the purchaser. 'We see there the greatest display of goods in Auokland.i Furniture for the Drftwing,:.Dining, Bedroom, and Kitchen ; (.'arpets, in immense vaiiety, from 8d to,7s}6d \3er^yard-; Floor Cloths, all widths.; Bedding of every description, -and "UphoUtery -work. HollowAy btnl Garlick have secured theservice s of Mr R Cranwell-to superintend the luruishing departmisnt,and his 'long experience is a guarantee for good work. A nicelv-assorted stock of Men's and Boys' Clothing, the latest fashions .in' Drapery and Millinery Goods, ißftbyl; Ware and fUnderclothiDg. The proprie- ■ tors sell at low prices to command a Cash T»at>b.' G-o to Hollo way and GarlL-kV City Hall Drapery aisd .«Furni-. ture Arcatde '(show rooms' l66 feet long), Queen-street, Auckland.— [Ad vy.] The vJCotta&b ov Content Hotel, "Victoria and Hobson Streets, Aubkland, W. B. LANGBRID&E, Proprietor, having been Bhlai'ged • and 'Improved, 'affordsunequalled Accom nodation, and -twill be: found a Really, Well-appointed, First..class Hotel.-^[ABVT."] .%/ " :