NOTES BY A TRAVELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1277, 4 September 1880, Page 3

NOTES BY A TRAVELLER.

"What have we here ? A man-trap formed by the draining of a public thorougbfaie into a deep gully. Where is this man-trap? Around the eastern corner of the Cambridge lagoon, and quite adjacent to Hanson's paddock. The gully in question, a branch of the Karapira creek, is rapidly eating its way into the - publio road, and already a footpassenger, taking- the path by its edge, runs imminent risk of tumbling down, the nature of the ground concealing from view, the yawninsr precipice beneath. This place should be fenced off without delay, and steps should be taken to check further encroachment on tho road. That portion of the thoroughfare intervening between the two bridges at Cambridge occasions no little surprise in the minds of strangers. How so? For the simple reason that a small expenditure in fencing would render it safe for man and beast, whareaa at present there is here extreme peril for both. Terrible are the eddies and rocks in the river beneath. Faeilis de&ceitsm Avcrni. Very easy is the descent to the raging whirlpools. "Woe to the unhappy wight whose imprudent step consigns him to the rugged rock and whirling 1 flood ! The fencing of this road, a few chains only, I regard as a work of justice and mercy to the public at large. As the attention, spirited and intelligent, which your journal has paid to needful works and improvements has almost invariably been followed by happy results, so in the present instance it is to be hoped the Board or Boards interested will take in hand, the works indicated, and thus remove the danger of a public calamity. Have you ever seen Bridgewatcr ? If not you have lost a treat which you should endeavor to enjoy as soon as possible. In the first place, this is a gorge, and localities of" that ilk have always some striking feature. Here, a turret-like rock, lifting its rugged sides and barren summit from the centre of the narrow plain, is the most prominent object that meets the eye, and forcibly reminds one of some of those antique ruins to be found in mountain districts in the old world. Shrubs grow around its base ; higher up are crags grinning out with a threatening aspect ; aud higher still is the bare perpendicular rock; and all taken together form 3 an object of much attraction. It would eeem as if some terrific flood rushed down here at some remote period, sweeping all else away, but leaving this castle like an island, severed for ever from the neighboring hills. There it stands " all alone in its glory." There is a never-failing supply of soft stone in this gorge. It juts out in all directions from the hills, and can bo cut and shaped with a spade or an axp. But when exposed to the weather it becomes hard and firm and very durable. It is used by Mr Maclean, a portion of whose estate we are considering, for house-blocks and other purposes. The Karapira stream takes its rise up higher, and runs through Bridgowater. From this place, too, a road leads up the ranges to Whitehall, another station on the Fencourt estate, and thence round to Cambridge, via Mangakawa. From Cambiidge to Bridgewater, some six miles, most of the road is passable, some of it very good. But there is here a piece of road, nearly two miles, along the narrow valley, which almost baffles description in bad weather. The road from Kihikihi to Te Awamutu is very bad, but this is considerably worse. It is absolutely dangerous for wheeled traffic in many parts. The ascent to the Toatoaroa ranges is very steep, but firm. Up this way there are some nine or ten settlers, who must find it very trying to visit Cambridge in broken weather. They expect the Board to do something next summer iv the way of cutting the steep hills and improving the gorge road. And surely all of this is a work of urgent need, and would be at once an act of justice and a boon to the Upper Toatoaroa settlers. Tho road under description is that which leads from Cambridge to Matamata. On reaching the highest point of the dividing range, some 10 miles above Cambridge, I found the soil rich and warm, and the country wall sheltered ngainst the east winds "by a close fringe of bush running down the summits. The cottiers are well pleased with their s^le tions, and some of them have excellent bush, which they onveit into firewood and convey to a ready market at Cambridge in fine weather. Their houses too they have built of it, and a sawmill is an industry which is proposed to be et irted soon. This land was obtained a few years ago of Mr Buckland under the deferr d payment system. Some farms are worth now £8 per acre, though the highest p-ice paid for it was £2. All the land is not good, some is very broken, but the higher up one ascends, the better does he find the soil, for tfcrse real bush lands are reached. Along the right is the Gorton Estate, and on the left the settlers referred to. The pio-pcct frora this stand covers more than half tho Waikato plain, and the train can bo seen smoking on its way to Hamilton, or Ohaupo. The Gorton Station, nestling comfortably on a knell, and fingered round with pines and nth^r ornamental trees/ is the most conspicuous and homely object outside the gorge. A bluff like a man's eloow cuts off the greater portion of Cambridge ; but even so, there is sufficient of bush-clearedjr&.nge and smiling valley to make up a picture of wonderful interest to a stranger, and indeed to any one who loves the beautiful in naturr. Mooie's charming words, " The valley lay smiling before me" rushed at once to my memory, and my foul longed for tho scenes of my childhood, which seemed to be somewhat renewed from this stand-point.