TE AROHA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1370, 12 April 1881, Page 3

TE AROHA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

In spite of the certainty that the world is to end in a few months more, men seem to think a good deal still of their interests in this mortal sphere, and in Te Aroha amongst other dabased and wicked places, they still go on heart and soul trying to " strike ile." There dose'ut seem any lack of business here, judging from the advent o* a steamer nearly every day poking its busy nose about our little winding Waihou. Og Friday we had the Rirokiro, on Saturday morning the Bonaventura and the Fairy, and yesterday the Patiki, the new boat built tor the Thames Navigation Company expressly for the "Waihou trade, paid us her first visit. She is a pretty little iron paddle boat built by Messrs Prioe Bros., of the Thames, of 70 feet in length by 16 feet beam, and has accommodation for 175 passengers. Her engineg, of 20 horse power, are of Englibh make, and being discounected she can turn in her own lenght, a very decided advantage in threading the mazy twists and turns of New Zealand rivers amidst snags and shoals. She is flat-bottomed, and with 30 tons of cargo on board draws only 2 feet 7 inches aft and 1 foot 10 inches forward. The saloon cabin measuring 21 feet by 16, is prettily fitted and very comfortably arranged. She started on her first trip to Te Aroha with 40 passengers on board and a heavy cargo, under the charge of Captain Moore, from the Thames at 12 o'clock on Saturday. Unfortunately, she got on to a sand bank within a short distance of Te Aroha, and as she was heavily loaded, and after her time, it was decided that it would be best to accept the inevitable, and allow her to remain on her sand bank till morning, so the saloon was given up to the ladies, and gentlemen made themselves sweetly happy on deck. About 10 o'clock, having landed twenty of her passengers at the lower landing, she glided up to Te Aroha with the remaining score or bo. Among the passengers were Messrs Renshaw, Hogg, Hume, and Reed, directors of the company, and a number of ladiea. She is a creditable specimen of Messrs Price Brothers' powers of shipbuilding for the river traffic, and the cost at which she has been turned out, namely, £2400, ; is one to tempt others to promote the river navigation of these parts. A luncheon will be laid on board the Putike for the guests of the directors, at noon today, to celebrate this, the first of her | future tri-weekly visits to the Waihou goldfields. The Rev. William Calder, of Hamilton, paid us a visit to perform service yesterday morning. This gentleman's vigorous j exertions, in performing his duties, deserve more praise than those of some of the feeble-minded and narrowchested drawling shepherds who go through the dreary Church Service in some polite communities. J On Saturday a party of the managers of the Shotover brought in a splendid prospect from that claim, which proves tli at a very large return will be yielded by the bulk. The Count also, the claim above the Shotover, has struck a fresh reef, from which great expectations are entertained. — April llth.