A TRIP THROUGH THE PATETERE COUNTRY. [BY OUR OWN REPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1564, 13 July 1882, Page 4

A TRIP THROUGH THE PATETERE COUNTRY. [BY OUR OWN REPORTER.]

Tiik (lUQßtion of .settling Zealand £arfciculpy t Eh 6'se i parts 'of ili Kvllldh hhvtf notasmHijih'fh^oiightAVifchhi the liihib Of civilialtloif^sb'-to spcaU,' J aurt>'wh'i<ilr offer evcixfacjHty. .in the way of natural *dvant.agg& It)inas 1 t)i nas 'become tho foremost question of" "the^day^, 7 JSov, , j>omu , tune past iinnrigratioV'to this colony has been at a standstill, \vliilejCaijailjh tjhe r United States, and other ■ pMsW WMirinor importance, seem to attract the unbroken stream of eprigrfctiohJ which/ ha&.lsetj /in from the Home country, w.rftits proportionate amount of capital. _How, therefore, it may be asked,.is it tot New .Zealand, notwitlMMliig M°man^ attractions, including the salubrity of its climate £&ltli«>VAldabie naturd 61 its soil, fails ttfftttWactftoot'bttehtioJK' of English agriculttMU' l| capUalists now seeking a more -jprdfitliblty- inntastment for their decreaWife tjapftaii? l Clearly the -fault is' all our-awvnf"]l!)dil apathy' aiiil>manifest indifference in this important matter has becjtr.tfie .gausttl [While Canada aud, tho StfetfiS.ojffwc eyery inducement to iutendingjDnligrants, while they assist; them and fttttttofc .their r attention (l in » every possibl&tit&mi.er.iby • supplying informal tion, bynpMtly providing them, with the mcansliiioi effect the transfer of their jjomesjflbu'iby, offering them every facility to become their own .landlords, we lean on our, .oars audiwish for w.hafc we do not ' endeavour ito obtain* The free emigration system of .the pastidid not secure the end whicli!Was intended, for instead of bringing to. the colony a useful agricultural population, anproiiiibcuous 'lot of people, unlikely to forward either their own or the colony's welfare to any material extent,; 1 was . thrown upon our labour markefiJ iThe waste lands of New Zea ; land aro still, extensive, and though large areas of e&ccllcnjb , cultivable Jaud have _ passedjiuto the hands of private speculators, still the fact cannot, be ignored that it is better they should.be thus taken possession of than be allowed to remain in the hands >of the aboriginals. From past expedience in securing land from the natives, it has been clearly demonstrated that private speculation is almost ' an i indispensable condition of successful settlement, and instead dflbeing a bar,' H gives' an impetus to, and is gcncially a ioierunncr of settlement. Especially has this been the case with Patetere. : Had it not been for the intervention of private speculation, this beausiul piece of country would not for many years.to come, have been availfor settlement. Acting on instructions to visit this country, in order that I might be able to form an opinion for myself, and endeavour, if possible,' 7 to give 'yom readers an }dea of the Patetere lands, I arranged , with a friend, whoso knowledge of the country 'is more perfect than my own, and we proceeded on a tvip/iftt.o jbhe/iutorior. Stai ting ftom Cambridge about se\cn o'clock in the morning* with the road and weather not altogether of the pleasantcst, we enter upon a journey through a country in the possession of Europeans for some considerable time. For many miles along tho louto the land on both bides the load js alnjost eutiioly in the hands of two patties. The road passes along the castein side of the Waikato River, through the property of the Auckland* Agricultuial Association for about four miles, and then enters upon the Gorton estate, of about 8000 acres, present in the 'occupation of Mr E. If. D. Kergusson. Jailing from tho Gorton estate, the southern end of Mr J. C. Filth's Matamata estate i-> pa&icd tluough, and a few minutes ride brings us again within the tcuitory of the Auckland Agricultuial Association. Taking tho old road to the lett, over the liils, the new Hue being anything' but pleasant travelling, oH'ciing more facility for sailing over than nding along, we pass on over left an estate ot about 8000 acres, which has lately passed into the hands of Messrs Hume aud Mouin. The country appeal & somewhat rugged, consisting mainly of hills and gullies, but as the feoil is good, the suif.ice .sown grass is thick enough to afford grazing for the numerous herds oi cattlo fattening at leisure. The road then leads us through the Paeroa estate, which lias been laid down in grass, and is illicitly studded with cattle. Poshing along the kink of the Waikato i iu-r neai the junction of tho Waotu Kodd the tt.n filer cannot but ■wonder at tlio foim.ition of the \allej through which lie ud. >. Imleed, foi seveial miles tlic .^ccmiy ib giandlj pietiuesjque, the western bank ot the aiver, consisting of an unbroken line of evenly formed tci races, using in grad.itions from tlic river to the b.ise of the majestic hill ot M.um^.it.uitaii. tu examining a locality like tlii.s, and iiuding the hills and \.illcjs, ami oilier accidents of the soil in the \ciy spot ,uid condition in which history and tiadition may desciibc them, tlie tr.m lieu- cannot but observe that a serious change has at some time occurred to disluib tho suifaco of tlic country tlnou^li winch he passes. It is evid' lit that our country )t,\t »ot ;il \v i\ 4 presented its present aspect ot stability, but that it lias had its inuvulsions, and its physical l evolution"', accounts of which have ncvei found (.heir ay.iv into print. Appaiently a \iu</y Held exists in this distiict for tho oji'-iations ot the geologist. "Wiitci-couiie-j long since dischaigcd from sen ice extend across the entiic country, and I l i car it is within the memory of men now living, when one of the ex-tensive w.it"i -com.ses which now pass through thi-. district, wa.s a deep tributary of the "W.uhou liver, and is fttill known to the natives by that name. But is not for mo here to treat the aqueous, igneous, ai d atmospheric causes which have boon continually modifying the external foi m of the earth. I must confine myself to ib present condition, and leave natiu.ilists and geologists to supply the lost. The ]\ieroa station is appioachcd fioi» the Waotu road by a cutting in tho lull which was formed in a moot uno\|>octcd and convenient 'manner. A liUlo stream was ■wont to trickle its iiiei)> course through a small outlet in the fa< c of the hill, but the-Jlood which \ Kited those parts a few years ago. and did so much damage, developed the stream into ii torrent, and the water, coming <lot\n thicker than usua^i" and with violent -force, washed thrdugh the sandy foi nation, and in the "moi'ning.itissaid, a uitl ilg about eighty •" feetfdeep had -been m.ivlc in a suitable 1 loettfity, and w hich cm since has done good (service asaro.nl. I would lccomlnolld aU'equoslriaus (uilh the leave of the proprietor) travelling between Cambridge and Oxford to take the road through: the 1 Paeroa station. It is not the longer, and is inexpi essibly better than the straight, road, dining the present condition of the' latter;"- 1 To "prevent wheeled traffic on ttosmad^Mr Maclean has taken tho precaiititKUolthrow an unopeuable gate over it, but' by lumping Qtm horses over, an Unpleasantly wide creek, we were 'able 'to pbceed on bur journey ''without having to turn back. Taking.thß native road, to the right we continued oh' through the estate ■of the' Auckland Agricultural Association to the tIH MWfiich'iyM} b'oundai^df ;the ? Patatcro htifc&v* fifdving passed ' through a someyvJjat scattered native set- ; tlamcnt from- tlie 'wHatefe of I which we , woce ) 4iccc«te i df'with tliOrßSual,' Ifyfiifaty-