A TRIP TO THE WEST COAST WITH CATTLE.

Waikato Times, Issue 3204, 7 January 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TRIP TO THE WEST COAST WITH CATTLE.

♦ [nY OXE OK T!IK TARTV']. As most Waikato residents aro aware, largo numbers of cattle are bcinir regularly purchased in this di'triof, and driven to various places on tho West Coast, ■vhcro a good demand exists for them, chiefly to stock the areas of new hush hinds that aro being sown down. Ilaviug lately helped to take ut mob through to Mokttu by a new road, perhaps a few notes of tho trip may interest your roadw. On the 23rd November we started from Obaupo with 251 head of cattle, principally young stock, mixed sexes, ami ranging from eighteen months f> two and it-half years old. At tho (-tart fliero were three drivers, including Mr C, Linuner, who was in charge, and in addition to our own horses wo had a pnck-hor j e, loaded with lent, cooking uteusik fond, etc. Our route lay up thronsrh Kihikihi, and at Moangura, a place near Otorobanga, we canned for tho first night. Hero thero was lots of feed for horses and cattle. At day-break wo were up, bad breakfast, and off again. From hero wo followed tho railway line nearly all day, camping again at Hangatiki, close to tho railway itition of that name, So far wo had a good driving road, but now, after going a few miles further, and beforo reaching To Kuiti, our road hranched off to the right, and headed due west, About here wo passed over, some good grazing country, rather hilly, but open limp-.-tOn,} land, and the grass looked well 1110112 the track. We camped for the night at n native settlement, named Wlintaroa, This was a fine spot, rich land, with hits of grass, and tho Maoris had somo lino crossbred sheep miming. The next day's journey brought ns to anothemiitKn settlement, named Mapua. The printiipil chief bore, Wntcre ICingi, has a large Hock of sheep, which soem to do well on the open lime-stone land. At Mapua wo obtained two moro drivers. These wore Maoris, who knew the road through tho bush, for none of the party hud hoc:) this way before, tho usual route for West Coast cattle being via Kawbia and along tho sea bench. Next day wo hcadoil about south-west, camping at a placo called Totara, where we again found good feed for the slock.. So far we had had no trouble will) our charges, owing to good feed along the road, and the country being open anil fair driving. But now we were coming into a different region. Our next stage was to the Awakino river, and beforo we saw the last of this stream we thought it was rightly named. We camped on the bank of the river the land being very poor, and no grass to speak of. The next day we crossed the Awakino and entered the 10 mile bush. Now nnr troubles began in earnest, tho road or rather track, through the dense forest, was narrow, muddy, and the crossings at the creeks very boggy; add to this a tangle of roots and supplejacks underfoot, and the reader may fairly picture tho road. To make matters worse no sooner had we fairly entered the bush than it commenced to rain heavily, wetting out tent and blankets. The track kept the bed of the valley and during the first day's travelling we had to cross the Awakino river three times. We passed seven days in that bush, it raining nearly always, and a more dvea'ry time men never put in, In many places,' the boughs of the trees met overhead so closely, as ■ to form a dense, dripping, canopy of leaves, with almost darkness underneath. The cattle managed very fairly for food, eating the boughs and leaves ns they passed aloug, but the poor horses had a bad time of it, and became very weak before we got out. Every night we put up the ten f . and crawled into it wet and cold, the Maoris sleeping outside in their overcoats. However, we couldn't have had ut better leader than Mr Limmer, for no matter what the difficulties were, he made light of them, and, of course, we did the same. Before getting out of the bush we met a party of Messrs Bayly and Elliott's meu, who were cutting a track to meet ns. After this the cattle moved on a little faster, but the track was terribly muddy and it was slow work, altogether we crossed the Awakino teu times. After leaving the valley the road wound up a mountain called Tamaili Maiiu This proved a hard climb for the tired and jaded horses, and, unfortunately mine, n useful animal slipped when near tho top, and after rolling down the slope about a chain, finally broke his neck. The other horses were knocked up but managed to reach the top, and here we camped for the night, On mustering next morning wo were eight head of cattle short; whether they had followed my poor horse over tho precipice, or just strayed away we never knew, but they wore gone, and we had to push on, Shortly after leaving hero, ono of tho Maori horses knocked up, and had to be left at a surveyor's camp we fell in with. The (first European cultivation we came to after ascending tho ranges was that of Mr McCutcheon (a name that I have heard before). This settlor is clearing a lot of bush land which appears to be of lino quality, as, indeed, all tho forest land is about hero, Tho next day wo reached Whitman's where thocleared bush bind was covered with splendid grass, The cattle and liorsoa did well hero, and wo left them for the night with the manager, Mr •Mellar's, and pushed on to Bayly's, a few miles further on, and near the beach. The next day wo brought tho cattle down to Bayly's and drafted them. After 10 days' travel, they had reached thoir destination, and I, at all events, was not sorry for it, In fact, I think wo were all glad to see the open beach, and boundless sea, after our expsriencos in tho bush. Messrs Bayly's and Elliott's property, Te Oio, is situated about four miles north of Mokau, and extends along tho beach, the land was formerly covered with heavy bush, and tho luxuriant grass and white clover now growing on it, shows what the quality is, There can bo no question whatever as to the excellence of tho limestone land all along this coiibl, Once get tho bush off and it will grow anything. The outlet for this distriet is at Wnifcnm, where all classes of stock can bo disposed of. Thero are, of course, more settlers, Messrs Newsham and others, who havo largo holdings, and are fast bringing the bush down, but even r brief visit was sufficient to show that tliero was ample room for hundreds, aye, thousands of settlers along the const and inlnnd a hit. If the export of fat stock from the colony continues, and everything points to its doing so, then nil the young stock, and stores that tho Waikato or Auckland can produce for years to como, will bo wanted down this way. After seeing smh wonderfully fertile soil I can only wonder at young fellows settling down in tho North ern districts upon lands which require manuring from the very start, HOMEWARD IIOIJND. After a few days' rest, we started for home; this time along the beach, intending to cross at Kawhia. Having lost my horse, I had to walk it, the saddle being packed upon one of the other horses. The first night we camped on the beach, making ourselves as comfortable as possible, but we had no tent or pack-horse now; fortunately the weather was fine. Next day after going a few miles, Mr Limmer's horse completely knocked up, and we left it behind on a nico grassy patch near the beach. Now the three saddles had to be packed on the one horse, and we all footed it. In this way we reached a native settlement called Mitiwai, where the Maoris treated us very kindly and next morning gave us horses to reach home with. That evening (Saturday) we got to the Southern shores of Kawhia Harbour, but the weather had set in bad ami the natives would not come over for ns. We found a deserted whare, and here we camped until Monday morning, living in the meantime on some potatoes and pork, We missed the packhorse now, for we had not counted ou this delay. However, on Monday morning the Maoris came over, and speedily crossing we wcro soon en route for Waikato, In riding through the Ruapuke I district, I noticed that the farms along

the road looked well, Messrs Proctor's, Tlrcgman's, anil "Joe" Galvan'a proparties were well grassed and stocked with cattle, lint very few sheep-in fact, we saw few sheep anywhere in the Raglan district, cattle being the chief stock We reached Waipa the same evening, pretty well tirod out with constant travelling in a rou»h countr) and quite ready to enjoy our Christmas holidays.