THE KING COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 119, 20 May 1892, Page 4

THE KING COUNTRY.

— . T , ; , EUROPEAN OUTPOST OF " .^CIVILISATION, sj^-^^v In connection with Tawhiao's recent acceptance of a pension, bhe following description of Otorohanga, in . bhe King Country, will be read with interest :— Otorohanga is 115 miles from Auckland by rail. You can geb there once a week regularly by bhe payment of 16s and traveling patiently for seven hours, from 9.30 on f*° nday morning till 4.30 in the afternoon." , Faith is the substance of things hoped tor." The train roburna from Otorohanga ab '•30 on the following (Tuesday)morning, thus allowing tourists and business men ample opportunity for transacting their pleasure or their business—during the intervening night—"positively one nighb only!" If the train lefb Auckland on Saturday morning returning from Otorahanga on Monday, Aucklanders and settlers along the line would havo an opportunity of paying an occasional visit to the far-famed Waitomo Caves, only 12 miles from Otorohanga, and other objects of interest, bub then sightseeing on a Sunday outside of Auckland Harbour musb nob bo encouraged ou any account.

Somo £1,100 was spent by Government on the road between Hangabika and bhe Caves, and bhis is how traffic on ib is encouraged. Oh, Vaile, hear us ! Otorohanga has three stores, ono coldwater pub, one sawmill, ono blacksmith's shop, two constables (one European, one native), one native school, under the efficient management of Captain and Mrs Morton, a population of aboub 50 Europeans and 300 Maoris and halfcasbes, one Court-house, one billiard-room, a_ racecourse, and no church. A service is occasionally held by itinerant ministers in the billiard-room, an isolated building owned by Mr Hety, the proprietor of the hotels and placed by thab gentleman at the disposal of tho preacher freo of charge, lb was rumoured bhab bhe last gentleman who held forth in the billiardroom had his utterance., painfully distorted by the unconscious influence of his surroundings, and said, " Let u3 play," instead of the usual orthodox petition"; bub the story lacks confirmation.

THE SCENERY OP OTOROHANGA is- not strikingly beautiful. The country has a plain lace, but when lib up by a bright sun and a bright sky, a'decidedly pleasing one. On such occasions, as has been said of more than one part of New Zoaland, mere existence in the King Country is a luxury. Ib wants settlement, however, to increase its charms, not the settlement of mere sheep-walks, but settlement where there shall bo homes, if nob wealth, for honest labour. Tho railway runs north and south through tho township, parallel with the principal street, where tho three stores referred to "grow together side by sido" in love and harmony. To the west is a low range of hills, some threo or four miles off, and be-tween-these and the township tho principal Maori kainr/as are situated, while beyond these hills and more to the north-west the Hauturu ranges form a prominent object in the landscape. Looking to tho easb and south-east, a long fringe of kahikatea bush, a mile or two from tlio township, relieves the dull monotony of furze or fern-clad hills, while in the distance are seen mountain ranges, sometimes of an intensely blue colour, forming a pleasing backgound to an interesting picture. Otorohanga occupies a flat piece of ground on the banks of tho Waipa, having, like mosb New Zealand rivers, a serpentine course. Indeed, as you look at it from the hills, on its various windings and wanderings to and fro, you can imagine that having arranged to meeb its neighbour, the Waikato, ab Ngaruawahia, some forby miles further north, tho river in its haste to keep its appointment is always in doubb which way to go. If the curve is the line of bea_ityj> then the beauty of the Waipa's course has strong claims to recognition.

The land aboub Otorohanga is, like the land and people of mosb places, good, bad and indifferent, tho good of course predominating. On the best of ib, however, the curse on Adam has fallen with startling severity. "Thorns and thistles shall it bring forbh to 'thee.'" The thistle, 'tis true, has not yot como. to the birth in largo quantity, but the1 furze is everywhere except on the railway and the river. You are taking your walks abroad perhaps at night along some narrow track, and your thoughts are up amongst tho stars, when you take a false sbop to right or left, bub never more than one, for you suddenly experience a painful sensation extending from the ankles to the eyes to remind you of the error of your ways. Tho giant furze has dono its duty, and you recover your lost position wibh the quickness of an automaton. ../.. THE TEMPLE OF JUSTICE '&< occupies an isolated and prominent position on a slight eminence in the west end of Otorohanga, close to the racecourse. The style of architecture is decidedly simple, modern Maori; froni the distance the building amidst its wild surroundings suggesting the image of tho ark resting on Ararat. This plainness of exterior is in ill accord with tho intricacies and complexibies of law. However, ib is a capacious building, and in it the Native Land Courb holds ib 3 sittings, presided over by Judge Gudgeon, who in his dealings with Maori litigants, requires not only the patience of Job, bub bhe wisdom of Solomon. Why tho gallant Major's military instincts do nob sometimes tempt him to ignore his judicial functions and clear bhe Court, is surprising. With Judge Gudgeon is associated Wi Pirimi, Native Assessor, vyhose suavity of manner and dignity of demeanour woulddocredib to a Chief Justice, while Captain Perceval as Secretary, and Mr Johnson as Governmenb ihferprefer, are an fait in their several departments. " There i 3 one other officer who musb nob bo overhpoked, the native constable, Hoponi, as no man who dons Her. Majesty's uniform ab Home or abroad does ib more credit, not excoptinrr his worthy European conjrere Constable Gordon. With Hoponi duty is firsb, everything else nowhere. Of course the call of duby does not often sound for Hoponi, bub when it does, "Holy Moses," as ho is sometimes called, is " there," or somowhoro in the vicinity! Long may he live to add his quota to tho dignity and defence of thab greab empire upon which bhe sun never sets ! It is a proverb in Otorohanga thab when bhe Court's away things are dull ; and not with more cagerness^oes ice-bound navigator in the Arctic climes await bhe return of the sun to dispense his blessings of light and heat, than does the Otorohanga storekeeper sigh for the return of the Courb.

THE NATIVES AND THEIR WAYS.

The natives of the King Country, like the nabivos of most countries, savage or civilised, relieved from tho necessity of continuous labour —by tho fewness of choir want 3or the abundance of their.supplieslove to sit and prefer to lie. They culbivabe sufficient wheat, oats, maize, potatoes, and tobacco to satisfy their daily need, and then with them literally "the morrow taketh thoughb for the things of itself." Indeed, thoy ridicule tho intense earnestness, tho feverish anxiety and unrest, tho BOi-ietimos bitter spirit of competition and rivalry, the grudgings and the graspings of their pakeha neighbours, who in this way live miserably thab tbey may at last die " comfortable." Thus it will be seen that the Maori is a born philosopher. He is a cultivated ono as well, as he thinks a lot, and, as a mabter of course, smokes a lot to help tho thinking, or to engender now thoughts. Unfortunately the thoughts, like "the amoke, ascend heavenward, and

earth ia unblest by the increased mental activities or new mental creations. With rare exceptions every Maori man, woman and child smokes, tho child often beginning ab four, and, should his or her days bo long in the land, continuing till four score. Nor has the parent bhe inconsistency of his pakeha neighbour, who smokes himself, and flogs his" child for following the parental example. Even bhe Maori mother puts the pipe between bhe lips of the dusky darling, —'"Smoke, image of thy sire, smoke my boy," " Thab's a dear ! God bless its little heart and lungs for its mother thia day." The Maori maidens, too, pull and puff with thevigourof aßaldwin locomotive, and as thoy sib ab dewy evo on bhe banks of thoir own Guadalquiver wrapped in Kaiapoi blankets and tobacco smoke, " the sons of God " might not consider these " daughters of men " fair, bub they would bo forced bo admit bhat they looked indifforenb to their addresses and decidedly comfortable to boot. Where this smoke .nuisance _ will end, heaven only knows, and heaven is interested, tor ib'all ascends. _ One thing, however, in favour of the King Country natives, they aro a sober race, and long may the opportunities for getting drunk which an enlightened civilisation is always ready to supply be kept oub of bheir reach. THE CHIEF WAHANUI. The mosb consnicuous figure in bhe Maori lifo of Otorohanga is decidodly Wahanui. Ho lives beyond bho river in a house erected for him by Government, a neab verandahed one-storied cottage fenced in and commanding a good view and from its windows the old chiof may see, nob withoub a sigh, by tho ovor increasing encroachmenb of his pakeha neighbour, thab the old order changoth, that tho strangor is within his gates. Nor doos ho : affect reconciliation with tho new order ; rather tho reverso ; he loves to strut up and down bho sbreot or store ejaculating in forcible if nob idiomatic Eugli.h, "1 kill tho. law, yes, I kill tho law." If tho old gontloman directed his attention to tho lawyers firsb, perhaps tho na^vo difficulty would nob bo increased thereby. Nor can you wonder at the brave old Ngatimaniopoto's \ antipathy. He still carries about with him tho marks of moro than one sanguinary conflict in dei'enco of hearth and home. Ab Orakau he was woundod in tho leg by thab mosb effective,., next to the Bible, of civilising agonts, a British bullet. But it is as an orator thab Wahanui shines. At tho last meeting with Mr Cadman, I had an opportunity of hearing him. Aa ho rose with an air of diffidence, yeb conscious of his power, his portly person, gentlemanly demeanour, handsome, close-shaven, tatooed face, surmounted with a thick thatch oi whito hair, of which any head might reasonably bo proud, his very presenco was an appeal. A3 he proceeded, ho looked round amongsb his auditory for signs of sympathy and support, asked them if what ho was saying was right, and as a chorus ot " Ka tika" "("That is right") resounded through the building in response, the orator warmed to his work, the deepened colour mantlod on his dusky chock, his eyes flashed, his white head 03cillatod from rijcht to left, hi. words como faster, respiration became deeper, tlio whole frame seemed agitated by strong omotioti, and then with a deep-drawn "na" the orator resumed his seat—Wahanui had spoken. .

I had almost forgotten to mention thab at Otorohanga resides Mr G. T. Wilkinson, nativo land purchase agent, who by his tact, suavity of manner and knowlod^o of Maori affairs does so much to foster a spirit of friendliness between the two races. - . W.