THE EAST COAST.

Press, Volume X, Issue 1188, 28 August 1866, Page 3

THE EAST COAST.

The following sketches on the East Coast are from the correspondent of the " Independent," of the 21st instant : — I take it to be the duty of him who has travelled to assist, as far as lies in his power, those who may journey after him on the same road; and acting on this principle, I cannot do better than finish the few slight sketches I have written by a brief description of the country and road between East Cape and Turanga. Well, suppose we are starting from Waiapu, the first day's ride takes us along the beach by Te Awanui (already described) and on by Reporua to Tuparoa, a distance altogether from Te Hatepe of about thirteen horseman's miles. The first mile from Awanui along the beach is rocky, and somewhat dangerous for horses; afterwards it improves, and is hard and good to Reporua, which is an extremely pretty little valley, with a few Natives and a couple of halfcaste traders living there. Leaving this,the track goes over the hills, pretty high ones too, and descends on to the beach, within half a mile of Tuparoa. The situation of this place is pretty enough, but of itself it is anything but lively, excepting in the matter of fleas. A sand hill, covered with raupo whares, drift wood fences, ngaio trees, and surmounted by a large bell, hung on a little wooden frame in front of the only decent house in the place (Raniera's), describes all that need be said of Tuparoa. Feed for the horses was very scarce as our party were on our way, and we had entertained hopes of obtaining some here, but lo ! none was to be had, until a disreputable looking old woman produced about seven cobs, and wanted a shilling. Was there no more we asked, "not a grain;" so the shiiling was paid. Presently she reappeared, with about a saucer full, rattling ostentatiously in a tin dish—she had just bo much left. Another shilling was the result. By carefully dividing her attentions amongst us, she artfully contrived to raise 5s or 6s out of as much grain as would barely have sufficed for one legitimate feed for the smallest horse belonging to the party. Before we compared notes, aud thus discovered her nefarious practices, this ancient gentlewoman made herself scarce, and thus escaped our wrath. Prom Tuparoa, the road runs through the hills, and down the Whaupanga valley, about five miles to the beach, and seven miles along it to Waiapiro, where a trader named Lewis has a neat little house. Half-a-mile further on is the Waikawa creek, where so much of the ore (of which I send you a specimen) is to be found. From this we turn up inland, -and crossing a nasty deep gully, begin to ascend Tokomaru hill. Although it is a tough pull, I Bhould think 1500 feet, the view from the summit amply repays the labor. I hardly know of its kind any to equal it. Looking north, the whole line of coaßt as far as East Cape stands out, showing every head- ' land and indentation of the shore;

while, turning your gaze inland, you have the best view of Hikerangi that is to be obtained. Towering above the outline of the surrounding hills, its peculiar form is seen from here to the greatest advantage. At the fort, looking still in the same direction, lies a valley celebrated amongst the Natives for its hot medicinal springs, whither used to resort all those afflicted with scrofula and cutaneous disorders. It contains also burning pools (query ? petroleum again). Southwards, you look down upon fantastic inlets, miniature harbors, and scenery that looks like the original of the scenes one remembers in some fairy pantomime— " The Pearl of the Ocean," or other of one's boyish recollections. The distance over the hill to Old Charlie's, at the north end of Tokomaru bay, is about five miles, making seventeen in all from Tuparoa. This place, besides being extremely pretty, with a glorious hard sandy beach nearly all round it, is interesting as one of the spots where occurred another of those singular incidents of Maori warfare, which happened thus :—;" Henare Potae, the chief of this portion of the coast, built a pa on the extreme point of the neck of land forming the southern side of the bay, more as a settlement for fishing than aught else. A trench dug across the neck rendered it inaccessible, except by sea. The Hau-haus, on the other hand, built a place high up on the ranges at the back of Henare's village inland. Henare went with his people to Turanga, leaving the Mavvhai to the care of his niece and some few old men and women. A party of the Hau-haus, watching their opportunity, attempted to rush the place at a very early hour—four in the morning. Henare's niece, however, happened to be out earlier still, with four men from Tuparoa, who had arrived the night previously: they saw the men skulking round the rocks, hastened back to the trench, roused the women, &c., and saluted the Hau-haus with a volley. After a sharp fight, and losing nine men, the enemy beat a retreat, leaving Mere Potae triumphant." On Henare's return from Turanga he attacked the enemy in their position and Burrounded them, when, the night being cold, his people insisted on going home to warm themselves. Of course, on their coming back, they found the pa deserted. They contrived, however, to fall on the retreating force, killed three old men, and captured eleven men and fifteen women, the rest being allowed to escape in the senseless manner I have stated. " Old Charlie," the trader, says, " a plague on both their houses"—between them they plundered him of about £120 worth of property, but they did not injure his premises. There is a stiff pinch to climb on crossing the neck on which Te Mawhai is built, and the track then passes a little settlement, Tangoio, leads on to the beach again over a patch of angry rocks, then passing a settlement, Maraehea, on a little flat, ascends some hills, and falls down on the other side into a curious little bight, where dwells an old trader, named Duncan, who has, mirabile dictu, a European woman to wife. This worthy couple, if you're a " decent like body," will probably ask you to taste their grape wine. There is some witticism about swallowing a barrel organ, and the wine alluded to will produce no bad imitation of what I suppose is meant by the phrase. Leaving this, you have to climb no end of a hill, on to the top of a scrubcovered range, thence down to the beach again, and hey! for a gallop over the hard sands to the pa—but it doesn't last long. Arrived at the Maori settlement, you strike up a valley, climb a tall range, and descend into a winding valley, which you do not quit until you reach Tologa bay, having to wade a river four times in the passage down the valley. The distance is a good twenty-seven miles from old Charlie's to Mr Beed's house —the only settlers at present located here. As far as the country goes it is well grassed for a depth of a mile to a mile and a-half from the coast, the entire distance ; and there are several nice looking valleys and flats of limited extent. One of these days Tologa bay will take rank as a farming district beyond any other place on the coast. The whole of the land is of tho richest quality, being for the most part drainable flax swamp. There is a good harbor for small craft, and, including the neighboring coast, it contains a very considerable extent of valuable country. If the cultivation of flax is to be tried, I know of no locality so thoroughly adapted for it as this; and if it will not pay there, the experiment might be abandoned. From Tologa, right through to Tauranga, the country is good on the coast line and fit for sheep. The travelling is mostly on hard sandy beaches; there are three places where it is necessary to hit the tides, one in particular of most pleasI ant memory, which is specially disagreeable, as any one attempting to pass it at half-tide will discover. The distance from Beed's house to the Wilson redout is about thirty-six miles, making the whole ride from Morgan's pa, at Te Hatipe, to Tauranga a total of from ninety to ninetyfive. If any fancy to try it, let them do so towards the end of autumn, and they are tolerably sure of enjoying it if they have time enough to linger on the road.