WANDERINGS IN WONDERLAND.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8476, 6 May 1893, Page 5

WANDERINGS IN WONDERLAND.

WeeMy Press, and Referee. CHAPTER 111. "Tit born with all: the love of nature's works, Is an ingredient in the compound man, Infused In the creation of the kind." — Cowper. i FROM TOKAANU. | On waking tbe following morning we found that our hosts, the two shepherds, had prepared for us a substantial breakfast, this we thoroughly enjoyed, and being quite refreshed by our good night a rest we were anxious to continue our journey, but unfortunately the rain was falling so heavily thab it was not possible to leave till after lunch. The natives did the honours of their humble establishment in a style that might serve as a good exexample for many a ISkeha .who would probably affect to look down upon a poor j half civilized Maori. As soon as tbe rain ceased we quickly saddled up and bidding ' good bye to our two entertainers we hurried on to Otuku where we found , the redoubtable Tanner looking as j though he owned the whole settlement. As we had still a long way to ride we soon settled our accounts, and then having arranged for Partena to ac- , company Tanner and ourselves to Tokaann as our guest we once more pushed on, and having a good road and being free from the restraining influence of the packhorse, who was left to enjoy himself at Otuku, we were able to reach Tokaanu, a distance of twenty-two miles, in less than three hours. • The half English and half Maori settlement of Tokaanu is situated ab the southern extremity of Lake Taupo and close to where ihe "Waikato runs into the ske. This Waikato, by tbe way, must not be confounded with the Waikato that runs through the valley of that name, the only connection between the two being the broad waters of the lake, one river is * small stream emptying itself into Lake Taupo at the south, and the other, many times its size, flowing out of the lake ab the north. Tokaanu doubtless owes its existence to the many pnias or hot baths that are found In its immediate neighbourhood. These natural baths are close to the native village, and consist of several rocky basins which have been formed by the ailicious deposit from the hot water with which the baths are always filled to overflowing. These baths are really geysers and, although not at Present alive, can scarcely be trusted. Daring the Maori War some of the English troops were severely scalded by a •udden outburst of the pent-up waters; fortunately the men were not iv the bath at the time, or their Maori foes might have fcund them ready for the table. On the steep hills at the" back of Tokaanu there are numberless vents from which steam is constantly rising; in facs the whole place has such a steamy look that in tbe distance it might be taken for a huge laundryin full swing. There axe only a few white People at lokaanu, one of whom, Mr Blake, is the proprietor of the hotel, where *c found decent accommodation, not only for ourselves, but also for Partena, who iv «is quiet unobtrusive way appeared to thoroughly eujov him.elf. We found

at the hotel four Melbourne tourists who had just arrived from Wanganui by way of Pipiriki. they were a pleasant party, and expressed unbounded admiration for the New Zealand scenery. There can be no doubt- that the opening up of good roads to the many beautiful and curious show places that we possess would be one of the best advertisements for the colony. We did not long enjoy the society of the other visitors as they left early the next morning by sailing boat for the northern end of the lake, on their way to Rotorua and Auckland; as soon as we had seen them off we borrowed a small boat and rowed over to the noted Waihi Falls, which are only about two miles from Tokaanu. On landing we were met by Partena, who had ridden round for the express purpose of introducing us to his father; after the old man, whose face had been tattooed till it was perfectly blue, had made us welcome, we proceeded to the falls, which are well worth seeing. A largo volume of water leaps down from a great height into a fern emoosomed pool that is situated ac the head of a small leafy gully. The beauty of the falls is greatly marred by an ugly building and a large wheel that, were erected by an enterprising individual who became impressed with the brilliant idea that this waterfall was just the right thing to drive a flour mill; unfortunately there _ was no wheat to be ground, and if there had been there was no oue to buy tbe flour, so the mill has gone to decay, and it is just possible that in the distant future the ruins of this mill will give rise to the belief that this spot was once bhe centre of a thriving agricultural district; this may serve as a hint to some budding antiquarian of the Pickwickian school. On our return to the hotel we arranged that, for our ride to Pipiriki, we would use the horses and guide that bad come through from that place with the Victorians. As we had left some of our wardrobe at Otuku, Partena, who was returning to his settlement, agreed to meet us on the morrow with our belongings; we also took advantage of Partena's return to forward a few _rn_.ll gifts to some of his people who had looked after our comfort iv his village of many creeds. The following morning we said pood-bye to Tanner, and we did so with considerable regret, for he had proved himself a pleasant aud competent guide. Tanuer seemed sorry to part with us, and expressed a wish'that we would soon return to the King Country. Our earnest hope is thab we may soon be able to gratify that wish, for it would indeed be impossible to find a more interesting district. Before leaving the hotel we were, as usual, invited to place our extremely valuable autographs in the visitors' book, and also to "please add something else." as our capacity for adding something else is very limited we punished future visitors by writing the following lines, which we do not commend to the shades of any departed poet:— We've toiled through bnsh, We've daihed o'er plain, And plunged through many a river, We've felt scant joy On Ngaornhoe, Where we had to stand and shiver ; Bat here we're found A place of rest By the Bide of tbe Taupo Lake, So' now we smoke And crack onr joke At the house of the jolly Blake.

We set out with our new guide at an early hour the next morning, for we had bo travel 54 miles before we could reach the next accommodation house. We found Partena waiting for us ab the junction of the Waimarino and Pipiriki tracks; we quickly transferred our small luggage to the new pack horse, and then, with a hearty grasp of the hand, we bade farewell to as white a man as ever wore a dark skin. For a time we travelled by the new road that is being formed at the base of the volcanic range and that will eventually connect the Wanganui and Taupo districts; but the road, like most good things in this world, soon came to an end, and then we had to scramble up through some rough scrub till we got on to an old Maori track that leads southward. Previously, we had seen only the western side of the volcanoes, but now we were travelling on their eastern slopes where the country is far more broken and less open than on the Waimarino side. In the early morning, as we approached the mountains, they were enveloped in a dense mist that had surrounded them since the day of our ascent, but as the day advanced and the sun gained strength, the mists rolled slowly away, affording us a fine view of the peak of Ngauruhoe, which looked glorious as bathed In sunshine •*«-«« lino from a sea of clouds. Unfortunately for us, Ngauruhoe was not the only peak that was brightened by the sun's rays; as the day wore on and the heat increased our wretched noses became suffused with some fine rose coloured effects that were not produced without considerable inconvenience to their owners. At noon we camped for an hour, not only for our own sakes, bub to give the poor horses tbeir much needed rest and a good feed. On resuming the journey we noticed a great change in the cnaracter of the scenery, we left the low wooded hills that skirt Ngauruhoe and emerged on to the desert plains that lie to the east of Ruapehu; here the country is bleak and barren, the ouly vegetation being some stunted bushe3 covered with a dry yellow moss that gives to them a withered and ancient appearance. During the forenoon we had crossed several small streams that are all feeders of the southern Waikato, but now we had reached a new watershed, drained by the Wangaehue, a most evil smelling stream, that bas its source in some volcanic recess of Ruapehu. so tainted is the water that right down to the ocean it finds favour with neither birds, beasts, nor fishes. By five o'clock we arrived at the small settlement of Kerio, our halting place for the night; the horses were greatly fagged, and we were much pleased to see"them well stabled and fed. Kerio, which is situated to the south of Ruapehu, and is within a mile of the bush clad hills that skirt the desert, consists of a few huts and a store, to which is attacheo the accommodation house where we passed the night. After tea we adjourned to the store, whe-e we purchased all the available vaseline, this we applied wibh lavish hand to our rubicund noses, which, by this time had assumed such noble proportions that they threatened to obscure our vision. As soon as we had given our features a sufficiently melting look we turned into our narrow beds, and, notwithstanding many mosquitoes, we slept bhe sleep of the JU We were up a little after daylight, and having another long ride before us we were soon again in the saddle; the ride from Kerio to Pipiriki is through magnificent bush, but the track was the worst that we had met with, the ground in many places being so boggy that the horses could scarcely drag themselves along; we passed two or three gangs of men who were at work road making, so that it is probable thab in a short tune there will be a thoroughfare for vehicles when this happens it is safe to predict that this will be the favourite route for tourists through the North Island. In the afternoon we found that the track left the low swampy ground and -round its way upwards ■ among picturesque bush-clad gorges, here the blue clayey papa rock has been worn awayinto deep precipices and the bridle path to avoid these steep places, has been taken round the head of every gully, so that the traveller sometimes finds that after hall an hour's riding he has really advanced only a few hundred yards. At one place where the path was at ibs narrowest and the cliffs at their highest, we had the bad luck to overtake a lot of pigs that were being driven at a snail's pace by a couple of Maoris. For a long time we followed those wretched porkers as respectfully and sadly as though we had been chief mourners at the funeral of a rich relative. Having eventually got clear of those obsbiactive porkers we hurried on and Roon reached the gorge of the Wanganui; how glad we were once again to see that grand river, which unlike its southern rivals, with their wide beds and narrow watercourses, winds its broad and sinuous way among lofty hills that rise steeply from it on either side.

At five o'clock we arrived at Pipiriki; this Maori settlement is built by the river at a spot where the hills happen to be somewhat low, but even here the edge of the water can only be reached by descending a cutting down the face of a terrace. The only white people whom we found at Pipiriki were some surveyors, and the proprietor of the accommodation house where we found bed and board till tbe following morning. The principal personage in the village is the storekeeper, Mr George Manson, a half-caste, and a very good fellow. He it was who owned the horses we had been riding and it was upon him we had to rely to engage a Maori and his canoe to take us down the river. On our way to Manson's store we witnessed a meeting between an old Maori man and woman whosemethod of greeting wassomewhat of a puzzle. They approached each other, and bending forward, rubbed noses for fully a minute, asd then wens their respective ways without uttering a word, the onl> possible explanation of the woman sconduct is that ahe was dumb. After an early breakfast we wended our way down to the water's edge, where we

aon th^° Wdof nati J M -°d friend Man- *___•*£*?** eD S fl ßed *or our use a light £n™i_£ ht -_- canoe -°d an experienced SSS 61 - H »*»ng duly provisioned our erait, we esconsced ourselves on board as _2w£W ly a " mi « bt be, and then amid a salvo of farewells we pushed off into the strong current. Of all methods of locomotion, undoubtedly the most delightful is floating down stream; no worry, no work, motion that brings repose, and a rate of progress that just allows sufficient time to enjoy the ever-changing panerama.

On the Wanganui these pleasures can be enjoyed to the utmost. There is a splendid body of water, and the scenery is magnificent; at each turn of the river we opened out some fresh view, that faithfully copied, would bring fame and fortune to an artist. As our canoe drifted on we passed range after range of lofty hills with many tinted bush, with here and there a shady glen formed by leaping waters that rush to help the rapid river. Aow we skirt some wooded islet, and then with sudden swirl we shoot a foaming rapid, and pass from sombre rocky gorge to some broad stretch of placid water, where the river idly lags as though loath to leave so fair a scene. For the greater part of its course the river winds among hills that are too steep and broken for habitation, but at intervals of a few miles there are high patches of fairly level ground, and here the river natives have built their whares. These villages, although humble in looks, are certainly not so in names, for during, the day we passed, Jerusalem, London, Galatea, Corinth, aud Athens. We regretted that time would not permit us to linger on such classic ground, but we had metal more attractive at Parekeno when the great native meeting was being held to discuss the land question, and where we hoped to meet Te Eooti and other well-known Maori chiefs. As we did not arrive at Parekeno till four o'clock in the afternoon we thoroughly enjoyed the dolce far nicnte of drifting on the broad bosom of the river that we had seen in its infancy as a mere rivulet on the slopes of Tongariro, and that now in its full power was hurrying on to its bourn in the ocean. THE WANGANUI. Singing, dancing, playing, Wandering on and never staying ; Babbling, trickling, dashing, Adown the rocky boulders .plashing. See the infant river. Rowing, plunging, flowing, Hastening on and ever growing ; Bacing, swelling, streaming-. With all her joycus wavelets gleaming. See the youthf al river. Rolling, roaring, toiling, Along the wooded valleys coiling; Halting, pausing, gliding, Amid.t the stately trees now hiding, See the full -grown river. Shooting, hamming, cnrling, Then down the foaming rapids swirling. Smiling, swoepiug. spreading. Hurrying to the tat bea wedding; See the taring river. Flirting, glad'ning, cheering, All filled with joy her love she's nearing; Sparkling, laughing, blushing, She to his anas at last is rushing; See the happy river. Drifting, tbnnd'ring, heaving, Omiaous clouds around are weaving; -loaning, yielding, renditg. With mists above her tool is blending; Bee the dying river.