ALONG THE EAST COAST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 8

ALONG THE EAST COAST.

AOIUNGi. VND AKITIO

' Leaving Mr.-. Richard ißafton's; at "Ma.(writes'.'our;,travelling cpTrespon.denf):,one;;crosscs>tne stream to ;a;" cohsiderable': ai-e'a; of : ,flat, land,> beloEging to thq Maoris, "and finds here'a small pa; A goodfdeal''of -the :sheep.:conhtry oh this ;part;Of :'the.;East ; Cpast' is leased : by. the .Maoritoithe.pakeha' who usually, make , more iisa. .bfj'.it -thari the:oivhers do ■.of'jth^ i porUo ! imrwh'ioli'..they; ifarin-;th'eni-:MlTes.-^^A_t;.;the'-!MJne;, ; .time':.th«se'.:."lease-.holde'are.pre'tty-m'iicnjin the onecondi- • tipn'/ifor as littje.is spent, on rthemaa ca'u,-hardly expect 1 anything,, else', , -for'. , . ;in''.many"easea ; ,;there, is no ;prpvisiori-.for 'compensation • for; improvements, and las'; the. end' of the lease dratrs;.near it "is not to'; be ..wondered, at ■thaty-cryj little ; is': done that- is : not actuThe.lesseeknows'that ;he ■wpuld; be .'simply ;se wing ifor.ih'is'. landlord -.tb'.,re(ip;-- 1 . ,'.■■-,■■..'.'" ; -; ■'"■■".:' / ':'.'"'-.--..''-.''. : '■-.. ■■", ■• ;'vAi I'rounded;the:headland.fa'cing the sea, , f.tivb: 'Maoris. overtook Mne. on': horse : back. : :';.One'-,was..'.leadinj; horse. .About.a qiiarter v bf a mile further there .is. a/bank fbf earid,. which rises, up very .steeply 'some' hundred and fifty or. two hundred feet.. I' , was see these ,two;meii.set:off;,upthe snrid,' -as/if was a :blazing.-hot.-day, and the' saiid very. dry. It must have been; particularly, trying .for :th©: hbrges,;;but; straight .up : they: ;went.' If ; the-obiec!t .'.was :to .punish. they horses the :riders -.would.- certainly .accomplish tho'-pqrp'qse.v.Anyway, it.Eeemed a cruel .thing to.' push them up such a; steep 'and ■difficult;place:/Riding:'u"p'; the'beach.,are occasipnap fuice;.. sandy ; stretches," over which it'-is pleasant tdjeanier,';.the hoofs' ririgv again and "'again,;'andi; my. ; horse sebnicd.-.to enjoy'.;it as',mnch::as. his; rider." Beyond: low 'water - mark'.is '-'a' jumble' bf rocks .and; reefs/, on: which: the Pacific rollers came .leaping and sending up huge masses:of 'spray in the f ;brilliaht sunshine; which make ;an endless scries of rainbbrvs ' all-; the :-tinie;*.; , '; :'■■■'';■■■ ; ' : ;' : ; ;''•'■ '■■'.'•. '■■ : >' r -' J -'-. '■'■'■'

.'.' Br;'and-bye the beach ; is- left, -and: in the.: 'distance,': on ■ the -. face' of. the ' cliffs,' one road formation. This proves tobe r .the".road;'m'ade by the; : Akitip, County' ■Cbuncil, •giving- , .access' tpSthe;beachVand' tho steanier • landing, ' where ■ there' is a' /large'.- shed, , ; in; 'which ~to "etore/wool -inward; cargo;.' This idad.winds up '.the' 'hills;:'-ia.nd';-then-over,;the:-saddle'drops' again. : 'to;..almost.''the , same'-level. v ; At. a' ,bend: in ' the 'road. the. trees; surronndihg llrfcHume's' station'at Aohanga come, into view.i ; Mr;' Humo:has'an:exceedingly. : nice beautiful gar'deiiY.v-It■wasaeight'to seo.-the'luinTif ant growth:of e'v'erything.'AQn thb station-. ; they 'had' just /finished'^hearing, 1 ,;: and,'so escaped;'the's'spell: of''wet: weather, which; Eei' in'-'soon aftervV'.Tto'iAphanga River, idrainsa' large area of country, and malces (iuite;,a' considerable :.body;:of..water;;be-. 'fore the '~«a/-/.;'v;".\':': . -'i..: - ■•:'-.':'>■•'■'■:''!'-• ;-; .There is.- agood 'dealof .'plougbible.laiid but being, so' much but. of.the way, if is'not so- yainable'as land- nearer the railway; , '•';.'.Here.':.the out ;froni ; Dann«virke',::Ebme,>.TpH's , 'miles, away,' arid .pnp^finds.also a.'hotel;; Between the'':Aohan'ga':':and-■Akitib;,Eiy'ers':is:''the -block-."of /.country ■.-recently./held ■ as.' : .a. star tion .byHandyside,',Epberts; 'sisting;pfjMme\;;thirt : y:;V-thpuisnd'-' : ■■aiii;' - '™wi r '!''M'- : '.'."ilara.nganga-;''.-:-',lt>'-.>»as:: subdivided '• and sp.ld-'.iiy the' pwherS" abput two'years:ago," when:a large;p6rtion| was 'disposed"; of:under , the?;hammeT;. VA. few sections:wore not',taken up'tiH some, time afterwords.. I'.happened'.to 'be in ioine: of them—those, uow'owned by, Mr. T.'L.'Eoberts.and Mr. .Handyside,.jun.;; These gentlemenii have .sections .Vof: two .'thousand five hundred acres each. -lOconsider them, ■to be exceedingly fortunate men, as they qiiite ! "dbubleJ'wha'fiS they'Vgayo:; here.;;'; If .')9>capital;,'.sheep ipouatry;:';,and 'with'iltho 'clearing' dfiscrnb ,:wWcli-.has/alfeady been: done they /are; carrying qiiite.:a; respectable :Epbe.rts 'readyl'dbne," l 'itJ is. .very ; .evident;; that..'the ;carrying ■.'• capacity,-/.can /be:''largely;,in'creased.'• '. : '..< .•j- v - ! ".'''.''. ; .-.-.'','-:.. ; . 1: ----'-.':;; : ;''■:■'.'•':'■■ ■ OhrMr)' Handyside's run: ■ is. e'plenSid'bit'of/country,:and a pretty bit of'country;' too;':'.lt nice", slope; run- , ; iiing :up: to 'a :bush-i;lad>'ridge.;. This land is ■' easilyi t'wp-sheep:-. 'country; ,; Each these' gentlemen has':.'built; af'comfoftable ' dwelling 'and' go6d-,w661-sheds,-./; Mt; • Handvsidestf'honse/;is 'well'-ertuated^on 1 a ■knob;-while Mr." Eoberts's. is:in-.what is' a 'natural' park./'surrounded by koishai and: eianTinanuka; .'with';:thei.river',' flowing around- the l>a«k 6f .'.the/slopes",r There can-be no:doubt that'the; cutting'nn pt "Marangan'ga".,.was a /'step in the right direction.; The land was ./sold, "cheap— ; ■though ■-sonie ,i :bf,: the .'flat sections 1 ivere certainly ; rim : , :■ up ;. unduly, high-good •'ternis 'we're'given,;and■inen.with perhaps ■not'snperabundant.capital;-,but sufficient for'the-purpose,- got.' sections. • They;;are entirely, changing the country, ..thousands;:of;.acres;' have,;,Been;,alreadr'cleared,'- and double .thenumber, of : 6tock are doing- well,there. ;,•, •-•■;.-:,- . .: -