A VISIT TO THE KAWAKAWA COALFIELD.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3358, 21 April 1868, Page 3

A VISIT TO THE KAWAKAWA COALFIELD.

We have been furnished with the following account of the trip to the Kawakawa coalmiueu :—: — The announcement of a "great native meeting at Waitangi" waß my reason for leaving Auckland. We embarked on the ' Tauranga steamer on Thursday afternoon, and at four o'clock were rounding the North Head. The view of Auckland and suburbs from this point is very picturesque and worthy a passing note. The passage northward exhibits few objects of particular beauty or even interest. Parsing the Wade district, which recalls to one's mind some parts of the English coast, and is under tolerable cultivation, the country beyond is in a complete state of nature, until we arrive at the Kawau, where the residence of Sir George Grey,and the adjoining clearing dotted with sheep and cattle, present an agreeable contrast. There is also the abandoned establishment of the copper mine, and one cannot bub regret that so important an undertaking should have been allowed to lapse. Proceeding on our journey, the view of the coast by night is in many places striking. Sail JRock is remarkable from its assuming in the distance the appearance of a sailing vessel. On closer inspection it is a barren islet of fantastic form, bristling with points of rock worn by the weather, and seeming ready to crumble with age. ' The Bay of Islands is well named. Its harbour is so generally known that a minute description is unnecessary. It is at first view a matter of surprise that a district possessing such floe accommodation for shipping should be stagnant, or, what is worse, retrogressive. Oa Friday morning, however, the Bay looked quite lively— H.M. s. 'Brisk,' with his Excellency the Governor, the Colonial p.s. • Sturb,' and s.s. ' Tauranga ' lay at anchor off Kororareka. The brig ' Princess Alice,' with coals, was in harbour, and the- schooner 'Tauranga,' ' Sea Breeze,' and • Albatross ' were just off the heads. The boats plying between the different vessels and the shore served also to enliven the scene. We were in high expectation, and our disappointment was proportionately great when informed that the "great native meeting at Waitangi" was not to be a great meeting after all ; that, a land dispute having arisen, the bulk of the natives had adjourned to the neighbourhood of flokianga to fight it out, and that, of those who remained, Marsh Brown's people were too busy to attend the meeting, being engaged in making provition to entertain a neighbouring tribe. We had started from Auckland to see a native gathering such as would never be held again. As, however, there are always two parties to a bargain, and the natives were not of our mind, we concluded the next best thing would be a trip to the coalmines. With this view Mr. John McLeod, the lessee, came on board, and the 'Tauranga,' under the superintendence of Captain Bolger, the bay pilot, steamed up the creek leadiug to the Kawakawa rirer. The country on either side is mountainous and exceedingly rugged, clothed for the most part with stunted bush, and presenting an appearance of wild grandeur, if not of beauty. Proceeding for about two miles we passed the schooner ' Zephyr,' coal-laden ; in coming down she had departed from the channel, and stuck on a mud bank, where she remained waiting for a high tide. We went nearly two miles beyond this, and, haying arrived at the anchorage, brought up alongside the schooners ' Her«ld* and ' Jounua,' buth loading. After a little delay, the steam-tug ' Waiomio came down the river. She is a bandy little boat, and her construction shows an amount of adaptation highly creditable to all concerned. We were soon traushipped, and, entering the Kawakawa river, steamed up at a merry rate. The water here is fresh, and the distance to the tramway probably three miles. Tbere appeared to be a ejood channel throughout, the steamer meeting with no obstructions, and following the beudings of the river with eaie. Arrived at the tramway, we inspected the barges used for conveying the coal to vessels at the auchorage j the largest of these barges is remarkably well constructed, and capable of carrying 156 tons of coal. It is builb of pohutukawa and kauri, and contains 40,000 feet of timber. The tramway is nearly three miles in length, and, as a rule, the difficulties in its construction appear to have been very slight. It passes through two native settlements, whose names we did nob ascertain ; both have abundance of peach, quince, and pear trees, which, with kumaras and maize, appear to coaatitute the staple productions. Adjoining one of the settlements was a tolerably well-grassed meadow, ou which several fine cows were grazing. The rest oi the route lay through tea-tree scrub and kahikatea forest, the former of great height, and the latter furnishing material for sleepers, and slabs for the numerous sheds required along the line. The tramway was in very fair condition : a portion, perhaps one-half, being constructed of the kabikatea timber, the remainder of proper iron rails. Doubtless as the consumption of coal increases it will be fouud necessary to have iron rails throughout. The entrance to the mine presented a scene of busy activity, and one could not but contrast it with the dreary solitude of the surrounding hills. A group of Maoris were standing by, but they appeared to treat the innovators in a matter-of-fact kind of way, as though the whole thing was no novelty to them. The main cutting enters the hillside on a level with the tramway, and each of the party, compriiing Dr. Hector, Mr. Vallack, of Sydney, Mr. McLeod, and about twenty leading Auckland men, having been provided with small hand lamps, entered the tunnel* It appeared about twelve feet in height, aud about the same in breadth. It is cut through solid coal. Smaller workings are being extended from both sides of the main tunnel, and a very considerable quantity of coal appeared to be ready for delivery. In some places water was percolating through the sides, but the drainage is very effectual, and the works are much drier than might have been expected. The main tunnel is carried in about eighty yards, and the quantity of coal available is practically only limited by the demand. Leaving this, we were conducted by Mr. McLeod to his bouse, from, which we were shown the boundaries of the present field, within which, on a fair calculation, there are supposed to be 3,000,000 tons of coal. From this spot we were also enabled to command a good view of the works, miners' huts, blacksmith's forge, stablc-s, and the various other erections connected with the mine. To the left, on the top of a neighbouring hill, a barren-looking piece of land was pointed out as the location of the Church of England Special Settlement ; and a patch of stunted bush on the right was stated to belong to a party of 10-acre men : both patches looked unfit for occupation. In addition to the barrenness of the soil, the mere difficulty of reaching them appeared to be one of no mean kind. As might have been expected, the men have expended what little capital they possessed, and are leaving the district, disgusted at the situation and badness of the land. Between Mr. McLeods and these allotments there is a fine valley of considerable width, and extending up the country for many miles. This is said to be very fertile, and requires but little drainage to render it fit for cultivation. The progress made in the opening of the mines is highly commendable to McLeod and those under him, and, doubtless, with the accession of capital, which will result from the company now forming, a systematic and highly profitable working of them may be expected. Fire-clay, flint, and limestone have been found in the preliminary workings, all of which will doubtless be of utility in conjuuetion with the coal. After parbaking of refreshments at Mr. McLeods, we returned to the tramway. Two trucks were awaiting our party, and, being drawn by three powerful horses, we were not long in reaching tbe landing-place. The thought suggested itself to one's mind that we had travelled over a tramway, hastily constructed, at a cost of a few hundred pounds, which was of more practical utility than a certain railway nearer Auckland, said to hare cost £120,009. | An hour afterwards we were again on board the 'Tauranga.' During our abgence she had taken in 25 tons of coal. We made a short stay at Kororareka, whence we sailed at midnight, and after a pleasant run, the 'Tauranga being an excellent boat to make a voyage in, arrived in Auckland at 7 on Saturday evening, pleased with our impression of the most promising of Auckland's "local industries," butsadly disappointed at not witnessing the "great native meeting at Waitangi." As to the auitability of these coals for use in steam vessels— a mo^t important point— opinions are pretty unanimous that they are of a first-class character. The ' Sturt ' has got fire bars altered from the usual form to suit the coals, and Captain Fairchild bears strong testimony to their excellence. It would seem to be absolutely necessary, to have satisfaction in the burning of these coals, that the fire bars should be alttred from the common form. B. H. M.

A telegraphic despatch the other day came from London to Washington in nine and a half minutes. Suppose it to hay« kept on round the world, the circuit would have beeu made within an bour. What s*id Shakespeare — " I'll put a girdle round the earth in 40 minutes." If the despatch referred to above had started from London at one miaute past eleven on 20fch December, it would have gone around the globe and arrive! at its starting point by 55 minutes past eleven, I9ih December — apparently making the girdle of the QKtfr nearly 24 boors before it started.