ONE-TREE HILL.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5606, 14 August 1875, Page 3

ONE-TREE HILL.

Wk were rather startled the other day on observing what, at first sight, appeared to be a house in course of erection on the crater summit of the hill, and wondered what manner of man it could be who had chosen such a lofty eyrie for his dwelling-place. On enquiry we found it was a structure to house trees, not men. Save the oldest of our settlers, few others know why One-Tree Hill ia so called, for if the recent plantation/! at its base are excepted, there is not any tree on the hill itself that arrests the eye. But in the earliest days of Auckland a majestic pohutukawa ci owned the very summit —the very crater-top — until the fell hand of some Goth on Onehunga's shore levelled the grand land-mark — for tirewood's sake ! We, in charity, only hope that nothing worse than the ghost of that ti-fcc, with creaking and moaning branches, hovers over and disturbs with retributive justice his nights dreams. To that much we consider him entitled, nor has he any pity from us. It would have been a consolation to believe that the tree had been blown down, as some, in forgiveness of spirit, said. Away on the Kazorback Ridge, hi the olden days, as you travelled facing north, One-Tree Hill was the landmark which enabled you to individualise all tho other volcanic hills. Now, the traveller finds it a weary task to discriminate from among the many round hills in the far-away distance (all appearing so alike) one from the other. An attempt is now being made to restore the ancient landmark — a legacy, as it were, from this generation, to be enjoyed by the nevt. And tho task has fallen to appropriate hands — for who more fitting than the oldest resident on these shores? We allude to Dr. j Campbell. Early in 1840 he was one of a party of five, ot whom none other now remains here, wh» landed at Orakui Bay, and walked across the isthmus, past Mauugakiekie (One-Tree Hill) to Onehunga. The Government at that time was at the Bay of Islands, and the land on which Auckland is now built, still in the hands of tho natives, a wild fern waste. Maungakiekie was altogether too large and long and diiliuult a mouthful to pronounce when the then significant name of One- Tree Hill could be given ; given, indeed, befoie Mounts liden, Hobson, and St. John, wire so christened. And, but for that grand grand one tice, Maungakiekie would have bocome Mount Shortland, Mount Felton, or Mathew, or Mount Brown, Jones, or Robinson : heaven knows which ; but from which we have been defended. The acquisition of a fourteenyears' lease of the Reserve has enabled Dr. Campbell to make this attempt to once again conveit Maung.vkiekio into One-Tree Hill. And, we say, success to him.

Mr. Sala saya that the spectacle of a dinnken man in Spain is about as rare an industrious one. li^rkel. y, -epiembtr, 1800.— Ountl«ra«n,- I hoi it • duty 1 owo to you to uxpieu my tfratitudi for the groubenutit 1 have deuvod by Inking ' Nortou'i Camomile 1'illt.' 1 Ufpliid ti> your n^ut, Mr. ilell, iJorkulty, for th« abuvenitmed I'llln, lur wind in tbe ktumuch, from which 1 luHeit-U ixuruciuting pain for » luugtliof time, having tnitd nearly every r«medy pr#icribed.but without d«rUlug uiij bonulii ut all. After taking two bottle* of your valuabk ptlli 1 wai quit* leitoiud to my uiual itaU of health. Pica** giv« thin iml.licity, for the benefit ol tnoia who may tbua b* alHicUd.— I am, »lr, youn truly, 11 lUfhi Alltahxu —To lh* pioprlstori Ql Wyriyu 1 * uauiuuiU* fJLi.' 1