A Delightful Holiday Trip. THE PELORUS SOUND. [By Viator.]

Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

A Del ight ful Holiday Trip.

THE PELORUS SOUND. [By Viator.]

Shortly before Easter I rwoivod nn invilHtion to make ono of n party for a cruise in the Polonw Sounds, a locality which I h>id Jong desired to visit. Tho opportunity was too good a ono to loso, and at 8 •'clock on Thursday evening, tho 30th of March, I was on board the smart littlo <j.B. Waitapu, which hnd boon ohurtei ed by a purty of 1 6 young fellows, tho majority being members of tho Mikado Minstrels, a local amateur organisation. After a delay of nn hour, owing to somo of tho party failing to turn up to timo, wo cast »ff, und woro soon steaming down tho harbour at tho ruto of 6 knots. Tho wouthor was fine, but thero wero indications of a change, and no sooner bud wo cleared tho Heads than our little cruft made things lively for some of tho passengers. Shortly after we loft tho wharf the pnssongcrc mot in tho saloon, and it wns nrrunged that Mr. AY. P. James (who lias spent sovoral holidays in the Sounds, and now knows every nook in thnt part of the world), Mr. Arthur Blacklock, and Mr. W. Billows, tho last-named gentleman bring manager of tho Mikado Minstrels, should draw up a programme for tho trip, which was to extend over four days. As soon as the meeting terminated tho committee retired to the after cabin, and in duo course sketched a programme which was faithfully carried out, and which enabled everyone to obtain nn admirable view of everything worth Hoeing\ Before wo left the wharf lots wero drawn for bunks, and I was foitunato enough to seouro a berth in the ladies' cabin, my companion being a versatile young gentleman familiarly known us " Sid," and a popular knight of the willow. Cuptain Westrupp nnd his officers very kiudly gave up their cabins to us, and four of our party found very comfortable qunrters there, tho best berth in tho ship being occupied by Mr. James, who was elected chairmau of tho committee. The remainder wero accommodated in the saloon. Jackson's Head was pussed at about 4 a.m. nnd at daybreuk we wero going up the Sounds. The morning was fine, but oold, and the fresh air soon gave us tremendous appetites. About breakfast timo the s.s. Murray, which hnd been chartered by another party of Wellingtonians, was observed astern, and great excitement prevailed on board our boat, bets being made as to whether we would bo parsed. The Murray soon overtook us, but when a few lengths ahead of our steamer she entered another arm of the Sound. Our destination was the World's End, which wns reached about 9 o'clock, and I loud were the exclamations of delight as we came to an anchorage off Mr. Archer's house which is situuted at tho hend of tho Sound. The scenery as wo passed up was grand, and all agreed that the locality was one worth a visit. Mr. Archer has a valuublo property, several hundred acres of the land being almost a dead level, and I was plud to hear that he is doing woll. Ho goes iv extensively for fattening cattlo, which are driven over to Blenheim, a day's journey. All tho passengers took an early opportunity of looking at and exploring the esta'e, aftor which we paid our respects to Mr. und Mrs. Archer. In yeara gone by a sawmill was at work close to the homestead, and at that time the place woro 11 very busy aspect. Orders wero given to tho skipper to leave at 1 in the nfternoon, nnd two hours before that Messrs Blaoklook, Jameß, Currington and I pulled down the Sound in a dingy which we had taken from Wellington, our intention being to do some fishiug. After rowing for about an hour we dropped anchor off a point which Mr. Archer had recommended us to stay at, and our first fishing lines were no sooner out than we began to get bites. The water was simply teeming with blue cod, and in less than an hour we had the dingy nearly full of them. The weather being very warm and tho sport very exciting we decided to go for a swim, and some of us wero actually making preparations to take a dip when Mr. Carrington caught a largo shark. The brute made things 80 lively that our boat was nearly up«et, nnd as it was impossible to got him on board we pulled ashore and hoisted the moustor on to the beach, where we soon despatched him with our sheath knives. On cutting him open we found in his stomach the head of a cod which we had only thrown overboard a few minutes previously. While wo wero ashore ono of the quartet threw out his line, to which were attached a couple of hooks baited with fish. After a few minutes ho pulled in tho lino, and was purrrised to notice two large cod following the bait. Tho fish were so ravenous that they actually enrae within a yard of the beach, and Mr. Carrington, rushing into the water, scooped both of them high and dry. Bofore we left tho steamer we had arranged that sho should pick us up as she went down tho Sound, but after waiting a couple of hours and seeing no sign of her, two of us determined to pull back and find out what was detaining her. On rounding the point near Mr. Archer's house after a heavy pull, the tidegoingoutata rapid rate, we were amazed to find the Waitapu lying high and dry. The tide had gone out and left her in the mud, nud there was nothing left but to wait until it made again in the evening. About 5 o'clock Mr. Chris. Cross, who was on board as tho owner's representative, got the ship's boat out, and as there was then a littlo water round the steamer, he and two of the crew pulled down to where we had left our two companions and brought them back, none the worse for their enforced sojourn on the beach. At 7 o'clock the steamer was afloat, and we left tho World's End after bidding farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Archer, and singing "Auld Lang Syne." Two of their children — handfaome and wellbehaved little creatures —had never seen a steamer before, and it was amusing to hear their comments as we took them over the vessel just before she left. The moon came out soon after we hove tho anchor, and we had a beautiful trip round to Brightlands, the estate of Mr. John Mills, which was reached about 9 o'clock. On arriving there we found the Murray lying at anchor, aud a concert in full swing in her main hold, which had been fitted up as a concert-room. After discharging a little cargo, we resumed our journey, and nrrived at Hopai in less than an hour afterwards. Hopai is a beautiful bay belonging to Mr. Thos. Mills, elder brother of Mr. C. H. Mills, M.H.R. for Waimea- Picton. The entrance is rather narrow, and it surprised me and others on board to know however Captain AVestrupp managed to find his way into the bay at night time. In tho centre of the bay there is an island, and facing it, a short distance from tho beach, is Mr. Mills' residence, a fine comfortable house of about 12 rooms. In the early days Mr. Mills curried on the business of a saw-miller in another part of tho bay, and subsequently he began farming on an extensivo scale. Up till a few years ago he was a large exporter of dairy produco, but he is now devotiug his timo to sheep-farming, and, like others in the Sounds, he is doing well. His estnte consists of several thousand acres of good land, mostly hilly country, and to show what he is doing, I may mention that übout 200 acres of the level land are carrying about 900 sheep all the year round. No sooner had we cast anchor than our two boats were put over the side, aud in a few minutes the wholo of tho passengers were running about the bench in the moonlight like a lot of school boys. After enjoying ourselves for a whilo we returned to the btcamer, and were soon in slumber, the whole of us being thorough])' tired out with the first d»3''s excursion in Pelonis Sound. The next morning we were early astir, und we made great hnvoc amongst the fish, considerably over 100 rock cod being caught before breakfast. A swim oil' tho beuch livened us up splendidly, and it is almost needless to say we did ample justice to tho matutinal meal. AYe paid another visit to the shore about 9 o'clock, aud wero cordially welcomed by Mrs. Mills and hor family. A couple of hours wero pleasantly spent in roaming round the es-tute, and at 11 o'clock wo bade adieu, much to our own regret, as wo could have put in a deal of time in such a charming .spot. During tho time we were on shore Mr. Carringtou distinguished himself by running down a sheep which was required for household purposes, and with tho ussihtance of Mr. Cross and Mr. James, ho killed and skinned it in a manner which earned for him Mrs. Mills' warmest thanks. After leaving Hopai we made for Havelock, w here tho Mikndo Minstrels had arranged to givo a concert in the evening. On the way to that, township we came up to tho steamer Lady Barkly, with a party of Nelson residents, some of whom boarded our vessel and were supplied with copies of tho Post of Thursday evening. As wo purted company cheering atur indulged in on both \ox.sels, and " Home, Boys, Home," and "Auld Lung Syne" wero sung by our party. Bofore wo came up to tho Bnrkly we called in at Homewood, the estate of Messrs. Bond Bros., who recently purchased it from Mr. Mills of Hopai. There is very littlo flat land at Homewood, but tho country ia admirably adapted for sheep, and as Messrs Bond Bros, aro well up in tho business the property will no doubt bring in a large revenue. The owners are recently from Canterbury, und as they havo energy, business knowledge, nnd mnplo moans, their udvent bus been welcomed by nil who desire to eeo tho Sounds going abend. Soon after wo had left their homestead we steamed into a charming littlo inlet called Mary's Bay, where preparations aro being made to erect auother residence for them. Nikau palms and ferns aro growing luxuriantly there, and a prettier spot for a gentleman's residence could not be selected anywhere. Tho water in tho bay was ho inviting that we indulged in a dip and right heartily did wo enjoy it. As we steamod for Huvelock a trawl was put out and it

was arranged that it should not bo hauled up for half-un-hour. A sweepstake was u;ot up as to tho number of fish that would bo caught, each passenger being allowed to make a guess on paying a shilling, und -Teat pxoitpinontprovaileu ns the not wns dinwn aboard. Thirty-three fi«h of various dcau-iplions were caught, and tho pool went to a young gentleman whoso number was 32. At 6 o'clock wo sighted Havelock, and preparations were at once made to go on nhoro. Before they wero completed, howovrr, tho veexol touched tho bottom as the titlo hnd only begun to flow, nnd sho was stuck in tho mud for a couple of hours. Tho Minstrels, however, were determined to reach tho shore before 6, and after a good deal of difficulty thoy succeeded in rowing up the narrow channel loading to the wharf in front of tho township, and in a few minutes thoy were busily ongaged in arranging the public hall for their ontertniumeut. The tido makes very quickly at Havelock and at 7.30 o'clook tho steamer was üble to get up to tho wharf. I (To bo continued.)