IN THE FAR NORTH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 354, 13 February 1917, Page 3

IN THE FAR NORTH.

PARLIAMENTARY PARTY’S TOUR. INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP. REST AND RUST IN THE BAA’ OF ISLANDS. (By L. S. Fanning.) 11. REST IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS. A short railway run from Kawakawa to Opua, a little sprint in a launch —and the visitors were at historic Russell, on the crescent shore of the Bay of Islands, in the late afternoon of 19th January. Here in this first capital of New Zealand, by a bay where every cape is a point 'in history, one may rnuse on the days that have gone—sailors shouting on the shore, the revels of whalers, the stir of soldiers, the meeting of two races in strife and in peace. In the evening the sea gat e a soft sad sighing of phosphorescent waters, and night crickets thrilled plaintively; one imagined, r. gentle tangi for the dead. Russell is a place of peace. The cock-crow at dawn, calling people to work, is an impertinence of these suni'v shores.

Here where the world is quiet. Here where all trouble seems Dead winds and spent waves’ riot In doubtful dreams of dreams. As a rest cure for nerves and kindred ills of civilisation Russell has a place in this scheme of things. The Parliamentary Party was accepted with as little evidence of excitement or emotion as if these incursions were a daily occurrence in the Bay of Islands. TAKING HISTORY AS READ. Whether the cause was the sedative air of Russell, lack of responsiveness to the call of romance, apathy or sheer laziness, it is a fact that some members of the party did not bother to walk up a littV' hill to see the flag-staff that has replaced one which the elder Hone Heke cut down contemptuously in olden times. This peak commands the bay, and gives a view of (he house across the water where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. It is characteristic of Russell's indifference to detail that the flag-pole has no instructive tablet to give a little lesson in history to visitors. The ffnly inscriptions are the initials and names of vanda.L who have disfigured the uole. A notice with a polite linger outstretched, states mildly: “Any person found marking or cutting this flag-pole will be prosecuted. By order.” Who in Russell will take the trouble to look for the culprits ? A few years ago Waitangi House and five acres of ground surrounding the building were offered to the State for £1.200, but the terms were not accented by the Government of the day. ANGLING FOR MARINE MONSTERS.

The details of that offer were mentioned by a former owner of the Waitangi House, who stood by the staff and pointed out historic spots on distant shores. While lie was speaking he was interrupted by a member of Parliament, a sunny, likable, credulous legislator, who had been told on the launch that anglers of Russell had progressed beyond the exciting sport of king-fishing. “Is this the place where you catch whales with a rod and line?” he asked innocently ; and he was mildly surprised when the query drew some laughter. By the way, four of five places where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed were inclicated by different enthusiasts, and the localities of several other important events had a similar vagrant, unstable character. However, there was comfort in numbers of sites, for their multiplicity enabled nearly every member of the party to come away with the belief that, he had seen all the spots where the history was made. PLACID ALANGONUI.

A similar calm and tranquil population awaited tlie excursionists at Jdangonui on the 20tn. On tbe way there was inuen good cheer at the ’lotara Timber mills and in llanfurly Bay, one of the many curves m the beautiful \Vhangaroa Harbour. Here Maoris gave songs and dances of welcome, and altogether it was a joyous time for everybody. The arrival in Mangonui was accidentally delayed until dark, but- it was thought that the long procession of ears (thirty-one at this stage), mostly with high-power electric headlights (gleaming on the waters of the estuary) would make some amends. However, the “turn” seemed to go flat; Alangonui was not visibly stirred. The people were solidly kind, individually, but they were not demonstrative, collectively. Borne oi the leading men oi Mangonui were not quite easy in mind about tins pilgrimage. A little while ago New Zealand's most Northerly newspaper, the “Northern Age' , was published at the township of Alangonui, but now this weekly paper is printed at Kaitaia, near Awanui (the next port on from Alangonui), and there is talk of shifting the headquarters of the County Council from Alangonui to Kaitaia. Three of four years ago Kaitaia consisted of a hotel, a lonely road and some scattered houses and faith and hope. To-day Kaitaia has some good shops and two banks. Venerable Alangonui looks a little askance at the hustling youngster—and wonders what is to happqn next. Meanwhile Alangonui has a printer who runs a fortnightly publication, with the title “On Guard” (in red as a warning sign to the burgesses of Alangonui), and this organ is not kind to Kaitaia.

A HALT AT, KAITAIA. On the pilgrims went through the fertile valleys of Ruru, and Victoria where the people, happy in the fruitfulness of their land, have a sunuyi kindness for the stranger. On Sunday afternoon the party halted at Kaitaia, where Pakeha and Alaoris had prepared well to prove to the visitors that, the district deserved its name, Kaitaia, which means “Plenty to eat.” ' On Alonday. morning a few heavy showers on the slopes of a side road, running to the Ninety Alile beach, taught unsophisticated members of the party how rain can play with at clay surface. The drivers’ hands and wrists had some strenuous exercise at the wheel. This journey and others revealed the vnde expanse of the rich Kaitaia flats and the large area of gentle sloping hills.

A spin on the wide beach was all too short. This hard smooth stretch of sand will tempt any chauffeur to let his engine “all out.” One can easily imagine that many a motor race will be seen on that delightful beach. ELECTRIC-LIGHT CARNIVAL. In the afternoon \\ aipapakauri was visited as an appetiser lor another meal, and at miumglit came tue electric light festival in the field of paspaium. .Many bright lamps, a brass band, retreshmeni tents, the headlights of motor cars, horses, traps, gigs and other incidentals, witn merry chatter and laughter gave Kaitaia a scene oi hearty gaiety which the city would envy. .Maori men and welcomed the visitors with dance and chant, and little Maori girls charmed the audience with action songs. AN IMPERIAL IDEA. One of the speakers at the carnival was Colonel Allen Bell, who remarked that the Government, was not doing its duty in respect to the North Auckland district. The people had waited in vain during scores of years for fair consideration by successive Governments, but unless the settlers pulled together and asserted themselves they would be likely to wait for a long time yet- This Northern territory had some of the best dairying and sheep country in New Zealand, but not 5 per cent, of the people of New Zealand knew about the resources of the North.

Colonel Bell referred briefly to the Imperial importance of ;■ proper settlement of the land. L was the way, he said, to make astunly yeomanry strong enough to defend the lands that they used for the common good. He had hopes that in all parts of the Empire sound plans of settlement would be worked successfully for the advantage of the British race. This necessary work—to strengthen the foundations of the Empire—was just as important as the prosecution of the war. and anybody working for this ideal of widespread settlement was doing bis part in the cause of Empire. HOW KAITAIA WAS NEARLY SHOCKED.

A Kaitaia citizen was early astir on the morning of the 23rd. January In the sunshine, just before 7 o’clock he was strolling along the main road and just outside the area of trade, commerce, banking and general 'bustliug, he obseved a in a field that made his stand at gaze. A mass of clothing, from which a pair of bare legs protruded, was coming carefully through the long dewy paspaium. Presently the Kaitain distinguished a man clad in a pyjama coat and nought else. The other garments were carried jauntly over one arm. At the fence the Kaitaia n distinguished a member of the Parliamentary Party, and the local man was a little startled. He imagined that the visitor had strayed away in his sleep, and the onlooker was in a quandary. Would it be advisable to follow the half-mad person, and to guard him from harm until he woke up ? Would it be dangerous to speak to the. somnambulist ? Eventually the Kaitaian did speak to the stranger as he was about to work his bare legs through a barbed-wire fence. The man was not asleep. He was mildly surprised when asked why he preferred to carry his trousers over an arm instead of on his legs. “They would have got wet.” he said. He explained that he had gone for a bathe in the river, and that he had intended to wear trousers on the way back, but the wet grass had changed his mind. He thought that Kaitaia would not be shocked if he naraded in a pyjama coat at 7 a,pi. However, he was persuaded to put on the trousers, but he was not convinced that the lack of the garments would have perturbed Kaitaia..That attitude is not fair to the Far North but it shows how’ gladly some folk take to make an opportunity’ to escape frm the conventions. KAITAIA’S SUDDEN SPRING. Settlement in the Kaitaia district dates back over eighty years, but they were eight decades of peaceful isolation till the promoters of the North Auckland Development Board began to stir the atmosphere three or four years ago. Large quantities of the land there had been granted to the early missionaries, and some of the descendants were not apparently eager to have any change in the old order of quietness. However, some owners eventually agreed to sell land to the town-makers, who have banished the old sleepiness. Buildings to the value of £17,000 have been erected inside three years.