NOTES FROM A JOURNAL

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 148, 30 October 1847, Page 2

NOTES FROM A JOURNAL

Kept during an excursion to the Boiling Springs of Rotorua and Rotomahana, by way of the Waikato and Waipa countries, in the Summer of Eighteen Hundred and Forty-six, and Seven. (Continued.) Dec. 26. — I have de.cribed the melody of birds as awukcniug us on other occasions, but the noise of the various species of ducks which nestled ou the riverside, the shrill screams of curlieus and other waders, and the sullen boom of the bjltern from the adjacent swamps, in most inharmonious concert, broke our slumbers, and on rising, we found our blankets so saturated with the fog which still surrounded us, that it had almost penetrated our clothes, of which we had not divested ourselves, and the air was excessively cold. Though the sun was not risen, we had light enough to avoid the dangers of the river, and accordingly embarked. The prudence of stopping for the night became visible as we advanced, fur the canoes were not only olteu impeded in their course by sand-banks, which almost

filled up the now broatl bed of the river, but large stumps were standing even in the channel, at the distance of fifty yards from the shore, evidently the remains of a kahikatea forest, on which the river had encroached and destroyed, and it required both daylight and good management in the steersman to avoid these obstacles, so thickly were they placed. Jn the winter, however, the rise in the stream places these difficulties under water, so that canoes do, and large boats might pass over them with perfect safety. We paddled onwards to a small settlement on the left bank called Motutarata, belonging to a sept of the Waikatos cal led Ngaugnaua, where we landed. It consisted of a few huts and a ware, and was as usual surrounded by a stout pallisade. This ware belonged to a Pakeha Maori, as these Europeans are called, by the Natives, who having attached themselves to Native women, either after the Maori fashion, or by a marriage celebrated by a Missionary, live with them in their pasWe aroused the people to get a fire, as we wcie suffering from cold and damp, and they very kindly kindled a large one, though wood was a very scarce ai tide with them, for they informed us that they had none nearer than Taupiri, which is fifteen miles distant, and s.o were compelled to depend on a casual supply of drift-wood, floated down by the winter floods. The whole course of the river, indeed, from the Pukatea to Taupiri, is almost bare of wood, which is one reason why the settlements are so few along a tract, whose rich alluvial soil would seem to be so well adapted for plantations. Our host was a middle-aged man, who had been 18 years in the country, and had married tlie daughter of a Chief of the Ngaugnaua. His wife was rather a goodlooking woman, and he had a fine f.nnily of children, but who, in dress aud manners, were scarcely distinguishable from their Maori relatives. These men, who are generally deserters from whalers, or coasting vessels, often runaway-Convicts, who have found their way to the island : equivocal as their characters be, they may be said to have introduced a species of civilization, by building, as in this case, a better sort of ware, using stools and tables, having beds raised from the floor, some cooking utensils and drinking vessels, to supersede the Native oven and calabash, and here we observed a fire-place and hearth, formed of square blocks of pumico, which is found of large size, aud in great quantities, in the sub soil of the surrounding countiy, where, having been swept down at some very remote period, from the distant volcanic country in which the Waikato has its source, has assisted to fill up the basin through which we were passing. Our host was in great consternation at the ordinance lately passed by the Legislative Council, making it necessary for every person that lived on Native land, to obtain a permissory license from the Governor, and of the provisions ot which, the most absurd reports were current, such as that if they did not pay a tax. of £10, per annum, they would be seized upon by the armed police, and put in jail at Auckland — the poor lellow said—" they might as well ask me for a thousand !" VVe endeavoured to calm his fears, by assuring him that in the first place no definite sum lor the license had been fixed, nor did we think that any would ever be exacted from persons situated like himself, and secondly that it appeared to be a mere registry, to ascertain whatnumber and description of British subjects were residing in the interior. But the old Kangatira, his father-in-law, was in high dudgeon, he questioned the Governor's right to interfere with any man" living 1 .peaceably on his land, lie quite lashed himself into a fury, and ended by saying " he would like to see the man who would come and carry his son-in-law to prison 1" These men were also atone time, a sort of middle-men, between the inhabitants of Auckland and the Natives — they purchased their pigs, and driving them there, returned with tobacco and articles of European manufacture, which they retailed to the Natives at an enormous profit, for successive droves of pigs. The Natives were soon acute enough to see that they were trading to a dis advantage, and (hat by driving their pigs themselves into Auckland, they would save the middle-man's profit, and be able to select what they more particularly wanted They now, therefore, generally make these journeys, themselves, or if they should chance to sell their stock to the pig-jobbers, insist upon a price which leaves little profit to the purchaser in again disposing of them, consequently these men are now very poor, scarcely making more by their occasional trips to Auckland, than enables them to buy some clothes, and a few articles of luxury, as tobacco, tea, and sugar: still) as they can feed pigs in the bush, and generally have a few goats, and always plenty of potatoes, they manage, as to the mere necessaries of lite, to live in abundance. " What are to become of my childrren, after my death can they inherit their mother's land 1" was a question which we really could not answer. It would certainly seem that in virtue of their maternal descent, they would be entitled to do so, whereas by their pater nal descent, being British subjects, they would as such, be prohibited by the recent ordinance, from even living upon it, without a license, or a grant from the Crown, but this is a subject which will no doubt occupy the attention of the Colonial Legislature. The fog having cleared away, we were favored with a most brilliant day, and just opposite, the ranges ol low hills on the right hand were pointed out, which enclose the Waikari Lake, the exit of whose waters is by a stream which runs into the river iniiiway between Hora Hora and Motutaruta, and which we had passed in the fog. A species of fresh-water mullet and flounders are ssid to be found in this lake at certain seasons, in great abundance. About a mile in our rear, similar hills enclose the Lake of Wangape, whose waters by a tortuous course, join the Waikato, not far from the Pukatea. The Natives talk of cutting a canal through a depression in these hills, and connecting the Lake more immediately with the Waikato, but it would appear to be an undertaking far beyond their powers. The river is here very broad, but a few miles higher up a large island called Taipori exactly in the centre, divides it into two streams about a hundred yards wide and very deep. The low hills approach on either hand to within a mile and a half of the bank connected on one haud with the Tanpiri range, on the other, with the great sea range, rich alluvial land lying between. On passing this island the river remains comparatively narrow, though still a noble stream, and it is seen issuing from the Taupiri pass bounded by picturesque wood covered hills, aud about three miles furthcron we reached the settlement of the Kupukupu at the mouth of the pass, where Abraham a brother of Te Whcrowhero's resides, and who ferried us across to the opposite bank to show as a seam of coal which crops out from the face of a clayhill not more than three hundred yards from the shore. The seam has been partially exposed and appears to be a highly bitumimzed liguite, there are no indications of the true coal formation near it, neither sandstone nor limestone, indurated clay being superincumbent, and it seems to have been formed from an accumulation of Kauri, as 1 found some of the gum imbedded in it. Simular deposits are said to exist on the hill on the opposite bank of the river, and nearly at the same level, and a tract of country to be in combustion some miles to the west, resulting from beds of this substance. It burns with a flame, has a sulphurous odour, and leaves a white ash. Should it be found adapted to the use of steam- boats, it will ultimately become very valuable when they ply on the river, but at present it is not so, and would not repay the expense of transporting it to Auckland. It might be well however to have a thorough examination of the country by competent persons to ascertain the actual extent of the beds and their real value. The hills at tue entrance of the pass slope down abruptly to the waters edge on the left bank, prettily wooded, but on the opposite side, narrow alluvial flat extends from their base to the shore, and they are equally covered with fine timber, this flat terminates about a mile further on, and the hills rise from the water, while a similar alluvial flat commences on the left bank at a bend of the river gradually extending to a quarter of a mile in breadth and the beauiiful hill called Taupiri from which the range takes its name, now appears, one mass of liviug verdure, towering upwards, a perfect cone, overhanging and forming the

eastern portal to the pass as it rises abruptly from the level country beyond. The southern hills on the left bank, seem also to terminate opposite to Taupiri, which arises from their making a sharp angle, beyond the great western chain with which they are continuous. The natural scenery was not unlike that on some parts of the Rhine, but it wanted the " castled crag" and the " frequent village "to assimilate the illusion. This flat is occupied by several pas, which we successively passed, all going under the name of Kaitotehe, the principal one just opposite to Taupiri. We had been exposed to a burning sun all day, and had passed through a very unpicturesque country, and as we were therefore wafted onwards by a gentle breeze, under shadow of the hills, our senses were doubly gratified. The ravines filled with beautiful shrubs were in deep shade, while the wood- crowned summits were glowing under the mellow rays of the setting sun ; the deep blue river was gliding gently by, and the smoke from the various settlements was curling upwards, and mingling with the descending mists of evening : it was truly a charming scene, and the refreshing coolness of the air, made us view it with greater pleasure. We landed at Kaitotehe, and after arranging for the board and lodging of our Natives, repaired to the house of Mr. Ashwell, the resident Missionary, from whom on our disembarking, we had received a hospitable invitation. This gentleman has a commodious and comfortable wooden house, a short distance in rear of the pa, on a piece of ground made over to the Mission by the Natives, who, however, with that ej o to self-inte-rest, which is so marked a feature in their character, even under the mask of apparent generosity, had apportioned for this purpose, the very worst piece of land in the vicinity, as it was a mere mass of puiniceous grave], but, notwithstanding, the fruit trees in his garden were in a flourishing condition, particularly the cherry trees, which were loaded with fruit. We spent a very pleasant evening with our kind host, who gave us much information regarding the state of the country and its inhabitants. He was of opinion that the Natives were decreasing in number, there were so many deaths among their young children. He thought they would object to a dray-road into the interior from Auckland, but not to a bridle-path, which they would readily assist in forming. Among other matters he related a very sensible speech made by Te Wherowheio at a korero lately held at Kaitotohe — " The Pakehas," said the old Chief, " will not commence a war, you will have war amongst yourselves, about land as you had at Ngatehine"— alluding to the late fight. " The Governor will not destroy you and take your land, you will destroy yourselves as you have done !" He also told us an amusing and characteristic anecdote of the boastful language the Native Chiefs use at their meetings, to magnify iheir own importance. Several of the tribes had assembled at Kaitotehe, to proceed to the hui hui, or gathering, which, as I have mentioned, took place three years since, at Remuera near Auckland, when a young Chief stood up and addressing the other tribes said— " If I see anything that pleases me in the shops of Auckland, I will take it— yes, I repeat I will take it!" But he afterwards secretly laid an injunction on his own tribe not to touch the smallest thing, not even a fig of tobacco. Dec. 27.— Accompanied Mr. A. to the Native Chapel, which is a neat raupo building of some size. The congregation, about one hundred in number, behaved very decorously, and afterwards chatechising took place' in which the converts shewed considerable knowledge of the Scriptures. The greater number of the people of the pa are still heathens, in consequence of the refusal of Te Wherowhero to become " Mihinare." Were he to enter the Christian fold, his flock would soon follow him. However, he does not discourage the labours of the Missionaries, but rather gives them his support. As every Rangatira pakeha, whatever be his profession, is supposed to have a knowledge of medicine, I Was importuned, as usual, to visit the sick, and found several children and some elderly people very ill, iudeed all of them evidently in a dying state. The Missionaries are allowed a stock of drugs by the Society, and do much go«»d in many cases, but as some of the diseases to which the Natives are liable may be supposed to be beyond their skill, the hospitals which the Government are about to erect in various parts of the country, will tend to alleviate much suffering, and probably save many lives. The whole of the ground around the pa, with the exception of the Mission property, is a rich alluvium, and was under crops of Kumera, Maize, and Potato— the two former were in good condition, but the latter was in a very languishing state, in consequence of the long drought. In the evening I ascended the hill behind the Mis-sionary-house, from which I obtained a commanding and splendid view of the country lying to the East, that to the West, being hid by the closing in of the hills that form the pass. Immediately in front rose Taupiri, from whence extended Northward the peaked chain of hills which connect it with the Wakatewai mountains, from whence a spur projects Southward, dividing the basin of the Waikato from that of the Waiho and Piako, generally known as the Valley of the Thames. The large space thus enclosed, was partially dotted with low bare hills, extensive swamps of arekeki, or Native flax, and kahikatea forests, emerging from which, the Maungawera River, whose sources in the Wakatewai Range, wound its serpentine course through the plain, to the base of Taupiri, where it joined the Waikato. The spur from the Wakatewai Mountains, of which I have just .spoken, loses itself to the East, in the general continuation of the Waikato Plain, where it joins that of the Waiho and Piako, beyond which rose the triple summits of the Maungjakaua Hills, backed by the faint outline of the loft}' Aroha Mountains,|which forms the Eastern boundary of the last-mentioned plain. The immense mass of Maungatautari shot up to the South-East, almost washed by the Waikato, a glance of whose reaches were at intervals caught, until its whole course spread out, winding its way through the plain, dotted with kahikatea forests to the foot of the hill on which I stood, to rush through the Taupiri Pass, A mass of wooded hills stretched Westward to the distant and lofty summits of Pirongea, on the Waipa, which projects boldly out from the sea-range ; the whole forming a splendid panorama of a country in all the wildness of nature, and of an extent seldom brought under one view. This vast tract is comparatively uninhabited, ex. oepting by about two thousand Natives, a less number than the population of Auckland and its vicinity, who only occupy a few hundred acres. Watered as it is by two fine rivers, and numerous subsidiary streams, what a field for European settlements. (To be continued.)

By the Daniel Watson we have our Sydney files to the 12th instant. English news to the 24-th June had arrived. We copy the follow* ing extracts from the Sydney papers.

The Rev. Dr. Candlisb is likely to succeed the lamented Dr. Chalmers as Principal of the Free Church College, Edinburgh. The Rev. W. M'Naughtan, of Paisley, lias been delegated by the Colonial Committee of the Free Church Assembly, to proceed to Australia, and was to sail eaily in July. This procedure is in consequence of the recent disruption in that Chuich iv Australia.