THE AUCKLAND LAKE-SEASON, 1859. No. II.

New Zealander, Volume XV, Issue 1352, 2 April 1859, Page 3

THE AUCKLAND LAKE-SEASON, 1859. No. 11.

Tauuaxga ; its Harbour—Mount MaungaJN'ui; —Present and Future. In our former paper, we came to a pause at the arrival of the “ Gera” acd “ Mary Ann White” schooners in Tauranga Harbour, after their week’s detention, by stress of weather, at Great Mercury Island and Slipper Island. We now proceed with our notes in reference to Tauranga Harbour—its capabilities-—its present and future.

the New Zealand Pilot, wo learn JrEuwnga Harbour is the only harbour on th “r a Coast that affords shelter in all winds burthen,** and that it is 13 miles for c Sthe Kati-Kati rirer-the sea-board bethe two, consisting of a straight sandy ,we u What may be the aspect of the landbMC r m the deck of a smart coaster, under f Pe l?al influence of a favourable land-breeze, tbe? u fleecy-clouded sky, and a warm sun, we flbrl< vLv hut nothing more dismal can be than the approach to Tauranga u ICur when its lofty headland, Maunga-mu, whole district (are enwrapped m heavy an . d i!Lh and when one of “ those winds the compilers of the Pilot so pleamark) make the Bay of Plenty a lee * n % re fjl unring on hmre rollers which threaten » tor ®’lnh vour small craft. But it is at just t0 fftime that Tauranga Harbour should be f welcome to the sea-sick or sea-seasoned ' . rt °L, a n who has determined on this as the ’ « first stage” to the Lakes and Geysers of • "£! this harbour through Hie deepest l nofk its somewhat tortuous course, and the ;; Sw to eV winds on rounding Mount ilr,!nffJ*nui—the channel in one place being only ; S?a cable’s length wide; but with one of those S which would [and do] make the Bay of Pkntr a lee shore, Tauranga Harbour is then S accessible; and when once inside, there is Soragefor a fleet” This is strictly true; SvSSnce back at the heavy surging seas over ' 'S he has just passed in coming m under • Emra-nui, and at the breakers showing tinyr white crests along the outer coast-line, even the stout seaman thankful that he is S* anchored to the leeward ot that lee-shore. ’ '.The entrance (says the same authority) to the harbour lies north and south. I he eastern . IL is the remarkable flat-topped MU Maunga- , 11 rising abruptly from the sandy shore to a " fceieht of SCO feet.” It is indeed a remarkable SLdland—visibla a very long distance out at sea ’ forming the best landmark that could be de- ’• - J re d, and rendering the approach to Tauranga Harbour one of the most distinct that can be named The western entrance to the harbour is formed by low undulating sandhills, extending 13 miles, as before, stated, up as far as the KatiKsti—which river “ expands to a considerable . jjdth within, and is connected by one of its arms , Tauranga Harbour, affording a channel for , kosts atbigh water-thus forming a long sand/ bland between Te-bo (the north head, GO teet Web, of Kati-Kati) and Mount Maunga-nui. At ■ low water this channel is nearly dry. • Out ot mch a channel connecting distant waters, what m startling effects,” could not a Cooper or • Matryatt produce in describing the escape of gome, hard-pressed Smuggler from a RevenueCotter, . , A little to the eastward of Maunga-nui are a hummocky projection and Motu Otnu——“ the •Uly interruption? to an uniform sandy beach, ’’ extending south-eastward I<s miles to Maketu.” To show the capabilities of Tauranga as a ,AM-class harbour and (sonie day) commercial it is only necessary to state that “ vessels of my size can proceed a mile above Maunga-nui [eastward] carrying from 6 to 7 fathoms water —thashe same range ot depth extends for about t mile* and a half up to about the “ small rise of ground on the left shore, immediately above which .the channel divides-one arm runling to the westward with irregular soundings, •nd the other continuing towards Te Papa, the Mission Station [Archdeacon Brown’s], and gradually shoaling”—though even up to this t point- there is ample depth, at high water, for an . average-sized schooner; —and that there is another • anchorage on the .western side, of the harbour, 'which only requires to be buoyed to be most generally useful. t The Harbour is very wide—from two to three miles broad—and though there are broad sandbanks interspersed, and the southern shore de- • • clinesvery gradually, yet nearly the whole of the harbour is available at high water for the usual run of coasting-vessels—requiring merely to be buoyed in a few of the shoalest places. The length of the harbour is fully equal to its width,and the rivers which run into it connect it with'hnd make It the outlet for a large and, in many pasts, very fertile district of country. At the time that the New Zealand Pilot was <.* compiled, the total native population of the Tiuranga district was estimated at 1003, and large tracts, of land were under cultivation; and f . tptil within the last year, considerable quantises of'wheat were furnished by the natives to Auckland. Of late a quarrel lias broken out between two Chiefs, named Rawiri anil Pohepoho with respect to the ownership of a block of laud wine little distance to the S.K of Te Papa; recourse bas been had to arms; fighting pahs have.been constructed, and cultivation very ' rouch neglected ; a few lives have been lost on both sides—the fewest on Ilnwiri’s side, whence he now professas willingness tb make peace, , whereas Pohepohe -demands retribution in some shape or other lor his extra loss of life before be can consent to shake hands and bury the hatchet. Every effort lias been made by Mis- , iwnaries, and other friends of the natives, to , between the belligerents, but hitherto - w >mout success,—and it is as difficult to surmise • what will be the upshot of the affair as it is !° P.ffsr an opinion which party has the more . J\ ,8 tice on its side. Rawiri’s-force was numerically the stronger at the time we last heard—but Pohepobe’s men were said to bo the pluckiest. Anns and ammunition are undermood to have been supplied from the Bay of ■' **tonu Natives as a matter of commerce, —and :■ •» the time of which we write, there were "WWW of a party of Thames Natives being wout to take part in the quarrel, probably sid‘"g with Pohepohe, but whether the rumour hid any truth in it we cculd not learn. • A ” ou >?b not more than nine lives had been k last m the various rencontres, both parties ’were suffering much in other ways; and ft general state of disorganisation and demoralization was spoken of na manifesting itself n » one of the results of this land-feud. The nmgabouring neutral natives thought it would * m , uc h better if some strong power could 8 «p in and stop the feud—dividing the land equitably between the disputants, or taking the and giving- each an equivalent for his ore m some other district; but, at present, miner side would listen to such a suggestion. they must fight on—leaving their land for the most part uncultivated, and their boats and nildmgs going to decay for want of proper atntion, much in the same way that more invimed white men will waste their lives and neans m litigation, the successful man at last , ln g the oyster-shell, and both finding them“mves penniless. Hbo -8 AIA ’ le Church of England missionon * is finely situated on an elevated point on ° B °uth aide of the harbour—with Mount • right in front, three miles off. Here me residence of Archdeacon Brown, who at o time of this visit was at Wellington ; but the uttprs received the most friendly attention and both from his representative and from r „* ***•* Mrs. Volkner, who occupy the adjoining ®3idenee. I’be soil on this side of the harbour is generally decidedly good, for horticultural as Vel 08 n gricultural purposes, and not even the apples and peaches of Wangarie would surpass mse loading the trees at Te Papa. The veget- » ?. Productions were very good; and when, as it 5 to be hoped will soon be the case, the fine large of land attached to the Mission Station is, miner j n or gma u f armS) j et on leases to enterprising European tenants, vaere can be no doubt that the wdlWfled £ elds aod the rich pastures thronged wfth

I sheep and cattle, will exert a powerful influence in preparing the natives more closely to assimilate their agricultural practice to that of" the pakeha" and to offer him an inducement to come and settle among them, by more readily and freely parting with their surplus land. Hitherto, we believe, there have been difficulties in the way of this kind of European settlement being carried out with anything like efficacy; but those difficulties, we may hope, will soon be removed. Of one thing we are certain—there is no missionstation where greater facilities could be offered ! for the foundation of a European industrial settlement in the very heart of an important Native district, or with greater probability of such settlement aiding both in the work of missionary enterprise and in helping on the extinction of Native Title over large tracts of now idle and unproductive land. The Church at Te Papa is a substantial and neat wooden edifice, built like an English schoolhouse. The children looked clean and healthy, and the attendances at service-time were tolerably regular. Oh each side of Te Papa there is a boat channel connecting with the harbour : one, which three miles above narrows into a small but deep river, is navigable to the southward for fifteen miles, " and by it (the Pilot states) a journey can be accomplished to the llotorua Lakes in less than two days." Leaving the Mission Station,. and proceeding westward for Oturaoiti village, you have to be ferried over the other boat channel, and, in making for the village, cross a sandy plain on which is a large, but for the present deserted, native settlement.

At Otumoiti there is a considerable settlement, and the Roman Catholic Church, of native structure, is elaborately decorated in the most artistic native manner. On the beach are the house and stores of Mr. Faulkner, who has resided here for many years, and from whom and Mrs. Faulkner the travellers receive'd a hearty welcome. A short distance further on is the store of Mr. Farrow, and On the opposite side of the harbour is the residence of Captain Sellers (of the cutter 11 Comet,") who trades along the East Coast. No other Europeans, that we are aware, arc regular residents at Tauranga at present; but it is to be hoped that their numbers will soon have an increase, and that they will have the " White Swan" steaming into this noble harbour, and affording them the means of speedy communication with Auckland.

There is a growing disposition among the more intelligent natives to dispose of land to the Government, in order to induce Europeans to come and settle amongst them ; and anxious inquiries were addressed to more than one of the late visitors as to when they might expect some representative of the Governor to pay them a visit —to talk over matters with them and show them that they were thought wcrthy of occasional recognition. And we are convinced that, let but a footing be once obtained for the commencement of a European Settlement on one side or othor of the Harbour, and nothing can prevent Tauranga from soon rising into a first-class commercial port. Let any one who is at all dubious on the subject, consult the Admiralty map of this Province, and look at the position of Tauranga and at the rivers running into it—then let them look at the admirable Chart of the Harbour from the surveys of Capt. Drury, and they will no longer hesitate in coming to the same conclusion as ourselves, that—no matter what obstacle* may haveexisted, or may be supposed still to operate against obtaining land—resolute efforts ought to be now made to effect that object. The Bay of Plenty would then begin to be worthy of its name. In our next, if our readers grow not weary ot our Notes, we shall have to speak of the journey from Tauranga to Lake Rotorua by the two routes taken by different parties of tourists — namely, that via Maketu, and that through the dense bush beginning some fourteen or sixte-u miles to the south of Te Papa.