NOTES OF A JOURNEY FROM THE QUEEN'S REDOUBT TO AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 104, 14 March 1864, Page 4

NOTES OF A JOURNEY FROM THE QUEEN'S REDOUBT TO AUCKLAND.

1-AKr.Y on the morning of the 10th instant we louvid ourselves out on the road, chwu beside the first cart ot the convoy for IJrury. It was necessary to take this step, as we knew it would ;a,ce us all our time on readmit: Drurv to Imrrv over and .secure n seal on the bus, which ha,; I'een very crowded of late. The showers which fell lie previous night just, laid Ihe dust, and rendered travelling agreeable. As soon as the escort, arrives, off we go, and after one or Iwo stoppages to get al! the carls together, We enter the hush, where we meet with a pnrl.7 of hohiax w-no have been out prowliw for anything they can Jay their hands on. ' They accompany tis as far as IJhodcs' clearing ( and wc (here liiul otu that they belong to the' " (lying column." We would Mi.srgpst.Yor the benefit Jf '• wjiom it way concern,"' that the road from Queen's .Redoubt to the entrance of (he bush be laid with metal, and looked after before the wet -sets in. "A stitch in lime .saves nine." The driver seems a very intelligent man, and entertains us with an account of the way in which •' brother Jonathan" drives his horses and guns, he having been for sonic time in Die American service. Shortly after entering the bush we are regaled with a few slight showers, but as we h'ipe they will soon pass over, we don't grumble. Al:.Rhodes' clearing we slop for a Jew un'mites to allow* the " Jcaikai" tor the detachment to be unshipped. We also perceive tho smouldering remains of some of the /iros that have of late been visible from the detachments on the WuiKato. lucre is not a great- deal to say about, the road through the bush, but we were glad to see hrn*iu-\>o-l cVtr.v! r. iir.oA «-*»• «l. 'i-,. 1

river, whore the 18th were fired on a short time since. At Williamson's clearing wo meet the convoy on its way up, as also a lew strainers belonging to fhe Defence Force, proceeding to the front. Hero wo leave the escort from Polceno to find its way hack with the np-eonvoy, while the Auckland I\lilitiix do the aniiaMe tor us at. Drury. A very convenient watering-place has been formed a little below this, and it would ho to the advantage of the Commissariat if they had something of this kind on the road between Mereinore and Bangiriri. At little beyond this wo arrive ai Martyu's farm, anil hero wo meet hi with some civilian carts proceeding to Pokouo with bay. They do not j.ooin to have any fear of Maoris, as they trnvol lip and down by themselves. Below Martyn's wo perceive that the authorities pro bestirring themselves about the state of the road, as they have a good number of rneu breaking stones and repairing the road on to Drury. Nothing important happens until we pass a " fly" with two ladies, (and our reason for taking note of this, is that this is the first-female we have seen for about .'! months). "We duly arrived ai Drury and find that we ha ve about an hour to spare ere the 'bus started. We were surprised at the groat changes in this muddy place. It seems to bo all occupied I by the " bullock-punching" fraternity, ami wo wore glad to hoar that the principal field is to be drained—a stop in the right di'-ection. When the road-metal is well spread, wo may eoase to exclaim "Where is mud like thy mud. O Drury 1" After having regaled our.elves at the kind invitation of a friend, wo once more set out, and cross the Rubicon on our wav to the hotel. Arrived hero, we find out that, we have some time to spare, but as there is only one vehicle to bo run, it will be to our advantage to

get seated. As it promises to In- (inc. we take nil outside tickof. Nome, who !i;ul boon told by tiic men on convoy that there was :in opposition concern, stared anxiously about lor it : T dare say the cause of their inquisiliveness was a statement to the eti'eci that they would be proveied u ith a dinner and a pinf <>;' ale, it* fhev wont l>y this coach. Alter waiting a long time. ;uid laughing at the mano'uvres of a drunken e |»nn\ til ilii-"!i)oki'.v" advancim'. Tiu'V iw'i 1 soon tackled in. am! the driver, drunk nf course, came for the faros. " How liiueli is it ' asked a talkative individual near at hand. Six hob," was the answer. .\)1 the " needful" having been properly settled, we start. We must inform anyone going by this conveyance, and Ik; iv;ml> to ,-ecure a seat ne\t tin l driver.

(hat (he charge is IDs. Uut at (he sometime, for the safety ol'their own nccks. and those nf their tellow passengers, we advise them not lo pay it. as we firmly believe, from what we saw. that it is necessary for all " bus" drivers to keep teetotal. Away we go leaving all thought ot' mud and discomfort behind, and when we come to (he trail tilings called " bridges," we arc swept over (hem at a fearful rate, so much so, that the centre of gravity is ofien seriously in danger. 11' the l;iml of driving is kept up that we experienced on the day in question, we will not be a! all surprised at hearing of some dreadful coach accident. About a mile and a half (rout the hotel we passed the drafts of (he dificrent. regiments on their way up to the front. Here, again they are repairing the road, as lasl winter it uas f nght t til at this spot. In due time Papak lira is reached, and having got our " nohblers" we start a gain. Hut the jolting ami shaking we experienced from Papakura to llurfon's was dreadful. Of course, we slopped at Burton's to water, and we observed that the Military train, like the C.T.C.. stop at ail the half-way houses to water themselves and their horses. I'rom .Burtons down, v.'e were made aware thai we had come into a civilized country, a.- the people had manners and customs different from the inhabitants at Pokcno. At this stage of the journey some of the travellers began to get. merry, and entertained us with » few (irsf rate songs. At Otahuhu we stopped, and changed horses ; and to listen to the females inquiring ior their friendsaml relations a; the war, brought a fish market forcibly to mind. The greatt l !* number of the passengers got off here; but we were .U'lad when we found ourselves at the .Harp, which was reached and passed without a stop. Not so at the .Junction, but a... (his was only a trifling aliair. it is hardly worth mentioning. Arrived at the Windmill, we took our leave of (lie 'bus. and after having a comfortable tea., we found ourselves in in iinte for the " Panorama." in the Brunswick Hull. We were very well pleased with it. and we would suggest to some intelligent speculator that he should engage a number of sketehers. to accompany the troops in New Zealand, and after the w'ar is ' over, we would be highly delighted to look at a | Panorama of the scenes being enacted at ( this present moment, and which arc of so much ! importance to the people oi Ihe town and tiro- ; \ usee ot' Auckland. ' .