TRIP TO THE NORTHERN SETTLEMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 533, 28 July 1865, Page 6

TRIP TO THE NORTHERN SETTLEMENTS.

HOT 81'EIXGS AND MAHTBANGI. (cO.NTItIBCTED.) According to promise, I proceed to give you a brief sketch of my tour northwards. We left the wharf at Auckland with a fine breeze, ebb tide, and under 45 lb. pressure of steam. I must en passant give the makers of the engines of the Novelty all credit for the tremendous noise they make, similiar to that caused by a half a dozen stonebreaking machines, or a quartz-cnifbing battery of sixty head ofstamp l ; howe-er, I soongot accustomed to tho noise, and before we reached the North Head, forgot, in the contemplation of the magnificent and picturesque scenery, afforded by the position of the City of Auckland and its suburbs, that we were not propelled by w nd alone. The improvements on the North Shore astonished me much, but I was even more astonished at the taste displayed by some " person, or persons unknown " to me, who erected those half dozen undens on the land this side the Flag *taff. i must further state that before I rounded the *-'orth FTead I observed that both the spirrs of the two churches in Parnell. viewed from th s point, are considerably out of '• plumb." I make these remark* " aratis*'—for the benefit of all whom they nvty concern Whilst I was taking these notes we lost sight of the town, but got hold of a spanking breeze, up were the sails, the o d engines rattled, and away went the Novelty at the "rateof knots." Captain Quance himself now looked a little pleasant, and your correspondent seeing all was right, went below at ihc invitation of some friends, and " polished oil'" two or three bottles of XXX. About 3 o'clock, dinner was commenced, but by this time we were just in the passage between Whangaproa and Tiri Tiri, rounding the point, the wind was dead ahead, and b pretty good sea on, so that the Novelty began to rock about a little, and vibr te from stem to stern, whether it was this, or the fact of having breakfasted late, but certain it is that several gentlemen declined to take dinner and appeared to have conceived a suddeu fancy for the contemplation of the " vasty deep," however about a dozen sat down to dinner, by no means a bad one, save that Mr. Cochrane, who had a leg of under-done pork at his end of the table, could not with all his eloquence dispose of as many slices as he would have done " allotments" in his mart in the same time ; fortunately there was an abundance of other edihles, and no one seemed inclined to complain. The old Novelty rattled her machinery and made desperate headway at about one knot per hour, by some means the steam having dwindled down to 30 lb. pressure just at the very time heavi r pressure was wa-.ted. I overheard Captain Q. mutter between his .-leached teeth, "Oh ! them coals always the coals when the 'team is short. Of course I didn't, understand what this meant, but probably the engineer of th-> Novelty would know. The captain dined on a tub under the poop, and occasionally he would march wMi knife ii one hand and fork in the other up the gangway (to the imminent peril of those who might chance to meet liim), have a look out forward, another squint at the steam guage, and then return with an increased appetite to an attack upoi the underdone pork. The steward having collected half-a-crown fordinner all round, the business of the day appeared to be over, and time was beginning to bo rather monotonous. Mr. Cochrane, however, invited all hands below for a glass of whiskey, which was amicably dincursed with some other desultory conversation. A gentleman whom I shall designate (being of rather a musical turn of mind) as 0. Major, introduced tho subject of se:ling liquor to natives, and took a somewhat strange tone of argument, and insisted that neither the law nor anything else would or did prevent the natives obtaining spirits. Thin gentleman's remarks appeared to rile Mr. Commissioner hogan a little, who prides himself upon the sobriety and good conduct of the natives in his district of Kaip*ra,"and who stated that at any rate the natives did not get spirits there, and he appealed to some present, who corroborated his statements. He could not deny that if the natives said""Re will havo it," that it could be prevented, but he did know from experience that the best arm the law had was in showing to the natives how far the use of spirits wan against their own interests. He attributed the ibsence of liquor in his own particular district to an arrangement between himself and several chiefs, whom he had by common reasoning made to see the injury it would entail upon their race, pointing out to them that theirs had been (previous to the introduction of the white man, and even now to a gre.t extent) purely a vegetable existence, and common sense had impressed them with the fact that on that account the U9e of ardent spirits was at varianco with their physical and moral interests. The Superintendent then paid a graceful tribute of respect to Mr. Kogan, and said that the province and public were deeply indebted to him for the part he had taken in native matters, and the singular success that had always attended his nego-iations. His Honor said it must not to supposed that he was saying in that limited circle anything he would not gladly repeat upon a public platform. Mr. Samuel Cochraneclinche i the Superintendent's remarks by stating that whenever he saw Mr. Rogans name in connection with native matters, he knew " it wai all right." If thia should meet the eye of any of the gentlemen who were present, they wi 1 probably be surpriFoi to find that there was 11 a chiel them , n notes,' but the only apology I f ee l called tipo i to make them is, that had I not known they tuiiv meant what tl ey said, I would not have th night it worth my whi e to publish it, and 1 think it a pity oblivion" 11 " 16 "' 8 that d ° Ulem h ° nor fihould tl!o i ' l « ", ei . n 8 appeared to be rather nonplu.ed at this evidently unexpected eulogy, and was almost at fault for a reply. However he wisely said but little, and that to the ett'e -t that he was much obliged to his Honor and other K entlei e - Ve /^ flatterl^S remark « concerning him. SemTthat UrC act i? n9 " ould justify and confirm them in that opinion. He should continue to str.ve welfLfl of th 6 " 0 d °" e ' t0 pr T omote tl,e interests and welfaie of the province. Just at this time th« ,1 v a T, j P°PP ed o ff as the skipper popped h!s head down the cabin and inform d u» that the Novelty had come to anchor. Mr Cochrane suggested tint eo had the gentlemen below. We had to be landed in the steamer's boat and then wade through the water for about fifty VBrdg ,L bay being very shallow some distant'from « beach. All got safe to land, and after some time about twenty sat down to a very good dinner. Mr Cochrane dissected a turkey with admirable skill and by some wicked puns, kept the table, as Yorick was won't to do, "in a roar." Wo were accommodated with tolerable Bleeping arrangements. In tho morning at daybreak, I, in company with a friend went down the beach and enjoyed the luxury of a hot bath, for luxury it undoubtedly is, yet tho water is almost too warm, and I would respectfully su"i»est to the gentleman below, who has charge of the° furnace, to reduce the tomperature about tea decrees vhen it would bo all that could be desired. °

It is a great pity thai Mr. Syms, or some Other enterprising individual, does not irect some temporary building over the spring for tho convenience of visitors, as it is now entirely ext osed. As it now is, tho operation consists in the bather getting into an oblong box about i-ix feet by two feet, and there lie may lit; and "stew" until he considers himself After which, dress as quickly as he can, and if he 1 ke, do as I did, race up to the h°tcl and bolt into bed, and enjoy a luxurious nap for an hour or so, and presto, awake like a gi.mt refreshed. I rose somo timo before breakfast and enjoyed a smoke on the verandah of the hotel, and for tho first time enjoyed the lovely prospect before me. Charming indeed it was, a lovely morning, the Run shining brightly, glistened on the placid waters of the bay ; on either sido precipitous hoights, clothed with luxuriant verdure, and timbered to the water's edge. In tho distance Tiri Tiri, the Barriers, Brown Island, with several others before me on the left, isolated from the promontory of tho main land, some 50 yards, but connected by a reef visible at low water, stands the remarkable rock from which the district derives its name (Mahurangi). On the right, as far as Whangaproa, tho coast line presents somo pretty features, tho sun gilding its chalky cliffs hero and there glisten like distant icebergs, and tho swell rolling gently in on the hard, smooth, sandy beach, with a slight murmur, as if of delight, completes a picture fit for p iet or artist —tho beauties of which my feeblo pen is inadequate to pourtray. I was almost loth to leave the c .ntemplation of this scene even for the enjoyment of that, most enjoyable breakfast—(and for which I confess to a peculiar weakness) —" eggs and bacon." Everyone seemed to do full justice to it, and his Honor, who had also indulged in a hot bath that morning, had evidently bad his appetite •' wetted " too.

I may mention, for tho benefit of the afflicted, that Mr. Kussell, Dofenco Minister, has been staying for the last fortnight at tho Hot Springs, testing their virlues as a cure for rheumatism, and expressed himself satisfied that they havo been tho means of restoring him to comparative health in the short time ho has been down there.

About 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning the natives began to roll up. Manakuu was the first to make an appearance, on horseback, dashing along tho beach at full gillop. Ho Wiis shortly followed by To Hem ira, tho powerful chief of Mahurangi, To Keomi Matini, Panama, Rewhiti, and a host of others, many of whom were my old friends T met at the Kaipara \\ h .kawha. They came galloping ever the sandy beach with horses dripoing wet (having had to ford the Waiwerawera river), showing off their horsemanship to the crowd assembled on the verandah of the hotel. A number walked over from tho settlement on the Puhoi river.

The business which brought these natives together and his Honor the Superintendent and Mr. Rogan there comni"nced in the large room of the hotel. I have already furnished you with a full report of tho p oceedings at that p.ace, and shall only briefly a lude to it. The purchase of the Waitangi block was completed for the Mini o: 3s. !>d. per acre, which is C"itiinly cheap enough ; but the value of the large block of land called Hoteao, consisting of 43.0u0 acres, cann >t be over-estimated, and the Superintendent ccrt'iinly secur, d a bargain. Jho terms upon which it was purchased are mo k t ndvaniageous to the prov ncc, whil-t it. secures to the native owners an annual income ot £10. 0 for the next ten years to come. The Superintendent paid £100 as a deposit on this purchase. The r jad purchased ■is about oh miles long, from the head of the l'ukapuka stream to the north bank of the Wniwcra, and is of considerable importance to the settlers residing thereabouts, and for which tho insignificant sum, for s j great a convenience, ot £43 was pai.l. The.-e payments placed the natives in possession of a large sum as follows : —

Thi* concluded the business of the meeting, and his Honor then voiy liberally provided the whole of the natives with a good dinner, after which they began to disperse, some on horseback but the majority on foot. The Novelty abfiut noon steamed up and anchored in the bay, having ran into Mahurangi h'irbour for the night for shelter. His Honor embarked and at once proceeded to Auckland.

On the morrow (Wednesday morning) your correspondent in company wiLh a friend darted for the native settlement on the Puhoi river. But one word before I leave—on calling for our bills, wo were Somewhat astonished to find that Mr. Syms had chargei us 4s per meal. I feel called upon to protest against such undoubtedly high charges ; it is any• thing but a policy on the part of the proprietor of this hotel. I cannot say too much in favour of the Hot Springs, or point to a more enjoyable spot as a pla/e of resort for Auckland holiday and pleasure seekerj, or those in search of health, and picturesque scenery; but if it is intended to cultivate the custom of such, or make that place what it would undoubtedly become under proper managemen'.—a rendezvous for all who havo time on their hands —such high charges must be abated, and m ire attention must bo paid to the comfort and convenience of the guests.

V\ ell, as before stated, we made tracks for the Puhoi, took along the bench to the Wai VVera, over which we were ferried by the Happy Jack. Crossing here I caught the last glimpse of Mr. S. Cochrane and his friends,—there was our colonial George Robins in a mud flat up to his knees catching pipis, and appeared immensely interested in his occupation. Wc resolved to go along the beach, round the point, the tide being out, instead of crossingtheprecipitous range. The coußt a ong here is strewn with immense waterworn boulder* that have been washed by the action of innumerable tides into all sOit-> of fantastic shapes. Over these wo sr-rambled. not without many Bhakes and slips, overhauled Mr. Kogan, Mr. Denham, and Mr. All wright on the beach, with whom we went in company for some distmce, but alter rounding the point, a high bluff elevation, timbered down to high-water-mark, the two latter gentlemen, being bound for the Mahuvangi river, left us, having first directed us a " near cut" to the settlement. Wo must have either mistaken this gentleman's directions, or he was taking "a lise" out of us, when ho stated we shouM fi'id a l! good track" across the intervening swamp. After reconnoitring for some time we found a track, certainly, but far from a good one, through high ilax and ti-trec, into which we boldly plunged and followed for foinc distance up to onr knees in water. We shortly emerged from this jungle into an open, and could see wliares in the distance. Pursuing a straight course, we in due time arrive! at the settlement, und on our approach were greeted with a choru< of " bowwows" from about a score of Hogs A number of natives received us ; around ono of the wharea we passed sat half-a-dozeu women busily engaged in plucking ducks, fowls, cleaning kumeras, potatoes, vc., <£c , and making great preparations in honour of Mr. Kogan's arrival. Wo were ushered into a npacious whure, some 40 feet by 20, where we found To liem,tra and the other chiefs sitting " a la Turk" on mats with the glittering teasure of yesterday before them, engaged in portioning it. After going through the usual formula, we sat down and smoked until dinner time. The preparations for dinner were going on on a far greater scale than I expected j a table was eet in the centre with snow white table cloth, knives, forks, glassess, cruet stands, and the various p iraphanalia of a first-rate dinner tablo; these were brought in from an adjoining wharo where the cocking was going on by Mrs To Ilemaru, arrayed in silken dress and he id dreßS of remarkable hue, and two assistants, ono a very tall lady with scarlet jumper on, and the other with fancy print drees and whito jacket. These three " giMces " were engaged about half an hour in setting out the table ; they inarched in single file an almost innumerable number of times between the two wliares situated some 20 yards asunder, seldom bringing more than one article at a time; at last the climax came, by Mrs. Te H.-mara marching in front with a li-h containing two ducks, then followed tho tall lady with a dish of kumeras and potatoes in ea.li hand, and the roar was brought up by a very fine specimen of the female gender, with a vari-ty of sundrius, and a dish of |jork. About a dozen sat down to a most sumptuous repast.. A table better laid out Mr. steers could not setbe'ore his customers, nor could .Mr. Vialou's celeb.ated " chef" have furnished a better specimen of the art of cookery ; about a dozen did full justice to the unexpected " good cheer," and then a second table was laid for tho remaining guests of rank. To flemara, true to native customs and the courtesies of his race, refused to sit at the sumo table or eat until his guests had completed their repast, and when all had finished dined by himself on what boues and scraps remained. The afternoon was spent in conversation and smoke between Mr. Hogan and the chiefs, who occupied one end of tho spacious whare.

Purchase »f Waitansi block . £7G2 15 0 dit'o the road ... 43 0 0 Deposit on Hoteao .... 100 0 0 Total . £905 15 0