A TOUR IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2107, 22 October 1870, Page 3

A TOUR IN THE NORTH.

HVri:;.:» for the New Zealasb Hkrai-d.] the following description of a li-iv*' tour around a portion of the mas'. "!' ;l fIW ~f ri / irr -S a "d , 1 jo rt. distance in the interior, of the Matakana, M"ahurangi, See., &,c.. 'I* imMieation in jour paper, I Imvo a ! -° r u ■\< to its possessing sufficient' interest for perusal of the New Zealand puMie. The pleasure p.rly ehieflv of Victorians, and the subject n.-rliaps* be better adapted to the *^ nn s of the Melbourne press. If, however, c '". ' ( . 4 n find room for its insertion we "VVtor'ia> ? obliged. To begin, I may •!- m.. yiv.i. sir s that we hired or contracted '"ith tht- eapt:iin of the A 1 clinker-built * vier-f:i?tened twin-scivw steamer 'Gemini,* measurement and propelling power « -ir/flv b- ex peeled to be on a par vdth ij pr Majesty's screw steam war ship j>i., tv V nn w in thi* bay, therefore wo all : ine statistics by w «y ofcontrast p-t'-en! : s nliee it that we started duly on "i- trip making Riverhcnd in one dav jpVi -ib i!*t 21 hours. I cannot say th >t 1 was -v unii'h delighted with the beauty of after leaving the pretty view which: l t:!vee from every aspect. norlh, [ t M-i. or west. Beyond the "Watch- j yan tlsere i> of interest apart from the ' of the sail. On arrival at- the hotel ; we ordered dinner, and a J *.>-y r.'ce dinner the landlady put upon the : L nved turkey done to perfection, plum i

r .: \[>yj of th* real Christmas plum ■{rrr'i EnjlMi flavor, prcperlv b-iled and '>-*1:1 lv fried j e:tsoning. and when well washed •-v.v with a jug of good btcr, w.isn't bad to »ike for a ' ungry n.an. and the hostess had v:'ar demembration of the fact when the >r,v.T h:i v been given to " clear away the oir m* £ t pUee of call, when we left the • aii-i. :iid been previously arranged for the rj.-:; St»r:ngs. and for that locality we shaped \:r { 'mv-\ pioneered by a gentleman who • kr.e'-v the wav s > well, lie could lead us there

y:._ ivM." So off we started up those •''i.T'.tfui liills, steep as the rL'ginc of a ship's ~ a .t. bill minus the accommodating '-attlines. jlare vou ever, Mr. Editor, travelled across mountain?? Up hill—down chile — r.r^iz-i the valley -across the creek—over the up to the middle in mud. here jiippiniT down the steep cliff? and mountains, there, with the Ciance of breaking your limbs ar neek nt every step you t..ke? Have you ever h:ul to wend your weary way through

•lire?, whin, gorse, and ti-tree scrub—where i: eivry ?!«•}> or t»';rn you are apt to trip ; and where ti:? ti-trei' branches are so thick that thvf lash your face, whUk off your hat, aud, ireiii a previous shower of rain. d< luge you a< en e:v a? ean the most efficacious shower bvh? Ifave you ever travelled, >ir, under a bu-tsiai hot sun. parching with thirst, when ?ou wviiid uive tHe world for a drink of beer •>: r:-, »;T, .-.r to be within cooey of house or ijb:*:i ? .:on ? ilaveyoa ever been wearied—so fiY;r i :sat you 'nave lain down from complete p:, and utter helplessness—in con-ie-rit-nv of Having lost your way in the dark, a::.i t'u* devil a i'ir y-mr pioneer (the man who •• ?ouid lead you to the spot- blindfold") could d-?:-r::;:ne tinon which course to pursue with t:i? rir'w of extrica'ing you from all your dilS 'ulties * Have you erer crossed rivers in

co.'ids-sreh boats scarcely capable of carrying uiore ilim one at a time, but when three or fo;tr !ii-idu:en insist upon " going too," be -tu ; e. forsooth' ihey could swim, while you are ivi iing ** coilin" on every plank of the frail ~hd!ow craft ca*ied '* a dinjjy ?" Have vp i ever ''caved in." and sat down, d'jjjeiiy. sayi 112. " Xo, I will not climb that steep ■: hill top, and travel to tlie next, fciv thai frightful bu>h ; rather will I sit here u-i l aw;.it the fall of the tide, that 1 may uo routi i by the rocks ?" 1\ .Mr., v u have never undergone those diffi- •ulrirs aa.i daubers, take m* advice, and i:ewr c ire to. Ai aay r..te, never no ronnd to the ifot ."Springs by way of the ' l KiverHeal." tor as the nigger said, "'that am my exp*rien:<.\ and them's my sentiments."

Whea we arrived at the Hot Springs, our piny \-.\{ not divided, some having thorouj\W bvKen down, and other? branching Oil :::to the interior, ail agreeing, how9rcr. 10 meet at one place, our rendezvous, this when I found what delightful reem-ring around the Hot Spring locality was. Have toil ever been there. Sir? if not, go down in the cutter ' Tut/ and rid yourself of any supertlous fat, or inconvenient ;. ni uiav be troubled with. The hit

sr-ri*jc< or baths will take it out of you in one fei'ri Mr. ilorne, whose kindness ain eouri'»«y were to us of the most appreciable nature, will doubtless .grant the same privilege to you which he did to us, viz., give you the fc?y oft!:-? cottage adj >i;iing t!ie bath?, where you will find dressing rooms, with ill their appurtenances necessary for lour toilet v.n \ comfort including blankets, &c., «&e. From the delighful luxury of the hoi bath you can plunge therefrom into the open sea, or vice versa as your wish might be. On tlie Terandah of rbe cottage, after dressing, yoti can enjoy a weed, the enjoyment thereof being gr atly enhanced by the beautiful scenery which surrounds you on the lofty hills on either side, covered with New Zealand bush i» all its density ; comprising trees of 7ast descriptions and great xuagnitude, down to tho?e of the most delicate nature in form, 3in, and beauty.

The p ihutukawa, with its beautiful green in 3 uniform leaf, and in certain seasons, its lovely blossom. The magnificent tree fern, to look unon which :ts it gr:.ws there, is to stamp the imagination with its deserved wotldw;de reputation as one of the loveliest tree? in the wh <le universe. The kauri, or Njw Zer.la\d laburnum. The totara, invaluable for Trlurf pili-s. The manuka, karaka, pyrin, with inumerable others of such break]lw pronunciation that I was compelled to cry out '• h >ld, enough." The view from the top Gi the surrounding hills locking into the bay and £,!«q seaward was beautiful in the extreme, comm-in iing all the islands in and around the waters of the Bay, including Otuaweu, Opaiii, Opaheki, Tehuia Wai, Pukapuka, Mouiahora, Mangonui, and the little island tlifi mouth of the Waiwera, Mahurangi, from which the latter district took its name, wa? told through a bloody fight fought Upon it by two tribes of Maoris. It is a saiall i«!and, and at low-water communicates Wl ta the beach by a reef running on to the land, After a couple .of days' recruit*ag at the Hot Springs, we started en route 0r Mutakana. On the north side of the jDttngs you crosa the Orewa river, tlie Uteneua creek, and after leaving the Wairivtr, turn your yiew seaward, you a7e the magnificent buy before you, *itii as rolling, surging waters washing e shore at your rery feet. Or do you wish a stroll ? The beach is before JOU, at tlie north end of which is Wtii"r.er i an d across which tliere is an o.el ( irith ercellent accommodation, and l .jk» Australian, and New Zealand periodit? S) "lustrated or otherwise, at your choice. 0 you wish for a sail on the river ? A boat t ere, and you can go up some three miles, n p a j y our respects to tlie settlers. Among em will find, as I did, hospitality forced »vV°* U not kerning rudeness, £-h either creates a feeling of delicacy that oM' 6 " U uncom f° rta ble, or creates a ifeeling , l= f as to your being truly welcome, ■i. c^ ore becomes offensive, but with that Bull feeling, better designated as m a n^ 105 pitality of the true English gentlea I" my instance, however, it was a , c 1 lady and gentl.-mau who did me the ftCcol ' ( li n g me a friendly welcome and?* fi °j° llrn - p - John Anderson 4t th' 11 K ai * ft settlers, having resided tk Springs for some twenty years or ow n e * i Ut * r3 - Anderson possesses in her *mo v • ' ar S e tracts of land on the Waiweru, h" V lllO^1 whose beau'ies of scenery >nd out if 'V l - T f v ;" n T ait-Jinpted to describe, fln® r " le waters of the Hot Springs in»-il ro "' l ' le making the land an for (.."hi t6laLc I> i* also adapted famously t'lrr\l' ° raz ' n g, while tlie soil, for ngricuiticial a. U i rP -° Se3 ' ' S " cll in t,le l " y ' reme - Water, den f ' abounds, a»nl ',oivs to the gar-t-H-e. Fish swarm the i iyer. Pheasants

build their nests and breed their within a stone throw of the very door. Fruit is plentifully supplied fr.»m the orchard, the lovely lemon trees with their rich yellow leaf and prickly branch, laden wi h !emon9 of immense size, contra>ting with the Tvhite blossoms of the surrounding fruit tre* s, give a finish to the place cnehanting. Jielievo me, Air. Editor, you will think a* I thought, when you go, that you have found an earthiy paradise! 1 um informed t hat when the pohatukawa is in blossom—about Christmas time — nothing the imagination cm ••nnceive, would realise the grand ur of tlda K ten of bush flowers. A notable in-tance of the effect of the hot. water o! the Springs upon tame ducks i* worth recording. Mrs. Ander-on had a large flock of duck-', and tin ir fju.ickships were very fond of the hot water.* on the beacli, to *vhich they had acce-5, in thelumry of which thry freely and frequently indulged. It was -oon found however that an embargo would have to be laid on the ducks to prohibit them fr >m going o Mside the precineta of their own farm b >un larv. as their hills or beaks were becoming all i.wisted and softened J from the heat of the waters. ITow to carry J the matter out became a difliculty which j eventually Im.i to be overruled by having !

recourse to a still more healing process, viz., the oven. Mrs. Anders.m was üblig. dto coDk the ducks to stive their lives—a -change anomaly but nevertheless true, because their beaks became so twisted they turned quiro umnd and prevented their healthy feeding— hence the remedy of the killing process.

j The Maori people along the coast are fai • I specimens of men and women, both being good ' featured and noble in stature, as well as pos- , sessing intelligence of no mean order. At the ; Springs there is a Maori named Mera, who is » a ready fine made man—has fine features, j beautiful teeth, lovely s yes, and limbs 'ike a | Hercules, tho' proportioned with true svm- | m-try. I conversed with him and was asi tonished at the excellency of his English and at his intelligence, whieh, on enquiries I found [ was ilue to the lady on wdiose grounds he ha 1 : been reared from ehildho <d, j t *id to whom he is much attached. Leaving the Mahurangi Bay after a day or two's stay for recruiting purposes, we proceeded onwards en mute for Matikana. We had already crossed the Owera river, the Oteneua Creek, an I ju*t left the Waiwera river when we had more st»ep hills to mount, dense bush to pass through, and then another steep hill to gc ilown bf inging us to a flat land where the Maori chict lives who visited England, and to whose child Queen Victoria became god mother. More ?te p hills, bu-di, and ti tree, the latter so thick and high that but for a track it. would be ditlicult to find a way out. when once you entered it. Then you come to the Puhoi river where there is a ferry on the opposite bank. *' Gooey" brings out of a hut a hoy of some 12 years of age who launche> the dingy and rows across for you. But so frail was the boat that we ero-sed one at a time. This boy lives at the hut all the year through, earning his lining from the ferry hire. I fancy I -e-» a you ;g Victorian isolating his you!hful life thu<, and living away from kith or kin or human being. Over the frightful steeo hills again, down the valley, along the coast, ami ultimately the Muri ireached, where to our amazement the dingy is brought aero?? to us by a liftle girl not more than S years of age. On my word I was para lyzed at this feat, whi -h, in my estimation, far eclipsed that of the world-renow eu Gvaee Dariing. On the opposite ban - the mother of the little girl, with two younger children, were there to receive us, and when 1 enquired *' what p r head for ferry," sue smiled, and said they made no charge, but if the gentlemen chose to give the little girl a trifle they were welcome to do so." I scarce need add that the suggestion, -is I took it, want once acted upon, anil many an approving look and pat on the curly head my little Grace got. Ble« all s-ueh fearless darlings ! •'Mount the hill, Janet, and I'll gi' thee a tatev" was the aibwer given by one of our

partv, when :ssk'-d " Which road we were to taker 1 " "ihe uTj rApic.-ion, W* a.ud came to his mind at the mom nt from tlie reinemuranco of his younger days, in the moth -r country, where an old man go! hi< living by selling p »talo«s, an I taken through the town, by a donkey and donkey-cart; an • when g"ing up ,l rather steep hill, in on-* of the localities, he us. d to encourage his ass wi'h the iudu gence of a " tatey," which her lilyship wis partial to, and thoroujhly understood the promise contained in the expression qu >ted. '* Mount the liill " implied that we had plenty more of that exeicise before us, but the Gra<v

Darling element h-d infused a feeling of cheerfulness and a spirit- of emulation, as it were; so oil* we went, helter skelter, and many an amu-ing remark and anecdote fo lowed on the back of our " donkey" friend. One gentleman said he wished he was at the top of tho hill "Why, Tom," said I Tarry Wood, "you're always wishing." •* Aye," replies Tom, "I'm like our servant girl at ho ue ; she's always wishing she w;»s m arried, and 1 said to her one day, " liuiina, do you erer dream about marr'age ; for you are always thinking and talking about a husbind ?" "Yes, Mr. Torn" she answered, " X do dream about it, because I prav for a hu>band to be sent to le.nl me into that haven of connubial bli-sS which I hear your Ma and Pa talk so much about." Tom

thought he'd better " shut up." and question j Emma no further ; but the girl luckily asked him if he'd lik* to know tlie form of her wish or prayer. When so hard pr- ssed, he said he would. " Then," she, •' I pray not for a boy like you. but if naught, bet ter shoul i come, that he might soon <jrow into a mtn, to fit him as my future partner through life." Tom said, he feltdriel up into a stafo of iittlene s, and gave Eunna " best" without any further pirley, such a rebuff being anything but flattering to his sensitive nature. Such like pleasant and harmelessly amusing full carried ns on to another bay where a Maori settlement is, and here we called upon a fine tall Maori named Katene and who was very hospitable, find gave me the name 3 of tlie different islands iu that neighbourhood of the bar. In fact lie wrote them down for me at mvrequest, and handl. d the pencil exceedingly well, ile was really noble looking, and had the stamp of intelligence written ou his brown forehead. He had io's of children, and truly he might be, as doubtless he w is, fond of them. Whether it was his wife or sister (for he was a rouiig looking man) who was living in the next house, and on the same ground, the was as beautiful a woman as you'll see in a day's walk in any city in Eur>pe, barring colour; which has none the leas of beauty in it in the writer's opinion. The same here- ; after will find us side by side, and the some haven of rest will give us an eternal dwelling. From this bay we walked round the rocks to j the next, and" on to the last, where we took j ferry and crossed the Mahuraijgi river, ful'y a mile across. Here we subsidised tlie ordinary ferry charge twofold, for the privilege of an extra row along by a point of land, over whieh we otherwise would have had to travel uo " Shanks' naig." From the binding place to tlie next ferry on the Matakana river there was the usual hill (ravelling through bush, with the monotony relieved by the distri bution of a few houses and settlements, the school, and the church. As regards the Church in these districts, there is, I think, a beautiful feature actuating the community at large. They genu to follow the advice given by the late Charies Dickens to his children, and a'opt the broad basis of Christianity, which knows neither sect nor creed apart from tlie pure and simple hut earn- at and sincere worship of God ! " Love thy neighbour as thyself" is the actuating principle of their creed, for the same Chinch covers the heads of those who kneel to worship, no matter what denomination they represent,—arid by the same rule, anyone max preach. Passing on we reached what was pointed oui to us miles distant therefrom as the highest hill we had to encounter on our road to Omaha, viz., " One tree Mill." It is covered with furze, and commands a magnificent view of the bay, the open sea, tlie whole group o!

island?. iitMilc (lie heads, and, in the background, the immense tract of land and lm?di over which we. had travelled from Rive»hcod. Pi' )in this lull our onward becamo a gradual dec ent, unl.il weag:iin found ourselves on ihe bea'.-b, and after travelling

over rock*, round headlands, and alo r ' beach covered with be?iutiful ehella—many oi which we gathered—we reached the last ferry j a i * river (Malakana), which we had to cross We hired a b->at which had been used tilt ' diiy b-'fore in ratehing sharks, an everyday occupation with some of the s ttlers there. The sh-irks are so plentiful that their carcases are used as manure for the gardens, and the oi! extracted from the liver is used for household purpose*. The men stand on the sandspil and tli ow out a line with bait and catch then quite easily, some of them 5 and fi feet long , The stench from the boat we hired—whicl | was as bl->odv as a slaughter yard—was hor- ' rihle in the extreme,and made dome of us sick. The old man who rowed ua up the river was an old shellback. Poor old man, he pulled wiih the strength and vigour of youth whi't ree Minting bis experience in New Zealand fo*. a quarter of a century past or more ; when ht used to come on shore and amuse himself by frightening t he natives with his cutlass in hand whi'e underg «*ng the feat of slashing the pro jeeting limbs of tree* as he leisurely walked al'»nj, or simp v whisking "ff a fl-iger or two, when the Mams took hold of the cutlass, as he pulled it through their lianas. There vnust have been some very amusing incidents in the

cirly days of the old settlers, if these simple (?) art* were of sueh an ordinary nature, Mr. Editor. But bless his good old heart, the old tar had no harm in him. lie only wanted fch j natives to see what stuff ller Majesty's subjects were made of, although, by-the-by, he was mate of a merchantman at the time the above

amusement to >k place while trading. The old inan rowed us to the head of the river, or n-ariy, and about twilight we arrived at one of the settlers' houses in Ma'akana. At one of our s»>j uirns at Mdakana we were very tir *d when *ve arrived, aad a'teer a good feed, went to bed pretty early. T ;0 accommod ition w;\4 very good,the beds clean and comfortable, and thc'refi-L-shini of the inner man, pleat.ful. The home.mr.d'' bre.id was a treat, the butter AI. and we had a dairy to go and drink milk id libitum. T had a splendid night's re»t, anil wa-* up by sunrise next morning, and a* there was no wash hand-stand, neither were there jug, b.i-in, nor water in my room, I naturally c urdu led there must be a general bathroom for the travelling community to indulge in a thorough ablution. I therefore required of the landlady " Oo dd I have a good wash, and w adil she kindly direct me to the bathroom ?" [ noticed a peculiar (.winkling of the eye and a lurking smile on the ountenauce, as sle siid to hor nusban 1. " «ivo the gentleman a towel and soap and shew him to the bathroom," 1 aving a partieular emohasis (I t bought) on the "bathroo n." Of course I followed the husband and was duly shown tho ro an in question, which from i's novelty T will now attemptto describe. The floor of the room when I entered it w:is covered with carpeting softer than the finest texture of the riehe-t Brussels ever manufactured. Jhe walls were adorned with pi mts and il >wers str-plied b> nature, Min>"is»ing i»i simplicity combined with loveliness anything whieli the rarest art cculd design ; while the roof or ceiling was of unbounded nvigniiiccnce, the lights and sh ides of which with their rarest tints no artist ever yet succeeded in realizing, [ say more than that the *'* ba'hroom" 1 "waa taken to was the running creek at the back of the h-Mise. Jhe " flooring ' consisted of the creek bottom with mud knee deep. The walls were the banks of the stream, and the ; roof or eeihng, was heaven's b.*ight, 1 •eautiful, and glorious canopy. Of course the husband and wife had the laugh ol me, and I | readilv then conceived the meaning of the i lady's" latent lurking smi'e when she emphasised the hathroo c. Uowi vrr, the whole | proceeling was s*o rare and novtd that II thoroughly enjoyed it, and had my revenge on i mv companiotis waile I sat. reading by the lire, j for it was a sharp bra-ing morning, when I thov ha i to go through the same pantomime, | as they came from their sleeping apartments, ! an i were each in turn being " sold" by our i facetious lan dady.

The district of Matakanahas many features of interest. Within the immediate neighborhoo I of the township there are seiners wiiu h it e Attained the position—if not of afllu -nee, ~f ease, and eomhrt —a height or eminence in the ladder of fortune which, having overcome t e dillicuhies of mounting the first few steps, leidrf to ultimate iudepen ence, when continned eneriry and perseverance are rhe actuating and propelling powers. According to the accepted rule, a public lions •, black mith's shop, and store, constitute a town-hip. Matnkana township has no "public," which is p'vbi-

bly no great los-< to iis community. It has however, its " church " and its "school," without which 1 should consider its people outside the pale of civilization. There is also a medical gentleman for those who m iy require his services, mi 1 I say w//, because the atmosphere i* of that pur<; nature that health is wrhten on every brow, and the 0111-es and duties of the doctor, so far as medicine applies, have become a sinecure, while at the same time, the population is rapidly on the increase, and the rising generation, whose ruddy complexions and robust frames give promise of fine men and women, prove and confirm my observation a- to the salubrious nature ol the climate. The

(lit. country U all taken up and under cultivation, while the hill sides are g/aduallv but surely and effectually being cleared of the tiuibe-, with the view to fur'her cultivation and settlement. The yeomen of Matakana generally, cons itute that class of men so necessary in the ope» iug of a new country, because of their perseverancee, detennimtion, and pluck, characteristics which overcome every difficulty attendant upou settlement in fanning in hilly districts, where much labor in dealing is necessary, through the superabundance of bush and heavily-tim-bered land, as is the case on the right bank of tho locality of which I have just been writing, and over which we will now go, leading us to the farm and grounds of Messrs. Matthews, Hros. These two gentlemen, T found, were bachelors both, and I could not help thinking it a pity it was so, simply because I saw much to regret in the absence of a woman in such ah enchanting s ene aa that which surrounds tho place. I am a grea*j admirer, Mr. Editor, of the softer sex ; so lam of nature, of art—of all the beauties which they can place before us ; but f/h, how much is wanting in the realisation of that feeling of happiness and contentment which is necessary to settle us down to the enjoyments of this life, if woman—lovely woman — be not there ? 'Iw her happy look an I lovely smile which gives encouragement to the partner of her life! 'Tis her grace and lovq which adorn even the walls of a hut or rugge I dwelling ! ; Tis the remembrance of he parting look and sweet welcome that give elasticity to his step when returning from a journey! These, and a thousand other b'essings, are attendant on our association with lovely woman. I therefore repeat that (he key-stone to these brothers' happiness was wanting. As regards their farm the spot has been well chosen. It embraces an= I encompasses beauties of scenery, the.n which nothing the imagination could picture can be more magnificent. Its surroundings possess historical interest, for it is the pedestal of that mount Tangahua (known to Kuropean settlers as Mount Hamilton) where the runaway Maori prisoners went, to, on the t.op of which they built the pa, j and fortified the mount with terraces % , and im renchmonts, which, although the remains of the pa and the trenches are only what (ire and deatruclio i have left, it is easy to judjje- when on the top of it how formidable must have been their po ition, and how death must have been dealt to the assailants by an armed force if an attempt had been made to carry it. On the top of it, and looking down to the Omaha Valley, you have the Sugar Lo it ou your right , anotner lofty hill ; and in a line therewith the dividing ranges he'ween Omaha and Matakana. 'Ihe view, looking award, gives within ca«;y distance the north and south points of land, through which is the entrance from the sea—the beautiful open ?ea.