THE MIRANDA DISTRICT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8950, 14 January 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MIRANDA DISTRICT

1863 AND 1887, (BY URN BOW. 1

This pleasant little district, with its thermal springs, its mineral wealth and unsurpassed scenery, is situated on the western shore of the Firth of the Thames, and derives its name from the Miranda Redoubt, erected there during the war to keep the rebel Maoris in check.

My present trip to the district was not of the same hostile character as on my previous visit—full of the demon of war, thirsting for the blood of a barbarous though generous savage that never did me any harm. 1 went this time to spend a few days with friends, recruit my health, bathe in the warm springs, ramble over where I played at soldiering for a short time and stood a few sentry-go in 1563.

I shall commence this sketch with a brief summary of my former visit. In the year 1803, when the Maori war was in full blast, and the City of Anokland was threatened with an invasion by the hostile natives, every man that could draw a trigger was called out to defend his home. The threatened inva* ■ion was supposed likely to be effeoted by the means of canoes from the Thames, and to thwart this design, a body was composed of detachments of the regulars and Waikato regiments, with the Naval Volunteers, to which corps I was attaohed, Captain Daldy as our chief, and General Carey commanding. The expedition amounted to 1700 rank and file, all told. Early in November this force embarked from Queen-street wharf, on board H.M. ships Miranda and Esk, accompanied by a numerous flotilla of small fry, carrying stores, ammunition, etc., for the troops. This formidable force steamed out of Auckland harbour in the face of a north-east gale of wind, and oast anchor that evening in Manof-War Bay, Waiheke, to await favouf- , able weather to land troops. The fleet remained at anchor the whole week, and such wretched weather, the rain coming down in torrents.

My first week's campaigning was anything bat a pleasant one. There were about 1000 people crowded on the spar-deck of the Miranda, without any protection against the pelting rain save the awning. H.M. ships Miranda and Esk were not provided with troop decks, so we had to put up with the soft side of a plank to lie on. On Sunday morning the fleet weighed anchor. The day was fine, the wind was favourable. This formidable array of the implements of destruction proceeded up the Thames as if bound to bombard a walled city, instead of going to scatter a horde of naked savages. The same evening the fleet dropped their anchors again off Wakatiwai. Early on the following morning the troops disembarked on the beaoh, and fell into position. From information received through friendly natives by Colonel Drummond Hay (guide and interpreter to the force), it was ascertained that a large force of the rebels .were entrenching themselves behind rifle pits, and that the soldiers would receive stubborn resistance in dislodging them. The locality where the Maoris were said to be entrenching was six miles further on, at Pukorokoro Creek. The General took the precaution to take the Maoris on the flank, and not risk his men to fight the rebels at a disadvantage entrenched behind their rifle pits. After a fatiguing march of close on twenty miles, over hills and gullies we arrived at four p.m. on an eminence overlooking the enemy's position. The Maoris could be seen as baßy as nailers constructing their rifle pits, determined to 'defend their rights. On the near appoach of the troops they skedadled to the bush, leaving us in peaceful possession of the field. We bivouacked that night on a flat plot of ground on the banks of the Pukorokoro Creek, on the spot where the Miranda redoubt afterwards stood. We passed a cold and hungry night, for the boats carrying the commissariat were unable to enter the creek, and all who were not on guard, were under the necessity of lying down in the fern, drenching wet.. The following morn* ing early fatigue parties were told off to lay off the redoubt, and upon its completion, ours, with a detachment of the regulars and Waikatos were left in possession while the rest of the forces pushed on to erect the Esk and Surrey redoubts. The navals remained in the Miranda until after Christmas, when the company returned to the bosom of their families and friends to recount their valour in the field, slaughtering Maori pigs, to tell of false alarms, but nsver having ever encountered one hostile native.

A quarter of a century has rolled by sinoe then, and those troubled times hare been followed by a season of unexampled prosperity. I took my passage this time in the 8.8. Lily, Captain W. Porter, and after a phasant run down to the Miranda, I was lunded the same evening at Wakatiwai, the residence of Mr. W. F. Porter. Mr. Porter id one of Auckland's old identities, having arrived in the colony in 1840, and is the only surviving son of the late Captain Porter. Mr. Porter has a farm here of 6000 acres of land, freehold and leasehold. A ramble over his cultivations the next day after my arrival convinced me that Mr. Porter was no amateur farmer. There are laid down in crops this year on this farm 100 acres— : 50 acres in oats, 30 in wheat, and the remainder in potatoes and other root crops. The land Is luxuriantly fertile, for, without the use of any manure, the land will, yield 35 bushels to the acre of wheat. Besides cropping 'to that extent, there is a fiae flock of 1000 sheep grazing on the farm, besides cattle and horses. All the straw is utilised by being cut into chaff, for which there is a ready market found at Grahamstown, on the opposite shore of the Thames. To develop the trade of the Miranda, Mr. Porter has purchased the s.s. Lily, which plies weekly to Grahamstown and Tapu with produce and passengers from the Miranda. Previous to the s.s. Lily being put on the trade the settlers at the Miranda were handicapped very much through mon« opoly. There is only a fortnightly mail to the district, which seems strange in this progressive age, when every other little pokey hole has its steam communication with their twice weekly mail. As I was anxious to visit other plaoes of some interest to me in the district, Mr Porter provided me with a saddle horse, and accompanied by Master Bertie Porter as my guide, we took the beach road to Miranda proper, some 4 to 5 miles distant. Here, where the main portion of the Bottlers dwell, Mr. William * inlay owns a farm of considerable extent, subdivided into paddocks, which he uses for grazing, and does nob crop to any extent. The redoubt is within Mr. Finlay's boundary, and is now levelled to the ground, and its site is covered with a iuxu« riant award of grass, There is a post office and telegraph station, a Government school, with a young dominie from the Waipn. The warm baths are from two to three miles distant from the Miranda, and of easy aocess. These baths are held in great repute by the Maoris of the district for their curative pro* parties. 1 have no doubt when these thermal springs become better known they will be as famous as any warm baths in the country for invalids to resort to for the restoration of health,

The Miranda district is rich in mineral deposits. Goal seams are cropping oat in several places, and of easy access to a place of shipment. Gold has bton found here, bat not in sufficient quantity to pay. As an agricultural district, the Miranda side of tne estuary of the Thames has large oapacity for holding a nnmorous rural population. With the exception of the small cluster of settlers about the Miranda, for many miles on both sides there is not a white man settled, while thousands of acres of arable land, with more than ordinary fertility, await the ' tardy movement of the Government to throw them open for settlement. : I will now . bid adieu to the reader and to my friends at the Miranda, with a brief notice of their Public Library, itself » treasure in literature, and will illustrate what are the tasteß and habits of this small community in the universal impulse of the age, a thirst for knowledge. The library contains 600 volumes, and is unique in its collection of books for a small community. Besides the Btandard works of popular authors of the present age, there are 30 volumes of last century, old prints, the " Annual Register," a donation from Mr W. inlay to the library.