ON THE EAST COAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13193, 2 June 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

ON THE EAST COAST.

JIV KAITI. 111 New Zkalaxdkbx speaking of the East I'" Coast usually indicate that parX of the coun- ■'» try lying between Cape Colville and ,l llavvke s Bay, including the great l " bight known as the Buy of Plenty, and the shoies of the vast pen in - IS sola terminating at the East Cape. This district, lying well to the sun, as the position on the map will show, coms ' prises some of the richest and most proe' fitable lands in New Zealand. These lands, ™ however, from 1 heir comparatively inac- ' cessible position have not received the w,t- ---■ tention which their importance merits, and - it is only in recent years, when the returns w show the immense strides ma.de in production e " that the interest of the. general public is s * turning in that direction. For many years e the settlement of this portion of the East 8 Coast was retarded by the unsettled condiy tion of the natives and the difficulty of lc dealing with them. The most warlike" and '• unruly tribes had their strongholds there, " and in the time of the Maori wars many ;e striking encounters and lengthy campaigns " took place, in which Colonel Porter and the ls friendly warrior Te Kopata were distinll * guished. At Opotiki, in the Bay of Plenty, h occurred in 1865 the murder of the Rev. Mr. Volkner, a devoted missionary. who n had spent many years in working tor the 11 welfare of the na.tive race. Fanatical Hau- j i' haus, however-, attacked him and he met >- with a martyr's death, being hanged on a willow tree near his own house. The miir--0 der of Fulloon and the crew of his schooner d occurred at Whakatane in the same year, t the liauhaitis, pretending to be friendly, s gaining access to the schooner when anY chored in the bay, and murdering all on e board. Peace was not firmly established 6 on the East Coast until'l372, when Colonel y Porter and Kopata, having captured the rebel chief Kereopa. who v.ais responsible t for the murder of Mr. Volkner, brought 7 him to Napier, where he was tried and " executed. B No district shows forth 11101 clearly the >' indomitable courage, enterprise, and perseverance in the face of difficulties of. indi--3 vidual members of our British race. who. L ' while differing widely in many essential points, seem to hold in common those pc- - culiar qualities which make the pioneer, 1 whether missionary, squatter or trader. All were at work .immediately peace was estab1. lished, the would-be squatter negotiating . eagerly for the lands although met by bar- - riers which might have appeared insuper- ■ able; the missionary journeying from point 5 to point far from the decencies of civilisa- . tion; the trader offering his wares at prices [ which led to fortune. Of these arrivals on , the scene the squatter perhaps endured the i keenest vicissitudes and required the la.r- ---' gest stock of patience, from the difficulties ' encountered in dealing with the native I biinds. A light sketch such as the presentdoes not profess to deal seriously with so important a subject, but reference to (he East Coast could scarcely be made without 1 touching upon it. Immense sums of money were required for the breaking- in of the country, which was of the roughest kind— hilly ranges covered , with bush and fern. Negotiations with the native owners encouraged investment; and in nearly all cases, when ownership seemed clear Mid the capitalist began to hope for the reward of his labours, disputes with the natives would arise and long heart-breaking litigation would ensue, often causing not only loss but- total ruin. Land courls were and are constantly occupied in settling questions of title, most complicated in the case of NewZealand natives, whose system of inheritance requires "expert knowledge to unravel. The history of the East Coast abounds in | cases of broken hearts and' disappointed ! hopes; nevertheless from all this trouble emerges in a short space of years magnificent productive, settled, sheep runs, giving returns equal" to and excelling others in the colonythis too in the face of difficulties of traffic, the East Coast- still being served only by coach and coastal steamer, the character of the country so far forbidding the rail. It will probably be of interest to many readers to traverse the coast and trace its 1 progress from the Mnjiia Peninsula to Cape Colville, and' to discuss its present situa- 1 tion and the prospects of the country. 1 The road from the Mali in, lies along the [ coast line, while the AVairoa road runs in- I land across hill and down dale through [ land which, though comparatively poor in ] quality, is found very suitable for sheep; ! grassy valleys and a township here ami ' there vary the country, the beautiful falls ! of Te Eeinga attracting the tuurist. In . this part of the country too the thermal springs at Nuhaka attract the visitor, who is conveyed thither by coach from Gisbornc or Wairoa, if he does not ride or employ his own conveyance. The road, though . steep in parts, is perfectly easy for every ' description of traffic and the scenery is ' exquisite. As the traveller ascends * the j whole district lies like'a map before him, while eastward he gazes far as vision per- ] mils over the boundless mighty Pacific.. J whose blue waves gently lap the* shore lie- j low. The air on these heights is exquisite- . ly pure, invigorating, and health-giving. • lie passes the homes of hospitable settlers j and receive* a warm welcome and kind entertainment. the Bailey Bros, have a line n run at the .Mahia. Mr. Osmond has a, • beautiful estate in the same direction. A j' branch road leads to the llangai'oa County, which has ol late yca.rs been greatly improv- j ed by enterprising settlers. .Messrs Morice Bros, have been settled here for many .. years. Another settler is .Mr. W. Tomble- J sou.' On the main road one, passes .Mr. , Wall's pretty homestead at Wuirenga. kin i J (tile tail of the dog), and thence the road p winds along ai considerable, extent of plateau , J broken by hill and vale, until at the top '! of the elevation known us the Gentle Annie jthe whole extent of the rich Poverty Bar - Flats lie stretched below and clear to the 1 traveller's gaze. Hie whole country is 1111- l , der rich 'cultivation, yielding magnificent returns. If is celebrated as being the spot J ! where Captain took lirsl landed in New 1 Zealand, and lie would certainly receive a '* surprise were it possible that he could ' gaze upon it to-day. Numerous hamlets dot the plain, while the town of (lisborne be- ' gins to assume the, appearance of a city ® considerable shipping lies upon the blue f waters of the beautiful bay. Here at last we find a railway, which runs from Gisborno '? into the interior of the country, and is ! found to be an inestimable boon to settlers. Let us draw rein awhile. Here but a short 11 lifetime back the country was all desolation 11 and ruin, early settlers flying before the ° savage foe, abandoning their goods to thief M and fire. Now all is peace, plenty and , e , prosperity; there seems no room for. sor- 1 row in you smiling country; no place for | p ' want or misery in this thriving land ; lux- . urious homes, generous pastures, light toil V meeting rich rewardsuch is the result of ' v the perseverance, . courage, and energy of ' the early settlers, many of whom, return- 11 ing after the horrors of the Poverty Bay !! [ Massacre, now participate to the full "in the general prosperity of the district. 1 '