The Traveller.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1003, 22 May 1891, Page 13

The Traveller.

UP THE WAIRARAPA. A TRIP TO PAPAWAI. (OUR TRWELLING CORRESPONDENT.) * Come over to Papawai and I’ll show you round,’ Eaid genial Harry Pratt to me one evening, as we sat in Jones’ hostelry at Gieytown discussing some excellent whisky and chatting about the Wairarapa in general. Glancing at Henry’s big good-humoured face, as with hospitable thoughts intent he beamed across at me, I concluded to accept hi 9 invitation, and promised to look him up the very first chance I had, so before we parted that night a definite arrangement had been come to on the matter. Everyone in the Wairarapa knows Harry Pratt, of Papawai, formerly of Waikonaiti, a son of Mr Pratt, the member for the Native district of the southern island, and who is now married, Maori fashion, to the widow of the late chief Manihera. So last Friday morning I set out to redeem my promise to Harry. If my time here had not been getting short I should have put oil this visit foi* a day or two, for the weather that morning was calculated to put a damper on anything. How it did rain 1 The whole sky around was grey with mist, and a light, fine, close and penetrating spray opened the ball, but soon the wind shifted round to the south and the rain grew heavier and heavier. Leaving Jones’ hotel I took the road south as far as Greytown Railway Station, and then turning eastwards came to the Papawai road. Why Sullivan should have an objection to the Papawai road is one of those inscrutable mvsteries which remind us that there are limits to the human mind. It might have been the weather, his temper, the fact of my forgetting to put on spurs, a short allowance of oats in the morning feed, a former unpleasant experience in this identical locality any ono of a thousand things, but the actual reason why he absolutely refused to budge a step along this particular road must for ever remain a mystery. At the corner he stopped, not so the* rain; it seemed to me to come down harder than ever just at this very time. Every method of persuasion was tried in turns, I patted him, I stroked him gently with a stick, I whispered soft nothings in his ear, I got off and tried to lead him, 1 ahem —swore at him undisguisedly, I went to a distance and aimed road metal at him, but he was there to stay. It rained harder than ever, and he didn’t seem to care. I searched mv mind for precedents, having heard a brother of mine, who is a barrister, once say, ‘ Only find a precedent and the solution of any question is easy.’ The only one that occurred to me was that of Baalam’s ass, but it didn’t seem to fit somehow, nor throw any light on the matter ; but then I have not had a legal education. What was to be done ? To Papawai I was determined to go, and also that Sullivan should take me, while he had evidently made up his mind not to do anything of the kind. The voting even, but the physical force was all on his side. However, at last I bit upon an expedient, and bandaging his eyes with my pocket handkerchief, turned his head round towards home, then after a few steps twisted him rapidly round two or three times till he headed for Papawai, when I bustled him along at a rare 3P y e gods ! How the villian did step it out; he thought he was going home; and when the bandage was removed at tlie_ Papawai creek it was easv to perceive the triumph of mind over matter. You never saw such a sick horse as Sullivan looked when he saw where he was. He tonrned a mournful eye on me when he heard my chuckle, and I hadn’t the heart to repeat it, though as I candidly told him no trick was too low down to play off on him after such behaviour to a man who never stinted his oats, or chaff either for the matter of that. This creek, the real name of which is the Mangarara, divides Papawai from Greytown, and runs right across the main road. There is a footbridge over it, but as its normal depth is only about three feet just hero horsemen and vehicles ford it. 1 have crossed it two or three times and have seen it when the weather was more favourable than to-day. It is a lovely stream of spring water, clear as crystal, and cold on the hottest day. There are three springs which supply it, and all are within twenty chains of the road on the northern side. it is one of the purest water creeks in isew Zealand, foi its course is so Bhort, the distance from the springs, which are its source, to the spot where it empties itself into the Ruamabunga hein" only about a mile and a half. Happy New° Zealand ! What would Australia give for some of your creeks and streams? From this ford to my host’s house is less than a mile, which my little nag,_ now in a better frame of mind, soon put behind us. I was not Eorry to get to my destination and once more to bask in the sunshine of Henry's emile and receive the courteous and friendly greeting of Mrs Manihera. What a pleasant change from the cold, driving, pleting rain outside to the roomy arm ohair in the well furnished parlour, heated to a comfortable temperature by a blazing fire. Such a fire is a good thing on a day like this, bat an even better thing is the warmth of a welcome, such as I receive now. It is useless to attempt any outside work duriDg the present weather, so I soon drop down to the situation, and cheerfully accept my host’s invitation to make myself comfortable. Pipes and tobacco are produced, and yarn after yarn exchanged between ns. Mr Pratt and Mrs Manihera both doing their best lo supply mo with any information in their power. Papawai district contains about two thousand acres of excellent bush laud, mostly oleared. With the exception of Mr Buchanan’s block, near the Black Bridge, on the Carterton Road, it is probably the richest soil in or about Greytown. About 400 acres of this is a Native College reserve; 1500 acres, mostly leased, still belong to the natives, and the remainder is divided among a few small settlers. There is a great deal of discontent among the Maoris about these Native College

reserves, and this one is no exception to the rule. This block of 400 acres and the Hakina reserve wore obtained through Bishop Hadfield from the Wairarapa chiefs, for the purpose of providing funds for the higher education of such Maori childron _as might b 8 deemed fitted to receive it. Gradually the dream of higher education for the Maoris faded away, not so the land that remained. The revenue from it his never been applied to the particular purpose for which it was obtained. Moreover, the reserve was leased and again sub-let, the middleman drawing a good income from the transaction. _ . Surely land set aside for educational purposes should have been administered in such a manner as to get every possible benefit from it for that particular end, and the greater portion of its earnlDgs not allowed to fall into the hands of any speculator who can manage to secure a good lease of it. Now that the Maoii College is felt to be out of the question, the next best thing would be to havo plenty of native schools. The school at Papawai is the only one In the Wairarapa, and as the Maoris are scattered over a wide area, it is practically useless to a large numher. The natives now want a boarding school, where the children can be kept while being educated. I understand Bishop Hadfield has been approached on the matter, and some three or four months ago came to Papawai. The upshot of his visit seems to be an offer on his part to find half of the amount required to erect a suitable building, provided the natives themselves find the other half, and to apply the income of the two before mentioned reserves to feed and maintain the children when at the school. There will be a meeting of the Wairarapa chiefs shortly to consider this proposal. The native population of Papawai is about one hundred, and all seem in fairly comfortable circumstances, living in Jturopean fashion in good well-built houses. The people are mostly of the Ngatikahukuraawbitia and the Ngntimoe tribes, the principal chiefs being the sons of Wi King, of Tutapaseherangi, the sons of Manihera and his brothers, while the active man of business among tnem seems to be John Jury, Native AssesEor, who is also himself a chief. The house in which we are sitting chatting over these matters is a good fivo roomed dwelling, recently erected for Airs Manihera. To anyone who imagines the Maoris do not care to make their homes comfortable in European fashion, the furnishing of this little parlour, for example, would come as a surprise. A good carpet covers the floor, a handsome mahogany oval table stands at one end of the room. Roomy, comfortable armchairs and others, solid in make, and well upholstered, an excellent sofa and a line pier glass over the mantel pieco are other items of the contents of this Maori parlour. On the table are well bound books, among them Brett’s Early History of New Zealand, and from the walls, oil paintings of the Manihera s relations look down upou us, also an excellent portrait of herself with the whito tipped feathers of the huia in her hair. la one corner of the room is a massive iron safe larger than one sees in most merchant’s offices Not a bad sum total this, few white people (unless wealthy) in New Zealand could show a more solidly furnished room. Pratt tells me he cultivates 32 acres just round the house. It is a corner piece wedged in between the Mangarara Creek, and the Ruamabunga river, and being all silt land is good enough for anything. The last season s crop of oats cut up into three tons of chaff per acre. There are now about seven acres in potatoes, a very fi-»e crop, from which a yield of ten tons per acre is an under osti mate. Chatting away on these and other matters briDg3 us to dinner time, and we sit down to an excellent meal from which nothing is wanting that one would find in any ordinary countrv settler’s home. There are four of us at'the table—Mrs Manihera, a young female relative of hers, Pratt and myself—and very jolly we are as we glance up from the good things now and again to the dismal weather outside ; for the rain still comeß in one monotonous downpour and the Ruamahunga river is rising. This river divides Papawai from the Pukenaki block, 3800 acres of native land, which has not yet passed through the court.

After dinner I am shown an interesting memento of the deceased chief Manihera. It seems that he was a great student of the Bible in the Maori tongue, and felt the want of a reference copy in the same language. This was not then to be had (if it is now, which I doubt), so Manihera conceived th 6 idea of making one for himself. Ho employed a clerk to do the writing from his dictation, and the work was actually completed as far as 1 Kings. Chapter viii, when both scribe and chief were cailen sway to a land where reference Bibles are not required. The uncompleted hook remains, however, as an evidence of the intelligent, inquiring nature of the man, and one of the many proofs of the superijrity of the Maori race as compared with any other aboriginals. The afternoon wears on and still it rains, if possible, harder than ever, and shows not the slightest sign of ceasing when . tea-time comes round, so I accept the invitation to remain where lam for the night. Before teatime, however, Henry and myself have a round or two at cribbage. Now if there’s one thing I fanfcy myself a bit on it’s a game of crib., but the Maori is too many for me. Five card or six card game, it’s all the same, I simply don’t have a show. After a monotonous series of victories at this, Henry proposes to initiate me into the mysteries of a card game called ‘ Sweep,’ a game new to me, but very popular among the Maoris. We proceed, and I soon grasp the rudiments, as Dominie Sampson would have called them. It would take too much time to desorihe this game in full, but just let me say it is one that demands good powers of calculation, a fair memory, and great attention. The game is something of a cross between euehrd and oribbago, if you can figure to yourself such an unholy mixture. After a few lessons we proceed to tea and I agaiu do justice to Mrs Manihera’s providing. Tea over, the pipes are set going again, Henry’s passing between him and the two womenfolk in a most impartial manner, I selfishly retain mine all to myself.

All at once we seen man’s face flattened against the window, an accident having happened to the blind. The newcomer turns out to be an old Maori related to the family, and who now appears on the scene in a condition which nautical men call half sias over. The natural politeness of the man comes to his aid, however, and he greets me quietly and oourteously, with a friendly salutation to the others. Soon after his arrival someone proposes ‘Sweep,’ so Henry w ; th the old man form a combination against Mrs Manihera and myself, with the young female relatives installed as a board of advice for my own particular consultation, a concession granted on accouut of my being a new chum at the game. Many games of cards havo I played in my time, in many lands, with all sorts of people, but many a long day will pass over my head 'ere I forgot this night of ‘Sweep.’ To begin with the players, Henry looming large across the table, with an easy confident smile ou his face, as one who knows his play; noxt to him Mrs Manihera, smiling too. but who, like Mis Battle, enjoys the rigour of the game, and is severe upon offending partners. Then 1 the old maD,’ a warrior he at this gams, hia face showing every thought intent upon it. Next myself, very ditfi'lent, and relying considerably upon the board of advice, who shows herself as muoli interested as anyone. Merrily the games proceed amid much laughing and joking. When I play a good card and score a tiick, the others encourage me by cries of * Ivapai, the pakena, but alas it is not often kapai the pakeha, for the pakeha, even with the assistance of the board of a ivica and liis partner’s good play, doesn’t seem to be in it. Henry and the ‘ old un ’ see us through five games out of six. The sixth, however, we "pulled out of the fire amid a perfect hurricane of excitement, and receive the congratulations of all but the old man, who, playing the game right down to the last card, evidently regrets the loss of it.

This old man ia a wonder at the came, he seems to know every card that is ooming out, and I still believe that he oould see right through the backs of mine. He scored every point possible (including, looking over the other hands when a chance offered) ; never made a mistake or forgot a card. 1 should say he was a perfect ‘swaep.’ By this time is was getting near morning ; so, after making me a comfortable shakedown, the others left me to enjoy a sound night’s sleep, during which I dreamed I had become champion • sweep ’ player of the Colony, after a terrific struggle with the old man. Among the topics discussed that afternoon was Mormouiam among the Maoris. This was puggested by the sight of buggy loads of natives driving through the pelting rain towards Mr John Jury’s house. These, about twenty, were all Mormons, who had been driven in from Misfcerton to attend the district quarterly conference, on this occasion to*be presided over by the President of tha Mormon Mission of Australasia. Mr Jury is himself a Mormon, aud the meetings are held in his hoiue. Evidently Brigham Young, though dead, yet speaketh through his apostles. Mrs Manihera’s album contains about a dozen portraits of Mormon missionaries, also one of the deceased prophet. I don’t think these fellows do much harm. The average Maori oarer as much for their tenets as he does for Christianity, and ofton the Mormon makes a teetotaller of him for a time at any rate. It is a new thing, a toy, a fancy wliioh will soon pass away. Morning comes, but it still rains. After an excellent breakfast, I got out to the paddock to catch Sullivan. When I bought him, his former owner assured me that the horse would come right out of a mob whenever he called him. I remember trying this the morning after, but without success. The man said I did uot get the right accent on to his name, so as he could recognize it. I don’t often seem to get that accent right somehow. However, this morning the littie chap is easily caught, and, after bidding my friends good bye, I ride away through the rain. In- a few minutes I ootne to the Papawai Native Meeting House, and, despite the weather, hitch my nag up to the fence, and cross over the paddook to have a look at it. The doers are f listened, but i make my way through a window, and find myself in the largest room I have yet seen in the Colony. It = is about 120 ft long by «Jft wide ; the walls 10ft high. This roof is aaa shape, and of iron, supported by the walls, aud two rows of columns down the centre. This room has three doors, all in front, each having a separate porch. It is lighted by six windows in front, and three stained glass windows at the back. The morning I entered it, the interior presented a pretty spectaole. The room was just as it was left some three weeks ago after the finish of a great tangi, which lasted eight days, and cost hundred of pounds, with a good many headaches thrown in. Heaps of straw, piled up oil one side of the room, showed where too sleeping accommodation had been. Gin, whisky, and brandy bottles lay scattered around among plates and cups and saucers, a few empty spirit kegs reposed in one corner, and a great pile of dirty carpets lay in the centre. Outside two portable boilers, their iron casings rusting in the rain, more empty spirit bottles, and oases and kegs, the remains of a right royal spree. I should like to have seen that tangi, it strikes me it waß something like an Irish wake on a big scale, ‘ wid lashings and lavinß in plinty. Leaving this scene of disorder, I make across to the school which is nearly opposite. Here is a contrast indeed, for Mr William Franklin Browne, the master,'is a strict disciplinarian and having been a sailor has learned the value of order, so the childron are taught the good old rule ‘aj place for everything and everthing in its place.’ Here all is neatness, tidiness and cleanliness, virtues which “cannot be to sufficiently im. pressed on the minds of children particularly the natives. Mr Brown who has beon for seventeen years a teacher in native sohools, has been recently transferred here from the Auckland district and is makiog mauy friends. Papawai school has a roll of forty-five, with an average attendance of thirty-seven. Natives and Europeans are about equal in numbers. Ia the total the sexes are about

equally divided, but there are more Maori girls and more European boys than vice vorsa.

Mr Brown fells me that he finds the native children much more apt to pick up anything they take an iuterest iu, than the whites. Geography, arithmetic, drawing and writing are their favourite subjects. The native boys take the lead iu these, while the girls here have taken very kindly to sewing, and do 'some very neat work indeed, and, Mr Brown tells mo, are foud of It. I was shown a series of Native School Readers by Mr James Pope the Inspector. These are s.nsible aud thoroughly practical, and the sentences are useful ones iu common conversation. There is often too much of the black dog and white cat business about juveniles’ reading books, the changes being rung on these wretched animals, till a youngster must think there was nothing else to talk about. I remember another series'of Nativeßeaders about which, a teacher once told mo a good story. The first of these books is full of such sentences as those, *1 say to a pig go; I say to a oat go; I go so to a rat; say to me lo a rat. Now whoever does Bay to a pig go, or address a cat iu this way, or sneak like a prophet of old, whenever he sees a rat —the thiog is absurd. The master lhave referred to was teaehiug some native childron cut of this hook. During tho intervals he heard the youngsters criticising what they had been reading. Oae of them said 4 these pakebas are funny people, they are always talking to their animals, they cannot bo much v better than we are, we talk to one another not to our animals, v\ ho cannot talk to us.’ j That was the impression this reader made upon them. Thanking Mr Browne for his courteoua reception of me, 1 make my way back to Greytown. It will he long ore I forget my visit to Papawai.

UP THE MANAWAI'U. FEILDING DlSTßlCT.— (Continued.) BIRMINGHAM. (FROM OUR TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENT.) Before proceeding to refer to Birmingham I may mention that a branch road from Cheltenham leads up to what is known as McKay’s line and Beaconsfleld, and from thence connects with Sinclair’s Line, which leads up to Sandon Small Farm Settlement. That appearances are often deceptive, is a truism we see verified almost daily. Bet-.consfield is certainly a case in point. On tho map it is represented as quite an important little township! As a matter of fact, it consists of a blacksmith’s shop, a school, and two or three settler’s houses. The Sandon Small Farm Settlement is situated at the further end of Sinclair’s Line. Some splendid land ia to be found in this part of tho district. Mr G. Y. Shannon owns a considerable area in this locality. That portion of the district known as Waituna is situated at the back of the Kiwitea, about eighteen miles from Feilding, aud includes Blocks 10, 11,12, 14, 15, IG, Onga Survey District (West Waitapu Block), and Blocks 9 and 13, Apiti Survey District, about 13,000 acres, and was disposed of about three years ago under perpetual lease, the land being valued by Government at from twenty to thirty-five shillings per acre, first-class soil covered with mixed bush.

But to return to Birmingham. Four years ago the site of the present township was all dense bush, scarce an aero being felled beyond the Kiwitea Block, the boundary of which is close to the township. Birmingham is included in the area comprising the Palmerston Small Farm Settlement, which consists of about 10,000 acres. Tho township is all laid out on tho western side of the road (continuation of the Kimboltou Road leading direct to Feilding), which runs along the borders of very high cliffs, overlooking the Oroua River and Valley. At the time the Palmerston Small Farm Settlement Association took up their land ( 18SG) Kimbolton Road had. been formed for a distance of about three miles into the bush, but was not metalled to withiu two miles of Birmingham township at that time, now the settlers oil tho Birmingham Block have got most of their bush down and the land stocked. The township is 1700 feet above the sea level, and commands a magnificent viow of the surrounding country, the Oroua River and Valley about eight hundred to a thousand feet beneath ; the Ruahine ranges, stretching away to the north-east, and of Ruapehu and Tongariro in the far distance. In fact, from a trig, station, known as the Pecp-o’-Day, some three miles beyond Birmingham, the view is most commanding and truly grand. The township now includes quite a numbor of different places of businoss, whilst Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and Co. hold sales thereat as required. What astonished me most at Birmingham, howover, was to find such excellent hotel accommodation in so young a township. Mr Thomas Lowes, the proprietor (formerly of the Gorge Hotel, Manawatu), has certainly evinced, in a very practical manner, his unbounded confidence in the future prosperity and importance of the placo and district generally by erecting an hotel such as would be deemed very creditable for an old established town. Tho original hotel, consisting of twelve rooms, was finished iu Juno, 1887, at which tirno the bush was still standing on the opposite sido of the road, a chain distant from the hotel; in fact, at that time, only about seven acres of hush had been felled in the whole township. A license was granted for the premises tho same year by the Kiwitea Licensing Commissioners. Within the past few months the premises have been quite remodelled, and the accommodation almost doubled. In addition to the ordinary rooms there are now several private sittingrooms, most comfortably furnished, including piano, &c.; one, with large bedroom opening off, being intended specially for the use of invalids and others visiting the place for the benefit of tho clear, bracing, mountain air, the walls being doublo lined and felt-padded so as to afford the occupants the greatest quietness and comfort. There is a very fine dining-room, bath-room and bedrooms, all fitted up in really first-class style. The height

and size of the rooms and goneral excellence of the fittings are, in fact, very noticeable, and altogether, as already stated, I was quite surprised to find such excellent accommodation in so young a township. Connected with the hotel are good livery and bait stables, paddooking, aud a well-stocked fruit and vegetable garden. Mr Lowe 3 has an excellent farm of four hundred acres about a mile beyond the township, and visitors will find him always ready and willing to afford them information respecting the various districts, with which he is so well and practically acquainted. Young as the township 13 it already possesses a Town Hall capable of holding about 200 persons (containing stage, piano, ante-rooms, &c.), erected on a site given free of cost for the purpose by Mrs Lowes. I may here mention that the balance of the section was recently disposed of by Mrs Lowes at the rata of £9O per acre (i.e., two-thirds of acre for £6O), to Mr Anyon, late of Ashurst, for the establishment of a bakery and confectioner’s shop. Several shops erected by Mr Lowes are leased to tenants doing a good business; he is the owner of a number of township sections. Daily communication is maintained with Feilding by four-horse coach over a good road the whole way. Annual athletic sports are held, over £SO bring paid away in stakes, I was informed, last season. A racing club has also been formed and a course laid off within half a mile from the township on the property of Mr Robert Mcßeth, who is a strong supporter of the movement, and lias promised the land free of rent for the first five years, and ’t is intended to have the course cleared and prepared in order to have the first race meeting held next summer.

The Kiwitea Road Board (the local governing body) borrowed £SOOO recently for the continuation of the main road through to the Pemberton Special Settlement (Wanganui settlers) a distance of about 15 miles beyond Birmingham, whilst about two years ago the Board borrowed £4OOO for expenditure on roads to and iu the Feilding Block. The Board are also doing good work iu tho way of road formation in Apiti Block. The cost of bushfalling in the district varies from AL 2s 6d to £1 10s. In Feilding Block, where round the township the timber is exceptionally close and heavy, a great proportion being maitai, as high a 3 £1 15s has been paid ; in the past, the demand for bushfallers having far exceeded the supply. Such high terms are not obtainable now, however. The Feilding Small Farm Settlement, I should mention, is on the opposite sido of the Oroua River from Birmingham, from which it is about nine miles distant. Both the Pemberton and Feilding Settlements are each about 8000 to 10,000 acres in extent, the land being taken up at £1 per acre when there was no road thereto, and the settlers have passed through a very trying experience, the difficulty and cost of packing everything on horseback being very great ; altogether the hardships that had to be endured were sufficient to dishearten auy but those endued with true pluck. The settlers are now beginning to roap the reward of their hand work, and to get some return from, wool and Btock. Owing to tho wet summer, however, the losses sustained by the settlers through inability to get good burns, or to satisfactorily save the grass seed, has been very heavy indeed. The quantity of seed, ryegrass and cocksfoot, spoilt during the past season must have been enormous. The Coal Creek Block, a large portion of which was lately disposed of by Government, lies south of the Feilding S.F. Block, and is bounded on tho south by the Wanganui Harbour Board Block; on the eastern side of the Oroua river from Birmingham. Nearly all available land in the Apiti Block has also been now taken up, principally on the Perpetual Lease or Defered Payment conditions. It is right I should state that it was with the assistance of Government grants that Kimbolton road was at first made into a good dray road beyond Birmingham for some four miles, and also that it was with the assistance of Government a good road was first made to the southern boundary of the Feilding S.F. Settlement ; since continued right through this block bymeans of money borrowed by the local governing body as already referred to. Various branch roads nro being constructed by means of the * thirds ’ set apart for that purpose by Government from the annual instalments paid by the selectors. Birmingham residents are very proud of the rapid progress made by their district, and reasonably so. They are apparently anxious to have the reins of local government in their own hands as soon as possible, as, with a view to obtaining autonomy, some of the local residents met together a short time ago and appointed a committee, who convened a public meeting by advertisement for the stated purpose of taking the necessary steps for tho formal ion of a Town District. Whether tho meeting thus convened was ever held or not I cannot say, but presume not, as no doubt the originators were informed before the day came round of the fact that the Town Districts Act was repealed several years since, and that if they want local selfgovernment, and the growth of the place warrants such a step being taken, the choice will have to be between a Road District or Borough. In this matter they may do well, however, to remember the old proverb, * Hasten slowly.’ Birmingham now supports a full-time school. Tenders have been invited by the Education Board for tho erection of a school at Pemberton and another at Apiti, whilst application has been made to the Education Board for the erection of a school iu the Birmingham Block. The need of telephonic communication between Birmingham and Feilding is much felt, and it is to be hoped such will be established at an early date.