FIRST THROUGH THE TAUTUKU FOREST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12600, 2 March 1903, Page 5

FIRST THROUGH THE TAUTUKU FOREST.

j 1 > 'to the kditob. , SlR,—I notice in your issue of the , woll as in that of the 17th, some correspondence between Mr Mann and Mr Thomas j Mackenzie aa to who was first through the Tautuku forest, the former claiming to be the first along with his party to go through I the Tautuku bush 34 years ago, aDd the latter with his party 17 years ago. Now neither of the parties can claim the priority of being either the first or second to accomplish that enterprise. Having made arrangements with parties at Home to send them a collection of the best Nov-' Zealand ferns and other plants I considered worth sending, I obtained the assistance of Mr David • Bower (gardener at Anderson's Bay)' and Mr Jolly (gardener at tho Water of Leith). Wo made made a good collection—mostly ! of ferns—in the bush on the bay side, also up the Leith Valloy, on Maori and Pine Hills, and our search extonded on to Port 1 Chalmers and Blucskin. To make the collection still more complete I was advised to search the Catlin's bush, and, with an assistant, I made provision, and we went with a sailing vessel to Port Molyneux in the summer of 1860. Exploration was made , along the coast line and through the interior of tho bush to Catlin's River. Some species and varieties of ferns, and of. trees and shrubs also, were obtained which had not been got in the former explorations Hear Dunedin. I had tho opportunity of seeing the Owaka Plat in its original beauty, before the ruthless hands of the destroyers entered it. I got tho. collections of plants forwarded to Pprt Chalmers and put into wooden cases. Some were packed in boxes, being by measurement seven tons, and which were' sent by a wool ship. The Otago Witness described them as 60 many boxes filled with specimens of natural history. Early in tho following summer (1861) I made preparations to explore from Catlin's River to tho ToiTois, in the great bush, which is 45 miles from Port Molyneux to Toi-Tois, and ill .averages 12 miles inland from the sea coast. I found it difficult to get anyone to accompany me. A digger named Crozer had heard that gold had been found in the Tautuku bush, and ho resolved to go with uie and try his luok. Having explored through the trackless bush to Catlin's Eiver the season before, I knew my way to the fording place in the Owaka River, which I' discovered the year before, and I had also crossed tho Catlin's River above tho lake, so that my way to thero was not difficult. It would occupy too much of your space to mention all tho difficulties we had to contend with. My object was not to make a collection of plants thon, but to see what X could get at a future time. I had promised to bring some small ironwood trees (Metrosiderso lucidn) also some small kowhai (Sophora tetraptera) for Messrs John Hyde Harris, T. B. Gillies, Robert Chapman, and George Matthews. After getting to Toi-Tois I collected tho plants mentioned on our return journoy. Some of thom I got on the Owaka side of Catlin's Fiver. My mate found gold in several places, in some. of which water was not convenient. Seeing, the lonely life he would have to endure, even if he got payable gold, he resolved not to stay. We went through the greater part of the bush between Catlin's River and the Toi-Tois, and in many "parts I saw a deal of very valuable timber, line specimens of large red pino (Dacrydium cupressimum), of black and white pines, also kowhai, totara, and other large trees. The more raro ornamental trees I saw were the Podocarpus ferruginoa, Liboccdrus bidwilfii, kamai (also oalled black biroh), celery pine (Phyllocladus alpina), Pokako dentatus, ribbonwood, Pittosporuma (Eugenoides, the most beautiful). The rata (iron tree), with its red blossoms and myrtle lea-vea, was a delight, to Eee. The kowhai (Sophora tetraptera) was also very taautiful. The more rare ferns I saw were' Cyathea ounninghamii and C. dealbata—both scarce;! Gleichenia heoistopbylla, Asplenittm auoidum (and others can be got of that kind), Lomaria arrfcarctiea, Adiantnm polyodon (rather scarce), Hymenaphylluma (many varieties, in great abundance). Todea> superba, whioh wa3 so plentiful in the vicinity of Dunedin is very' scarce there. All the other kinds which I fcava seen in the Middle Island are in abundanoe in tho Catlin's bush. The two Cunningham brothers, great explorers and botanists, after exploring in Australia came to New Zealand! to explore, and we came to a place where their namea wero out out in the bark of a 'black pine tree, whore they must have been camped. It was near a creek. Their names were readable, but tho sap had partly closed the letters up, and strong olefted- stacks were on tho ground, which they must have used for cooking. Mr A. C. Purdie explored in the Tautuku ftush to get a knowledge of the timber trees in it, after I was thero, and hi 3 account was very favourable. j Proceeding on our* journey, and getting I within three miles of Catlin's River, I lioticcd some underwood saplings had been broken over, and my mate noticed a boat on the ground, but ho made no remark at the time. A little farther on my mate saw a jaw bone with the, teeth entire. I made the remark that some person -must have perished here. Wo made a searoh, and a short way off wo found a human skull partly covered over with leaves; the cranium was largo and well-formed, but marks, apparently made by the teeth of wild pigs or dogs, wero on it., showing tliat it had been tampered with. Continuing our search some time, wo could not find any other remains. I said I would take the relics to Dunedin, and they were tied to tho swag he carried: hut tho string had broken, and they were lost. I was not aware that Dr Schmidt had been lost in that bush, and the remains wa found' might possibly have been Ihis. • The Maoris had a dread of going into that bush, and in calm weather they used to £o in their ; canoes to Catlins and Owaka Rivers to fish. The Owaka joins the Catlin a short distance up from tho sea coast. In my first exploration I passed the Maori camping ground at the seaside, and Willsher's Maori wife said to me, "If you go into the big bush, Tauyou take." This Yau of tbn Maoris I understood to be some evil spirit that inhabited the ' bush. Tho Owaka- flat, with the surrounding l)ush, was tho most beautiful landscape scenery I had seen in that great bush. -The beautiful slope of flowering shrubs (the names of which would make jay letter too long to mention), the Clematis perviflorum climbing Midi up on tho trees in tho background, and hanging gracefully down the front, gave a pioturesquo beauty to the scene. The noxt season after my last exploration \ Sir James Hector made an explorine survey round tho const of tho Middle Island, oxamining also inland for minerals arid gold.' I advised him to go up the Catlins River with his small steamer and he would bo delis'itod with the sight he would see in the'"Owaka flat. Ho did go, and so , pleased was he with the scenery that he • wrote letters which wero published by the ■, Otago Witness. ~ , Apologising for this long letter, whioh may . be of interest to somo of your many readers, . —I am, etc., Gabdenek.