Notes of a Holiday Trip to .luck's Ha.v, Catlin's River District.

Otago Witness, Issue 1787, 20 February 1886, Page 14

Notes of a Holiday Trip to .luck's Ha.v, Catlin's River District.

If thy beautios and objects of interest tor a mile or two round about the mouth of the Catlin's and Owake llivers were better known, it would in the summer months, when the roads are in fine condition <• ud the rata in flower, be as pleasant a rosort as could possibly be found. The Owake River and Valley is alono of sufficient interest to tho artist ;.nd .sportsman — its waters teeming with trout; tho rich soil and happy homesteads make it « place that the ofteuer we see it tho better we like it. False Islet and Cannibal Bay nre, veil worth a visit; still another delightful ci.iy's outing is to go up Oafcttn's River by bo.ib, right into tho heart of Uie great forest, an. I those who wish it can have splendid sport netting flounders, of which there arc large quantities. It may not be generally known that within 300 yards of tho Ow.ike township there are to be found four ver\ old canoes in process of being cutout of totara trees. The stumps in two places arc still standing where they had been cut down, and nave the appearance of having been cut with the greenstone mere. The best-preserved specimen will be about 40ft long. I understand other .--pecimens have also been found in the Catlins district. This work must have been done about a 0 or 100 years ago. . A bhorb account oV a holiday trip to Jack's Bay and Island (or, as it is more generally known, Bloody Jack.. Island), which^ lies about two miles south of the mouth of Oatlin's River, may be interesting to those who have not had the pleasure of seeing it, and to those who may wish to visit it the hints thrown out may come in handy. Leaving the little township of Owake, and having our camp effects carted to the landing, we get a small boat, and, pulling againbt a pretty strong tide, we made our way down the Owake River under a hot sun. With a tine breeze, the sail down the river was most enjoyable, new beauties of river t-oene'ry opening out at every bend; large numbers of sea and bush birds are to be seen flying about, such as shags (three or four varieties), kingfishers, &c. Two miles down the Owake brings us to the Catlin's River, where we see river scenery on a more extensive scale. The lake or estuary, a short distance up the river, is over a mile in width ; at this point, it is about three-quarters of a mile across. On our way down the. river we can see the harbourmaster's house and flagstaff on a prominent point, the white breakers on the bar, and the fresh sea breeze and line scenery make it quite delightful. We pass on our way down two boats out catching flounder* and a few more sea birds. We soon come to the boathouse, and are fortunate enough to get a big boat. Transferring our effects into it, we got right over the bar, riding over the heavy swelling waves and enjoying the beauties of the high towering cliffs which continue round to the beach. We were landed in the surf at the south end of the bay about 2 o'clock p.m., when the boat returned. My friend and self went to look out for a camping-place, and close at hand we found a line stream of water. After putting up one of the tents, we boiled the billy, had tea, and by way of variety, the tide being low, we went for a stroll among the rocks, intending to cross over to the island. We found this place afterwards to be a rare spot for the naturalist, the pools having never been disturbed. Turning over a stone in a hhady place, quite a mass of animal life was to be seen — endless varieties of -auemoues, starfish, five to twelve-fingered sea urchins, small sea-serpent-looking creatures 15in long, scarlet brittle-star, young lobsters and shrimps, beds of mussels, crabs in great numbers and varieties — one I found all covered with a hairy substance. The seaweeds are thn finest I have seen on any part of our coast. Among them we found one of the r/iodo.sjjerm alf/O", closely resembling the carrageen or Irish moss, and I have been told by one of the Dunedin chemists that it is a first-class sample of Irish moss. We tested it ourselves and found that it made excellent puddings. It is to be found in large quantities. We easily cross to the island at low water, and find it to contain about 28 acres of good land. The story goes that about 60 years ago there were about 3000 Natives here. The North island Natives came clown in great numbers and landed at the north end of the bay. Our boys .saw them coming, and filtered the bush going along to the north end. The Northern Natives hail landed, and were proceeding along the beach to demolish the Jack's Bay lot. When far enough along, the others made for the canoes and destroyed what they did not want — took all the provisions and made off to sea. I must not forget to tell and to warn those who may come to stay for a week at Jack's Bay that at times the mosquitoes and sandflys are to be found in great numbers, and bite savagely. The first night my friend was attacked in a most savage manner, and next morning one eye was black and nearly closed, lips swollen, nose out of shape,, and forehead in a bad state. But the simple precautions we used afterwards kept them entirely at bay during our stay here. Next day we got another tent fixed, and started through the bush to bring over the rest of our party, consisting of four ladies, two children, and another gentleman. We went along the Sandy Bay three-quarters of n and (/'«■. '.ng the bush we found an old inuk keeping near the cliffs ; but it was rough and pretty well overgrown. Through the kindness of Captain Hayward we were put on a better track, half a mile nearer and easier to walk. I am sure anyone wishing information or assistance in seeing this part of the country will find Captain and Mrs Hayward, as we found them, ready to do anything that lies in their power to help them. We had a good deal of luggage in the shape of provisions to carry, but we succeeded in getting safely through in about an hour and a-half. All were highly delighted when the beautiful bay came in sight. Another search through the rocks before dark resulted in each one coming home loaded with shells, seaweed, and one young king penguin. At this season of the year these latter are found in numbers here, and back in the bush sometimes as much as two miles. Early next morning we tried the fishing and were very successful, catching over a dozen fine wrasse and one or two butterfish.

Having so mvch to Bee and learn among the rocks and seaweed, we had almost overlooked tile wonderful blowhole of which we had heard 80 much, but one fine morning we started. The track enters close to the creek at the south end of the bay, and we had little difficulty in finding it. By the track the distance will be about one mile and a-half, very easy travelling. It is a very interesting walk through the virgin forest, and including many clumps of tree ferns — indeed, a fern-collector could make up a good book here. The. aeplenium faleatum grows very freely, some specimens being over 2ft long. The ncphrodeuvis are plentiful, also the hymenophylluvi. Todta snpcha grows freely on the higher ground inland. We came on the blowhole quite suddenly. At the S.W. corner several trees are covered with names dating frpm 1875, hut the most numerous are dated '80 to '83. The hole is

back from the high clifl'saboutlSOyds. Thelength of the hole is 90yds, the width at the top 40yds to 50yds, and at the bottom 7yds to 12yds. The depth (generally called 200 ft), I would say, is about ltiOft. The farthest up corner shows sand and boulders at low water. When a strong south wind blows and a heavy sea is on at high water, the sight is fearfully grand, and the noise can be heard a long distance off. Where it enters from the sea has not yet been discovered. Tho water is deep, and many caves and holes, which can only be seen when out in a boat, abound. The light could be seen shilling through at our visit, it being half-tide. About 10 chains along the beach, north from where the blowhole enters, there is a very pretty wooded island about 10 acres in extent, with a rustic cavo going right through the centre of it. It can be reached by going down a steep ridge, and is well worthy of a visit. Half-way between Jack's Island and the blowhole, on top of the cliff, are two old Native clearings, one of them .about five acres in extent, the other much smaller. Before leaving the bay a shoal of sardines came ashore, filling nearly all the pools. We secured as many as we could use. We left this delightful place with feelings of regret. Although there only 10 days, two of the ladies who came as invalids had quite recovered their strength, and everyone felt the benefit of the healthy breezes of Jack's Bay. Captain Hayward expresses himself pleased that a settlement had been formed farther souch, as they had been for a long time on the outskirts in that direction. As a track will shortly be brought through from Waikawa to Catlins and a road made, this portion of Otago will become better known, and the thousands of acres waiting for the iron horse to tap will bring hardy settlers and general prosperity to the country at large.

— One of the most peculiar communities in Michigan is as St. Nazaine. Though founded in 1848, its population is now but 212. The articles of association — for the settlement is, in fact, but a society — provide for a board of seven trustees, consisting of a priest, three men, and three women, elected by all the adult men and women annually. German is the only language spoken, and only two, the general manager and the doctor, know English. They live entirely by themselves, taking no interest in the outside world, and the women work in the field, the samo as the men.

— Everyone, when the century was still young, drank heavily ; and it was probably as much from love of singularity as from any deeper cause that Brummell, as a rare exception, lived soberly. When, a good many years later. Prince Leopold, afterwards King of the Belgians, came to England and dined with William IV., he shocked that monarch by declining wine, causing him to exclaim, with an oath, that at his table the drinking of water could not, and should not, be tolerated. — Standard.

— In the House of Commons of 1880 there were three Irish peers, five-and-thirty eldest sons of peers, eight-and-forty youngest sons of peers, seventy baronets, and more than two hundred near connections by blood or marriage. In the house of 1886 there is only one Irish peer, while there are under twenty eldest sons of peers, under thirty younger sons of peers, under fifty baronets, and about a hundred and fifty of their kindred by consanguinity or affinity although there were candidates enough to spare. — World.

— The three ideas which Mahomet preached — one of them purely abstract, the unconditioned sovereignty of God — changed the face of Asia. A mere idea, utterly baseless, and without foundation, as the end proved, either in fact or the Divine will, produced the Crusades — the greatest continuous effort to do right Europe has ever made. The idea hurled a million stay-at-homes across the ocean to their deaths. Outof the idea of religious freedom have come America and half the great facts of the modern world. The idea of race is dissolving kingdoms ; the idea of equality is shattering social systems. — Spectator.

—Two hundred and fifty thousand English cotton-spinners are engaged all the year round making cotton goods for India. If India wpre suddenly lost, would not that* mean 250,000 people out of work, or in other words, one-third of Lancashire exposed to starvation? Again, to India, Newcastle and Cardiff send £1,000,000 sterling in coals ; Middlesborough, Barrow, Leeds, and other towns £1,500,000 in railway plant ; Leeds, Manchester, and Glasgow nearly £2,000,000" worth of machinery ; and Sheffield, Birmingham, and other places £5,000,000 worth of metal and metal goods. Every year we send to India £32,000,000 worth of goods.

— A rather remarkable case of suspended animation has occurred in an Indianapolis family. Recently an undertaker was called to the house of William Stuart to prepare the body of Mrs Stuart for burial. After the supposed corpse had been washed and dressed, it was decided to postpone the work of embalming the remains until a few hours later. Shortly after the undertaker had returned to his place of business he received a message stating that his services would not be needed, as the lady had come to life a^ain, and was ia a fair way to recover. Mrs Stuart claims to have been conscious while being prepared for burial, but was unable to move or speak.