A Tour Round the New Zealand Ports, WITH SKETCHES OF THE CHIEF FEATURES BY THE WAY. DUNEDIN. OAMARU. TIMARU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2332, 10 November 1898, Page 20

A Tour Round the New Zealand Ports, WITH SKETCHES OF THE CHIEF FEATURES BY THE WAY.

DUNEDIN.

OAMARU.

TIMARU.

«=£>o<S=-

[ describing a tour round the Australian and New Zealand main ports it is fitting that a beginning should be made at Dunedin, first because it is tiie finest city in New Zealand, and second because it is the headquarters of a company whose stenmei's we shall mostly require to make use of in performing our journey, and whose services extend as far as Calcutta and Ran Fran oisco, while they embrace the witching coral islands of the South Seas and the seaports of Australia and Tasmania.

The history of the Union Company nf New Zealand is like a fairy tale, bul it is not for us to tell it here. To avoid repetition we shall, to use an American expression, say right here that in all the chief towns and cities in New Zealand and Australia there are to be found comfortable hotels at which visitors will be given comfortable board and lodging at rates varying from 7s to 14s per day, according to the size and style of the hostelry. Some aye quite palatial establishments, rivalling the hotels of Europe and America ; others are more of the boarding house order, but in all visitors may depend on getting good food and civil attendance. In the large cities there are residential clubs where gentlemen can be accommodated on being introduced by a member, and this is a course much affected by those travelling unattached, as it enBHres them comfortaule quarters and affords an opportunity of social intercourse with prominent local residents. Carriages, cabs, and riding horses are obtainable everywhere oa moderate terms, and the fullest facilities are provided for visiting the beauty spots of the various districts and for inspecting the institutions, public buildings, and industrial establishments of the different cities. The climate of New Zealand is very varied, that of the most northerly parts of the colony verging upon the tropical, while that of the southern districts is temperate and bracing, very much akin to that of the Isle of Wight and the most salubrious spots on the south coast of England.

Tlj x>urist season in New Zealand covers

the four months commencing on the Ist Decemoer and closing on the 31st March. During these months visitors from Australia come across in large numbers to escape the heat which prevails in the latter country during the greater part of that period.

Although now a town of 50,000 inhabitants, including suburbs, Dunedin has retained much of the character of its founders, and is distinctly a Scottish community. Its name is the poetic name of Edinburgh, the headquarters of the association which promoted its settlement.

Approaching Dunedin from the sea we pass through Otago Heads, and make our way up what is called the Lower Harbour

-— «^o*4>

to Port Chalmers. This is the port of Dunedin, and lies 6£ miles from the heads. Until the work of deepening the channel between Port Chalmers and Dunedin "«as accomplished all shipping collected here, and before the advent of Home steamers the place was alive with sailing vessels waiting to load wool and grain. Only boats of very light draft engaged in the coastal traae could make their way up to

town. Port Chalmers is beautifully situated at the foot of verdure-clad hills, and derives its name from the illustrious Scot tish preacher and leader of the Evangelic il party during the Ten Years' Conflict — Dr Thomas Chalmers. Consistently enough c) c first object on which the eye rests as we steam up the harbour is the Presbyterian Church, a handsome stone building topped by a graceful spire, and seeming as if it were set down just on the very spot where it would not only look to best advantage itself, but where it would actually enhance the beauty of its surroundings. One looks at it and involuntarily asks himself where could this church be placed where it could look better, and how much the beauty of the site would lose were that particular building not there. At its foot lie the straggling streets of the little town, above

it and around it are the everlasting hills clothed with bush almost from foot to summit. In 1874 the Otago Harbour Board was formed for the purpose of improving the harbour and deepening the channel between Port Chalmers and Dunedin so as to permit of large vessels proceeding there. Since then over three-quarters of a million have been spent, and there is now a minimum depth of 16ft at low water right through the channel from Port Chalmers io Dunedin. As the steamer leaves Port Chalmers it passes between islands that look as if they had been placed across the channel to form a gateway to Paradise. On each side the land rises in a gradual slope from a narrow plateau. Where the sides are not covered with bush, there peep out farm houses and buildings sur- | rounded by paddocks of grass land on , which sheep and cattle are grazing, whi'e smaller clearings display growing crops ul | grain. On the lower levels at distances of a few miles from each other appear villages, or townships, as they are called in the colonies, the streets arranged in tiers up the hillside, and the houses scattered in picturesque irregularity. Along the margin of the channel the train winds its way skirting the small bays which indent the coast all the way between Port Chalmers and Dunedin. Here and there single houses of some pretension show up through the belt of trees surrounding them, and little jetties running out into the channel mark the landing places of their owners. The steamer threads its way past all thesd, each turning opening up a new vista of beauty, until the last corner is rounded, and the City of Dunedin lies displayed before ' us. The city proper lies at the foot of a | range of hills, the business portion beiag built, for the most part, on land reclaimed from the sea. The residential portion occu I pies the flat land behind, and extends up , the hillsides, the streets showing like stairways to higher ground. The hillsides are | covered with houses of all shapes and sizes, i and any irregularity is softened by the pre- i sence of the uush in which they are set. A broad belt of trees surrounds the town at its higher levels and beyond this again are suburbs connected with the city by cable trams. At the head of the bay is a stretch of flat land covered with houses, and beyond that the Pacific Ocean. We have travelled 14^ miles from the heads, and yet here we are less than a mile from the open sea. Dunedin is situated on one of the fairest spots on the globe, and one will travel far before finding its equal. The public and private buildings are large and handsome, and "would do credit to many older cities. How shall we spend our time here to best advantage is the first question of the visitor. Well, there are the usual public institutions .o visit — museum, picture gallery, Town Hall, university, hospital, etc., but after all it is the walks and drives about Dunedin that

are its greatest charm. If fond of climbing the visitor has only to make choice of one of the several hills at the foot of which

Dunedin lies, and from the summit of which he can obtain a view embracing mountains, plains, and lakes. Hills we call them, but that is only a comparative term Elsewhere they would be called mountains, rising as they do from 2000 ft in height upwards, but in this land of mountain and flood tney are considered little more than gentle slopes. There are walks in plenty that will charm any visitor. Up the valley of the Leith River — across the flat to Anderson's Bay and Tomahawk Bay to explore the caves and cliffs in the neighbourhood — through the Botanical Gardens

to the upper regions of Opoho — the choice is wide and varied. Most beautiful of aU perhaps is a walk or drive through the Town Belt, from every part of which can be seen, through the softening vista of the trees, an ever-changing view of the city and bay. Then for outings farther afield, a drive along the eastern edge of the bay to Portobello, returning by the road over the crest of the Peninsula hills, or another to Blue-

skin, or to the Silverstream by Halfway Bush, returning by the Taieri Plains. These are only a few of the choicest; the visitor has but to place himself in the hands of his driver and leave the selection to him. If time presses, a trip on the cable trams that run to the suburbs on the hilltops, will afford a view worth going a long way id see, or a run by horse tram to the seasHa resorts of St. Clair or Ocean Beach •will give the visitor a pleasing variety. An excursion which should not be missed is a run by rail to Henley, thence by launch down the Taieri River to the sea. An ideal picnic this. Shortly after leaving Henley the Taieri River is joined by two smaller streams, and thence passes through a deep gorge from there widening out and again narrowing further down, curving and straightening out again and again until

it reaches the sea. Here and there it passes by overhanging cliffs and along the margin of narrow meadows, the banks fringed by evergreen bush. Nor is the river without its romantic legend. A lofty overhanging rock is pointed out as the spot from which in former days a Maori maiden, loved ty one swain, and promised by her parents to another whom she detested, flung herself into the dark waters below, preferring death to dishonour. The story of the " Maori's Leap " was long preserved in a dirge which was chanted by the Native* of the district until settlement dispersed them.

Leaving Dunedin the steamer's next place of call is Lyttelton, the port of Christchurch. One need not, however, make the journey by sea, but can travel by rail overland, and although to some people the long railway journey of 10 hours is a little wearysome, it gives the traveller the opportunity of seeing some of the rich9st agricultural land in the colony. Leaving Dunedin the train skirts the harbour c or eight miles as far as Port Chalmers, then takes a long pull up the hills and rushes along the precipitous edges of cliffs overlooking the sea, passing Waikouaiti, the oldest settlement in Otago and once sb e centre of the whaling industry in the South Island ; on past Palmerston and Hampden, until it pulls up at

whose white buildings glistening in the sunshine have won for it the name of the " White City." Oamaru .a the centre of the wheat-growing district of Otago, and is a lovely little town, and its surroundings a veritable land flowing with milk and honey. Leaving it the train enters upon the great stretch of rich flat land known as the Canterbury Plains.

One of the outlets of this district is a sister town to Oamaru, but is more somb-e in its appearance, the stone found plentifully in the neighbourhood being of a dark blue colour. It has the same big mills and stores and breakwater, however, and takes the same sanguine view of the future. Timaru is the starting point for Mount Cook, the great alpine glory of New Zealand.

The route to Mount Cook is by rail and coach, passing Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo — lakes fed by the glaciers of the great range of mountains to which Captain Cook gave the name of the Southern Alps, and the crowning glory of which, Mount Cook, rises to an altitude of 12,349 ft, a great, glittering cone of eternal snow and ice.

Leaving Timaru the train continues on its way across the plains, passing agricultural towns of more or less importance until it runs into the comfortable and commodious railway station at

way as to convey some idea of their natural surroundings. The museum contains the most complete collection of moa skeletons to be found anywhere, and it is said to be the best equipped institution of

|It has been a thing of slow growth. Bit | by bit sections have been constructed, and jat long intervals additions made. Not sel- > dom was it contemplated to abandon the work, and at times the building, as far as erected, has run several narrow escapes » f being utilised for secular purposes. The ' Christchurch people, however, held steadily ' to their purpose, and with the aid of generous private benefactions the cathedral was so far advanced as to be in a position to be consecrated in 1881. It still lacks the choir and transepts, but is a noble building as it stands ; and when completed will be a duplicate of the cathedral in Caen in Normandy. From its spire, which is 200 ft :n J height, ii magnificent view of Christchurch , and its surroundings is obtained.

The glory of Christchurch is the River Avon. Winding through the city— here hemmed in between lines of drooping wil lows, there flowing gently under graceful bridges and beneath the leafy branches o f overarching trees mirrored in the clear water below ; at other places gliding past grassy banks and flower-girt meadows, wherever it appears it is a thing of beaut 1 / and glorifies all its surroundings. Al though not of great width anywhere it is? the pleasure ground of the city, and a 'lay spent boating on its waters is one of the greatest attractions of which Christchurch can boast Hagley Park is a fine rec'?'«i-

Although Christchurch is built on a. plain which stretches unbroken as far as tbe eye can reach, it is shut off from the sea coast by a range of hills rising to a height of 1600 ft, on the other side of which, some

it was not very long before the settler* adopted a bold scheme for tunnelling througn the hills, and although a bold

undertaking it was triumphantly carried out. The tunnel is over one and a-hal: miles in length (2866 yards), and no*

Lyttelton is reached easily and comfortaoh by train in 25 minutes. Lyttelton is yer? much like Port Chalmers, rising in hillsides from the water's edge, and it present! a striking and picturesque appearance whss approached from the sea.

WELLINGTON.

Bidding good-bye to Lyttelton we stacv on our voyage to the next main port, 17fc miles off, crossing in the course of it ti» strait which divides the North and SouiL

Islands of New Zealand, and which bean the name of the great navigator whose di» coveries are now counted amongst tnr

richest possessions of the English crowi. Cook Strait reminds the traveller of fch» Straits of Dover between England ana France. It is the ferry way between tn» two Islands, and although at the presen;

time the whole distance between Lytteltou

and Wellington has to be travelled by ses. there is no doubt the day will come, and

that at no great interval of time, when thi j South Island railway will terminate at » ! point on the shores of Cook Strait, and il

the same way as we now cross from Dover j to Calais our successors will run over from i Picton to Wellington, and occupy ju« i about the same time in doing it. Lik» | its prototype, Cook Strait has its black ana i its smiling looks. To-day its surface ma* i be as smooth as glass, and we can croai lit without a qualm ; to-morrow may find * j long heavy swell surging over its bosom or its seas churning themselves into angrj foam as they are driven before the wind I which rushes into the strait as into » I funnel. As we enter the heads and steaa

steadily up towards Wellington we are &\ once struck by the extent and beauty oi the harbour. There is considerable rival r. T between the four chief cities of New Ze* land. Each claims some pre-eminence ore; its neighbours, just as in America eaca

CHRISTCHURCH

We have related how ti*e province ot Otago was established as a settlement by the Fr?e Church of Scotland, and how it is still the stronghold of Presbyterianism. The province of Canterbury, of which Christchurch is the capital, was founded a few years later as a settlement of the Church of England, and it is at the present time the stronghold of Anglicanism in New Zealand. The first arrivals have passed into history as the " Canterbury Pilgrims," and in the nomenclature of Christchurch streets, named for the most part after English bishoprics, the ecclesiastical origin of the settlement is preserved, while the city itself is proud to *,c known as " The Cathedral City." Christchurch is a very " superior" place, and has quite an air, don't you know ! It is proud of its original pioneers — none of your common men and women, but representatives of the upper and cultured classes of English society ; proud of its cathedral ; proud of its river ; proud • f its museum ; proud of its racecourse ; proud of its tunnel, and proud of its tone. Looking at Dunedin and Christchurch, one is strongly reminded of the feeling which is supposed to animate the breasts of Edinburgh and Glasgow men regarding the respective merits of their cities. Dunedin is the commercial city — Christchurch the scholastic. Dunedin may be more enterprising, but Christchurch has more tone. The sentimental rivalry between the two places, however, does no harm to anyone, and a visitor is as warmly welcomed in the City of the Hills as in the City of the Plains. With the exception of being favoured by the presence of the beautiful stream, the Avon, Christchurch owes but little of rs present attractions to Nature. Built on a bare level plain unrelieved by hill or forest, the hand of man has transformed the ! -ite into one of sylvan beauty. Skill and taste combined have enfolded the city in a bower

of trees and hedges, and the wealth of foli age to be seen everywhere goes far to compensate for the absence of more striking scenic features. Christchurch is substantially built, and its streets are wide and re gular. Having unlimited room for expansion one does not experience the sense of crowding which is felt in other places where the hillsides stop the extension of the town — here, comparatively speaking, bound Iras space only waits to be occupied. The most attractive portion of Christchurch City lies in the corner where are collected together the museum and educational institutions — Canterbury College, Christchurch College, the : Boys' and Girls' High Schools. The eccle- | siastical side of the settlement is preserved j in the architecture of these buildings, and an ( air of scholarly quiet pervades the neighbourhood, deepened by the presence of a long avenue of English trees which lines the street leading to this quarter. ChristchmcH is deservedly proud of its museum. Indissolubly associated with the name of its curator, the late Sir Julius yon Haast, it is a monument to his untiring energy ani skill. The collection is rich and varied, and is arranged in a manner to give both pleasure and profit to the spectator. It s not simply an array of inanimate objects calculated to tire or confuse the visitor, but the various exhibits are grouped in such a

the kind in the colonies. Almost as soon as the settlement of Canterbury was founded the settlers, true to their traditions, began to contemplate the erection of a cathedral, and lost no time in commencing the work.

tion ground of some 500 acres, of which the portion nearest the town is laid out as a public garden and carefully cultivated.

Christchurch is the starting point for the Hanmer Thermal Springs, which ar^ reached in a day's journey by; rail an:l coach. These are of an alkaline and salioe character, ranging in temperature from £0 to 100 degrees, and possess undoubted curative properties for rheumatic, cutaneous, and nervous complaints. The Government have erected a sanatorium at the springs, and there is good hotel accommodation in auction. Christchurch is also the starting point of the overland journey through the Otira Gorge to the West Coast of the Mid die Island — one of the most wonderful drives in the whole world. Mr Archibald Forbes, of war correspondence fame, made it during his visit to New Zealand, and this is what he wrote of it : " Between the inhabite 1 portions of the two provinces (Canterbury and Westland) there stretches a lofty range of rugged precipitous mountains, with snowcovered summits and glacier-clad sides. Through the ravines of these there has been made a load, compared with which in dizzy boldness of engineering and roadmaking those of which I have had experience — whether in the Alps, the Carpathians, the Balkans or the Himalayas — are tame and prosaic."

eight miles distant from the city, lies the port of Lyttelton. In the early days of the settlement there was no communication • >etween the port and the city except by a long and difficult road over these hills ; but

town boasts of its superiority in some particular direction. Philadelphia has th« longest and straightest streets, New York has the finest park, Boston has the best schools, and Chicago has the biggest pigkilling establishments. So in New Zealand Dunedin is proud of its scenery. Christchurch of its culture, Auckland oi its history and the beauty of its position, and Wellington of its harbour. Wheu ever we have heard Wellington spoken c especially by anyone hailing from that citj we have been told its harbour is fct» finest in the colony and its Harbour Boavo the most progressive and efficient, and &i we approach the wharves and step ashorwe recognise that the boast is not an idi» one. A noble expanse of water 19,00 acres in extent completely sheltered wharves and jetties spreading out in fren. of the main streets of the city, busy worker* loading and unloading ships almost at tat warehouse doors — the most modern appL 1 ances everywhere available — -we can wei. believe that its harbour and position wii be the two principal factors which wi) make it what its citizens predict, the chi«' commercial centre of New Zealand. Tin city lies at the foot of a iange of Mlv and like its sister Dunedin it has had r* reclaim from the sea the aites on which stand its warehouses and stores, and even

its Government buildings. Looking up from the harbour, one thinks ot the hanging gardens of Babylon. The houses are built on tiers on the hill tace, and seem to cling to their narrow foothold as if ■ fearing a catastrophe. It strikes a visitor J as exceedingly odd that for the sake of living in what is considered a good locnlity people are content to be perched in lire \ air and to climb laboriously a steep flight i o f steps to reach their front doors. Contracted as the space is, however, many of ' the houses built on the hill slopes are . handsome and picturesque in appearance. ,

and the giounds attached to them are as attractive as «kilful gardening can make them, while all command a magnificent I view of the harbour and its surroundings. '

The second glory of Wellington' is that < f being the seat of Government and the [ home of the Vice-regal com t. It is also proud of llie distinction of possessing the largest wooden building in the world — im description of Wellington would be com plete that neglected to emphasise this fact. Wherever we turn our eyes on the northern end of the city they rest upon* huge pile--of buildings housing Government departments ot some kind or another. Observe them at luncheon and closing hoius, and you are irresistibly reminded of a group of beehives Out of all the doors pour men

— young and old — grave and gay — some all i cuffs aud ( olkrs, others boasting of neither, J gaol. 'The museum is well worth a but all seeming to wish to say, "I belong \ visit, especially by those interested in to the - ivil service." And this discloses memorials of the Maoris — the Maori House another advantage which Wellington pos- in the museum being one of the sights of

rapidly, and the large -warehouses and business premises erected on the reclaimed ground between the Queen's wharf and Te Aro would be ornaments to any modern ! city. It is worthy of mention that Wellington is the only city in the colony where the electric light is made use of to any , extent.

There aie several pleasant excursions wilier may be made in and around Wellington. The tramcar service is the -worst in the colony, but very good cabs ply in the principal thoroughfares. A pretty drive is to Island Hay, situated on the shoie of Cook Strait. A few hours can be well occupied in a visit by steamer to Day's Bay. a beautiful fern-embowered inlet mi the opposite shore of the haibour to Ihe city. A delightful walk is the ascent of Mount Victoria, the signal station, whence a full view of the harbour and surrounding district is obtained. The Botanical (-Jar dens, which cover about a hundred acres ci hilly ground behind the city, is an easy walk from the wharf. The great featu. I1 '' of the gardens is the gully, where in Hie de «-v >luicle of tie uatiir.il bus) ferrs and

kindred plants flourish as they are rarely found to nourish in the neighbourhood if cities. To follow the Hues of our tour round the

MAITAI KI\ER

sesses ovei its sister cities. In Dunedin, in Christchurch, and in Auckland the scarcity of young men available for social functions i.s most noticeable. Business in the colony is necessarily so limited in extent that young men of talent and enterprise grow dissatisfied with the prospects which employment in the cities oilers, and seek in widei fields scone for their abilities. This denudes the towns of young blood, and at all social festivities the meponderan 'c of the fan sex is most noticeable. It is different, however, in Wellington. The large staffs of the public departments supply r.he necessan number of partners, and the girls are happy. The seat of Government was removed from Auckland to Wellington in 1865, and Auckland has never quite forgiven the transfer. Wellington, however, is designed by Nature to be the chief tow n of the colony. It is the oldest city in iho colony, is in the centre ot the islands, and easily accessible from all points, whi'e its harbour, as already stated, is the finest in New Zealand. Auckland need not repine for it still possesses what Wellington cannot take from it, the distinction r f being the most beautifully situated city in the colony Government House, a hanlfcnw. wooden structure im the Italian style of architecture, and the Houses of Parliament, which adjoin it, are conspicuous buildings at the north or Thorndon end ■ f the city. Other places of interest im this quarter are the Church of England Cathedral (Xt Paul's), and the Roman* Catholic Cathedral (St. Mary's) but curiously enough the finest site ni Wellington is occupied by the

the colony. It is of veiy large size, and was built by the Ngatikaipoho, a tril>; iesident on the shores of the Bay of Plenty, and famous for their skill in caiving. The , house, besides being itself a perfect specimen of Maori art, contains a fine collection of Maori curios, every sort of weapon and household appliance being iiuineiou^ly le I presented.

liv tne earlier days of the settlement Wellington was frequently visited b\ j earthquakes. It has occasional visits still. , but they are gradually becoming fewer, and t-eir effects less destructive. The citizens, how ever, in years gone by were timorous of erecting buildings other than of wood, and the appearance of Wellington j has suffered in consequence. Wooden structures everywhere -\\ as the rule, and the impression conveyed to the eye of the visitor, even to the present day, is that ot a shaboy-genteel city that wants pulling down and re-erecting on a new plan before it can present a handsome appearance Wellington is the home of high winds, and these contribute to the general appearance of dowdiness which many of the streets of private houses present. Dwellers therein say that no sooner is a house newly painted than the wind lifts the dust from the 1 streets and drives it against the building , quickly giving it the shabby gray appearance which so many of the houses show. In time, no doubt, old buildings will be pulled clown and modern houses will re place them ; gaps will be filled up and swamps reclaimed ; and Wellington will assume the garb which its importance demands. The work is already progressing

mam ports of New Zealand, the nexit place of call after Wellington should bt Napier. To proceed there direct, how ever, and thiow away the opportunity oi

making a visit to Nelson would be to pass by some of the finest scenery of the colony, ai.d to miss seeing a town uni; ue in its way, and which suggests memories of Cheltenham, Bath, Torquay, and other English resorts clear to invalids and to gentlefolks of fixed but limited incomes. We take steamer, therefore, and cross Cook fStr-at again, and leaving behind us ihe snowcapped peaks of tta Kaikoura Ranges, we ci.ter Tory Channel. This is only one qi.arter ot a mile wide at the entranc >. and after passiag thrcugl" its seven miles ot length, we find ourselves in Queen Chailette Sound. New Zealand is rich in the possession of numerous inland sou m's similar in character to the far-famed Fjords of Isoiwiiy. The greater numbei of these sounds lie on the south-we^t corner of the Middle Island, and in clue cour.-e we sha;l attempt to describe these. 'Hit West Coast Sounds, however, by which name they are known far a'ld wide, do not lie in the re guLir track of travel, and the only opportunities of visiting them are those afforded by the Union Company's special excursio is. which are inn during January an 1 February of each year. Queen Charlotte Sound, however, and its neighbour Peloni'. Sound are withh. ease reach of Wellington, and frequently excursion parties are organised to visit them. Queen Charlotte Sound is one of the many spots in Ne^\ Zealand indisMdublv associated with t^e i>ame of Captain Cook. On his first vovivje in 1770 in the Endeavour he took possession of the inlet in the name and for the use of his Majesty George 111, and drank a bottle of wine to the Queen's health as he named the i.let after her. On his second voyage, three years later, in com mand of the Resolution, he rendezvoused

with the Adventure in the same -ound. an 1

on his third voyage in 1777 he spent a considerab.e time there, and had much intercourse with the Natives who assembled in large numbers during his stay. Captain Cook was much impressed by Queen Char lotte Sound, and speaks of it as " a collection of some of the fLest haibours in the world." The first call of the steamer is at

PICTON,

a smal town at the head of f he sound, about 18 miles from Tory Channel entrance. 'J his little place owes its existence to being the outlet of the produce of the province of Marlborough ot which Picton is the capital. Ihe Waiiau Plains in the neighbourhood enjoy a gruesome celebrity on account of a massacre there ■ i Kuropeans by the - atives m 1843. The New Zealand Compain , who were the pioneers in the settlement of a large portion of the colony, pui chased the Wairau Plains fiom the Maoris, but a dispute regarding the title brought about a collision between 1 the settleis and the Natives, resulting in the slaughtei of 26 of the former, a loss increased by the subsequent murder of the New Zealand Company's agent, Captain Wakefield, and ot the Queen's magistrate. The Native^ on this occasion were led by a famous w arrior chief '1 c Rauparalni. In his younger days this chief "t his home in the North Island conceived the idea of a conquering march throughout New Zealand, dining which he should humble in the dust all who should oppose him. Having secured a powerful ally in the shape of a supply of muskets he collected and armed Ins tribe, numbering 400 warriors, and marched fsoutliwuids, sweeping all hostile tiibe^ .efore him. Crossing over to the Middle Island he descended upon Kaiapoi, in the neighbourhood of the present City of Christchurch. After a protracted siege Kaiapoi was captured. Then followed a scene of unparalleled horror and savagery The conquerors cooked and ate their victims, and foi weeks feasting and revelry went om. Under the title of "The March ol Te Rauparaha " the story of this redoubtable savage has been embalmed in veise by New Zealand's poet, Thomas Bracken. En route from Pictoiv to Nelson the steamer threads her way through the French PasN. a narrow strait between D'Urville island and the mainland. The navigable channel at its rarrowest part is (>nl\ 11/ yarcK wide, and as the curren*-, swirls and eddies lound the ship the pas-s-age looks a ticklish piece of work, and is lather trying to nervous passengers. The danger looks greater than it is, however, aud making use of the pass shortens the distance to Nelson by several miles.

NELSON

Ihe harbour of Nelson lies between the mainland and a long, narrow stretch of land w Inch bears the name of the Boulder Bans:. As th" steamer approaches the wharf only i few straggling buildings are visible. Those mark the site of Port Nelson, for the town itself lies a mile farther on, an 1 is connected with the port by a train service. The approach barely piepaies one for the sight which meets the eye when Nels.m stain's fully revealed. Nestling

cosily at the foot of an imposing lange of bills we find a charming little town of some 7000 inhabitants. It seems as if built in the confines of a garden, for spires and loofs and buildings peep out here and there from amongst spreading trees and luxuriant hedges. Somehow the setting seems to harmonise with the style of the architecture adopted by the owners of the pretty villas that meet the eye at every turn. Peacefulness is the prevailing characteristic «.f the spot. There is no hurry or bustle to disturb the quiet beauty of the scene. Through the town, hemmed in between banks of willows, flows a little stream called the Maitai, and leaning over tire parapet of the bridge which crosses it, and listening to the murmur of the rippling water, one's thoughts insensibly steal away to similar dear spots in older lands, and the dreamy beauty of the place takes pos session of our Avhole being. Here if anywhere would the tired wayfarer find a place of rest.

A land In which it seemed always afternoon.

It is in no spirit ol mockery that Xeh >n is called "Sleepy Hollow." The glamoui of repose is over eveiything, and bathed in the warm sunshine which seems perenni-il in Nelson one abandons himself to :i drowsy feeling of happiness which his su"roundings all combine to encourage. We do not require to be told the climate is one of the finest in the \\ orld — that the neighbourhood is the paradise of invalids and of those who tired of the bustle and excitement of a Avork-a-day world would seek a spot on which to spend the evening of life — we feel all this, and insensibly a longing creeps over us to stay wheie we are and dream away the rest of our existence on this* peaceful spot. There are many pleasant walks and drives about Kelson. Hie visitor will do well to climb what is called the Zig-zag Hill. From here a number of fine views of Nelson and the harbour are to be obtained, each rivalling the other in beauty. Another pretty walk or drive Is to the reservoir, the road skirting the Mai tai stream, and affording many lovely views.

Charming villas and quaint little cottages hide themselves among the hop gardens and willows, and the blackbird's song and thi' liqiu- notes of the tui make vocal the hedgerows and the copses. Some of the cottages are very pretty ; a few are painted in gay colours, covered here and there with scarlet creepers and white convolvulus, and set in the midst of hop and of fruit and flower gardens. Nelson boasts of a Scenery Preservation Society, which is doing good work in preventing the needless destruction of native bush, encouraging the planting of trees, and securing the reservation of beautiful and interesting places for the use of the public. The visitor who ■nauts to ;-ee all that is most interesting in and about Nelson cannot do better than seek the assistance of the courteous secretary of this society.

There are several fine buildings in Nelson, the cathedral being the chief. The city enjoys a special reputation for the excellence of its educational institutions, and to have passed through Nelson College —

either Boys' or Girls' — is something to be proud of.

NEW PLYMOUTH

From Nelson there is a steamer service to New Plymouth and Onehunga, the latt (> i port being separated from Auckland by a neck of land only eight miles in width Were it only to get a glimpse of Mount Egmont it is well worth making the passage from Nelson to New Plymouth. This magnificent mountain is visible many miles out at sea, and as you approach New Plymouth the view of it becomes more and more beautiful. A perfect cone, it rises in snowy whiteness 8270 ft into the sky, and its silent majesty seems to pervade everything around. " Seen on a clear, sunny day when the snow on its top is uuobscured by mist or cloud, the appearance of the mountain is most imposing, but if you would see it at its best, it must he when the clouds are driving about its summit, not in massive shrouds, but in long sunlit flakes and wreaths, now creeping

down the mountain buttresses into the dark ravines that seam its face, now moving like a gauze curtain across the side, or floating away from the shoulder of the mountain to be dissipated into invisible vapour in the blue sky. Occasionally the very apex of tlie mountain is seen 10 emerge from the massive sea of cloud that floats upon its sides, and this appearance of the crest towering above the clouds gives one a sense of enormous height." Try to look away from it as you will Mount Egmont possesses a magnetic power from the influence of which you cannot escape, and as long as it is visible you are compelled to feast upon its exquisite purity, its imperial beauty dominates alike the onlooker and the landscape.

After Mount Egmont the most striking objects to be seen as we approach New Plymouth are the Sugarloaf Islands. This appropriately named group consists ot three sharply defined rocks, the highest of which (Paretutu) rises from a low point of the adjacent mainland as a sharp cone to an elevation of 503 ft. The main islet (Mot'iroa) is similar in character and 266 ft high, whilst the outer (Motu-Mahanga) is saddlebacked, with a conical summit 190 ft high. Near these a breakwater has been built :.' which steamers now land their passengeis, and the latter proceed by rail or road to the township — a distance of about two miles. The settlement of Taranaki was formed under the auspices of the New Zealand Company in 1841, but although the soil is rich and its natural beauty so great a* to have earned for the province the name of '"The Garden of New Zealand"

its material progress was much impeded in earlier days by trouble with the Natives, and it became the theatre of a protracted and bloody war.

The town of New Plymouth itself is built close to the beach. It possesses .i population of some 3500, and owes much of its beauty to the gardens attached to the houses and to the fine hedges which line the roads. Notice is at once attracted by the black sands of the shore. These contain a large percentage of iron, and it is one of the dreams of those who live in the district that some day the iron sand of Taranaki will prove a mine of wealth to the province. Meanwhile, however, they wisely cultivate its rich soil, and find dam" farming a shorter road to prosperity. One of the most interesting objects to visit is the cemetery on Marsland Hill wherein l ; e the remains of many settlers and soldiers who fell in the war. The recreation ground, too, with its miniature lakes, tree terns, and rustic bridges, is well worth seeing. New Plymouth is connected by rail with Wellington, and en route the train passes close (o Wanganui. Any tourist who wishes to enjoy a unique experience should make a trip up the Wanganui River — the Rhine of New Zealand as it is called — which flows nirough some of the finest scenery in New Zealand. The lowei reaches are navigable by ordinary craft, but as we get higher up stream we have to take to the Maori canoe, a boat admirably adapted to the rough work of (he river where snags are plentiful and rapids have to be shot. The Wanganui River is the portal to the Native territory covering an area of about 10.000 square miles that goe 5 by the name of the King Country, and not many white men have crossed it, the Maoris being very jealous of any one entering their reserve. In the King Country the Maori is at home, and is seen under much more favourable circumstances than in the larger towns where he is mostly to be met with in the neighbourhood of hotels, dressed n semi-European fas-non which only vulgarises him, and makes him more a butt for ridicule, than an object of admiration. The trip occupies several days, in the course t f which many Native villages are passed, a 'd the visitor has numerous opportunities of making close acquaintance with the interior of Maori whares and of inspecting handsome wharepunis with their fine carved work. The Native villages have all ambitious names, and _eiore reaching Taumarunui, where the river journey ends, we pass the Maori equivalents of Athens Corinth, Galacia, London, and Jerusalem.

XAPIER

Resuming our sea journey again at Wellington — although theie is through railway communication — we proceed to the next port of call on the East Coast, the flourishing city of Napier — a inn of 203 miles, usually made in about 17 hours. Until a few years igo steamers had to lie out in the roadstead, and passengers were landed by steam launch at the Spit cr Port Ahuriri as it is called, the port of Xapier and distant from the town some two miles. Following the ambition* example of other coastal towns, however, Xapier must needs seek to establish itself as a chief seaport, and accordingly immense sums have been borrowed ;.nd spent in a contest with Nature, and now the town possesses a breakwater o\cT 2200 ft in length, alongside which large steamers can' lie in safety. The city itself is protected from the encroachment of tie sea by a concrete wall and asphalt pa'"vie extending nearly two miles, and affording a delightful promenade for the townsfolk Napier is the capital of the rich province of HaMke's Bay, so named by Captain Cook in honour of Sir Edward Hawke, the Fir>t Lord of the Admiralty at the time of Caj - tain Cook's visit in 1769. The town is situated on a peninsula formerly known as Scinde Plain, and the connection between the two names is obvious. The situation is one of great beauty. Terraced hills rise almost out of the streets in places, On these are built many private houses of some pretension, and they look very pic-

tumes, \\ ith short pipes in their mouths, but they are a novelty, and all novelties {ire attractive — for a time. Napier pos- I sesses a population nearly approaching 10,000, and boasts an athenaeum, Town , Hall, a tine hospital, and attractive Botanical Gardens. There are also large freezing works not far from the town, an inspection of which will repay the visitor. In the matter of buildings, however, the glory or' Napier is the Anglican Cathedral, and -i visit to it should not be missed. It is built in Gothic style of the thirteenth century ; and the roof is a very good example of timber work. Many beautiful drives can be taken in the neighbourhood of Napiei

and the visitor of a day cannot do better than place himself in the hands of any respectable cabman. He cannot be disappointed wherever he may be taken. The province of Hawke' s Bay contains the finest stretch <.f grass land in the North Island, and i* eminently suited for pastoral purposes. The richness of the soil and the equability of the climate specially qualify it for the

r ear ing of purebred stock in their highest

perfection, indeed the province is looked upon as the breeding ground of New Zea-

ship the Endeavour for a large bird and alarmed by the report of firearms fled in terror into the interior, and Captain Cook, unable to obtain the food he had hoped for, commemorated his disappointment by naming the place Poverty Bay. It was near here also that the Maori warrior Te Kooti, after his escape from the Chatham Islands, massacred in cold blood 33 European settlers and 37 friendly 'Natives in November, 1868. In the cemetery, which is situated a short distance from the town, c monument has been erected to the memory of the victims, and on it are m scribed their names.

AUCKLAND.

How helpless one feels when attempling to convey to another the impression' made upon him by some beautiful view, — how inadequate seem the words at his command when he seeks to put into language the sensations which thrilled him as Nature unfolded her beauties to his enraptured eye. Appreciation seems to make description difficult ; one cannot speak lightly of what one feels deeply. The truth of this comes home to us as we sit face to face with the necessity to say something about Auckland — the loveliest site for a city in

' turesque amidst their surroundings of trets 1 and gaidens. The business and resident streets of the town are well and reguhuly built, and bear names dear to lovers oi English literature. When the town was ' first laid out the duty of naming the strots devolved upon the Crown Lands Commis sioner of the day. It so happened that this I office was held by Alfred Domett, a poet ; of some leputation, founded chiefly upon bis " Randolph and Amohia," and he ir- ; dulged his literary proclivities in naming i the streets and thoroughfares after the bearers of illustrious names in, literature. I To this fancy Napier owes the possession of Shakespeare, Milton, and Chaucer roads. 1 Tennyson, Browning, Emerson, Carlyle, ' and Brewster streets, etc. They strike i one as a little incongruous at first, but they I are certainly preferable to such names as Brown and Smith streets or Jones's Ore 1 scent. An interesting feature of the Napier ! streets is the number of Maoris to be seen ! about, for the most part seated on the | doorsteps of shops or gazing at the contents of the windows. They are not very ! picturesque in their semi-European cos

land, and the district from which the b-st type of stud sheep is to be obtained.

GISBORXE

A short run of 80 miles brings us to Gisborne. This is the chief town of the district of Poverty Bay. and is prettily situated at the junction of two rivers. The steamer lies out in the roadstead, and passengers are taken asnore in a steam lunch. The demon desire to be a seaport has also taken possession of this little township, and as in other cases money has been borrowed and spent on making a breakwater, the cost of which will press heavily on the place, while it is difficult, to see where anything like a corresponding advantage has been gained. Only vessels of very light draugnc can go alongside the breakwater. The town is prettily laid out, and numerous trees which have been planted in the streets add to its beauty. The country in the neighbourhood is rich, and the roads ire very favourable for driving. The chief interest of Gisborne to a visitor, however, lies in its historical associations. It was here that Captain Cook attempted to lanl in October 1769. The Natives taking his

all New Zealand. It stands, a lasting monument to the wisdom and taste of New Zealand's first Governor, Captain Hobson, who in 1840 selected it for the site of a capital, and in the following year established his head quarters there. What a noble position the city occupies ! Seated on an isthmus some five or six miles wide, the waters of the Manuka u wash its western shore, and those of the Waiten'ata its eastern. A harbour on the right hand and another on the left, the city is like a queen as she sits aloft receiving the homage of her subjects. All New Zealand lies stretched at he* feet, and she commands alike the commerce of the east and of the west.

wards the water, with houses and gardens nestling in cosy nooks in the numerous bays that indent the shore, the height of the hills, the extent of the country, and the extreme beauty 1 1 the suburbs are not fully understood until one has spent days in exploring them. The visitor should lose no time in making his way to Mount Eden, 'ii extinct volcano distant about three miles from the wharf, and the most prominent

feature of the landscape. Access to it is easy. He can walk all the way — he can take a 'bus to its foot, and climb the hill — or he can drive right to the top. The height of the mount is but 640 ft, and there is a good road all the way up.

horizon at one point marked by the bold peaks of the Great Barrier Islaii 1, 50 miles away, at another hj the hills of Coromandel and the Thames, while close at hand making one side of the channel that leads to the harbour, rise-, the mysterious looking island of Kangitoto. Nearer at hand on the opposite side of the harbour lie the attractive suburbs of the North Shore, their long stretches of beautiful beach sparkling in the sunlight

be recognised anywhere, for one of the many peculiar features of Rangitoto :s ; that taken from any point of view it presents the same appearance. 1 Those fond of out of doov life nee.l never weary in Auckland. The climate is one which tempts you to linger in the open, whether it be strolling in the parks or sitting on the broad verandahs of your friends' houses. The city is liberally supplied with pleasure grounds. First in importance is the Domain, a noble park of 200 acres in extent, which offers attractions for all sorts and conditions of men. Those fond of the beau- '• tiful in nature will take delight in fc..e I clumps of native bush — in the planta- ! tions of well-grown trees, in the fernI clad gullies, in the shady walks and ' drives, and in the glimpses of the har-

As the steamer, after a run of 300 miles from Gisborne, rounds the North Head and enters the land-locked harbour of Auckland the panorama that opens up before one's eyes is wondrously beautiful. An immense sheet of water stretching almost due west for six or seven miles, and having an average width cf about two miles, then turning in «i northerly direction for another 15 miles, although only navigable portion of the way, Auckland harbour offers accommodation for the navies of the world. The city is built on the southern side of the harbour on a series of sloping hills, rising gradually from the water's edge. Beautiful as the city looks bending tc-

Arrived there he has but to look around to appreciate and to excuse the feeling of pride which swells the breasts of all Aucklanders when you speak to them of their beautiful city. What a view! On I either hand a sea, and apparently sepaI rated the one from the other merely by the ground on which you stand. On the west the broad waters of the Manukau making their way to the sea, hedgad ; in on the one side by hills and kauri forests and on the other by a great | stretch of undulating and fertile land, | while at the head of the inlet nestles the town of Onehunga. On the east the i great Hauraki Gulf studded with num1 berless islands and peninsulas ; — the

Nearer still, the harbour, its placid waters broken by the movement cf steamers of all sizes passing up and down, while flitting about are numberless white sailed crafts on pleasure bent, for Auckland harbour is the paradise of yachtsmen. Looking landwards the eye rests upon stretches of cultivated lan-i, upon belts of trees, and upon gleaming sheets of water ; on the horizon I.h<? ranges of Waitakerei and the kauri forests of Kaipara ; and at our feet gar dens of exquisite beauty, villas and cottages peeping out amongst the foliage, and the city itself an irregular line of white sloping down to the sea. Distance smooths out all the rough edges, and only the impression of beauty is left. The mount on which we stand repeats itself over and over again on all sides. Auckland seems to have a monopoly 01 extinct volcanoes. One cannot count them, but within a radius of 10 miles there are said to be over 60 repetitions of Mount Eden, some higher and some lower. What a time it must have beeu when they were all in action. The crater on which we stand bears now the peaceful name of Eden — doubtless in days gone by it bore one more akin to that other pride of Auckland — Rangitoto, the translation of which "The mountain of the bloody sky," grimly indicates its former character.

Like Mount Eden itself, Raneitoto is a prominent feature in the Auckland landscape. Circular in shape wiLh a diameter of 3J miles, it rises gradually to a height of 920 ft. Its crater-like summit is composed of masses of scoria, and out of these rise three curious-look-ing peaks or nipples which enable it to

bour to be obtained here and there. Those given to sport can indulge in cricket or football, according to the season, and if beauty of situation is any incentive to excellence, the Auckland players should be the best in the colony. A prominent feature in the parks is the imposing buildings of the hospital which occujDies a site conspicuous from almost any part of Auckland. Albert Park in the centre of the town, now a garden full of flower beds, shrubbery, and neatly kept lawns, was once the citadel and parade ground of the regiments that came from over the sea to fight the battles of the settlers with the Maoris. The Western Park, in the suburb of Ponsonby, is another "lung," small but

picturesque, with its belt of pines and other trees. The suburbs of Auckland are full of attractions, and no more charming drives can be taken than through Remuera, along the southern shore of the harbour, to the Ellerslie racecourse, or to St. Heliers, where there is a fine stretch of beach, or to Onehunga at the head of Manukau Harbour. The short excursion par excellence is by ferry steamer across the to the suburbs- of North Shore, and then a drive round Lake Takapuna, a fine sheet of water supposed in some places to be fathomless, ana regarding which there m a tradition that Rangitoto once filled the hollow where the lake now is — the measurements exactly corresponding. The view of Auckland from any one of the hills on the North Shore is most im-

pressive in its beauty. The business portion of the city commences at the wharf, and continues in a straight line up Queen street, the main thoroughfare of Auckland. On each side are many handsome piles of buildings, both wholesale and retail businesses crowding together in the same street. Queen street always wears a bustling appearance, and the visitor is impressed with the life arid movement that goes on around him. In the afternoon when the fair Aucklanders come out "to do the block," the aspect of the upper part of the street changes a little, and not in the direction of being less attractive. In public buildings and institutions Auckland is rich, and beyond all other towins in New Zealand is indebted

This painting by D. Baixeras, which has been thought worthy of a place in the Metropoli an Museum of Art in New York, tells its own tale, as every good Picture should. The battered old salt — once a man-o'-war's man, — who had sailed strange seas and seen strange sights, finds a rapt audience in his two old cronies, one of whom listens with critical yet keen interest to the yarn, while the other pauses in the important task of lighting his pipe, in order that he may not lose a single word of the thrilling crisis. The storyteller, like Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, holds them with his "glittering eye,"' and they "cannot choose but here." Meanwhile the summer sea flows smoothly, and the vessels come and go to their haven, and storms and peril live only in the " Memory of the Past."

to princely private munificence for insti- . tutions of which it is justly proud. The ! magnificent Public Library and Art Gallery owe their existence to one citizen,

and the fine collection of pictures which line the walls of the latter is the gift oi another. On the shelves of the library are to be found the valuable collection of books, illuminated manuscripts, and missals presented by Sir George Grey, whose name is held in great esteem by the people of Auckland. The collection ia unique, and includes Caxton's, Aldine'c, early editions, and complete copies of the first, second, and fourth folio editions of Shakespeare. The museum is well worr.h a visit to inspect its collection of Maori carvings and weapons, and curios collected and brought from the Soutli Sea Islands.

Auckland is rich, also, beyond any other New Zealan^ city in historical associations. The early history of the province is to a great extent the history of the colony. It was in Auckland that the first emigrants from Hawaiki landed ; it was the scene of terrible tribal wars, and to this day Mount Eden and other cones show traces of their occupation in their terraced and pittsd sides ; it was the first theatre of missionary enterprise ; the British flag was first set up in Auckland ; in the province a British Governor first resided, and the site on which the city stands was chosen by tne first Governor for the capital of New Zealand. It was a scene of bustle and excitement in the early days of the Waikato war, when the citizens lived in daily expectation of an attack, and settlers from the suburbs and outlying districts crowded into the town for safety. The city bears many marks even now of its occupancy by the military in the early sixties. The population of Auckland, including suburbs, numbers 54,000 souls. There is ample room, however, for a city to accommodate many times that number — in all directions the town stretches out, and look at it from what point you will there is an entire absence of that feeling of being cooped up in a small space which often occurs to one when observing the confined limits of such important cities as Wellington and Dunedin. Auckland is to be envied by her sister cities foe many things, still there is plenty of room for improvement within herself — the most noticeable to a visitor being the necessity for accelerating the speed of her tramcars and 'buses and increasing the frequency of their journeys. Verb. sap.

In this favoured country, where we have no game-laws, there is no pampering of the wild tilings of nature, at the cost of the poor man's crop and labour, for the benefit of the rich sportsman ; no weighing the life of a hare or a pheasant against the liberty of a man, to the certain detriment of the latter. We can scarcely understand the intensity of anguish displayed in the faces and attitudes of this unfortunate couple. The man taken red-handed in an act which an unjust law bi anils as a crime, and his unfortunate wife vainly entreating for mercy— their haggard eyes, gaunt and hollow cheeks, telling the unmistakable story of long-continued privation and misery. Hunger stares from their eyes, and fear is stamped on every feature. The young gendarme at the door shrinks from making the arrest, but is urged on by the detective in plain clothes behind him. In this picture the artist gives us a thrilling portrayal of one of the crimes daily perpetrated in the name of Law and Justice.