WHAKITIVE COUNTY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5669, 16 January 1890, Page 2

W HAKITIVE COUNTY.

[ISV OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Under the new Representation Act, which will take effect at the next general election, the boundaries of electoral districts will be enlarged in order to contain the requisite .iioreasecl number of voters. We have nothing in common with Napier, and our electoral boundary is well within the liawke's Bay provincial district, so that our only direction of extension must be north. It is therefore certain that the County of Whakatane will be. included in this electoral district— possibly Tauranga as well. Tl^e County of Whakatane is 'so little known in Poverty Bay that a report of tiie district by your special correspondent should be of interest.

As far as the number of square miles contained ' within its boundaries this County is one of the largest in New Zealand, and although it contains some rich and fertile valleys unfortunately a very large proportion of the area consist of rugged hills and barren plains. Its eastern boundary, when it joins Cook County, is a line running almost due north and south, extending from the East Cape for about forty miles inland. Along the Coast, from the East Cape to Opotiki, are numerous Maori settlements and one or two sheep and cattle runs, notably Mr Seccombe's dairy farm at Oreti. The natives, as a rule, are thrifty, and produce a considerable quantity of wheat, oats, and maize every year. But the first, place of aiiy note one comes t« is the Eurepein township of Opotiki, and its rich flats of alluvial, highly - cultivated soil. Opotiki, when first occupied by Europeans about the year 1865," was a military settlement. After the murder of the Church of England missionary,: Rev. Volkner, the Government sent troops, drove the Maoris to the hills, confiscated their lands, had them surveyed into sections from 30 to 200 acres, and these sections were granted to the officers and men engaged in the conquest of the place. Many of these men sold out and left, but chero are still & few who occupy their original grants. The soil is exceptionally rich, and Opotiki has become celebrated as a maize producing district. The roads run from the township through the farms which lie in two valleys, Waioeka and Otara, which are watered by two oeautiful clear streams suitably named. These roads are well formed and kept in excellent repair with coatings of metal, obtained so easily from the beds of both rivers.. The town of Opotiki consists of cwo parts, called the civil and military townships. The first consists of quarteracre lots, and the principal portion of the business part is situated here, whils with die exception of a few acre lots in Church street, the remainder of- the acre lots are all cultivated. The town contains three hotels, six stores, three blacksmith, three bakers, three saddlers, one tinsmith, and three shoemakers' shops, three churches, one district school, one private school, one brewery, two newspapers — The Opotiki Herald and the Opotiki Mail — Courthouse, Post and Telegraph Office, &c. Behind the last is the willow tree upon which Volkner was hung. One of the hotels— the " Opotiki," is so large, that probably no town of the same Bize can coast of such another. It contains about 50 rooms, has billiard and sample rooms, lawn tennis ground, &c. It is kept by a most obliging landlord, and attracts all the commercial ineu. Near ib are the wharves from which were shipped during the year, about 35,000 sacks of maize, besides wool, cattle, sheep, horses, Ac. The total exports are about L 30,000 per annum. The township covers about 2 square miles, and the flat about 24 square miles. The population of the town and adjoining farm lands at last census was about 1000. The first settlement of any note on leaving Opotiki travelling westward is Waidtahi, This is a valley similar in many respects to Opotiki but much smaller in area. The land is nearly all taken up by thriving industrious settlers. After passing Waiotbhi wo come to Ohiwa, here we find a beautiful bay, bar bound, but with a depth of water from 11 to 17ft at high water. The land adjoining the harbor is Mokau, which is bub sparsely set bled, as the soil does not offer the same inducements to settlement as either of the other two places which we have just left. On crossing the harbor, which is done by means of a ferry boat or punt, there is a pleasant ride along the beach, for about six miles, then over a fuirly good track over the Ohopi hills into Whakatane. Hera we find a quaint looking little township nestling at the foot of a steep rugged lino of hills, and fronting the river, which flows gently past. Here thero is an hotel and two stores. A traveller might pass through and have but a fain b idea of the place, and fancy that it was not worthy of a glance or a passing thought, but a ride up the valley would soon disabuse his mind. Hero he would find another rich alluvial flat extending for twenty miles inland, and if occupied as Opotiki is by small farmers it would "be capable of carrying a large population. Those small farmers are all doing well. There is also a large native population in the vicinity, and they grow for export quantities of maize and potatoes for which the climate and soil are peculiary adapted. The next settlement on the coast is Matata, for years past a great little place, but lately no fewer than threo flax mills are being started, besides a fish curing industry and it promises to be a busy little place. The western boundary of thecounty is at a creek known as Otamarakau, where there is a small native settlement, and inland from here the country is partly undulating fern land partly broken, and everywhere interspersed with swamp. A few thousand acres have lately been taken up here for a sheep run, but sufficient time has not yet elapsed to know whether it will prove a success or not. The country lying inland is of little value. A settlement known as Titika was at one time a nice little spot, and the natives were industrj-

l aiviWo*a di'Uptioti tioverecl the whole surface of the ground a foot defep with sandj and now it has a mo9i forlorn appearance. There is a small hotel and store here kept by Mr McGarvey,and from the hotel verandah Tarawera rears up ifc stricken sides in front, and the j chasms and rifts caused by the eruption are plainly visible to the naked eye a sad looking remnant of what it once was before it became A power to do evil.