MANGAMUKA.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 6, Issue 23, 19 March 1895, Page 3

MANGAMUKA.

(Specially written for the Pelorus Guardian ) ♦ [By Frank Matthews.] (Continued.) In the evening a negro came down from the Omahuta gumfields. These fields are about eight miles further inland, in the direction of Whangarea; they are Government fields, and diggers are not permitted to work on them in the summer for fear of setting fire to the extensive kauri forests. Our visitor had formed a fiddle band amongst the young men at Mangamuka, and, being a good player himself, had got them to a fair state of proficiency. I did not hear the evening's practice, for he stands much on his dignity, and objected to the presence of a stranger; he is very dandified, too. "Wi Moka," he said. " Wha missus? Sah, I give dance party Wednesday night. Tell her, 'spose she no come I cut my troat." Wi Moka is the chiefs grandson, and, as he was going down the river next morning, to the sawmill town of Kohu Kohu (or Gogo, as it is locally termed.) I arranged to go with him. In the morninp we followed down the course of tha Hokianga Eiver, on which this kainga is situated, the track running through wooded valleys for about two miles, with landings at intervals, where kauri logs and purin sleepers are sometimes hauled for rafting. Arriving at length at a bridge of considerable dimensions, across which the track continues to Waiho, a township on the Waiho Eiver, which is a tributary of the Hokianga. Waiho is a European settlement, containing several large stores, one hotel, and many European homesteads, and a good metalled road leads from there to Kawa-kawa. By the bridge is an abandoned hotel. At one time there •was a considerable timber industry on the Hokianga, now there is next to none, and there is not at present sufjficient traffic on the road or river to make business for the hotel. Wi Moka's boat was moored to the bridge, which is about as far as the tide backs up. She was a good Auckland-built boat, about sixteen feet overall, copper fastened, &c. The river here is about as wide as the Pelorus; up at the landing the banks are thickly wooded and the sides rock;bound. Amongst other flowering .shrubs and plants overhanging the -water I noticed a great profusion of "Jillies growing in the crevices of the locks—they are just the same as English Jillies only larger. After descending the stream for about two miles it opens out into a regular tidal river, with mud-banks, shallows, &c, and so continues to Gogo, about fourteen miles further down. The mud flats on these northern rivers are overgrown with mangrove—a growth peculiar to the rivers in tropical climates. Mangroves are low twisted stunted trees, with a foliage something like karaka, only the leaves are much smaller. Opposite Gogo the Waiho and Hokianga Eivers join, and the channel merges into a Sound, something like Pelorus Sound. Five miles lower down is the capital town, Eaweni, on the southern shore. Just above it the Taheke Eiver joins the others. The shores of the Sound are not wooded, but the ranges on either side are clad with fern and te tree. Kohu-kohu, or Gogo, is situated on the side of a steep range which runs parallel with the river. There is a narrow road along the margin of the tide-way m front of the township, with a hotel and several stores facing the beach, also a wharf of considerable dimensions for the shipment of stock commercial purposes; the mill has its own wharf. We stopped there for an hour or so, and I had a look round the mill, which, in addition to ordinary gear, has a variety of plant for jnould'Bgs, sash and door making, &c. A .other things, I took notice of '» horizontal saw. This is used lor hre iking down very large logs, and I*B fchfi flitch from the top instead of o{ tL '* sides, also a gang of saws+Wfi > w fo»r small vertical sawa se£ in I frame . Bww are -for cutting the bestToiMj d planking;; they are called*« V«L" Tl > 9 dragged I I from the pom* on skids laid naraliel* * ig mw & lm i tr T?? ihTnWngtto on fc># truck, but expect it m®m* * m P° wer ? ! SI This mill wa« erected by Messrs Brownlee, frown, Stewart, and others, styling themselves the " Hokianga Sawmill Comnany." It afterwards merged in o We hands of the Kauri Timber Syndicate, which has not been a success so tar, the kauri timber trade having been very depressed for sometime, probably owing to the depression in Australia. There is an unlimited supply of nmu, white pine, and matai, about the Hokianga and tributaries, but the Company do not deal m hat line of ti2r I should think there would bI aiooa opening for a sawmi 1 for 'sucltimtr, Vt fancy the freight to of profitable business Le f D &X* kohu, we crossed the nvw to a filing kainga on the ofche; shore. J-he inhabitants were away, but thei'b were ■huts and plenty of flour and tukatf, as -well as lines and nets. [Tukau, kttfltterA, and waioa * are Mmnt names tfor the sweet potato j in some places they are called one, In some the other.] So we caught some £sh and camped thaere .for the night. The name of this kainga is Motukiore. (To be continued.)