DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 324, 12 December 1888, Page 4

DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST.

In describing a journey from Gisborne to the East Cape, Dr. Scott gives, an interesting account of the scenery around, the,.scene of the murder and northwards, and of life in that isolated and little known part of Auckland provincial district. He writes : "Tok'oraava, which is about 10 miles south of ' Waipiro, the scene of the murder, boasts a post office and hotel, has a large Maori population and is the birthplace of 'Henaro Pofcae, a chief of ,high lineage, ,who ,was once proposed as, a candidate'for l-oyalty ,in place of Ppfcafcau Ipt., Leaving Host McCiutchie's, ,at T^okoniaru, 'we address' ourselves to the ascent of, Tawhiii a JPawa',, , ox: PaAva's, trap,^a ( mpre' than usually,. lofty hill ''the coa^fc range," Syhicli' ah'altitude " of 'some' 1,500 ft,'f t, ' b'utis ( mostly, grass' clad,' and "forms a por,-, tion { .of 'Mi-, J. Williams> largo j'rianj which, coirimericing "afc' # Tplk'ornaru, ex- ; tjsnds many miles, along' * t'ne coast line, and a proportionate distance inland, comprising -^-a-^good^deal"" of the roughest, best, and worst land on the coast

Mi' "Williams, through his ' cnergolic manager, Mr Wallis, must lmvo expended many , thousands ~of pounds during the process of bush-felling; burning ofl and clearing the intermihableexpanseoi fern and forest clad ranges, impervious bush vailoys and undrainable raupo swamps ; bufc much has been effected in this respect, whilo the nurnbor of men employed (previous lo the late unfortunate land, title complications) proved a great boon for the district generally, and while exercising no mean inlluonco in keeping Gisborne froo from the unemployed, presented a marked and favourable contrast to the adjoining large run at Tuparoa, where, uuder like chcumstancos of occupation, little or no extra labour was employod. While, however, 1 havo been digressing about Mr Williams'^ run, our horses have climbed at foot pace their 'weary way to the .summit of Tawhiti and a glorious prospect breaks upon us — as from an altitude of borne 1,500 or 2,000 fee& we behold for the first time the bold headland of the JEasb Cape, Mith its isiot in advance jutting out into the broad Pacific, whilo to the eastward Hikurangi rears ita majestic cone out of a chaos of mounds, hillocks', and cyclopoau boulder masses The descent of Tawhiti is easy, like another descent to a place which is said to be paved with good intentions, but there the comparison ends, as at the Tawhiti Hotel and Waipiro, the adjacent sottlomont at its base, little but the best of moat things can bo found. Even good society (if one is " weel aequent") is? not wanting, and hobpitality reigns, not only at Mr 'Walli&V residence (about a mile irom pooi looks store), which is a large, commodious and beautifully situated dwolliug-houFC, but also afc Host White's, who provider excellent fare for man and horse. Mr Whito is, however, but an amatour Boniface, though he managos \% ell and ho pass.es most of his- time ab hie sheep iun, which he holds conjointly with MrSomerville, of Tolago Bay and Christchurch. The station is situated some 8 or 10 miles inland and includes a portion of the interesting country which stretches in various widths for miles between the mountainous range, of which Hikurangi is the, loftiest representative, and the coastline of hills of interior altitude extending with occasional breaks in ibscontinuity ri'ghtup to the southern head (if it may bo so termed) of the Waiapu river and valley proper. Our horse?, like ourselves, well fed and refreshed, we proceeded inland along a broad and well-formed dray road, passing on our way a pretty little native village church, etc., Mr Wallis's residence, store, woolshed and usual accompaniments of a large and well-to-do station. Men were busily moving about, and a pair horse dray laden with sundries probably for some of the best stations turned off from apparently our direct road as we rode on over a hilly and not particularly good country, though on inspection, the soil, which is almost invariably the case along this part of the coast, appeared to be of good quality. As we neared Mr White's station, and leaving the high land bordering on the sea behind, gradually opened out a valley Hat, if it may so be termed, of very large extent. Traces of intelligent and successful occupation increased every moment. Paddocks of all sorts and sizes and a considerable acreage of ground under cultivation revealed themselves in pleasant contrast to the still rugged, partially cleared, but uncultivated hills which appeared in the distance on either side of us. We saw a few cattle grazing ; around on the plentiful feed, representatives, I believe, of many hundred, in equally good condition, while of horses and sheep there appeared to be no end, as keeping northward and passing an out-station or two we still continued along the splendid flab and fertile country,intersecbed here and there by creeks, and one river of some magnitude.

SOUTHERN CROSS OIL SPRINGS. Leaving Col. Whitmore's station on the light, we finally emerged on the beach again at Kiporua, the residence of Taratene Ngata, a Ngabiporou chief of note, who is now officiating as Native Assessor afc Otoiohanga, in the Waikato district. Here we were hospitably received, and pressed to remain for the nighb, bub having overtaken a gentleman who wan connected with and proceeding onward (still inland) to Major llapata Wahawaha's village, we we determined to accompany him, and on the road (a very peculiar one, consisting mainly of the partially dry bed of a creek, winding binuously in and out among the bases of the superincumbent hills) learned a good deal about the springs before mentioned. The gentleman, whose inuno 1 forgot, was quite a typical American, who had apparently had a great deal of experience among the Pennsylvania oil springs, and accounted for the lack of success at Waiapu in fcho following ingenious, nob to say feasible) manner — He held that there had undoubtedly been a Large subterranean res-er\oir of petroleum confined bv the bed rock at some ancient and unknown period, which was bui">t up and dissipnted among the upper strata by some plutonic and prehistoric agency. This theory he supported by jfcho fact of the hob .springs and other volcanic phenomena being still existent at Waipho in contiguity to the " Ahi o te Atua " (fire of the gods), a large escape of petroleum gas from the earth on JMr \\ nibo's run, which occasionally takes nrc, and burns with a vivid ilame for some day& tili extinguished by strong wind or much rain ; and the corroborative circumstance, that while crude petroleum was everywhere to be found on the surface of pools of water, in the neighbourhood of the "Rotokautuku" oil springs, and indeed anywhere along thecoasb wibhin the defined " oil belt," yet the deeper a shaft was sunk, i or tube driven, the less oil was obtained, while exudation of petroleum was continually going on from the upper st'-ata.

MAJOR ROPATA'S SETTLEMENT. Our journey along the bed of bhe creek was by no means a pleasant one as evening drew on, and we were far lrom sorry when we arrived at Waioroatabini (Matitini's Creek), the residence of Major Ropata Wahawaha, M.L.C, a Maori chief who rendered excellent service to the Government and country during the Hanbau rebellion, and sequent operations againet Te Kooti. We found the old gentleman getting rather infum, but strong of will and purpose as ever, residing in a neat little wooden cottage situated in the \ioinity of his hotel, a large and, commodious house ! which under , European management is one of the best and longest established hostelries on fche coast. Waiomatatini ma;y be termed a (typical Maori village modernised, containing as jfc does, relics and evidences of the earliest Maori opcupation, together yriih an excellent modern school, which the neighbouring European families attend, a Courf) House utilised occasionally as a drill-shed ' by. theNgatiporpu .rifles, (a local native corps) and last,,, but. certainly not least woufchy of -notice, i; Majo,r fl Ropata'a carved house, . a • wonderful . specimen, of aboriginal patience and ingenuity. . < ■' '* , ,1' > i I 'Here the architect ,» i Did not wtth : curious skill a pile ereut ' Of fcarvod' marble, tbuoh, or 'porphyry, • Bixt'builfr'a house fdr.hospilality." Oi ex'ce^'Uoriiilljr. large i dimbnsionp,' which I un^qrtlinat'ely'jforget^'^his, really e/efcrar ordiHaryJjliirdinfe w\i§ s gp^^],2 pr 3,4 y'eav^

in course of construction and erection, every upright of massive totava bearing a sculptured history, is usod by the Major for the entertainment of his native frieucU and visitors, on the occasion of great (him) meetings, winch occasionally take place al Wuionmtabini, tho acknowledged nuLive metropolis of the East Coast, and has 'often evoked the wonder and "admiration of vifcitora from afar.