THE GOVERNOR'S TRIP TO TAUPO.

Colonist, Volume X, Issue X, 12 February 1867, Page 7

THE GOVERNOR'S TRIP TO TAUPO.

(From the Wellington Advertiser.) His Excellency Sir George Grey returned to town yesterday morning, from Wunganu'i, by the p.s. Waipara. Through fh<j courtesy of His Excellency's Private Secretary, the (Eev. Mr. Thatcher, we are enabled to present our readers with an account of the important journey into |the very heart, of the Maori counfcrj, which his Excellency has so successfully

completed Sir George Grey prpqeeded from the Kawau to Taurnnga in H.M.S. Challenger, arriving there on the 18th Deeembor. Ou "Wednesday, the 19th, His Excellency left Taurangii, accompanied by Commodore Maguire, Mr. Thatcher (Private Secretary), Mr. Commissioner Clarke, Mr. Mair, Mr. Williams of the Challenger, and Mr. Mouro, son of Sir David Monro, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Horses were provided for the.party by the natives at the pa opposite T« Papa, and all started about the middle of the day for Maketu, Where they arrived the same afternoon, and rested thatjnight. Next, morning they left Maketu.and passing Along the shore of Rotoiti, arrived at Ngi>e, on the east side of Rotorua, in the afternoon. At this place | there is a house of entertainment, kept by natives, whero the whole party dined on crawfish, caught iv the lake. His Excellency visited the school, kept by a native teacher in the "neighborhood, and then rode on to Ohinemutu, at the "head of the lakejfvvhere the principal hot springs are situated. The rest of the party remained at Ngae, to give time to the'; pack mess to arrive. On the following day, the party at Ngae having joined His Excellency at Ohinemutu, breakfasted at a very good accommodation h'ous^ which has been established there Ly a joint-stoekjcompany, in which most of the natives have shares. \ From Ohiuemutu they started on the same day, and passed along the shores of the beautiful lakes Tikitapu and R.otokakahi to the Wairria. There, at a picturesque spot, close to Lake Terawera, is the station of the Rev. Mr. Spencer. By that gentleman His Excellency and party were most hospitably received, andiat the same place they were met and greeted by the chief Te Kepa (Kemp) and his people, who gave every demonstration of loyalty, hoisted flags, and fired a salute. There they were detained until the 22nd by the rain, during which time Commodore Maguire and some others of the pa' ty made a short trip to Rotomahana in canoes, returning the same day. The 23rd, being Sunday,, ■was also spent at the Rev. Mr. Spencer's, and on the next day the party started once more, accompanied by that gentleman, Te Kepn.* Henave, chief of the turning on their track to Rotokakahi they proceeded towards the Waikato River, <miefly over a very fine undulating country, with many hills emitting vapor and numerous hot springs. They reached the river the same afternoon, and crossed it opposite Ora Kakoraka, which lies just beyond it, and contains several hot mud springs. The party had now entered the Taupo district, and on Christmas morning they moved ou again, and reached Oruanui, where they were met by Hohepa, Busby, and Te Heuheu, who received them with war dances and every demonstration of loyalty, treating them in ihe most hospitable manner, and feasting them to the best of their ability. From here the first view of the magnificent mountain of Tougariro was obtained, and the travellers saw before them the goal that they were waking for. At Oruanui they stayed the rest of that day, and:1 on the 26th went to Tapureharu.ru,- the chief Busby's place, where the same loyal reception that had greeted them all along •was once more prepared for them. Accepting the chiefs hospitality, they remained with him that night, Tapureharuru is situated at the outlet of the Waikato River, from lake Taiipo, and is in the middle of a most fertile district! On the 27th the party rode round the eastern side of the lake to a place called Tauranga, inhabited altogether by Hauhaus. The men were away, and Ijad only left a few women behind them, and here his Excellency and party vested for the night and nex| morning went on to Tokanu, which is situated at the; head of the lake, and where Kingi, Haere, and otljer chiefs received them in a most friendly and loyal spirit, having been apprised of their coming by To Heuheu, who had ridden on before. By this time the party was greatly increas-.d by accessions throughout the journey, and theii hosts danced war dances in welcome of them, and killed sheep and pigs innumerable to feed them. At this place also it was remarked that the people were most industrious, making mats and tilling their land as much as possible after the European fashion by using the plough to turn it up, alnd even to plant their potatoes. At Toktnu they retrained for a day, as it was understood that there were some Hau-haus in the neighborhood who, it was believed, would come in if his Excellency sent for them. They did in fact come in, but on the first occasion His Excellency was unfortunately out of the way, having gone to see Mr. Grace's house. However, Son the following morning they again came in and hkd an interview with his Excellency, and although only a day or two before they had declared that nothing[ would induce them to submit to pakeha rule, after a few minutes conversation with Sir George Grey, they expressed their desire for peace, and declared tlieir willingness to be loyal. Bad weather detained the party at Tokanu during the 28th, and on the 29th they paid a visit to Waihi, Te Heuheu's place. After prayers on the morning of Sunday, the 30th, they started to Poutou, on the east side of Rotoairi, a lake between the njountains Pihanga ana Tongariro, and throughout the whole district were struck with the remarkable fertility of the land, the native owners of which expressed themselves as extremely anxious to get Europeans amongst, them to rent their lands from them. ;On the 3ist Mr. Thatcher, Mr. Mair, and some of the principal chiefs, ascended Tongariro to catch the view from the summit, but as they mounted, the calm bright day that they had left in the valley changed to mist and rain and storm, so that for a time they lost their way, and were glad to descend agxin without having accomplished their object. On the afternbon of the same day the whole party rode on about seven miles on their way to Wanganui, and camped for the night in a small gully by a stream. Next day they started early, passing along the foot of Tongariro and up the sides of Ngaruhoe and Ruapeka, through a lovely country, only waiting for the white man's cultivation to render it "most productive, until they came to a regular desert of stones and gravel, about seven miles across, which the natives are afraid to pass over during ■windy weather. Crossing this, they encamped for the night by a small stream, when they suffered considerably from cold, being only five hundred feet below the perpetual snows of Ruapeka, which glistened above them. On the 2nd of January they passed over some of, the most magnificent kjid which, the colony contains, of about 200,000 acres in extent, and owned by natives who expressed a most earnest desire to let it to Europeans. As an additional inducement they say that the place is within a day and a half or two days' journey of Napier, to which a • good sheep-track leads the whole way. At t{)is place his Excellency and party had to leave their horses, as they were now at the edge of the buah, winch they entered on the 3rd, and after some very tiring and difficult travelling on foot reached Ranaua,|on the river Wanganui, on the 4-th. There they embarked in canoes, and arrived at Eorini the same Evening, from which they again started in canoes next morning, and got to Wanganui by mid-day on the sth.

The following letter from his Excellency! to the Superintendent of Auckland was published an the Southern Cross of the Bth instant:— ! " Rotoaire, Dec. 31, 1866. " His Honor F. Whitakee, Esq., Auckland. ; "My dear Sir, —In fulfilment of my promise I write to say that the whole country from jTauranga and Orakei Korako, on the Waikato, to this pliice, is in a most satisfactory state. I believe the same state of things prevails on to Wanganui, for which place I am just starting. The people everywhere atjeanxious to have Europeans amongst them ; and travellers may rely upon being treated with the greatest priridness. In some places they have already built, and'at others they are about to build, guest houses where travellers can obtain necessaries. This part of New Zealand is in a better state than I have ever known it. i The

natives show a greater desire to have Europeans amongst them, aud to follow our customs, than afc any previous time. lam sure you would have been pleased if you could have seen the delight that has been everywhere shown at the Governor coming into the country, and at the certainty they now feel that Europeans "will soon, follow the Governor. Many of them are anxious to let their lands for sheep runs. "We have just come down from Tongariro. I thought it better to go up the mountain to show that, the whole country was truly open, and that their old foolish ideas were at an end. We had a miserable day, misty, and terrible wind and cold. I saw nothing but fog and smoke, and was almost perished with cold, but thought it better to accomplish the object I had in view ; anyone who likes may now go up the mountain, if they take two or three guides at ■the rate of ten shillings a man. This will really hardly pay for shoe-leather. I congratulate you heartily at the state of this large part of the province of Auckland, and trust that your Government, will seize this opportunity of permanently uniting the natives of the interior to the European race.

" Truly yours, " (Signed) G. Gbet."