THE TOPOGKAPHY OF THE WAIKATO.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1215, 31 August 1869, Page 5

THE TOPOGKAPHY OF THE WAIKATO.

The New Zealand correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writing from Nelson early in the present month says:—

" I have a correction to mate with regard to certain localities of which I attempted a description. The redoubt at Alexandra, whence the telegrams of Mr. Searancke, the resident magistrate, were sent, was stated as being forty miles from Auckland. But that is not the Alexandra referred to. Like too many colonies, we labor here under a plurality of places enjoying the same name, and hence much confusion, especially in districts not over well known. I think in New Zealand we have no fewer than four 'Havelocks !' Couple this with a blunder in the map of New Zealand (an Australian one, published by a Mr. Owen, who denominates the real Alexandra Alexandria, and your readers will conceive how readily in a hurried scanning, confusion of locality may arise.

"It may be serviceable to give here a brief idea of the topography of the present theatre of expected hostilities. The Waikato largely partakes of a swampy character, being, in fact, in. many parts, originally arms of the sea, whither even now, in times of flood, it i 3 possible to sail up in a boat continuously for some 30 or 40 miles from the Frith of Thames over the flooded swamps, and altogether independent of the river of that name. These vast swamps, noitf only in the slow process of change from the »ea to dVy land, formedpart of the confiscated lands taken from the Waikato tribes, and from these the allotments of the military settlers (a scheme which proved a failure) were taken. Many of the men, as lam credibly informed by gentlemen personally cognisant of the fact, and acquainted with the district, sailed over their allotments in boats. The officers had the pick of all the good land ; the rest was left to the men. Little wonder then that military settlements failed, even apart from tho inherent weakness which recent history tells us marks such schemes—in Canada for example, as well as in New Zealand. " As the crow flies, the Alexandra which is nearest the King natives, and therefore the niora important of the two places at present, is about ninety miles distant from Auckland, and is not far from the centre of tho 77aikato country. The tortuosity of the road, however, must add at least twenty per cent, to the straight distance. Alexandra issituatedon the Wftipa river, a branch of the Waikato. Near it are various redoubts and military stations—Te Kore, Pa Terangi, and Pikopiko, having a distance of four or five miles between each. Then Ote Awamutu, Eangiawahia, Kihikihi, Maungatawhiri, and other places more or less memorable from their connexion with the campaign of 1864 and 1865. They vary from ten to fifteen miles in a south-easterly direction from Alexandra. Orakau is eight or ten miles south of Kihikihi. Cambridge is on the Waikato, and about twenty miles to the east of Alexandra, on the other side of a wide swamp, which necessitates a long detour. Hamilton, which is or was lately Colonel Moule's head-quarters, is about ten miles north of Cambridge. Fort Galatea, where Colonel St. John is stationed, is a new redoubt, situated near the Whakatane country, in which the Patetere Plains are situated. More or less near to the most of these places runs a road or track, the mail road overland, generally by the Waikato. By this route came Te Kooti to visit the King. Some thirty miles due eastward and trending clown south by Lake Taupo, and thence across the country to Petane, near Napier, in Hawke's Bay Province, a distance (by road) from Alexandra of about 120 or 130 miles, is Tauranga, an attack by Te Kooti on which was feared. He was then in a position near Tokangamutu, where the King is, and from which Te Kooti could march his force either on Tauranga on the one side, or Orakau on the other. I am thus particular in giving an idea —a rough one, certainly —of names and places, as it may be of some use should Waikato unfortunately once more become a batttle ground."