THE CAVES OF TAKAKA

Colonist, Volume XXXII, Issue 5548, 17 July 1889, Page 3

THE CAVES OF TAKAKA

Wb left Nelson on a fine nig at by the steamer Lady Batkly, and in th* early morning thß vessel took shelter within ths haron formed by the Tata Islands, remaining there till the tide enabled her to si9s»m up to iha wharf at WaitapH. Diaembarti ■■•s, we straightway took our seats ia a primitive canisge, and were driven by a eoffeo pot locomotive, which also had to haul along a Har'er sf empty timber waggons. At a snail's pace, we proceeded along the roadside till we reached the Junction Hotel,'where we were accorded a hearty v,elcome by a Lumber of old friends, who goon afterwards escorted U3 to the oatate of Abbotstord, on which the oaves exist. '

Arriving on the scene, the general stillness was broken by a Blight popping sound, and ■then b/ invitation of onr friend Andrew, who declared it wss '• uao ssae very bad ova man," we savnr.led the " mountain daw." We were bent, k , waver, on sceiug all that was to be seen, I may stale that the country here ia of a limsstons formation, and splendid bush abounds. Precipitous roefcg, eoine of them 200 or 300 feet in haigbt skirt the estate on the south side, whilst here and thsra, almost hidden by the trees and vsgetati s, are deep fissures. In one place such a fissure is over 100 feet deep, and las walk so very nearly, meat at tie top that one could with ease jump across the chasm, The soil is of conlidmble <J«pt-i, wi palmi and f«rc» grow

with great luxuriance Passing northward ovtr aiinoit lav*! ground, our path is barrtd by a Urge red piua tree, whiah ok guide "Charlie" iaform.-d us bad beets fallen fey tho (fiist-tion of Mr Ab »tt, whh a ?i«w to prevant aooitante, and wo Boon discovered t>bat tho big trea was lying over a large opening ia the ground, and whi«h led to tha moa paie. Lighting our caivlla3 we foliowed Charlie, who, by means of a rope, deaoeided into the cave. As soon &% we were able to look about as, we behold a spaoiou3 cave, the | roof of whioh was studied v/i:h stalactites, and the calcareous spar reflected and again reflected tbe light, the whola sosna bsiag ope of surpassing loveliness. Gleam 3oi liaht flashed in a thousand corusaation3'oi every variety of btilliancy and color. In the words of Montgomery we whispered— " Can there be eyes that look on you Till tears of rapture make them dim, Nor ia His the maker view ? Then love Hi 3 Works in Him." In the further corner of this cave were* to be seen a- few yoliow moa bones, but they crumbled with a touch.. An almost entire speoimen of the extinct bird was recently found here, and it was in a good state of preservation. The general opinion aeems to favor the idea that these birds must have taken refuge in these eavea, and as the en

ranee is a mere hole going ten feet deep, the irds having once entered would bs unable to raako their exit, and would consequently perish from starvation in their living tomb. Leaving this cava we proceeded to another, in which wa were baraly able to stand upright, and the careless visitor would soon receive a caution on finding hi-3 head in close contact with the 'glittering diamond points of the stalactites. At the further end of the first chamber is a small round hole, barely sufficient to Admit the passage of a man, but crawling on hands and knees we found our way into a large vault of considerable length, having a high roof narrowing towards the entrance, through which sufficient daylight was admitted to enable us to see for a longdistance. Tbe slope to the entrance is gradual, and from this entrance admission maybe gained to another cave on tha lefc, so that from the Game entrance one may enter either one of the two. The opening on the .left Is the doorway Jo 'Tula's Den,' and this don iseighty yards in length, high vaulted and winding, having several chambers, partitioned off by ca!e&reoua columns, and adorned by stalactites which refloat the light in prismatic colors. Here the stalactites are of a pearly yellew color, and are intertwined into the moßt fantastic combinations. One mass resembles p,a effectiva arrangement of icicles and frosted moas, but owing to depredations committed by visitors—the wretched Vandals—the beauths of the cave have been much damaged. At the very end of thej chamber is a circular fronted gallery, which in itself forms a small chamber about ten feet by sis, and which is asserted to have been Tnki's bedroom. The legend of Tula was related by our guide as follows:— "In the early days when tha fakeha was unknown in the land, a Maori obief named Tuki, together with his tribe, possessed much of the land in the Takaka Valley. -.This young chieftain was of great prowess, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion. A neighboring tribe and his had many a fiorea and bloody encounter, but they stood in awe of Tuki's spsar and tomahawk (mere), which made many a warrior to bite the dust. Tuki, lika all of his kind, was susceptible to the charms of lovely woman, and ha fell in love with a handsome maiden whose name was Tui, but who ala 3 was the daughter" of the greatest enemy of himself and his tribe. She returned his love, but fearful of her father's anger plannad to meat her lover by stealth. All went well for a tima, and the striking couple met often in the drowsy quiet of those summer evenings. But love, Bias, is blind, and soon the enamoured pair forgot the caution with which their earlier meetings were platmed, and one evening Tui sighing far her lover, left the pah before darkness had set in, and hastssed in her impatience to meet her hero. Her departure was noticed by her father, who fearful for her safety, and dreading the treachery of hia foes, hastily signed to some of his warriors, and followed the girl to tha neighborhood ef tha oavea. Tui, as usual, met her lover near his den, which being surrounded by dersse bush, they iooked upon as a safe p!aca of meeting. The young people, happy in their meeting, were heedless of dangtay but the father of Tui no sooner saw to wliom his daughter's heart was given than in his rage he hurled his spear at the couple, and the fatal weapon struck the poor girl's bosom andponetratedner heart just as a savage yell announced to Tuki the presence oJ hi 3 euemies. Thus brought to bay, snd seeing his loved one stricken, he, seizing his tomahawk, sprang at Tui's father, and with one blow felled him lifeless. With a power born of despair and hatred, ha defended himself for a time against the overwhelming odds disorganised by tha loss of their chief, and then retreated to his cave, closely pursued by hi 3 enemies. Cn Beeing him enter tha cave they pressed forward confident of securieg him. Tuki, however, took to the cave on the right, and on his pursuers seeing tho two entrances they hesitated to proceed till they had secured torches (how they obtained these is nob told). In the meantime Tuki passed through the hole which is still known a3 Tuki's escape, with the intention of entering tha other cavern. Oa reaching its entrance, however, he was dismayed to find some of his enemies at its mouth. Hi* retreat thus cut off he resolved to make a bold dash, and acting upon thi3 resolve he succeeded in gaining t!ie high ground, but, alas ! only to find that his efforts were frmtlesi. Followed as ke waa by overpowering numbers, he took a course whioh led to one of those high cliffs already described, and suddenly found himself on the edge of it, sheer precipice, with hia pursuers close upon him. Seeing his predicament, they gave a fisadish, exultant yell, and Tuki turned and faced them. As the nearest approached he hurled his tomahawk at his head, and shaking his first st those who followed sprang over tha cliff, and was heard of no more." Thus ends the story of Tuki, and the caves of Takaka.