DIARY OF A JOURNEY FROM NEW PLYMOUTH TO WHANGANUI IN 1853. [Continued from our last.]

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 85, 15 March 1854, Page 4

DIARY OF A JOURNEY FROM NEW PLYMOUTH TO WHANGANUI IN 1853. [Continued from our last.]

Our route to day led lliroujrh, or rather nldrlrri a very uuintoreating tract of country. On lioth riiles of Waren wo had every now and ngnin to penetrate through forcnti of tho world-filmed, yet hitherto next to impracticable Phormium. At an inconsiderable pa — onoo, however, nnd not very remotely extensive— on the south side of tho Hnngrttahun, and situated a little inland of high "water mnrk we halted to breakfast, when very opportunely some of tho women— nil in all countries and conditiont-^f society ever prominently the "fravcller'fl suro solacing friendfl — put before us, an their unsolicited contribution to our men I, n ]nr«o iron pot, more than half filled with dclieiouß milk, still warm from tho cow. This agreeable addition to our morning's rcfoction so far deserves rocuril here, that it forms an epoch in the Imtoiy of my Now Zealand life ; for milk is to me no noclur was to the palate of tho gods ; and this was tho first occasion of ever having received tho gratoful beniaon in v Maori pa, or from the hands of Maori folks. The name of tho pa is Mokolumi, and let mo warn thojo who may desire to partake of *its hospitality to nvoid tho margin of a pool which stands hctwixt it and tho beach, as the sand thcroof is quick, nnd gave my marc considerable trouble to extricate herself from its dopths. Seeing there arc oo means to amuse, nnd no inducement to wander about the prccinctß ,of this fishing pa, and that it will save considerable repetition hereafter, I may now premise— having gone this journey before, bcuca so f.ir qualified to anticipate— that among the tiresome features which tho road presents to oliscrv.it; J», is to be reckoned preeminently, or rather notoriously, its almost absolute penury/f associatives, as connected with or in any way relating to humanity. We dander on as Burn's lilts, " frae mornm' sun till dine," and dny succeeds (lay in our list of travel; but all we meet with in thn progression is nature m nearly genuine abstract ; no doubt diversified on the one hand by " hill nnd dale and plain," variously clad ; and on tho oilier — for which however I feel no emotion of admiration, object of sublimity though it be — the lntciminaale expanse of a monotonously shiploss ocean. And with no vory rnrc exceptions the path leads not always very obviously marked alons nn occasionally rugged "rocky strand, whore we have to nbide — patiently or not as our humour mny happen lo be— the unvaried comfortless harmony " of the wind's savajrn howl to the wave's dashing roar," and loud enough too at times us to day experienced, almost to din one to the state of downright stupidity. Or changing from tlii'BC no come now and again, not only to view but to encounter the nps nm) downs of baicly practicable cloy cliffs— or wo toil over Zahani-looking waatos of naked sand hills— and across unintcicsting downs and flats clothed with worthless grass, useless shrubs, or with ntuntcri growths of our soil's curse, fern— or. as already obsorved, overrun with Ihut commercial puzzle the plinrmiuui tennjr, through thednnse thickets of which both ir. nn nnd beast woud forward on tlicir way by an uflaccn or uncertain traok. But there nrc some agreeable chequers of scene too. Now and then, or more 'friquent than angel fire suid to bo, the traveller is regaled with immediate picturesque aspects— nnd casting his eyes inland, tin: slate of the atmosphere being; propitious, he i.i gratified with an endless vaiicty of landscape — nnd winch together with the sublime and beautiful lights and shades, and tints of nlpino nnd ri«h forest scenery, present to bin admiration n land of promise " where Flora is about to smile, nnd Cues to rejoice with I'omona." In short all Ibe physical elrm'ents of a country's greatness are demonstrated ns one (tooa alonn — but as already remarked it is deficient of many objects, to which our vision is familiar, or rnthcr to uso the languago of Adam Smith, "We miss Homcthings which we had used to find, and the arrangement of our ideas is disturbed by the disappointment." For an regards mnu there is not a vestige or result of li is moial uttribntrs, or of bis handicraft to hint to us that the genus Homo has a history or n tra« dition appertaining thereto, of tlio age or durability "even of a ohortriivcd generation. Hence as now intimated, anmlst all this wild romnneo of na> turn thcro is no relic of the past, no vcncrnblo weather stained or ivy mantled pile in picturesque ruin I o call forth the images that memory yields, or to give a touch of interest by adding the dignity of historical associations to the scenes. Nor m there might according with our habits anil notions of human occupancy — no church nor spire, nor snug parsonage, nor town nor city, nor any other object to indicato that in (bis antipodal land man ever stood, or now stands lord purnmowit among terrestrially created beings, or deserves to be so preeminently considered, to lie Continued.

Title. Preamble. 1. Moneyn r n ' ( ' on or before Ist Mny, 1854, in ndvnnce for purchase of Crown Laiiih to benr interest cliiirgenhlc on the General ficvonuo of tho Province. 2. Interest pnynblc to the holders of the receipts of the Commissioner of Crown Lwyls. 3. Limitation of the amount fur which single roreipts nrc to l)e given. ■ 4. Interest not to be payable after 3lat December, 185&. 5. Saving of pnor charges on the General Rovenue. AN ORDINANCE to facilitate the acquisition of Native Lands within the Piovincc of New Plymouth. Whereas it is expedient that a sum of money should without delay be raised for the purpose of extinguishing the Native Title within Mich districts of the Province of New Plymouth as the Native tiibes may bo willing to cede, And whereas diver* peisons way be willing to make immediate advances of money to the Coininissionei of

Ciown Lands acting within the Piovincc (which advances will be applicable for the purpose aforesaid) on the understanding thot the sums so advanced by them, shall be considered as advanced for the purchase of Crown Lands to be thercaftci in due order and couise applied for or selected by them out of any Crown Lands within the Province open for selection and purchase, and on having secured to them interest in the mean time at a fair rate on the moneys so by them paid in advance '. 1. Be il therefore enacted by the Superintendent of the Province of New Plymouth, with the advice and consent of the Provincial council thereof, as follows :—: — All moneys paid to the Commissionci of Crown Lands acting within the Province on or before the Ist day of May 1854, in advance for the purchase of Crown Lands within the Province, shall carry interest at the rate of 10 per centum per annum, as from tlje time when the same shall be so paid in advance, until such time as Crown Lands shall be actually selected in virtue of such payments : and the said interest shall be charged upon the General Revenue of the Province, and shall be payable half yearly, on the 30th day of June, and the 31st day of December ; a proportionate payment of inteiest being made in respect of any fractional period. Provided always, that the receipt of the said Commissioner of Crown Lands for every sum so paid shall within ten days from the time of payment be presented and registered at the office of the Treasurer of Ihe Province. Provided also that the principnl money on which interest shall be chargeable under this ordinance shall not exceed £5,000. Provided also that it shall be lawful for the Superintendent at anyt ime by notice published in the Government Gazette ot the Province to declare that no sum paid to the said Commissioner of Crown Lands after the date and publication of such notice, or after any subsequent time to be ; herein appointed shall beat inkiest under this Ordinance. 2. The said interest shall be payable to any person who shall present at the office of ihe said Treasurer the receipt of the eaid Commissioner for the principal sum in respect of which such inteiest is payable. 3. Every leccipt for money carrying inteiest under this Ordinance shall be, either for the sum of £50, or for the sum of £100, and every selection in viituc of pait of any such payment as aforesaid to the said Commissioner, shall be deemed (for the purposes I only of this Ordinance) to be a satisfaction of the whole of such payment ; and interest on the whole of such payment shall thereupon cease accordingly. 4. No inteict shall acciuc due under the authority of this Ordinance after the 31st day of December, 1858. ft. Nothing in this Oidinance contained shall prejudice or affect the lights of the holders of Debentures issued by the General Government of the Colony, not -»ny other permanent charge upon the Revenue of the Colony herctotore imposed or authorised by any law or ordinance of the Colony. Passed the Provincial Council this seventh day of March, one thousand eight hundied and fifty fout. I. Newton Watt, Speaker. Assented to on behalf of the Governor this eighth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifty lour. Charles Brown, Superintendent.