A VISITOR'S IMPRESSION OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10616, 16 May 1896, Page 2

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSION OF TARANAKI.

[prom the dunedin stak]. Theke is nothing special to detain the traveler at Hawera, and on the following

morning I took the train to New Plymouth, some forty miles further on. The whole of the country between Hawera and New Plymouth is pastoral, grass aud bush, sheep and cattle in abundance, but very little grain of. any kind is grown. New Plymouth mayTse called the capital of the Taranaki district, and is one of the oldest settled towns in New Zealand. It is a very pleasant, sunny, colonial city, and has a delightful climate. It has also many historical associations connected j with the Maori wars of the early days. It was founded in 1841 by emigrants from the counties of Dovon and Cornwall, and I found many of the social and religious customs of these counties still preserved in some of the institutions I visited. For instance, Methodism is very strong there, and in their services they havu quite a small orchestra, the 'cello, the violin, cornet, and harmonium accompanying the hymns sung ; and I remember hearing such accompaniments when travelling through the counties of Devon and Cornwall i"O!ne thirty yearsago. The children, at their anniversary services, are made to recite religious poems and hold dialogues upon Scripture topics before the worshippers at the regular Sunday services, The streets are also named after places in the Old Country, Devon-street being "their principal'thoroughfare, as Princes-street is with us. The town proper is picturesquely situated on the coast, and S'gpo'd stream of water runs right through its centre. The population is about 6000. There are some fine churches belonging to the various denomination)), and a large hall for public purposes holding 1000 people. The gardens connected with tho town are famous for their beauty. They contain some very pretty lakes and waterfalls, and an ornamental bridge is erected p cross the largest sheet of water with very fine effect. As a background at the end of a vhta of trees, Mount Egmont, with its beautiful snow-covered cone, fills the eye with a vision of beauty ; indeed, that mouutaiu seems in evidence from every part of Taranaki. Thoro are some extensive lawns for tennis, cricket, otc.,and on a raised eminence, overlooking the lake, is a raised eminence, on which is placed some half-dozen of the original cannon that were used against the Waikato Natives during the war. Tkey looked very poor instruments compared with tho guns at present in use. I measured one of them, and found it was pcarcely as long as my umbrella. Thoy wero mounted on small wooden frames, and could be easily aimed at one end. However, they served their purpose well at the time, and if guns could speak were proud of their achievements. Tho Moturoa tribes occupied the weat coast of Tarauaki, and wera friendly to the British, but the Waikato tribes from the east were very fierce and bos tile, aud came down in thousands from the regions of the great river,and many a bloody battle was fought in the neighbourhood of Now Plymouth, and great feast held on the bodies of the slain in those old cannibal days. I came across some settlers still living who remembered being called out for duty by the sound of the bugles to resist an incursion of the hostile Maoris upon their little township. It was not safe those days to be wandering a mile away from town without being properly armed. "VTatch towers used to be erected around New Plymouth, on the top of whic\i sentinels with their field glasses and buglers were placed to give notices of warning should any appearance of the enemy be discovered issuing from the surrounding forest. I was given the firat number of the Taranaki Herald published on August 4, 1852. For » number of interesting items of bygone times I should like to say I was indebted to Mr SefFern, of New Plymouth, who edited and managed the Taranaki Herald for moro than a quarter of a century. The same gentleman informed mo that his predecessor told him the orrpositors on tho paper often had to do 1 sentry go,' as it was called, in the midst of bringing out the journal ; and once he had to stop publication by order of Lieutenant King, of tho Taranaki Militia, who one day came into his printing office, pnt a guard there, and suppressed any further printing of the pup«r, because he had laid himself open to the penalties of giving information to the enemy, which rendered him liable to being shot. It is characteristic of colonial life, however, that it does not remain long depressed. There was great vitality and self-reliance among settlers of those early days, and mnch progress was soon after made. Since the railway has been opened from Wellington the ad\antago of the through route to Auckland were soon soon, and at great expense a new harbour has been built to accommodate vessels sailing between that port and Onehunga. The s ul bet ween Wejlington and Auckland round the east coast is. between 500 and 600 miles, whereas by rail and sea \ i:i Taranaki it is not much more than half that distance. A train leaves Wellington at 6.30 a.m., arriving at New Plymouth breakwater at 9.30 p.m. Bame day. The boat waita till the train arrives, starts about nn hour afterwards, the passengers arrive in Auckland about noon the following day. Both the 'Union Company and the Northern Steamship Company run boats between Onehuuga and New Ply mouth. There are, however, sometimes unpleasant experiences connected with the running of the boats. I came across by the Takapuna from Onehunga to New Plymouth on my return journey, and wo arrived vt half-past three in the morning, The captain of the Takapuna, wishing to contirje his journey to Wellington, and also guided by the exigencies of tho tide, wishes to clcror oat as soon as possible, and passengers have to get out on the breakwater before it is hardly daylight and there you have to v, ait till the train comes to fetch you. Bon?etimes it is very stormy, and the spray made by the waves dashing against the stone walls is not very comfortable. Breakfast, however, is provided at any hour, and the steward lets you know you are expected to get up and have it. Those travelling that route for the first time, not being aware of -the arrangements, sometimes feel it difficult to fall in with them, especially if they are sick, which many aro. Concerning the oil wells, about which so much has been said lately, the working are near the breakwater at Moturaa, and are readily shown to any visitor. Two or three chimney shafts and some sheds mark the spot where the borings are being made. The company are very persevering, and deserve success. They have bored down to the depth of 1,400 ft, and the developments are very hopeful The Taranaki Ironsand is everywhere in evidence and awaits development, and as it is a proverb that " patience and perseverance overcome all difficulties," we expect to hear of its success at no distant date.