SUCH THINGS WERE

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3550, 6 May 1939, Page 3

SUCH THINGS WERE

The Story of Cambridge from Earliest Recorded Times.

= By = | C. W. VENNELL § TiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin

CHAPTEL VII. (Continued). Maungatautari must have donned its cloud cap soon after the snow, for on the return journey, Mr and Mrs Brown and Mrs Chapman were delayed by rain and floods, and had an exciting but unenviable journey.„ From his description, it seems likely that they came across country to the Roto-o-rangi foot-hills, which in those days ended not in a level grassy plain as they do today, but in swamps. They would then follow around the foot of the range, taking advantage of the higher ground where possible and wading through swamps and streams in between the ridges. A native track to Matamata followed the river on the Maungatautari side as far as Horahora and then crossed over, leading up into the Hinuera valley. Brown's own description of the journey makes vivid reading: 11th July: A rainy day prevented our moving. 12th July: The natives objecting to move on account of the wet, we have been obliged to sit still another day in our tents. 13th July: A wet, uncomfortable day. We however continued our journey and slept at Noho-topu. The swamps we crossed today were very dangerous. Small deep streams run through the midst of some of them, but the whole surface of the swamps having become by the late heavy rains one large sheet of water, the men who were carrying Mrs Chapman and Mrs Brown often found it a matter of great difficulty to discover the streams until they sank into them up to their shoulders. At one place indeed Mrs Brown's front bearer went head under into a large hole in the swamp, but the men who were walking, or rather Avading by her side, caught hold of the "kauhoa" (a sort of litter, which on this occasion consisted of a flax basket swung on two poles) and kept on, leaving the poor fellov; who had received such a ducking in the muddy water, to get out as well as he could. We were detained a considerable time at the place where we stopped to dine on the road, by a circumstance which shows lioav deeply rooted the native superstitions are. My travelling box was some distance in the rear, but we were obliged to await its arrival in order to procure a light, although there were the embers of a fire close to the place where Ave Avere resting. As this fire however Avas supposed to have been kindled by a poor lunatic Avho Avanders naked about the hills in this neighbourhood, the natives pronounced it to be sacred fire, and refused to partake of any food cooked at it, or by any other fire lighted from it. 14th July: Travelling for four hours through a very heavy rain Avhich, together Avith the deep Avaters in the swamps, made our journey most uncomfortable. The natives hoAvever avlio Avere carrying Mrs Chapman and Mrs BroAvn Avere in excellent spirits, and ran along over the slippery hills so briskly that T Avas much fatigued in attempting to keep up Avith them. At tAvo of the rapid streams, the native who Avas carrying me lost his foothold and tumbled me in, Avhich only produced a good-tempered hearty laugh on the part of the natives, A\dio seem so amphibious in their nature that it is a matter of perfect indifference to them Avhether they are in the Avater or on land. . . . We arrived at home in safety about two o'clock. On the day after his return Brown records "In much pain with rheumatism in the knees." It is a wonder that he could Avalk at all after such a journey. The missionary says little about the incidents of his regular fifty-mile tramps between Tauranga and s Maungatautari (which he undertook from 1838 on- * Avards), unless the conditions were exceptionally severe. On one of these journeys he found them so, and his journal reveals hardships of travel beyond our comprehension, in these days of tar-sealed roads and fast cars—to s"ay nothing of aeroplanes. In June, 1839, he went as far as OtaAvhao (Avhere Te .Awamutu ! now stands) over mountains, rivers and SAvamps. This is his record of the trip: 20th June: The violent Avind and rain of last night left little hope of my being able to commence the proposed journey today, but the Aveather clearing at noon I left home, landed from the'boat at Te Puna by sunset, and being moonlight Ave Avalked" on for about seven miles. My oavu party consisted of ten natives, but Ave Avere joined by thirteen others from the pas avlio propose accompanying us on the trip. . 21st June: Our little company Avere very cheerful and travelled Avell, so that although the shortest day of the year, and the Avoods and SAvamps in a Avretched * state, Ave reached Matamata at dark. 25th June: Left for Maungatautari-. A large party joined our train from Matamata, and on pitching our tents at night, found Ave numbered fifty-seven natives . . . bad Aveather coming on avc Avere obliged to take to our tents a short distance from Maungatautari. 27th June: Unable to proceed on our journey in consequence of the severity of the storm. The thunder echoing, from different parts of the mountain Avas aAvfully grand. 28th June: Clearing a little at noon, Ave pursued our journey, but were soon overtaken by a hailstorm which much hindered us. Shortly before sunset we reached a small hillock of fern between tAvo swamps, Avhere avc slept, being afraid,. to venture into the latter lest Ave should get benighted in the midst. The natives are behaving very well, and continue in excellent spirits. But for their assistance I should have found it impossible to cross the swamps, which arc flooded by the recent heavy rains. 29th June: At noon arrived at Otawhao. The return journey from OtaAvhao promised at the outset to be equally arduous. On 3rd July he Avrote: "The frost Avas so severe last night that the Avater in our tents Avas frozen, and it Avas nearly noon before the natives could muster sufficient courage to face the swamps." The next night, at Maungatautari, Brown, (Continued in Next Column).

together with some of his native converts, huddled over a fire in front of his tent. Four days later, while at "Whareturere, on the slopes of the mountain, a gale prevented him from holding a service in the open air. He reached Tauranga on the 13th, and as though he had not gone through enough in the previous three weeks, the settlement was rocked by an earthquake.

(To bo Continued)