MANAWATU.

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 36, 2 August 1845, Page 3

MANAWATU.

WAIPUKE EXTRAORDINAY.

[From our Manawatu Correspondent.']

If the present year can be regarded as a fair gpecimen in atmospheric conincidence, the seasons in this locality must bear a striking resemblance, in their great outlines, to the seasons at home, the superioritity in weather as well as in climate being greatly in favour of this country. Making the proper allowances for this general superiority, the files of newspapers we have received month after month, for the last half year, by the English mails, even those of them reputed the most faithful and minute chroniclers of wind and weather, seem as if their weather tables and reports of the season had been calculated for the meridian of this part of Cook's Straits, and keen simply antedated six months. The crops at home are said to have been excellent and well secured, and the weather during the latter part of autumn and beginning of winter remarkably fine. But this was followed by a sudden and rapid change. The genius of the storms awoke from the slumber of months, expanded his raven wings, and with eagle speed, and fiendlike fury swept over both Europe and America. In the work of desolation and destruction, floods and hurricane struggled hard with each other for the victory. The cities of Italy were submerged for days if not for weeks in water, roaring torrents dashed with frightful fury down the mountain gorges of Switzerland, the shores of Britain and Ireland were strewed with wrecks, and the ocean-like waters of Mississippi overflowed their banks and inundated a vast extent of country, of the sufferings occasioned by these storms, the loss of precious lives, and the destruction of valuable property, it is distressing to think. The history of the weather in this locality for the last six months has been very similar; the harvest was plentiful and well secured; during the whole of the autumn months finer or more delightful weather could not have been enjoyed even under an Itaiian sky. During the first third of his reign winter seemed to be a feeble minor, his ruffian blasts were banished far to the South.

" And summer lingered in the lap of May." But the plains brown and withered, the forests marked thickly with the sere and yellow leaf, the frost sharp and snell at night, and the highest ranges of the Tararua mountains powdered with virgin snow, gave no ambiguous indications that a change of dynasty was at hand. The beginning of June seemed to be the signal for a general revolution, and the turbulent elements began to wage war in wild confusion. The rains descended, the winds ° lew , and the thunder rolled, "fresh " succeeded fresh," and for several weeks the weather was exceedingly boisterous and tempestuous, more so than had been seen by any settler on the river; but nothing very remarkable occurred till the second week in July. From the appearance of the cloude on the hills and the direction of the wind for several days, the natives predCte ' j very heavy Waipuke, and the event n° at their ohs ervations were correct. Un Monday, July 7, the river rose to an alarm ing height and continued to rise till the evening ot luesday, after which it began slowly to abate; but it was not till Friday or perhaps Saturday, that it returned to its usual channel, and it even then presented the appearance of a moderately heavy "fresh," for at least one whole day the water was three feet deep all along the banks of the river, and five feet oack in the bush and swamp. We believe we T W, £ hin the truth > if we state that from aDove Ilewa-rewa to the mouth of the Manawatu, 150 square miles of land must have been covered four feet deep with water, making the whole district like the Delta of Egypt during the overflowing of the Nile. Every settlers house on the banks of the river was filled with water from one to four feet, and that for several Some fled from their houses, and others took refuge in the attics. The natives with a °gs, pigs, poultry, and a portion of their potatoes, betook themselves to their canoes, and either rowed down to the " sand hills," or Boated about till dry land again appeared. We are happy to say that no lives have been lost, th j Ome ty e Maories had a narrow escape, the danger being occasioned by the upsetting <" a canoe, and so far as I have ascertained, notwithstanding many privations and great exposure both to wetness and cold scarcely any Persons health has been effected, but the injury ant destruction of property has been considerable. Several of the settlers have sustained neavy losses, various thinge have been carried a way, and the lately sown wheat has iv some Places been covered several inches with mud. Many of the natives have lost a great number 01 their pigs, and there is reason to fear that j considerable quantities of their potatoes will be damaged from being so long under water. None ot the settlers on the Manawatu have ever seen tiie nver swollen to any thing like the same extent. The accounts of the natives vary, oome say that five years ago there was a waipuke similar to this. Others say that none « the young Maories ever saw any thing like "j but that some of the old men once saw as great an inundation. But be that as it may be, what has occurred once may occur again, yverv country and every locality have some drawback. It is perhaps well however in some respects, that this has occurred just now, that Whenever this splendid district is colonised the settlers may be aware of these occurrences, and crept their premises in such places and put in their crops at such times as may secure both we one and the other from injury.