TO THE SUTHERLAND FALLS AND BACK.

Western Star, Issue 1547, 25 March 1891, Page 2

TO THE SUTHERLAND FALLS AND BACK.

Ts - V-’ / ''(Continued from our last). / * LAKE TE ANAO.

Having done ample justice to a good breakfast, we leave charming Lynwood and our kind host to make the final stage of our journey to the lake. A quarter of an hour’s drive brings us to the Whitesfcoue river, which wo have m difficulty in crossing, I might hero mention that travellers seeing a fresh in the Whitestono may generally judge that the Mararoa will bo unfordable. Tho road is a fairly good one, but the asoect is comparatively uninteresting, tussock and fern among which is a considerable quantity of scoria, taking the place of the rich meadow laud near the homestead. Tho shore of the lake is distant about eight miles from Lynwood. and is reached about 11 o’clock. Here we corpc upon the. nucleus of what is destined to one day become an important inland city, consisting at present of about half-a-dozen buildings, comprising a comfortable and commodious hotel, a private boardinghouse, and other structures. In front of the hotel stood Mackenzie’s coach a serviceable looking conveyance capable of accommodating li passengers, and a. waggonette for tho convenience. f ■ V<, while m )orad close

to the beam .-.ao a couple of small steamers, a sailing boat, and a dingy. On arrival wo mot Captain Broderick of tbo “ fast and powerful ” steamer To ITira, who informed us that Mr Quentin Mackinnon, with whom vve bad been in treaty to convey ns up and down the lake and to act as "aide on onr journev to the West Ooas f , iiad left the head of the lake for Sutherland ‘Palls two days before with o con ole of Engli sh tourists, and would not return until the Following day. lie stated that Mr Mackinnon had a-Iced him to take ns up to •ho head of the lake in his steamer and we could make whatever arrangements we desired with liim (Mr Mackinnon) on his return to the head of the lake. We accordingly took passage with Capt. Broderick, and adjourned to the To Auau Hotel, where Mrs Snodgrass had an excellent lunch ready for ns. As we were told this would be tbo last civilised meal we would get until we returned from the wilds, we certainly made the most of it. Before getting aboard of our vessel we bad a look at Mr E. Whitmore’s new steamer, the Lady of the Lake, which was lying close by. This little craft, which has rather a smart-looking appearance, was receiving some repairs, an accident having occurred to her boiler a few days before. Her owner was also engaged putting the finishing touches to the dock house aft, which constituted the saloon. To oblige a party of f-ourists, she had been sent on her trial trip before she was fairly ready, which was the principal cause of the accident. Mr Whitmore informed us that notwithstanding that she was not in proper trim, she had acquitted herself remarkably well. Ho is endeavoring to float a company in Invercargill for the purpose of building a larger and more powerful vessel for To Anau,and ho would then place “The Lady” on the Manapouri Lake. The blowing of the Te Uira’s whistle was the signal for “all aboard,” and getting into the flat-bottomed dingy which belonged to our vessel, a few strokes of the oars brought us alongside. I might bore mention that Mr Austin, who came to the township that morning, very kindly drove our horses and trap bade to Lynwood, and took care of them until our return. “ How boys,” says our worthy skipper, “wo have to go over to the other side of the lake and load with firewood to burn in the furnace on the way up and down. “ All right, let’s got away, wc replied. Shortly after ouo o’clock, our hawsers having- been let go, the engine was started and wc steamed slowly across the lake. As we got out into the blue expanse of water a delightful scene opened to onr view. In looking up the lake the high precipitous mountains, discernible as far the eye could reach, clothed with luxuriant vegetation to the water’s edge, which bounded this beautiful inland sea on all sides, presented a ptetn re that an artist might revel in to his heart’s content. Turning to the southward one or two small beaches arc to be seen, and at the western side of the south end wo descry the opening where the Waiau river begins to (low on its course to connect Te A nan with Manapouri. We had a light shower on the run across (the first rain we met with since leaving Riverton) and to the northward tlio sky had a very threatening appearance, as if wc were going to

cxpci*icuco some rather moini weatlier iu that direction. On reacliiii" the western shore our party, N expedite the passage, assisted Ihe two wood-

en tiers. who were waiting tor us, and the skipper in gettinir tlio fne! aboard. Somethiny over a, cord of it (manuka saplings cut into dft lengths) havlns? boon stowed away, we pushed oll’agaiu and got a fair start on our run np the

lake at about a quarter to two. Tho Maori name To Uira given to our steamer, which being interpreted signifies Lightning,” must either have been applied sarcastically or when she was in better going order than now. At one time during the passage wo wore to id by our communicative skipper that Ins boat had a good head of steam on and tnat she was making live miles an hour. We did not dispute tho assertion, but as a heavy shower came on and there was little provision for obtaining shelter on board we fondly hoped that ho would keep her at the same rate of speed for the remainder of the trip. The rain soon cleared away, however, and as a stiff breeze was comingout of the South Fiord as we pass-d, wo had onr first idea of what a gale on the lake would bo. If the Te Uira has not Te Uira speed, she at any rate is a good sea boat and behaved admirably; and it is only charitable to her owner to say that his principal desire is to give tourists tho full benefit of tho magnificent scenery with which the lake abounds, even though some of them may look upon his efforts for tiioir transit like linked sweetness long drawn out. I need not mention that at this particular part of our passage, even with a full head of steam on, we did not make five miles an hour, if we made three. The first object of interest after passing the South Fiord is Garden Point, so called from tho cultivated appearance which it presents, from the fact that an old Maori village stood there at one time ; there is a considerable clearing, with a small strip of beach in front. A section comprising about thirty acres which includes all the open land lias been taken up for settlement by Air Quentin Mackinnon. It is tho only settlement of any kina on the western shore of the lake. We next steered a coarse for the other side, as iho captain had a package to put ashore at the Te Anau D >wus station, situated about midway up tho lake, inside a sheltered hay e-dlel Boat Harbour, into which (ho Fgiintou river Hows. The homestead is built at the head of fhe hay on a terrace, and the the beach. There is a e u.si leraMe extent of op.m sheep country belonging to tin’s estate, (the owner of which is Mr Meliand), but any means of access to it except by water must be rather difficult, as the country on all sides is very rough. A sailing boat is kept by Mr Mel land for taking his wool to the Foot of tho lake and bringing supplies to the station. Judging by what wo saw when we entered the bay, we were led to the conclusion that the people in this part of the country take life very easy. On getting about a couple of hundred yards from the shore the whistle was sounded and by calling out as loud as he could—and it is within the mark to say that his siren voice could he heard further off than his steam whistle—our captain made every effort to announce the arrival of his vessel. After prolonged efforls to attract tho nolle’ of those on shore, a sditary snlivi Inal is seen coming leisurely down l,he hid. On arrival at the flab ho I gives instructions to another individual to go off in the boat and see what is wanted. This parly evidently does not believe in exerting himself too much as it is several minutes before ho is Fairly afl in his little flat-bottomed dingy. This fellow’s tardiness in coming out naturally exasperates our skipper, who calls out “ Hurrv up ; I can't wait iiere all day for you.” Instead of accelerating his pace, the boatman pulls a slower stroke, and the boat only just crawls through the water. Our captain’s “ dander is now considerably riz,” and he again calls out, to which tlm o Iranian asks in the most non-chalant manner, ” What’s the mstter, Brod P What's your hurry P ” “I’ll show you what’s my hurry,” replies “Brod.” “I’ve got a full head of steam on and bustin’ power on mv toohe-i, and if you don’t come right away for this keg of soft soap I’ll take it back to the bottom of the lake.” So saying he placed the keg on the poop, and set the engines full

speed ahead. This seemed to wake the boatman up a little and ho managed to clutch hold of the dingy that was towed behind the steamer, but as he found himself being carried under, he had to let go, and off we wont with the soft soap. It might bo mentioned that the parly, who had a contract for washing ihe station wool, had b’on kept idle for about three weeks, waiting on this identical keg, so it may he imagined the row there would he when the boatman returned without it. To ho conthmr J.