OVERLAND TO THE LAKES. [BY A TRAMP.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1365, 31 March 1881, Page 2

OVERLAND TO THE LAKES. [BY A TRAMP.]

Mr. Hetiby commenced operations in .Tune last, and the distance now surveyed and marked out for construction is twenty-seven miles, with four more on the Rotorua side. The works going on in road-making or surveying extend over thirty-seven miles. The new road has already reduced the journey from Cambridge to Ohinemutu to a day's ride on horseback, and by next Autumn, if the Government will only push on energetically with the work, an express will be ! able to run the distance in eleven or twelve houra. The whole cost of the i new road from the Waikato to the Awa--roa, adjoining Tauranga, will not exceed £10,000, and will probably be leas. This must be considered a wonderfully low price when the amount of work to be done, the nature of the country passed through, and the advantages conferred are understood. Beyond the camp I had now reached, it runs through about thirteen miles of dense bush, called by the Maoris the Hautere, which now a good broad, clear bridle-track on the line 6i what will be the road, has been cut. The road is all laid off as carefully as if lor a railway line, with perfectly correct gradients instead of the hap-hazard style of engineering one meets with in too many New Zealand roads, that renders them positively dangerous to all travellers, whether on foot or driving. This will be a capital coach road, and will open up some splendid and beautiful country, that has never been traversed by the pakeha before this survey was undertaken, and when completed it will connect a line of roads along which it will be possible to drive a trap direct from Auckland to Wellington. The work already done by the constables and the contractors affords a good, firm, broad road so far, and the bridges are handsome and capitally constructed. The line of survey, and the manner in which the level lias been preserved is worthy of all praise, first to the engineer, and then to the executors of the work. For my o*vn part, having travelled the whole length of the road on foot, and carefully examined all that has been done, and the great advantages it offers over the old Ime of road, I feel a particular pleasure in contributing my ver»e to the ps-ilra that will be saug by Cambridge and Ohinemutu over the one little step that was absolutely necessary to convert both of them into big- towns. A very pleasant lite must be led by this purveying party, during the summer months at all events, in their neat comfortable white tent", placed amidst all the pleasures, without any of the evils of bush life. Five or six pakehas, mostly men of good education, brought up to some profession, and five or six fine jolly affectionately admiring natives who, like all Maoris where they once take a fancy to a white man, would be willing to lay down their lives for their" boss," and think no work hard that will please him, make up the party. The Maoris are mostly from Ohinemutu, and great tall, broad shouldered, finely built men, displaying all the wonderful intelligence and sharpness of oomprehefcsion sion that raises the Maori wherever any care is taken to polish him up a little, far above the ordinary savages, and equally above in too many instances the white boors and dispicable rascals who call themselves their superiors. The way in which these lads of Hetley's have learned to write and play draughts, a very favorite game with all Maoris, so as to beat their boss, or anyone in the camp, is wonderful. As we all sat at table together, enjoying the many good things set before us, one of the natives, a wag evidently, one of that curious race of men found in all corners of the earth, the professional funny men, made himself particularly amusing, and excited stentorian roars of approval fromhiscountrymen.with shrill giggles from two married ladies,who, with their lords, had come down from a pah in the bush. Two or three powerful half-bred bull-dogs were lying about, all more or less wounded and stiff from a tremendous encounter they had had a day or two before with two gigantic wild pigs, one of which added nearly two hundred pounds of meat to the salt pork tub, after he had ripped all the dogs and fought like an old identity for his rights, and the other of which also went to glory i in the tub after doing his best not to go there. In the course of the evening I I heard several little instances of the good, kind straightforward nature of the Maori, when he is fairly treated, from his admirer, Mr Hetley, and one I will repeat, though, if I had space, could tell yarns about Maori good points from morning till night, for I am just as much a friend of theirs as anyone can be. The progress t of Mr Hetley's work has not been altogether without some little attempts at obstruction, or an occasional little objection on the part of some of tk« natives who had not fully comprehended the nature of the work, or had not agreed with the others who had allowed the road to be carried through Maori land. On one occasion about thirty men of the Ngahan»o tribe came down through the bush suddenly to where the men were at work, and announced that they meant to take the surveyor prisoner. Fortunately he had gone that morning to Ohinemutu. They then made for the camp, and entered Mr Hetley's tent, and though his watch and a considerable sum of money and many things much prized by Maoris, such as his double-barrelled gun, were lying about, they touched nothing but his theodolite. This, with the idea of stopping the works, and not with any intention of robbing him, they seized. He had no end of long talks and solemn palavers with them over the subject during the following week or two, and they never attempted any further violence, but just kept the theodolite, and in the end they returned that, carefully wrapped in paper and not in the least injured. I noticed some wonderful brimmed straw hats of the Japanese build made out of the straw of a particular kind of course grass that the Maori women are very expert in plaiting, and several mats beautifully worked in a kind of pattern in the same material were lying about the tent. On another occasion my friend had to spend his Christmas Day, for some reason, in the bush, and he was invited by some of his Maori neighbors to dine with them at their pah. He went and was surprised to find, as they never keep the day as we do, that all the men ana women were decked out in their best clothes, that beef had been roasted, pakeha fashion, and even a plum pudding very tolerably made by the j women to do their pakeha guest honour according to his notions, pies, jam, and everything they could think of as likely to please him, they had provided without stint and with true hospitality, After a night passed in this pleasant surveyor's camp, I started, accompanied for part of the way by my host, on my final stretch of three and twenty miles to Ohinemutn. The way after a few miles along the plateau lay for thirteen miles through the cool deep still shades of the bush. The path might be rough here and there where the interlacing roots of the trees crossed it, but there was a broad clear cut track along the whole course of the journey. We strolled gently along at first, and my companion having brought his gun, now and thea knocked over one of the fine New Zealand pigeons, nearly as big as pheasants that fluttered about* Presently we came to a picturesque little Maori settlement in the' heart of the bash, where the ladies — were dawdling about, and playing, with their pretty little brown piccaninnies, aad the gcatie&u, &n>j)Qf»

fedtly breechless condition, seemed to be muiSh, oppressed, with thetoil ol doing no-thing.-^Hett," I made my first acquaintance with a delicacy that I paanot too strongly recommend to all epicures who long for a delicious novelty. Many a time I have heard Sunday School teachers and mild preachers at tea fights toll, withai)pis of great disgust on their amiable ojMintenances, how Australian savage* are Mich poor degraded wretches as to consider a feed of big fat caterpillars a particular luxury. These goqd men when lecturing always gave evident" signs pf feeling jjiok when arriving at this point,' and were obliged to drop the subject in sheer dis--gust, with "pah !" .afei * wrinkling of the nose. As we came near this bush settle* ! raent, Fhad heard the-BOtrad-o* an axe, and my oompanion said it ttas some women. getting I huhut, a particular kind of Urge fat white grjab, jfound in, dooavfd rimu timber, very much prized by Maori gourmands, and that J, should- taato, one. Accordingly, aftesr I. had had. a feed of jam roll and tea, a huhu wag brought me, all alive oh ! and wriggling about beautifully, looking v§ry like a fine fat silk, worm, or lartfe garden caterpillar^-. I. felt 7 that a sort of rising of the gorge prevented me from putting him into my, mouth raw ; such is the force of fopfish prejudice, though I was, assured that that was the j beet way to get the full flavour of him, i and my kind friend had him fried for me, I "Ibi'i/a que lepremierpai quificmte,' ' andhav* ing oncegotmy huhti into mymouthlfound what wonderfully nice eating he is ; sometbiug like maccaroni, f-ried -in cream and sugar, with a slight flavour of prawns, would be. He ii a sort of grub I should grow remarkably fond of, and I am only auxioua to give him another and more Careful trial, and I will never nay that eating such things is a mark of degradation or^ barbarism again. If he could only be introduced on the dining tables of the Reform Club or the Old Hummums, he would create a sensation that- would make M. Soyer or, his successor dance a . lively measure with delight, iVom thia point I pursued ray way beneath the endless shades alone. At first it was all Tery lovely and I stopped to admire the magnificent old patriarchal ratas some of them of enormous height and measuring 12 ft. in diameter and even more 'at the base, the grand oid riinus and the graceful tawa, or New Zealand birch, the poriri with its bright green leaf and pyramidal form. The . karaka like , a broad leafed gigantic laurel and the hundred other beautiful _and_ most graceful New Zealand native »hrubs that would rival all the gems of the English exotics. All had to be admired. . Then the f ernt had to be duly praised and admired as wonderful and beautiful beyond compare. Then of course I had to get through ft period of poetising' and quoting something about the forest primeval " and so on and something to the effect that "there is a pleasure in the pathless woods" which I am very glad to hear, for I wasn't aware of it, and something more about "walking with Nature neath her cloisters green" or something of that sort. ' Then of course it was necessary to fancy that I came across a party of dancing nymphs and satyrs in one of -the deep shaded glades, wantoning and laughing, singing and piping the old Pandean music, their wreaths of grapes and berries and an apron of leaves forming their whole costume. Then of course I must bring in Coriu and his Phyllis, in choice Dresden costume of pink silk stockings, a pur* pie satin gown and sky-blue silk kneebreeches, and a pink velvet coat, she leading a lamb by a ribbon, and he blowing a clariouette with great expression; though how they managed to live and pay their tailors' bills by such means and in such a style of life it is hard to say. Sometimes I would hear a merry kaka chattermg and screaming, or a tui softly fluting to himself a few dropping notes as if meditating over the refrain of some old opera song; but the bush of New Zealand, except in a few places is too quiet, and wants the variety of B\veet songsters that liven up the forests of England and America. I was glad to hear the chirruping of the grasshoppers and the endless hum of the millions of blowflies for company. As the day wore on and my pace grew faster and faster till I was tearing along almost at a trot and was still under the dark shades of the noble forest, what seemed so fresh and charming at starting grew more and more monotonous and oppressive. Still I was obliged to spur on Shanks' poor pony, and my boots became more and more cumbersome and caught in the roots and climbers more and more frequently, till I became assured that, however beautiful nature may be in early youth, the proper place for a gentleman after he turns forty is his own arm chair in his own parlour, with his own cigar in his mouth, and his own wife and daughter to make much of him, and if he goe.s gallivanting about the world to admire its beauties, lie desoryes all tl\e hardships he is sure to meet with. At last, as evening drew near I saw the end in view at last. Through a break in the the trees I could see the clear sky in front of me, and a whiff of fresh air breathed gratefully into my oppressed lungs. One more spirt at a run, and out I came on the side of a high fern-covered hill. Down below me, six miles away, lay a purple lake slumbering in the setting sun. Miles away on my right I could see a house or two that I knew must be Ohinemutu. In gold, and rose and green, the gentle hills surrounding the banks of the lovely sheet of water, decked in glory by the last rays of the sun, looked very different from what I have heard them described as desolate and barren by tourists who can see nothing to admire in a landscape without a public-house in it. Rotorua, looking like a magnificent sapphire set in emeralds and gold,, decorating the broad boaom of old Dame Nature, and glowing in the soft tints of departing day was a lovely scene, such as is not ofter looked upon by mortal eyes in this work-a-day world ; but' there was no time for enjoying it now. Ten miles still remained to be walked over before I could rest, and my flying hob-nails had to increase their pace to something still faster. At last, by the light of the rising moon, I got in to the quiet little haven of rest I was bound for, and Mrs Morisson found me cold water and supper, and a refreshing pair of clean sheets between which to rest my wearied limbs, and I sank to sleep murmuring : Now is done thy Jong: day's work, Fold thine arras across thy breast, Fold thy palms, turn to thy rest, And let them rave. Shadows of the silver birk Deck the sheets that fold thy particularly comfortable carcase nwn ami. (To be continued.)

The early closing movement is making a beginning in Invercargill. Eleven storekeepers next week commence to close at six o'clock each evening except, Saturdays. - *>«s*FrA quiet man travelling a shoxfc'time ago by rail in England, was annoyed by the noise which two or three men in the same carriage were making. One of them had been telling tremendous stories about himself in a load 7oice, and Had tried once ,'or twice to draw ont the quiet man, but in rain. At last be turned to him and said, rather offensively, "I feat, Sir, that our noise has rather inconvenienced you ? "Not in the least," he replied, J'l thought," returned the noisy man, "that you did not seem interested hyxoj stories." "Quite the reverse, my dear sir," said the quiet one ; "I was very much. SQ-*rIl) fucb ismabUjQiattai-mysali*"