IS THE WANGANUI RIVER STRAIGHT?

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2772, 19 April 1890, Page 5 (Supplement)

IS THE WANGANUI RIVER STRAIGHT?

[He-published by Bkqukst.]

In the early spring of the year 1880, Messrs Water, Porter and Mortar, three scientific gentlemen residing in the King Country being fired with a zeal engendered by the astounding discoveries of the Flat Earth Zetetio Philosopher.! of Auckland, organised an expedition for the purpose of discovering whether the Wanganui (properly Whanganui) river be straight or crooked. The starting point of the expedition was the jaw-breaking Poro-o-tarao, better known to the pakeha as the Tunnel; but as many persons will have but a faint idea of this locality, it may bo well to point out its position. Until a few years ago, then, the railway south of Auckland terminated at Te Awamutu, 100 miles from the "Corinth of tho South," and within a mile or so of tho Puniu River, which forms the Northern boundary of the King Country, and it is from this point that tho North Island Main Trunk. Railway has been commenced at its Northern end.

The railway is now completed to the Upper Mokau, 35 miles Sonth of Tβ Awamutu, but regular weekly trains run as far only as Tβ Kuiti in the 26th mile. Leaving the Mokau River and station, and passing a trap in the railway construction of about 12 miles, the traveller finds himself on the sito of the Poro-o-tarao Tunnel contract. This work was commenced in 18S5 and will be completed in a few months. The tunnol pierces tho hill between the Mokau and Wanganui watersheds, and is 53 chains or 1200 yards long. A heavy grade of 5 miles will eventually carry the railway down to the Ongaruhe or Tuhn'a River some 25 miles above its junction with the Wanganui river at Taumaranui, and tho further surveyed line of the central route is down the Ongaruhe Valley and up that of the Wanganui. At the time the Poro-o-tarao contract was entered into, it was anticipated that the material would be carried by steamer up the Wangauui river to Taumaranui and thence by waggon to the works; the snagging of the Wanganui and the construction of a cart-road along the banks of the Ongaruhe being works in progress at the time, although these works have been long since discontinued. All supplies for the Tunnel have therefore been got from Auckland end, a cart-road having been formed by the original contractor from the Waikato to the Tunnel. Poro-o-tarao is 3imply a temporary settlement of the employees on the contract, numbering about eighty. In the early part of last December, the kalcas were put in a flutter by the appearance of the Royal Hob Roy fleet of exploring canoes, ''Ruapehu," " Ng.iiiruhoe," and "Tongariro," basking in the suu fully six miles from water, and on the opposite side of a range. The flagship, "Ruapehn," is ]jA feet long and 3 feet wide, built diagonally of two thicknesses of quarter inch platiks, with tarred canvass between, decked and canvassed over, except the well 3 feet by 18 inches, dark blue body, with red facings.

" Ngauruhoe " and "Tongariro'' are clinker built, 14 feet long, 3 feet wide,

and 9 inches deep, decked, and strongly

built, the former being painted whiti , , with blue facings, and the latter light blue, with red facings. By the way, Ngauruhoe is the proper name of the active volcano, wliicli has generally been known as Tongariro; Tongariro is really a much smaller niouutain nestling at its foot.

As the ships were built in the Mokau watershed, 1150 feet above the sea level, the first difficulty of the expedition was to cross the range 600 feet higher, and drop down 1000 feet into the Ongaruhe. A team of obliging , bullocks was procured, and the services of a corteous cow-punohor obtained, the ships were securely lashed to a capacious sledge, our polito bullwhaukcr requested the cows to jrno up, and the first act began. Up and down a -ledge track as level as the root of a houso and straight a3 a lawyer's conscience, tho sledgo ploughed away nearly all day, and towards evening the bouts were snugly stowed away in the bush three miles from home, whore l.hev rcmaiucd a week until a score or si of willing , ' hands were pressed into the service ami they were carried the remaining three miles to water, a regatta beinir hold on tho Ongaruho in honour of tho event. Tho crafts being housed under calico and fwn on an island, were then left all ready for a fair start,

As the sun was disappearing behind the western ranges, on the evening of December 21st, and after Porter and Mortar had partaken of a stirrup cup of tho excellent hop boor manufactured by tho Rov. Mr Bungstarllo, of Te Kuiii, and highly recommended by Dr Tauii"r (if tho saino place. (Mr Water, tho Merchant of Velice, drank nothing stronger than tea), our three seientili-: friends departed on foot in ordvr to ensure an early start next morning. A small supply of stores.', &c. was shipped on board one of the pure-bred native plugs, so celebrated in this part of tho laud, and by dint of sundry pokes with a paddle handle, the noble creature wan persuaded to move on with just $ulli:ient speed to enable our travellers to reach the bontfl fit nightfall. Upon referring t<> " Huckleberry Finn," as an authority, it was discovered that, "according to reflation," to light a camp fire and boil the billy, and a couple boxes of matches wrn consumed in finding enough brushwood for the purpose. It was nearly midnight, when someone found that an unknown friend had thoughtfully included a ponnd of best Southern Sperms in the stores, and the light thus shed on the proceedings helped to dispel tho gloom that had previously surrounded the discussion of the midnight meal. The stars winked and blinked serenely on our wayfarers, but all attempts to sleep were failures, aud at the firat streak of daylight, without waiting for breakfast, the party were on their hind legs and away. For a couple of miles all was plain sailing, and then the passage of the river was barred by a wall of large masses of voek, which form a, natural bridge

across the stream. Between, under and through these rocks the river foams and seethes, falling some 20 feet in a distance of 50 yards. In preference to hauliog them over the rocks, the boats were carried over a spur a hundred feet high, and slid down a

precipice or bluff into the lower reach. This took a couple of hours to accomplish. A couple of miles further on a series of cascades, extending down stream for a quarter of a mile, bars the passage for boats. Here the hills appear to have tumbled into the river from both sides, completely blocking the bed with large rough boulders of rhyolite, through which the stream foams mid corkscrews merrily. A straw hat, lost overboard, was sucked into a funnel-lika whirlpool, and was never seen again. Carrying the boats round these cascades, and along steep hill-sidee, covered with loose pumice pebbles, which got inside the boots and gashed the ankles, was a performances which knocked a good deal of the stuffing out of our adventurers, who wero heartily glad when calm water was again reached. Another two miles' paddling brought the faxpedition to tho cart road crossing of the Ongaruhe, a

fuw minutes after the arrival of Uncle John, of Poro o-tarao, who had bronght forward a horse load of provisions, etc., to bo shipped here in the canoes. While halting for breakfast and discussing it, Mr John Rochofort's surveyjparty aud our merchant's packer, Mr King, arrived from Taumamuui, aud joined in the fostivitics.

After a couple of hours' stay, employed in feeding, will-making, and stowing provisions, clothes, tools, sails, etc., in the canoes, a fair start was made at about hiilf-past one o'clock, dnriug a shower, which soon increased to a down pour, aud drenched all hands to the skin, causing Mortar and Porter to sigh for the whisky jar at Taumarunui. Except lor tho passage of a fow rocky falls in the river, which were troublesomo to navigato, on account of the shallowness of the water (tho Ongaruhe being very low), no difficulty was experienced for six miles, when tho notorious Onohuuga Falls, at Kawakawa, woro arrived at. Although presenting a rather ugly look, an attempt was made to get through the thickly-strewn rocks and swift current at the uppor end of the falls, with the result that in trying to get through a very narrow passage, Ruapehu grounded and broached to, Ngauruhoo, broaching against Ruapehu, aud being swamped in the attempt to pass. Meanwhile Tongariro had attempted a passage to the left, but soon grounded and pulled up on the opposite iide of a gulch of water. As Ruapehu was grounded on a rock with four feet ilopth of swift water beneath, it became a work of art to disombark, but this was accomplished iu tirao, with the help of Captain Mortar, of tho Tongariro, who courageously risked his life in crossing the deep channel on foot, being all but carried away in doing so. Ngauruhoe was righted and bailed out. All the ciArgo was damaged, and some of it had been washed out over the combing. Now occurred a difficulty which had not been noticed before. Although Capt. Mortar had managed to struggle through the foam, from the opposite side it seemed impossible to get back to his ship, but the difficulty was at last overcome by lashing him to a long line, and half towing him across from a jutting point of rock some distance upstream, where Tongariro was made fast, and the gallant captain with his ship was hauled back into harbour in safety.

An examination of the falls showed that there was some 20 chains of broken water, with a crooked course, and scarcely room to p.iS3 between the blocks of stone, which were thickly stiewn over the bed of the stream, the fall in this distance being perhaps 50 feet. It was theretoro deemed advisable to land and carry the crafts along the cart road and re-launch at the foot of the falls, but after having hoisted ship 3 and cargoes over the rocks on to level ground, in a drenching rainstorm, the exertion required to carry them round tlie falls proved to be the straw to break the camel's back ; and the wild ducks with their ducklings were soon gazing wistfully up from the river upon three weary and washed-out travellers, wending their weary way towards To Koura, a native kianga or settlement three miles clown the river, each with a wet blanket and only just sufficient kai pakcha to last a couple of meals. Our travellers were received at the kianga with true native hospitality, and in a few moments the Merchant of Velioe, who is thoroughly conversant with the manners, customs and language of the inhabitants of these parts, emerged from his hostess' bed-chamber arrayed in a gorgeous blanket. The captain of the Ruapehu was then made comfortable in a similar suit, but as it was noticed by the ladies that the garment did not rest on the manly " buzzom" of Captain Porter as gracefully as from the more elegant figure of tho merchant, a, compassionate dusky beauty soon came forward with a biled linen rag and real gold sLiuls and .sleeve links, tlie blanket was then available as a rapaki or girdle. Tho youthful Captain Mortar's native modesty for a time prevented him from doffing his lower garment and donning the picturesque, though primitive native dress, bub finally his scruples yielded to the entreaties of his friends, and soon the party were stretched out in front of a good tiro, anil enjoying a substantial supper laid out on mats placed on the ground—life seemed worth living after all. Tim holloas of tliE wliarc having allotted her own sleeping chamber to her guests*, the lut(/:r were soon in the arms of Mawpuu, ensconsed in dry blankets laid on clean whaiikis on the floor ; and a sound night's rest with the prospect of a line day to follow restored the spirits of our voyagers. At an early hour of the morning three stalwart Maoris wero despatched to carry the ship 3 and cargo round the Onchun«a rapids and bring them on to the kainga ; meanwhile the clothes and personal luggage of our friends were hung over Hies and fences to dry. A few holes burnt iu the clothing were of no moment, as the clothes are to be exchanged for reach-mo-downs before arriving again at full-blown civilisation. As pakeha names are boycotted in the land of pork, il is now necessary to assume native ones. The merchant becomes Erihi Ngauruhoe ; Capt. Mortar is henceforth known as Pita Wi \Vi Tongariro ; and Capt. Porter loses his identity under the guise of Peneiona Ruapebu.

Just before noon considerable excitemeuL is caused in the kianga by the arrival of the fleet, each hematite-com-ploxioujd gondolier choosing a seat on deck in preference to that provide.'! in the hold. Several of the ladies are in turn taken on board, and a primitive regatta is held on the now swollen stream. Ah Tougariro had been leaking through a seam opened by oxposuio to a fortnight's blistering sun, she is ruu up for the necessary slight repairs, and after lunch blankets aro discarded in favour of the now smoke - dried remnants of European manufacture, rugs are rolled up, cargo is overhauled, and the undamaged portions stowed under deck, wet overcoats are spread out on deck to dry, jewellery and cash are securely lashed in the cabins, and after a thorough hand shaking and mutual good wishes s«itablo to tho festive season, our padiilers .■no sent, nwiiy with a chec>r. The ducks on the river are again disturbed, and after a. couple of hours alternate paddling and rest, tho junction of tho Wanganui and Oiicraruho rivers is reached, the distance from To Koiini bt:in«? 10 or 11 miles. The Ongaruhn has been almost lake-like with tho exception of a few light rapids, the surrounding' country being chiefly undulating fern laud ri=iug to moderato hills on each side covered with totara. After sorting out cargo and hanging sails and clothes out to dry, rugs and kai are shouldered aad a few minutes' walk brings our travellers into thr> heart of tho nativn villago of Tatimarunui which is chio/lv situated on the broad delta be-

tween tho two river.". The solo pakeha resident is Mr under whose hospij tality the visitors were regaled with an excellent repast, Mrs Bull spreading before them a dish of ham and eggs with an abundance of fresh milk and butter. Taumarunui is 174 miles from Auckland by tho railway line, and 40 miles from the present terminus at Upper Mokau, and is 136 miles above Waugiinui by river, the total distance between Auckland and Wanganui being thus 310 miles. The settlement consists of .some half-a-dozen boarded houses and a score or so of slab whares; and there nre several patches of cultivation on the dolta. The surrounding hills are partly covered with bush, a large extent of which contains a quantity of totara timber, which will become more valuable year by year as this timber becomes less get-at-able. The central route here takes a long sweep to the left up the valljy of the Wanganui. As it was not considered udvisable to commence the navigation of the Waniramii until next morning, tho remaining hours of the day are spent iu visiting and sight seeing under tho kind guidance of Mr Bell. The boss rangitira, Ngatai te Mamaku is away at a big native meeting at Kiwitea, !)0 miles down the river, but the mountain chieftan Tuao is visited and found on a bed of sickness, although • not at all depressed in spirit*. Mrs Twio nnd a handsome niece named Ire or Polly, alias Jeunio, are attending him. It is observable that tho youthful Capt. Wi Wi casts furtive glances in the direction of Miw Ire, whoso charms aro half conoealed beneath a becoming Red Riding Hood. As day draws to a close our voyagers proceed to make themselves at home in the depot built some years ago for storage of provisions, etc., used in connection with the survey of the central route of the North Island Trunk Railway. During the evening a visit is received from Madame Tuao, and Mamsello Ire, who have been sent in this direction by Papa Tuao to draw water, Madume is very garrulous and proud of her ability to express her thoughts in English (at least she explains in Maori that she is talking tho former language) and whilst Pita Wi Wi and Miss Ire aro boiling the billy, our friends have a long history, from Madam, of the early days of Wellington, and the present state of colonial politics is also discusse i. In deference to the ladies supper is laid out on the floor iustead of on tho table, and handsome Pita becomes most assiduous iu his attentions to the sunburnt maiden, whose charms have evidently so captivated him, that but for the suddonltermination of tho proceedings, caused by Uncle Tuao calling from afar with a stentorian voice and angry tone for his beer, it appears probable that but two members of the expedition will be left to carry out its object. A custom which appears unaccountable to the pakeha mind among so hospitable a people as the Maoris are, is that of leaving their old men and women to shift for themselves when they grow too old and decrepit to toil. Here and there an old fellow may be seen squatting on a heap of fern, only protected from the weather by a couple of sheets of totara bark or a couple of sacks overhead, quite contentedly smoking a pipe and cooking a few potatoes in a patch of hot ashes, too old to work and doubled up with rheumatism and chest disease. Just sufficient food appears to be thrown to him to keep body and soul together. "He is of no use to himself or others, why don't he die? as he ought." This seems to be the reasoning of the Maori mind.

Christinas Eve dawns bright and clear, and as the result of enquiries has been to show that the Wanganui river is a hummer and not to be trifled with, precautions against accidents are taken. The answers to enquiries have been : "your boats are too small, and will be swamped in the waves, which are in 30me places six feet high." "They are not strong enough and will be dashed to pieces against the rocks and snags which abound in the river, and you will all become splendid food for the eels, (especially Peneiana Ruapehu.") " Your dreams to-night will tell yon what to expect." " Rnapehu and Ngaurulioe will get through, but Tongariro will come to grief"—this latter prediction turning out correct— by pure chance probably. Having purchased a few yards of cotton print for " rap.ikis" or girdles, and some American cloth for aprons, the latter fire fitted to the wells of tho ranoes, with sufficient length left to form biea-t----fbips to be looped over the neck ; cargo, sails, ("to., are stowed snugly aw;iy, and unmentionables and boots aro oast away in favour of the rapakis: Tho ships are soon afloat nguiu, with their Hying freights comfortably seated, waiting , for tho m'gir-il (o start, and wondering what the day's experience will be. As wo iiro now on the Whaugnnui liivcr proper, it may be woll to give a general description before we begin its navigation. Counting the mileage, then, as from Wanganui town, we find that Taumarutmi is ISO miles up tho river, and nearly GOO feet above sea level. In this distance there aro two hundred falls and rapids to pass throuuh, but from Pipiriki at tho 57th mile to Wanganui, the river has bceu snagged and made piasable for steam navigation, and a sir all steamer has until lately been engaged in trading on these lower reaches. For about. 10 miles below Tnumarunui tho river flows between low hills, and although the water is deep in places there is generally u fair current betwean tho falls. Onwards to Pipiciki the river is of a gorgy character, which is very marked between thn 123 rd and 70th miles, and is generally confined between perpendicular papa bluff« of considerable height, and except on the falls and rapids the water is deep and still. Below Pipiriki there is rather more current bctwenn the falls, which nrc, however, of a milder type than the rapids farther up the river. A noticeable change iu the character of thn reaches occurs at about the 100 th mile ; about this point the reaches are calm ;:nd whilst below, for many miles, the currents eddy in broad masses from side to side, and are rather tiresome to steer through. There is a native horse track from Taurnarunui to " Paparoa," at the 118 th mile, but from the onwards to Utapa at tho 70th mile, no qundrupeds larger than the inevitable poaka are to be found at the few kaingas, which are perched on the steep hill sidea wherever a footing can be eer.nrod.

Returning to our sailors, we find they have a start of a quarter of a mile, and are being carried out of the Ongaruhc on to the bosom of the Wanganui, which, being in half flood, i 3 flowing down at a rattling speed. For a few hundred yards the surface of the river is fairly calm, though somewhat swift in comparison with the Ongaruhe ; the captains have time to gain experience in judging the depth of water from surface indications, etc., but soon breakers are seen ahead, the current increases, boulders and snags come into view, and until a few billows have been passed through, it remains a question as to whether they are simply billows, or are caused by obstructions in the shape of sunken logs or rooks, It is not long before Capt. Buapehu, who is leading, receives his first baptism, a sea breaking over the ship and over the top of the breast flap, with a dash of spray in the face. A couple of miles of tall travelling and hard paddling in order to keep plenty of steering way on, brings our friends into a short reach with little current, and Utinpohu rests on his paddle to let thn remainder of the fleet range up and tell how they feel. " Splondid! wouldn't miss it for a pension, but I wish my legs and anna were not so blistered and swollen by the sun. Have a drink boys, Wai Maori is cheap in these parts and, , anyhow, I don't care how much I spend when I'm on a spree." So the pannikins are dipped overboard, acd everybody's heallh is drunk in a flowing pint of the cup that slakes the thirst fcut dons not chrer. A fow minutes drifting wlt,l " ,e current carries thy fleet on to another rapid

which is soon followed by half a mile of rough and broken water, stadded with large sunken boulders which the novice Rude a difficulty in distinguishing amidst the surrounding broken water. " Look out Tonfrariro for that big rock ahead, and give me room." Tongariro hears nothinsr in the turmoil of waters, and sees no danger ahead, but guilelessly itnd vigorously steeplechases over the highest poiut of the boulder, dropping a couple of feet into clear water below ; had there been a few rocks to fall into, the result might have been more surprising than pleasant, but as it was, the £ood ship plunged in up to tho natchway and came up again as smilefully as a duck disdainfully" scattering and shooting her dock cargo of water off on each Bide, a glance backwards showed the face of a black rock a couple of feet above the general level of the water. Ruapehu being hampered by Tongariro'e movements was compelled to repeat the act, but after this, more care was taken to give each other plenty of sea room. However, the little incident tended to give more confidence in the seaworthiness of the ships. A mile further down is a long, crooked and bad fall, or series of rune, about 400 yards in length, the bed of the river being rocky nnd rough with a few scattered boulders and snags. At the lower end of this run the river churns ' itself into foam against a shingle bank, nnd first turning very sharply to the right, in a few yards again bonds ae sharply to the left. When steamer navigation becomes a reality on this portion of the river, this fall will perhaps be found to be one of the most difficult to improve. About here the totara gives place to the birch which is so common a feature of the forest souih of this latitude. Coiil is said to have been found near here. To the Paparoa Fall at the 118 th mile above Wanganui, the general oharaoter of the river is as has been described above ; the river, however, becoming more gorgy, and although deep in places, there is generally more current between the rapide than is to be noted further down. Paparoa is the boss bugbear of the river, the chief terror being centred in a huge snag which has probably been lodged from time immemorial in midstream. A good honest charge of dynamite would send thin pnag into the heavenly regions to look for kakas, but the raugitira landlord objects to its removal, as this would deprive the place of its preeminent notoriety. The river here iu divided into two channels by an island of huge rocky boulder; the left channel is full of snags and crooked, the passage to the right being the one used for navigation. This latter channel is fairly straight, about 200 yards in length and 30 feet wide, with a very swift run over a very rocky bed. In the upper portion of the run is a largo half-sunken rook, and at the extreme lower jutting end of the island is the enag mentioned above, again dividing the already narrow channel into, the right one of which is not more than 4 or 5 feet wide, whilst that between the enag and the island is about 12 feet wide.

" Paparoa ! Lay your ears back for a brush," cries the leader, as the place is recognised from description, and whilst Ngauruhoe and Tongariro cease paddling in order to give sea room, Ruapehu attends strictly to business. A vigorous stroke or two sends the ship to the right of the upper rock, and a few more strokes bring her into position for shooting to the left of the snag, but here a slight error of judgment occurs. Owing to the middle of the stream being higher than the sides, or from some other cause, there is a peculiar tendency to drift sidewise on to the rocky island, and it requires a strong shove with the paddle to keep off. Ruapehu's keel strikes a rock slightly but she is free in a trice, and in a very few seconds the craft has plunged into and out of the surf caused by the meeting of the waters nf the left hand channel and that navigated. Ngauruhoe grounds for an instant opposite Mr Snag ; meanwhile Tongariro has a close shave to pass between the stranded vessel and the snag. In far less time than it takes to relate, the fleet is out of the turmoil and gliding peacefully round a slight bend into a glassy reach, which suggests that embodiment of listless repose, a soft, white sandbank inviting our mariners to stay for lunch and a ph'iige. The soft, white sand-bank suggests to the understandings the embodiment of "that bourne, etc.," and a short—a very short—allusion is unconsciously made, in a hurry, to the said bourne. "' You know the warm place down bulow llut, darling, never fear That e'er I'd make comparisons, Hut it's awful w.irrum here." In fossicking for firewood to boil the billy a native bush track is discovered which leads up stream to a small kiaoga overlooking the Paparoa rapids—the view from this point may be commended to the notice of any adventurous artist who may in future be led to "do" this part of the river. \