The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1878-07-03
WEDNESDAY. JULY 3. 1878.
A visit TO n Timber Country in Nor.
Ihern Auckland.

The only river 10 New Zealand call IT," was
the remark OF the skipper OF bArque loading at
DSryaviIie tue other day, in reply ~ my question:
what be thought Of The Northern Waiors aud,
indeed there il some truth in the description.
As regards The navigation alone. it would be
difficult TO mention any other stream In the col
oay which has SO great uniform depth aud
breadth throughout u course oil over hundred
miles, and which presents fewer distractions aud
dangers For neArly so miles, ii Is nsvigsble for
vessels Of large slEe and bo4Is can ascend almos,
10 lis source It's upper portion IL tortuous, and
lSves the base Of some OF The highest timbsr-clSd
uoontain ranges 10 The Auckland provincial dis
trict, iron whose slopes il receives its volume,
Dot lis lower reaches are bold and straight, aud
the banks are alternately elevated and low, sf
foriing acknowledgements pAnorsma 10 the
eve Of the traveller. The importance. on account
Of its great timber industries which the district
drained BY The Norihern Waiurs has assumed
during the last few yeSrs-an importance. by tie
way. which IS only appreciated oy comparatively
s levied NE during recent visit TO take some
desul,o-y notes. which have been persuaded to
make into . series Of sketches. in the hope that
they will serve the double purpose Of Interesting
the reader. and directing popular attention 10
region which ! sm convinced Is destined 10 pro-
gress very rapidly in the work Of settlement, and
ultimately become one OF the most populous snd
thriving parts Of the North Island My notes.
/ should preface, we're taken while exploring
only the lower half. or nsygsble portion OF the
Wslora and / shall therefore issve the praise Of
the upper portion 10 be sung by some public
oeuefsci0r AMI able descriptive writer ike Mr.
J. {. Firth. Who may have visited il Tor the par-
pose Of stocking ii with salmon, or some equally
good object
Leaving Tsngitsroris or, as il is commonly
called. '-Wa!sous.' the highest point touched a,
by Mr.. DargaEille and Captain Seymours useful
steamer. The IsngIhns. and situated close to tue
eonfaenee Of the Msngskahia and WsIors, the
course Of the s;reAm. here about seventy yards
scross, taxes Us BY nunerous windings, through
some exceedingly grand forest and mounIaIn
scenery. We oesriy so miles from the Heads.
snd sIill We are 10 the udeSsy. which thus eI.
Lends shout ten miles further up than that Of
/ the Eagiish Thames. IL is about so hour afteE
high-wzler, aud the current which Is geaerallS
| pretty stroog. even 10 6ne weather. bot is very
rspi6 indeed after fresh" is just gaining its
full force We descend 81 rate Of ABOUT twelve
miles per boar. and each turn opens up $ neE
vIeS. Lofty snG detached ridges tower above us
either side, aud 81 VariOus distances. Forest
clad iron base TO summit. they have not the wild
grandeur Of the Southern Alps bot they have S
I commanding majesty very Imposing. while their
/ evergr@eu venture lends CHARACTERISTIC beauty.
I Behind Is, hsuugsru resrs lie huge back to the
clouds It's height OF two thousand feet completely
I blocking the horizon 10 this direction. Away 10
/ the right the Tsngihus RSuge eIslts itself q
| Thousand feet higher and gives lis name TO = dis
trscI Of great fertility snd resources which is now
/ 10 the hands Of The Waste Land Board for The
| purPose Of opening Up. The neE road from Tan
/ gi.eroris TO Whangsrei-2O miies-ruus through
this block. and already the passenger traffic is
a q -
/ Mr.. J. NJ. DargaTilIe, to whom the Visions dis
the, owes so much. is sOO1! TO build store st
/ Tsngiteroris, together with yards and other SC
! eou0cdsti0n for periodical sales of stock and
produce. his object being 10 make this the place
| where The coosGus!s Of the Nslnrs, about 600
/ II u0mber, can be supplied by The producers Of
I Whangarel, Msngspsi, Msngskarsmes. Wake
/ ke, and other adjacent districts. The Tz1gihus
| Block approaches TO within three miles Of the
river. As regards the quality Of the land and
the facilities for The transit Of produce TO near
market, no block in the province offers greater
( Inducements to settlers, and the Wonder is that
| the Waste Lands Board bsve not used gresler
I despatch 10 opening it up. The soil is volcanic
snd sll0Eisl snd The surface consists OF rich open
feru ant light timber. For wheat or fruit it will
| doubtless be found admirably suited.
AooUt sn hours stezming brings rs 10 Viii
4 sons, seLl-coiuEated holding 90 the left bank
worth! OF 9 visit from sny one soxioas 10 learn
the ezuAoilitles Of the WsiOra - 3 fruit country
/ Mr.. Wilsoo Is one OF about half-s-iezeu pztri-
| archs who occapy boneStezds within ten or s
/ dozss miles OF ore another, and who have been
/ here for uesref half than quarter Of century
When tbeE frs, arrived aud took Up their Gre D
grants ! gekl=nd bad 10 existence. and :he pres
I eot vast timber trade Of the Wsiors sss confined
I 70 s little telling sud hsud-sQGzrng snd sssiug.
Ek frt m in
sorkmsa being Supplied sIih the necessares
and some of The comforts Of life 81 8 store kept
/ by Mr. Walton. few miles lover down the
nEsr- Mr. Wilson Is the specimen Of the Fog
{ hsh !eoUsn- De Is proyero on the RIVER for
/ hospitality and sterling gOod-heartedness. and no
stranger need want for 81 InEiislion who happens
/ 10 fnd himself hsngry or bsnigtted 10 The neigh-
I borhoOd. or middle height and sioui and CHEEKY
Looking be siill retains much Of the Egor Of ripe
DaoeoOd, 10 spite Of bis grey BAR aud nearly so
years | vas surprised 10 see hin vault himself
over the steamers rail directly she hsG been
made iss. 10 the bank. There Is 90 wharf here,
| but the great depth OF water enseles the steamer
TO he close sloDgsIde, and the lsudIng is effected
By means Of broad plank. Il Is jasi O'Clock,
and cordial Invitation 10 dinner Is given to the
I gtote OF the passengers. sbogt dOzeu. who a.
CORDIALLY accept IL The house substantial
Ses;herooSrd structure, stands about hundred
!srds IRON tie rIEer, on rsIug ground. and the
I approach Is b! path thrcugh a garden stocked
With Tlues. and peach, apple aud PLAN trees We
are introduced 70 Mrs Wilson, lady ou whom
the years have told more than on her husband.
and 70 hslt-s-ooz=n groEu-9p sous and daughters
K just half The patrizrch's family. the rest oeiog
elsewhere employed A frugal meal Of corued
beef. and fresh vegetables Ct thres or four kinds
rendered more acceptable BY being banded
i rO1nd .! blooming lssse< and supplemented b5
tie inevitable colonial tea. aud some rare and
teicsOcs cloitsd cream. which reminded ne OF
I DsEOo<eire. zas followed By pleasant chat
s0d thea The old gsntIe1z1. az 9 wish 90 nv
/ part no sooner expressed than accedei to, inv .
tsd Ne 10 take szlk rosad tie piaca A. tie
back OF TIE house large grass paddock covers
Il spps-ently some ten or t=slvs acres and We 10
iced cAlEes ADD sheep scattered about looking
q eooteo,ed Is they could The bills, :
/ garter Of 8 uile OF are almost ali diTesiei Of
ilRber. neE grass Eheziag IL large patches and
I Il L evident that or lost Is man Of some
Z property. Bssnug 10 the left. and passing q
sloSs-sOass. which Ne ind % inoairJ to BE- vel
stocked With uesly-nsie grape vice. re arrive
al 4 carefully enelosed garden having steep
slope down 10 the riFeT bank. and facing to the
uSrEh-ezst- Here are scores OF grzps vines II q
highly toanstlng eooditi0n. Most or them are
trained 70 ro1E6 iTsliis-E0Fk consisting OF tao
ross OF strong apright posts, crossed and rooted
Nth smaller plAnki1g thos Constituting tso-
/ uel Gf fulrarz frzira AZ uhirh dc-zr- H. s..sa1