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diff --git a/old/64112-0.txt b/old/64112-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 97cfd5b..0000000 --- a/old/64112-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4684 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Kaipara, or experiences of a settler in -North New Zealand, by Peter W. Barlow - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Kaipara, or experiences of a settler in North New Zealand - -Author: Peter W. Barlow - -Release Date: December 22, 2020 [eBook #64112] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Image source(s): https://archive.org/details/kaiparaorexperie00barliala/ - -Produced by: Fay Dunn, Fiona Holmes and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KAIPARA, OR EXPERIENCES OF A -SETTLER IN NORTH NEW ZEALAND *** - -Transcriber's Notes - -Changes made are noted at the end of the book. - - - - -KAIPARA. - - - - - Ballantyne Press - BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. - EDINBURGH AND LONDON - -[Illustration: KAIPARA.] - - - - - KAIPARA - - OR - - _EXPERIENCES OF A SETTLER IN - NORTH NEW ZEALAND_ - - - Written and Illustrated - BY - P. W. BARLOW - - - _SECOND EDITION._ - - - LONDON - SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON - _LIMITED_ - - St. Dunstan's House - FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. - 1889 - - - - - Inscribed - - TO - - _W.H. BARLOW, ESQ., F.R.S._, - OF HIGH COMBE, OLD CHARLTON, - - AS A TOKEN OF - - DEEP RESPECT, GRATITUDE, AND AFFECTION. - - BY HIS NEPHEW, - - _THE NARRATOR_. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The fact that nothing has hitherto been published concerning life in -this part of New Zealand from the pen of a _bona-fide_ settler has -induced me to write the following pages. - -Before commencing the undertaking, I had been at considerable pains to -satisfy myself of the truth of this fact, and naturally so, for it is -the life-buoy I cling to as I take this, my first dip, in the sea of -literature; it is my one excuse for troubling the public, and in it -consists my hope that they will consent to be troubled. - -I do not pretend to literary talent, and my highest ambition is to lay -the true narrative of my experiences in New Zealand before the public -in a readable form. If successful in doing this, I shall be content, -and trust that my readers will be also. - -Many books have been written describing colonial life in this and other -parts, in some of which the writers have identified themselves with -the characters in their stories; but these have invariably been the -works of _visitors to the colony_, not _settlers in it_. - -There is to my mind as much difference between the two experiences as -there is between the experience of a _volunteer_ and that of a _soldier -of the line_, and it is on this account that I approach the public with -some small degree of confidence, and venture to lay before my readers -the experiences of a settler in North New Zealand. - - THE NARRATOR. - - MATAKOHE, KAIPARA, PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAP. PAGE - - I. OUR ARRIVAL IN THE NEW COUNTRY 1 - - II. AN AUCKLAND TABLE-D'HÔTE 7 - - III. A CHAT ABOUT AUCKLAND 14 - - IV. MORE ABOUT AUCKLAND 21 - - V. MY FIRST RAILWAY JOURNEY 27 - - VI. LIVING IN NEW ZEALAND 33 - - VII. A PERILOUS JOURNEY 40 - - VIII. THE "TERROR" 50 - - IX. A SALE BY AUCTION 60 - - X. THE FAITHLESS MARY ANN 66 - - XI. MY INTRODUCTION TO KAIPARA 72 - - XII. A WILD PIG HUNT 80 - - XIII. PURCHASING LIVE-STOCK 88 - - XIV. A COLONIAL BALL 102 - - XV. THE FORESTS OF NORTH NEW ZEALAND 107 - - XVI. THE LABOURING-MAN SETTLER 118 - - XVII. KAIPARA FISH 125 - - XVIII. GODWIT SHOOTING 135 - - XIX. THE KAURI GUMDIGGER 142 - - XX. A STORY OF A BUSHRANGER 159 - - XXI. SPORTS 166 - - XXII. SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND 176 - - XXIII. KAIPARA INSECTS 183 - - XXIV. A MAORI WEDDING 194 - - XXV. SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND 201 - - XXVI. A MEETING OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL 206 - - XXVII. CONCLUSION 212 - - - - -KAIPARA. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -_OUR ARRIVAL IN THE NEW COUNTRY._ - - -On the second day of July 1883, in company with my wife, six children, -a servant girl, and a full-rigged sailing ship--captain, mates, doctor, -and crew included--I, the writer of this narrative, arrived at the port -of Auckland. - -Our voyage had occupied one hundred and six days, and every one -concerned was mightily sick of it. - -Myself and family and the doctor were the only occupants of the -saloon, and as the latter had been ill for a considerable portion of -the voyage, and the captain and myself were at loggerheads, things -had not been quite so cheerful as they might have been. We had had -more than our fair share of bad weather too: seven weeks of continuous -gales, during which the ship had been more or less under water--or, -as the mate put it, "had only come up to blow" occasionally--and -our provisions had near run out, so it will readily be believed the -prospect of once more treading dry land was hailed with delight by all. - -I am a civil engineer by profession, and having for some time found -it very difficult to obtain employment in the old country, rejoiced -in the prospect of getting work in New Zealand in connection with a -land company, who were the owners of a large tract of land--500,000 -acres--situated as nearly as possible in the centre of the north -island. This company had a board of directors in London, from one -of whom--a friend of an uncle of mine--I had a very kind letter of -introduction to the company's manager in New Zealand. My intention was -to buy a few of the company's acres and build a house at the place -where they were laying out a large town. Being the first in the field, -and having such a good letter of introduction, as well as very fair -testimonials, I felt confident of success. - -However, to return to our ship. As soon as she anchored off the -floating magazine to discharge her gunpowder, before coming alongside -the wharf, I looked about for a means of getting ashore, and was lucky -enough to have a passage offered me in the steam launch which had -brought the health officer on board. - -My mind was too bent on discovering house-room for my family, to think -much of anything else, though I must confess I was not impressed with -my first view of Auckland. I walked up the main street and opened -negotiations with some of the principal hotels, but these proving too -expensive for my pocket, I wandered about hoping to come across a house -with the familiar card "Apartments to let" displayed in the window. -After a considerable wear of boot leather and temper without any -satisfactory result, I entered a small hotel (by the way, every beer -shop in New Zealand is an hotel) and besought information combined with -a glass of ale and a biscuit. - -Having ascertained the whereabouts of what I was assured was a _most_ -respectable boarding-house, I set out for the place, and presently -found myself opposite to a wooden structure in H---- Street, which -seemed to my unaccustomed eyes to be a cross between an undersized barn -and a gipsy's caravan. - -With hesitating hand I lifted the knocker, and my feeble rat-tap -was after a considerable lapse of time responded to by a female of -doubtful age, and still more doubtful appearance. To this lady--they -are all ladies in New Zealand--I told my wants, and was graciously -informed that she would undertake to accommodate my whole family for -six pounds per week,--which, by the way, was about one half the sum -demanded by the most moderate of the hotels. With a feeling of relief -at the prospect of getting suitable quarters at last, in reply to her -invitation I entered the house. - -"This is where they has their meals," said my guide, with evident -pride, as she opened a door on her left and disclosed a room looking -for all the world like a skittle alley of unusually wide dimensions, -with a long table down the middle of it. Not a vestige of carpet was -there on the floor, which was far from clean, and sloped towards one -corner. On both sides of the table were ranged a number of kitchen -chairs, and these, with a sideboard bearing a strong resemblance to a -varnished packing-case on end, completed the furniture. - -In a voice feeble with emotion, I requested to be shown the sleeping -apartments, and was conducted to the back yard, down each side of which -stood a long weather-boarded shed with six partitions in it; each -divided portion being supplied with a window and a door, and forming -a bedroom a little larger than a bathing-machine--which it internally -greatly resembled. Three of these were placed at my disposal, and I -hurried away in a cold perspiration, caused probably by the reflection, -"Whatever will the wife say?" - -It was getting late, and I was getting tired. "Shall I have another -hunt," I debated, and sacrifice the pound the wily proprietress of the -caravan and bathing-machine had insisted on my leaving as a deposit. - -I knew we could not remain in the ship, as the stewards were -discharged, and there was no one to attend to us. With a sigh I -determined to stick to my bargain, and hurrying down to the wharf -in Queen Street, secured the services of a waterman, and was soon -alongside our erst-while floating home. On reaching the deck, my wife -immediately accosted me as follows:-- - -"Have you succeeded in getting rooms? The children have been _so_ -troublesome. They are longing to get on shore, and neither Mary Ann nor -I can keep them quiet!" - -I assured her that after an immense expenditure of leg power I had -succeeded in arranging about quarters, and added--as a vision of -the skittle alley and the bathing-machines flitted before me--that I -doubted whether she would find them very comfortable. - -"Oh! never fear, dear," she cheerfully rejoined. "After three months -on board ship one ceases to be particular! All I long for is a bedroom -with plenty of room to turn in." - -Again a vision of the bathing-boxes arose, and I trembled. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -_AN AUCKLAND TABLE D'HÔTE._ - - -The afternoon was closing in, so collecting the luggage required for -immediate use, and locking the rest of our come-at-able belongings -in our cabins, we made haste to get on board the same boat that had -brought me out. My spirits had slightly revived, as it had occurred to -me that very probably the caravan and its appurtenances would show to -better advantage by gaslight. - -Queen Street Wharf was soon reached, and having settled the waterman's -claim, I hailed a cab, into which we all bundled, and in a short -time found ourselves at our destination. Summoning the landlady, and -requesting her to show my wife the sleeping apartments, I stayed behind -to see to the luggage, and--I don't mind confessing--to allow her time -to get over the first shock. - -Entering our bedroom a little later with the portmanteaus, I was -greatly pleased and surprised to find my wife apparently reconciled -to the surroundings, her only remark on the subject being that it was -a queer-looking place, and not much bigger than our cabin. She was -greatly puzzled as to whether she ought to change her dress for an -evening one before appearing in the public room, but I emphatically -assured her--having the skittle alley in my eye--that it was quite -unnecessary, and we remained chatting until a tinkling bell announced -that tea was served. - -A strange scene awaited us on entering the eating shed. Some twelve or -fourteen men--I beg pardon, gentlemen--and five ladies were seated on -as many rough-looking kitchen chairs, busily engaged in attacking the -comestibles placed before them. - -A few--a very decided few--contented themselves with making the fork -the medium of communication between their food and their mouths, but -the greater majority used for this purpose both knives and forks with -equal skill and success. - -At our entrance they paused momentarily from their labour of love, and -favoured us with grins which seemed to say, "What confounded idiots -you are to come here." One lady of angular aspect, and with hair of the -corkscrew type of architecture, smiled affably, however, and, reassured -by her complacency, we seated ourselves at her end of the table. - -The gentlemen, who, with three exceptions, sat in their shirt sleeves, -were too deeply engrossed in the work before them to converse, and the -clatter of knives and forks was for some time the only sound heard. -We sat gazing at the scene, until a husky voice from behind demanded -"Chops or 'am and eggs!" and recalled to our minds the object of our -visit. Having decided in favour of chops, some black cindery looking -bits of meat and bone were placed before us--resembling the delicious -grilled chops of the London chop-house about as nearly as a bushman's -stew resembles a _vol-au-vent â la financière_. - -I managed to stay the pangs of hunger with the assistance of some -hunches of stale bread, plates of which were ranged at intervals down -the centre of the table. My poor wife, however, could scarcely eat -anything. As soon as we decently could, for the coatless gentry were -still at work, we retired to our rooms, both wife and self depressed in -spirits, Mary Ann sulky, and the children in a state of subdued mutiny. - -"We will get out of this wretched hole to-morrow, so cheer up, dear," -I exclaimed to my wife after a prolonged silence. "It's past seven -o'clock now, and if you don't want me, I'll take a stroll down the -town, and get something for supper." - -Off I went, and soon reached Queen Street, the principal thoroughfare -of the town, which, to my great surprise, I found in semi-darkness, the -only places lighted up being the hotels and tobacconists' shops. - -"No chance of getting anything for supper here," I thought, as I turned -up a street which I concluded must lead back to H---- Street. I had not -proceeded more than three hundred yards when I espied to my great joy -a small shop with a blaze of light in the window, above which shone -forth the legend "Oyster Saloon." With quickened step I approached, -and peering in, beheld a remarkably neatly dressed and pretty young -lady standing behind a little counter, and apparently fully occupied -in doing nothing. On the counter stood some pickle bottles filled with -extremely unpleasing-looking objects resembling large white slugs, -while a heap of oysters with curiously corrugated shells were piled in -one corner. - -Entering the establishment, I requested in polite terms to be informed -the price of oysters. - -"A bob a bottle!" replied the ministering angel behind the counter. - -"A bob a bottle!" I repeated. "May I ask if that's colonial for a -shilling a dozen?" - -"Oh! I see you're a new chum!" responded the young lady, in tones of -mild contempt. "Well, oysters ain't sold here by the dozen; they are -sold by the bottle! There are about four or five dozen, I reckon, -in one of these!" indicating the bottles on the counter, with their -revolting-looking contents. - -"But are those really good to eat?" I stammered. - -"Try them!" she replied, spooning from a bottle about a dozen on to a -plate, and pushing it, together with a fork and a pepper-box, before me. - -Screwing up my courage, I got one into my mouth, another quickly -followed, and in a remarkably short space of time the plate was emptied. - -"Capital! By Jove! I could not have believed they would be so good!" I -exclaimed. "They don't, you must confess, look very tempting in those -bottles?" - -"Well, perhaps not," said the fair one; "but, you see, these oysters -grow firm on the rocks, and they are easy to open when fixed there by -tapping the back of the upper shell with a hammer, but are terrors to -tackle when loose like those," pointing to the heap in the corner. -"Besides," she continued, holding up a bottle, "they are so much more -convenient like this. Why, you would want a hand-barrow to carry five -dozen of them in their shells!" - -"But how do you keep them fresh?" I demanded. - -"Oh!" said my entertainer, "boys pick them fresh for us every day, and -what are not sold are thrown away!" - -Oh! ye epicures of London, with Whitstables at three and nine per -dozen, and Colchesters at two and six, think on this--oysters pitched -away daily, probably in hundreds, possibly in thousands! Grind your -teeth with envy; but take my advice, stay where you are. You are not -the sort for the colony, and living _isn't all oysters_. - -However, to resume. The oysters were so good that I asked for more, and -invited the young damsel to join me; but she declined, and asked, in -the course of conversation, what hotel I was staying at. - -I explained that, having a long family and a short purse, hotels were -too expensive, and that we had that afternoon taken possession of a -portion of a boarding-house in H---- Street, which said portion we had -fully determined upon restoring to its owners on the morrow. - -"Why not take apartments?" she rejoined. - -"Apartments!" I almost yelled. "Why, I have been prowling about for the -best part of the day trying my utmost to find some, but could not see a -single house with a card in the window!" - -"The idea! as if any lady would put a low card in her window," she -sneered. "But if you want apartments, my ma has some to let, and I'll -take you there, and introduce you, if you like." - -With much joy I acquiesced in the proposal, and having settled my -account, and procured a bottle of oysters for home consumption, we -proceeded to the maternal residence. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -_A CHAT ABOUT AUCKLAND._ - - -The interview with the maternal parent proved thoroughly satisfactory, -as did the maternal parent herself,--an elderly lady, neatly dressed in -black, with silver grey hair, and a face which, before old Father Time -had placed his brand on it, must have been very pretty. - -I promised to bring my "better half" in the morning to complete -arrangements, and hurried home with my oysters, which with some -difficulty I succeeded in persuading her to taste. Having once overcome -her repugnance to their appearance, she enjoyed a good supper of them, -with some bread and butter that I persuaded our hostess to let us have. - -Supper over, I detailed my adventures of the evening, to my wife's -great delight, and we shortly after retired to bed, but, alas! not to -sleep. Before the drowsy god could exert his influence over us, an -opposing agent stepped in, and we discovered to our horror that New -Zealand numbered among her colonists certain nimble little creatures -well known in the old country under the generic name of "Fleas;" -the Maori name is "Mōrorohū," which, literally translated, means, I -believe, "little stranger." They are supposed by some to represent the -first importation of animal life that the English favoured Maoriland -with. - -Since their too successful introduction, an Acclimatisation Society -has been established, and under its auspices many animals and birds of -different kinds have been acclimatised. Rabbits and sparrows are, I -believe, numbered among its earliest ventures. Within the last year a -large number of ferrets, stoats, and weasels have been introduced by -the Government to destroy the rabbits, which have proved too many for -the settlers in the south island; and probably before long we shall -hear of snakes being brought out to kill the sparrows. - -What animal will be hit upon to destroy the stoats and weasels when -their turn comes--and farmers in the localities where they have been -set free already complain bitterly of them--I am at a loss to imagine, -though I have no doubt the members of the Society, with the aid of a -Natural History, will be able to solve the problem. - -The notion possesses me that if the Society continues to flourish we -shall eventually become a sort of sea-girt Zoological Garden, and -possibly be able to advertise tiger-hunting among the attractions of -the New Zealand of the future. - -I trust my kind readers will pardon this digression, for which the -"little strangers" and the sleeplessness accompanying their presence -are responsible. - -In the morning we rose ourselves unrefreshed, though the unwilling -refreshers of many. After breakfast, which resembled in every -particular the meal of the previous evening, with the exception that -stale flounders took the place of ham and eggs, a final interview with -our landlady was held, and proved of not so stormy a character as I had -anticipated: it was brought to a successful conclusion--at any rate on -the landlady's part--by the handing over of another golden sovereign. -Her strong point in argument was that we had agreed to stay for a week, -and therefore must pay for a week. This logical conclusion I found it -impossible to shake until I produced the sovereign, which acted like -oil on troubled waters. - -All difficulties being thereby overcome, we made haste to depart, and -a cab shortly after deposited us and our luggage at our new quarters, -with which my wife was much pleased. - -The clauses in the agreement arrived at concerning them were as -follows:--Entire and exclusive use of a sitting-room and three bedrooms -furnished; attendance on us to devolve on Mary Ann; cooking to devolve -on landlady; housekeeping to devolve on my wife; and lastly, but not -least, the payments for the apartments--three guineas per week--to -devolve on me. - -Prior to leaving home I had given instructions to have my letters -addressed to the Northern Club, Auckland, care of ----, Esquire, for -whom I carried a letter of introduction; but anxious though I was to -get home news, I had had hitherto no possible opportunity of going to -look after them. Now the family were fairly housed, however, I hastened -to relieve my anxiety, and found a couple of English letters awaiting -me at the Club, which satisfied me that all was well with those dear to -us in the old country. A good many of my letters, I learnt, had been -forwarded to Cambridge to Mr.----, who was staying there looking after -the interests of the land company to which he was manager. I obtained -his address, and sent him a wire stating our arrival, and requesting -him to forward letters. - -Having settled that business, I hastened down to the wharf to see what -progress our ship--which was now alongside the Tee--had made in the -unloading of her cargo. - -I found the Tee heaped with cases already hoisted out of her capacious -holds, though nothing of mine had as yet been disgorged. Having the -keys of our cabins in my pocket, I decided to take out the things that -were in them, and with the aid of a man and a hand truck they were -safely conveyed to our rooms. - -My time was now my own, and I went for a stroll. - -Though not impressed with the appearance of Auckland itself, I thought -the harbour and its natural surroundings remarkably pretty, yet lacking -the grandeur of the Bay of Rio de Janeiro and other harbours I have -seen. The formation of the land is curious, and gave me at first sight -the idea of peaks which at one time had been bold, but which by some -wonderful process had been either melted down into undulating mounds, -or were in course of being melted down. - -The peak on the isle of Rangitoto, which shelters the mouth of the -harbour, Mount Eden, and numerous others, come under the latter -description, while the north head and north shore generally come under -the former. It was the north head that particularly attracted my -attention as we first entered the harbour; it is shaped like a huge -inverted basin, and is covered with grass. I can assure my readers that -after one hundred and six days at sea the sight of that grassy mound -was good, very good, and will never be forgotten. - -The harbour called the Waitemata, opening on the east coast, is as a -haven perfection; it is admirably sheltered, has sufficient capacity -to hold half a dozen war squadrons, and is deep enough to allow the -largest ship afloat to enter at dead low water and steam or sail right -up to the Queen Street Wharf. - -On its southern shore stands Auckland and its suburbs, and on its -northern the town or suburb of Devonport. - -Another harbour, the Manukau, opens on the west coast, and extends -inland towards Auckland, leaving only a strip of land, in places not -half a mile wide, between it and the waters of the Waitemata. It has -unfortunately a bar, and is therefore not much used by vessels of -large size. The construction of a canal joining the two harbours has -been proposed, for what purpose is not clear, unless the projectors -have some scheme for doing away with the Manukau bar, thus allowing -ships to come straight through to Auckland from the west coast. It is -not at all improbable, however, that the promoters desire to have the -canal cut simply for _the fun of making the land north of Auckland -an island_. Of course the money expended on the work will have to be -borrowed, so what matters! - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -_MORE ABOUT AUCKLAND._ - - -The principal street in the city of Auckland, as my reader has been -already told, is Queen Street, terminating seawards in the Queen Street -Wharf. - -It is not an imposing-looking thoroughfare. No indeed! and at the -risk of catching it the next time I am down there, I repeat there is -nothing imposing in it at all; neither the street, the houses, nor the -tradesmen. There is little architectural beauty to be seen, and the -shops have for the most part an unsubstantial appearance, particularly -noticeable in the upper portion of the street. The lower, or wharf end, -possesses some substantial-looking buildings of brick and stone, the -most notable in 1883 being the post-office, the New Zealand Insurance -Company's building, and the Bank of New Zealand. - -The pavement on the left hand side for a considerable distance is -sheltered by verandahs built from the upper part of the shop fronts, -and extending as far as the roadway, where they are supported by -cast-iron pillars. They form an agreeable protection from the sun, or -from sudden showers of rain, and are remarkable as evincing an effort -to study the public comfort--an effort very seldom made in New Zealand. - -Since I landed in 1883 the town has undergone great improvements. A -good-sized railway terminus now stands at the foot of Queen Street. -Tramways run in all directions. A great many brick buildings, some five -stories high, have been run up. The Auckland Freezing Company have -erected very extensive premises of brick on ground reclaimed from the -bay. An art gallery and public library, contained in a really handsome -building, has been opened. _The Star_ newspaper proprietor has built -large new offices; and an arcade with shops almost rivalling in style -and finish those of its elder brother in London--the Burlington--has -lately been completed. On the north shore a magnificent graving dock is -in course of construction, which will be able, when finished, to take -in the largest ships afloat but two, viz., _The Great Eastern_ and _The -City of Rome_. - -With the exception, perhaps, that the majority of the houses are of -timber, Auckland may be said to resemble the ordinary run of colonial -cities: it has an unusually fair share of churches and chapels of -all denominations, and a still fairer share of public-houses--I ask -pardon--hotels. - -Of places of public amusement, with the exception of a dingy little -theatre very seldom used, and a so-called opera-house where occasional -performances take place, it has virtually none, and to this fact is -undoubtedly to be ascribed the large amount of drunkenness that exists. - -The vast number of places where drink can be obtained show what a brisk -liquor trade is done; but if half these places were abolished, it would -not, I believe, lessen the drunkenness by a single man. Gumdiggers, -farmers, bushmen, fishermen, and all sorts and conditions of men -frequent Auckland town when flush of money, and they _will_ have some -amusement! There are no music-halls, concert-rooms, or other places -where they can go and smoke their pipes and enjoy themselves, therefore -they fall back on the hotels. - -It may be wrong and wicked, but it's human nature. As Dickens' immortal -Squeers says, "Natur's a rum un;" and all the head shakings and -turning up of the eyes on the part of the pious won't alter the fact. - -I was wrong, however, to say there are no places of amusement except -the theatre and opera-house. There is one. It is called the "Sailor's -Rest." Suppose (to use a colonialism) we put in an hour or two there. - -After ascending a steep break-neck sort of stair-ladder erected in the -back part of a shop, we stand in a large room hung about with flags. At -one end is a stage, and scattered about are small tables, seated round -which we see marines and blue-jackets from Her Majesty's ship lying in -the harbour, fishermen, shop assistants, and working men of all sorts. -They are chatting and playing at dominoes, draughts, and other games. -Presently "order" is called from the stage, a lady takes her seat at -the piano, which occupies one corner, and a gentleman comes forward, -makes his bow, and sings a very good song to her accompaniment. - -Another song follows, then a duet, inspired by which a marine and a -blue-jacket volunteer a second duet, ascend the stage, and sing it -capitally; another sailor follows with a comic song, a gumdigger gives -a recitation, and so the evening wears away. The room is crammed, and -in the back part near the stairs smoking is allowed, so the smoker is -not deprived of half his evening's enjoyment. - -Ladies, _real_ Christian ladies--not "eye rollers" and "head -shakers"--flit about ministering to the wants of their visitors. Coffee -is served, and the proceedings close with a hymn, which I must confess -sounds out of place after the comic songs, and I think would have been -better omitted. By the time the audience have dispersed the hotels are -closed. - -How those hotel-keepers must _abominate_ that flag-draped room up the -back stairs! If there were a few more such places in Auckland it would -mean _death to them_. - -While on the subject of Auckland, let me say a few words about the -shops and the shop-keepers. First the shops. One very noticeable -feature in the majority of them is the absence of taste in the display -of their contents; there is nothing to attract the eye, and however -good the articles may be in themselves, they are seldom shown to -advantage, but are huddled together in the window anyhow. - -With regard to their attendants. In the larger shops you always find -civility, but never any approach to servility: the shopman does not -press you to purchase, but if you elect to do so, you may. It is a -_quid pro quo_ transaction, with no obligation on either side. In the -inferior shops you too often miss the civility, and the proprietor -appears to consider he is conferring a favour by allowing you to buy. -No attempt, at any rate, is ever made to push a trade. - -The same feeling which pervades the manly tradesman's breast appears -also to influence the lodging-house and boarding-house owners. "_If -you want any article you must come and ask if we've got it_," and "_if -you want apartments you must find out our address--we are not going -to bother_," are the sentiments which I fancy form the basis of the -trading principles of the aristocratic tradesmen and lodging-house -keepers of Auckland. The reader will perhaps recollect the trouble -I had in trying to find rooms when we first arrived, and the awful -place where I eventually deposited my family. Now that I am well -acquainted with the town, I find there are plenty of nice apartments -and boarding-houses, though it would be impossible for a stranger to -discover them: if I were an Irishman, I'd say--he would require to be -in Auckland a month before he arrived in order to do so. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -_MY FIRST RAILWAY JOURNEY._ - - -I omitted in the last chapter to state that Auckland possesses a -hospital (perfect for its size), and some grand butchers' shops. - -The hospital I have been all over, thanks to the courtesy of the -resident physician, and I do not believe that for brightness, -ventilation, and all other essentials, its wards are to be surpassed by -those of any hospital in London. I trust my readers will not imagine by -my speaking of the butchers' shops and the hospital in the same breath -that I desire to indicate that these institutions have anything in -common or are sympathetic. - -With this explanation I will proceed to the butchers' shops. Meat -is the principal feather in New Zealand's cap: it is the one really -substantial cheap necessary of life, and New Zealanders have not -forgotten to make the most of it. It is the bait that has been found -most attractive in the immigrant fishery, and by the use of which the -agent-general has landed the majority of the immigrants in this colony. -The shops where it is sold are quite a feature in the town, and must -on no account be neglected. They are very large--larger, I think, than -any in London, with the exception perhaps of one belonging to Messrs. -Spiers & Pond near Blackfriars Bridge. They are also very bright and -clean looking, being lined throughout, ceiling and all, with white -glazed tiles. On horizontal bars of bright steel suspended from the -ceiling are hung the carcasses of sheep and bullocks in vast numbers, -while legs and shoulders of mutton, sirloins of beef and other joints -are disposed on tables projecting from the walls. They are without -doubt the most killing-looking shops in Auckland. - -The auction marts form another prominent feature in the town, and of -these I will have something to say by-and-by; for the present I think I -had better return to my own affairs. - -The letters which had taken a trip to Cambridge (Waikato) had now -returned, in company with one from Mr.----, who informed me he would be -in town in a day or two, and would call. We therefore had nothing to do -till then but amuse ourselves. - -A trip to Remuera, the prettiest suburb of Auckland, in an -uncomfortable omnibus, occupied one day. On the next, as my wife wished -to do shopping, I decided to find out what shooting was to be obtained -in the neighbourhood, and in furtherance of that object entered the -shop of one of the two gunsmiths in Queen Street and accosted its -proprietor, from whom I learned that there was some grand curlew -shooting to be had at Onehunga, a place about eight miles off, on the -Manukau Harbour. I immediately determined to go there, and see if I -could not make a bag. As I found Onehunga was to be reached by rail as -well as omnibus, I decided to try the former, with a view principally -to the saving of time; so taking my gun, cartridge belt, and game bag, -I made, in colonial parlance, "tracks" for the station, and took ticket -for Onehunga and back, the high charge made--half-a-crown--astonishing -me considerably. I was fortunate in just catching a train, but not so -lucky in my choice of compartments, for I discovered, after the train -had given its preliminary jerk--a mode of progression peculiar to New -Zealand railway trains--that the gentleman by my side was suffering -from an injudicious application of alcohol. - -The seats in New Zealand railway carriages run "fore and aft"--that -is, lengthways--and when the first jerk came the afflicted gentleman -toppled over against me, and I had some trouble in getting him fixed up -perpendicularly again; the next jerk, however, found me prepared, and I -met him half way, with a force that sent him over against his neighbour -on the other side. This evidently did not meet with approbation, for -he was shot back to me promptly, and we kept him going between us like -an inverted pendulum. The "overcharged" individual operated upon took -it perfectly quietly, evidently considering his oscillations quite -the correct thing when travelling on a New Zealand railway. Playing -battledore and shuttlecock with a drunken man is tiring work, however, -and I was glad to change my seat at the first station we stopped at. - -After three quarters of an hour of the roughest railway travelling I -had ever experienced--progress being attained by a series of violent -jerks--Onehunga was reached, and I descended and strolled away from the -station, fully convinced that the railway authorities charged by time, -not mileage; and this conviction I have since seen no reason to alter. - -Onehunga is not an interesting port, and I have no intention of -describing it; suffice it to say that it is decidedly straggling. -Going into an hotel near the station, I procured some lunch, and was -directed to the most likely place for curlew. I laid up for them in -some all swamp grass, and waited patiently, but never saw a curlew all -the afternoon, and what is more, have never seen one since I have been -in New Zealand. I am positive there is not such a bird to be found in -the colony, or, at any rate, in the province of Auckland; what are -called curlew here are really godwit--the feathering of the two birds -is almost identical, and both have long beaks, but the curlew's curve -downwards and the godwit's upwards. The latter is a splendid bird for -the table, while the curlew is scarcely worth the picking. I have shot -dozens of them in the old country, and hundreds of godwits out here, so -I ought to know. - -I would not have wearied the reader with the above remarks had I not so -often read in books, and more than once in newspapers out here, of the -curlew in New Zealand. - -When I reached the railway station, homeward bound, I had a long time -to wait for a train, and walking up and down the dreary platform, -I did not, no! I greatly fear I did not, bless that Queen Street -gunsmith. The train arriving at last, I was jerked back to Auckland in -an unenviable frame of mind. - -The bag I made that day at Onehunga consisted of one king-fisher, which -I looked on at the time as a great curiosity. I am wiser now, for they -are the commonest bird we have in this part of the colony--commoner -even than sparrows; but that Onehunga king-fisher I skinned and got -stuffed, and that Onehunga king-fisher I still value highly. He is the -first bird I ever shot in New Zealand, and he is the last bird I ever -intend shooting at Onehunga. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -_LIVING IN NEW ZEALAND._ - - -Sunday had now arrived--our first Sunday in Auckland. It is kept, as in -England, as a day of rest, except by those unhappy individuals who are -unfortunate enough to reside near a Salvation Army barracks! There is -no rest or peace for them. - -Early in the morning we heard the distant sound of martial music, and -imagined that some volunteer corps was going to hold church parade; but -as the sounds came nearer we were undeceived--no volunteer corps that -ever existed would consent to march behind such ear-torturing noises. -I hurried out and found that the disturbing sounds proceeded from the -Salvation Army band. I am told that these Salvationists do a good deal -of good: if they really help people to heaven with the awful apology -for a band they at present possess, surely they would do a vast deal -more good if they had better instruments and more practised bandsmen. -The big drum, cornet, trombone, flute, and other instruments take a -leading position in their ceremonial, and should therefore be put on -a thoroughly efficient footing. If this were done, many persons who -now rush away holding their ears when the Salvation Army band is heard -approaching would stay, if only to listen to the music. - -We attended service at St. Paul's Church, and had scarcely returned -when Mr. ---- called. We found him very gentlemanly and agreeable. He -dined with us, spent the afternoon, and gave us a good deal of valuable -advice. He said the roads were far too bad for my wife to think of -going up country yet, and recommended my securing a house in Auckland -for three or four months, and after seeing my family settled, that I -myself should take a trip to the new township in order to see what I -thought of it, and then make my final arrangements. - -This advice appeared so sound that I determined to follow it -implicitly. On Monday morning, therefore, I started out on a house -hunt, and with little trouble succeeded in finding a suitable verandah -cottage in the suburb of Parnell. My goods by this time were landed -and stored in a warehouse near the wharf, so before our week was up at -the lodgings I had them removed to our new home, in which we were soon -comfortably installed. - -Parnell is undoubtedly the aristocratic suburb of Auckland. It is -as pretty as aristocratic, and I trust we sufficiently appreciated -the honour of being the temporary possessors of a cottage within its -precincts. - -Several retired naval and military officers, and gentlemen from other -of the recognised professions with small private incomes, reside there -with their families, and form a society, agreeable, enjoyable, and -exclusive. There is not the least doubt that New Zealand is a grand -country for English people with certain tastes and private incomes of, -say five or six hundred a year. I don't refer to those who are fond of -theatre-going and such like vanities, or those who place cookery among -the fine arts, for, as I have already hinted, New Zealand is no place -for them. The persons I mean are the lovers of outdoor amusements, -such as riding, sailing, fishing, and shooting, and those who like -their rubber of whist, their chat and game of billiards at the Club, -and their social, unceremonious evenings with their friends. The happy -possessor of an income such as I have indicated could own a house in -town and a place also in the country, where he might with his family -pass the summer months; his country property need cost him nothing -to keep up, for he would have no difficulty in finding a respectable -working-man tenant, who, if allowed to live rent free and work the -land, would not only look after the place and keep fences, &c., in -repair, but would willingly keep his (the owner of the property's) -horses in horse feed all the year. - -If he selected the north Kaipara district, his property would be -bordered by the inland sea, and he could keep his five-ton cutter -sailing-boat, and enjoy the most delightful water excursions up the -numberless beautiful creeks. A two-roomed shanty, costing about £30, -would be ample accommodation for the working-man tenant. - -But I can imagine my reader exclaiming, "Living must be much cheaper -than in England to enable people with moderate competencies to thus -have within their reach almost all the enjoyments which fall to the lot -of rich county families?" - -It is not so, however: the necessities of life, with a few exceptions, -are on the contrary dearer in New Zealand than at home, but the -out-of-door pleasures of life are _infinitely cheaper_. Small -properties of twenty or thirty acres planted, fenced, and laid out in -paddocks, orchards, &c., with a good six or seven roomed house, and -outbuildings, can be bought for four or five hundred pounds; decent -hacks to ride at from seven to ten pounds a piece; and a good second -hand five-ton sailing-boat for between twenty and thirty pounds. - -Children can be fairly well educated in the private schools of Auckland -at far less cost than they can be in England. - -In New Zealand it is not necessary to keep up the same style as in the -old country--a man is not supposed to keep a wine cellar: he eschews -top hats, kid gloves, &c.: his dress suit is more likely to deteriorate -by moths than by wear: he lives plainly, and dresses so: his clothes -which are too shabby for town he can wear out in the country--no one -will think him one whit less a gentleman if he appears in trousers -patched at the knees. Set dinner parties are not fashionable, though -pot luck invitations are. To gentlemen and ladies who cannot enjoy -their meal unless it is served _à la Russe_, I say--Stay where you -are!--but to those who can enjoy a good plain dinner plainly put on -the table, and are contented to drink with it a glass of ale or a -cup of tea, the usual colonial beverage, and who are fond of outdoor -amusements, I emphatically cry--Come! this is the country for you. You -can have your own and country house--your horses and your sailing-boat, -your fishing and shooting--and can save money. Ay! and invest it -profitably too, if you keep your eyes open. - -I trust the kind reader will excuse the foregoing outburst, and accept -my assurance that I am not a tout for a land company. I am anything but -in love with land companies now. But to resume. - -My family being now in comfortable quarters, I started on my journey to -"the town that was to be," in which all my hopes were centred. - -The railway jerked me as far as the village of Hamilton, some -eighty-six miles from Auckland, in a little over five hours and -three-quarters, I having travelled _by the fast train_. From thence I -was conveyed to Cambridge by coach, and was soon settled _pro tem_ in a -comfortable hotel. I had still thirty odd miles to travel, and had been -puzzling my head all day long how to manage it, as I feared I should -never find my way riding by myself; but here luck befriended me, for -to my great delight I found a party of surveyors, four in number, -staying at the hotel _en route_ for the very place. I speedily made -their acquaintance, and was informed they had hired for the journey a -four-wheeled trap, called a buggy, and would be very glad to have me -for a travelling companion, as they had a spare seat. I need scarcely -say I joyfully accepted their kind offer, and we were soon on the most -friendly terms. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -_A PERILOUS JOURNEY._ - - -The news that greeted my ears the following morning on entering the -breakfast room was that the all important buggy had arrived, and that -we were to start as soon as possible in order to accomplish the journey -by daylight. I made a hasty meal therefore, and was soon out inspecting -the vehicle, in which, for the next seven or eight hours, we were to -have so close an interest. It was a curious-looking affair, very like -an overgrown goat chaise, with a sort of roof or covering supported on -iron rods, and containing two seats, each capable of accommodating with -moderate comfort three persons, while there was room for another beside -the driver. To this arrangement on wheels two strong rough-looking -horses were attached, and standing by their heads was the driver, a -stout man with a short neck, a weather-beaten face, and a red nose of -goodly proportions. - -There was a good deal of luggage to stow away, consisting of -portmanteaus, theodolites, chains, tents, &c., but at last everything -was ready, and we started. - -For the first three or four miles all went well, except the dust -which went down our throats and up our noses, till we could scarcely -breathe. This was not likely to last long, however, for black clouds -had been rolling up since early morning, and hanging in the sky like -regiments taking position on a parade ground before a review. A -break up of the weather was evidently imminent, and we thought with -satisfaction of our roof, and bade defiance to the elements. Soon -the aspect of the country, which had hitherto been flat, began to -change, and the character of the road began to change with it, the -former becoming undulating and the latter uneven. As we advanced the -country became more broken, and the road problematical, and at last -we found ourselves travelling along a sideling cut in the face of a -range of high precipitous hills, in the valley at the foot of which -the river Waikato was rushing, roaring, and tumbling in its rocky -bed. The road, if it could be dignified with the name, was scarcely -twelve feet wide, and sloped in places considerably towards the outer -edge, while two hundred feet below us rushed the river. In some places -landslips had occurred, and it was barely wide enough for the wheels -of our conveyance; and, to make matters worse, the threatened rain had -commenced to fall in torrents, rendering the clayey soil as slippery as -possible. - -To say that the whole of the occupants of that buggy were not terribly -nervous, would be to state a deliberate untruth. We all pretended to be -quite at our ease, and I even tried to smoke a pipe, but our assumed -composure was an utter fraud--indeed it was quite sufficient to see how -we with one accord leant towards the hill, whenever the buggy wheel -approached more nearly to the outer edge of the road, to be able to -state positively that we were in a highly nervous condition. Old Jack, -the driver, appeared to take things coolly enough; but he certainly had -the best of it, for had the trap capsized he could have thrown himself -off, while we, boxed up like sardines, must have gone over with it. He -kept the horses going at a trot, wherever he could, and as they slid -and stumbled onward, the blood-curdling thought would creep through my -mind, that if one fell and slipped over the edge, he must drag us down -with him. It was like a fearful nightmare, and the only reassuring -feature--or features--in it was old Jack's imperturbable countenance, -as he sucked at his short clay and "klucked" at his horses. - -At last the agony was over; we were again on level ground; that awful -rushing, roaring torrent had left us, and we breathed more freely. -Old Jack now called a halt near a little brook to bait and water his -horses, and we availed ourselves of the opportunity to dispose of the -lunch--brought with us from the hotel--and began to converse again, a -thing we had not thought of attempting to do for the last two hours or -more. - -I inquired of Jack whether accidents often occurred on the part of the -road we had lately left, and he replied that he only knew of one waggon -going over the edge--the two horses were killed and the waggon dashed -to pieces, but the driver, by throwing himself off, escaped with a -broken arm. He, however, believed there had been another bit of a smash -or two, but did not know particulars. - -Pushing forward again, we came to some extremely broken country, and -old Jack's method of doing this portion, though it evinced a certain -amount of knowledge of the laws of mechanics, was simply agonising. -Whenever we came to a steep incline with a corresponding rise, he -would whip up the horses in order to try and obtain sufficient impetus -to take us up the other side, and down the incline we would go at a -fearful pace, jolting, bumping, and hanging on like grim death. How -the springs stood it is a marvel to me. We very nearly came to grief -once, for the wheels on one side of our conveyance suddenly sunk in a -soft bog, and it almost overturned. With our united efforts, however, -we succeeded in extricating the machine, and resumed our journey, which -at last came to an end, as we pulled up considerably after dark before -the door of a little hotel--almost the only building to be seen in this -future Chicago. Although our arrival appeared to be quite unexpected, -the landlord and his wife seemed perfectly equal to the occasion. The -buggy was expeditiously emptied of its contents, and bedrooms were -promptly shown us. While we were engaged in removing the signs of the -late fearful expedition, the sounds of frizzling and spluttering, -and the delightful odours that reached our olfactory nerves from the -culinary department, conveyed to our minds the satisfactory assurance -that provision for our exhausted frames of no mean order was under way, -and served to confirm my opinion that our host and hostess were _quite_ -equal to the occasion. - -A hearty meal, followed by a pleasant chat, in a snug little -sitting-room, with a bright coal fire burning in the grate, formed -a most delightful close to what had been, to say the least of it, -anything but a pleasant day's travelling. - -I was up betimes in the morning, and was woefully disappointed with the -look of the country. Stretching in all directions was a vast undulating -plain covered with stunted brown fern--not a blade of grass, not a -green tree nor shrub was to be seen--nothing but brown fern. The hotel, -the manager's house, a wooden shanty, some surveyors' tents, and a -small hut alone broke the monotony of the view. In the extreme distance -could be discerned ranges of high hills, but whether covered with trees -or vegetation of any kind they were too far off to determine. Nothing -seemed to be stirring either; no busy workmen were there laying out the -streets of the future city or erecting houses for the future citizens; -no sign of anything going on. Nothing but brown fern. I had evidently -arrived a quarter of a century too soon. - -I will not say anything of the quality of the land. It may have been -first rate--in fact, I am inclined to think it must have been--for on -inquiry I found the company demanded eight pounds per acre for suburban -allotments two miles from the centre of the township. - -[Illustration: Nothing but brown fern.] - -To build the smallest house before a railway was made would cost seven -hundred and fifty pounds, timber being twenty-five shillings per -hundred feet. There was no wood for firing, and coals were eight pounds -per ton. It was evidently no place for me, and the only thing left to -determine was how to get back again. The landlord of the hotel, whom -I consulted, told me that a waggon with stores and coal was expected -in a day or two, and thought I would have no difficulty in arranging -with the driver to go back in it. "To wait for the waggon," as the old -refrain recommends, was therefore evidently the best way out of the -difficulty, and I determined to do so. I called on the manager, and -told him it would be impossible for me to settle there at present. He -fully agreed with me, and advised my renting a small house in Cambridge -until matters had become more advanced, when he promised to do all he -could. He feared, however, it might be some time before he could be of -any use to me, and I must say I feared so too. However, I thought it -would be better to follow his advice, and determined on another house -hunt when I reached Cambridge. I spent the rest of the day with him, -and in the evening strolled back to the hotel, which was about three -quarters of a mile off, being solely guided to it by its light, as -there was no road or track of any kind. - -On my way I was startled by hearing the most hideous noises at some -distance from me, but gradually growing nearer. They evidently -proceeded from human throats: what could it mean? Louder and louder -grew the fearful sounds, until at last I could make out a party of men -on horseback, who, on their nearer approach, I found to be Maoris. They -passed me without notice, still keeping up the horrible din, and I came -to the conclusion that they must have been imbibing too freely at the -hotel. On arriving there, I mentioned the matter to the landlord, and -he told me that they were natives from the King country who had come -over to buy some stores, and that they were making the noises I heard -to drive away "the Taipo," a sort of devil who devotes his attention -exclusively to Maoris, over whom, however, he only possesses power at -night. The Maoris, I learnt, would never go out singly after dark, and -when they ventured in company, gave utterance to the unearthly cries I -have described to keep him away; and it strikes me that if "the Taipo" -has anything like a correct ear, the method adopted ought to be most -effectual. - -Two days passed, and on the afternoon of the third the waggon appeared. -It had been detained on the road through a breakdown, and the driver -had been obliged to spend a night in the open air, which, as the -weather was now extremely cold, must have been anything but pleasant. -He had succeeded in repairing damages in the morning, for, with a -cautiousness begotten probably by previous catastrophes, he had with -him the necessary tools, and was enabled to complete his journey. -My proposal to accompany him on his return was favourably received, -particularly as I agreed to pay a pound for the privilege, and on the -following morning we started. - -After over nine hours of torture, mental and bodily, for the waggon -was innocent of springs, Cambridge was reached; and I was once more -installed in the comfortable hotel there. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -_THE "TERROR."_ - - -House hunting is not usually exciting sport, no matter how plentiful -the game may be, and Cambridge I found very badly stocked. I travelled, -I believe, over every inch of the scattered town, which has a -population of about sixteen hundred, saw some places for sale, the -prices asked being far beyond my purse, and inquired in almost every -shop for houses to let, but without success. - -I had almost given up in despair, when I struck what I thought was a -good scent, which landed me in a shoemaker's shop, where I found the -proprietor, a mild-looking, bald-headed little man, spectacled, and -leather aproned, hammering away at a boot. - -"I believe you have a small house to let?" I commenced. - -"Well, I has and I hasn't!" the old man responded. "You see, I has a -place, but it's got a tenant, and she's a queer 'un to deal with!" - -"Well, you can't let your house twice over," I interrupted rather -shortly, thinking the old fellow was making fun of me; "so there is an -end to the matter!" - -"Hold on a bit!" returned the patriarch. "I've given this here widder -notice to quit, for I can't get no rent out of her, but lor! she don't -care no more for notices than nothing at all!" - -"But has she a lease?" I demanded. - -"Lease indeed!" quoth the ancient one indignantly. "Cock _her_ up with -a lease! Why, she's only a weekly tenant, but, my word, she's a terror!" - -"If she won't pay, there should be no difficulty in getting rid of -her," I remarked. - -"May be not! may be not!" he answered slowly, and in unconvinced tones; -"but you don't know her. She's a terror! my word! she _is_ a terror! -But I tell you what," he continued, brightening up; "you go and say you -heard she was going away, and you would like to see the place. I'll -show you the way." - -"Don't you think it would be better for you to see her yourself and -arrange matters?" I queried. - -"Me see her!--me arrange matters with her!" he screamed; "catch me at -it. Me and the widder don't hit it at all, and she's a regler terror, -she is. But you're all right though; she will be civil enough to you." - -"Very well then," I reluctantly consented; and off we set for the abode -of the formidable widow, and soon arrived before a little cottage with -a piece of waste ground in front, shut off from the road by a hedge and -a gate. - -The shoemaker concealed himself behind the hedge, while I entered -the gate and knocked at the cottage door, which was opened almost -instantaneously by a tall, hard-featured, middle-aged female in a -widow's cap. The door opened direct into the sitting-room, without the -intervention of a hall or passage, and I was undoubtedly face to face -with "the terror" herself. Fully sensible of my position, I raised my -hat, and addressed her as follows:-- - -"I must ask pardon for my intrusion, but hearing that you were about to -change your residence, I"---- - -"Change my ressidence! And may I make so bold as to hask who informed -you I was going to change my res-si-dence?" she interrupted, tossing -her head, and scornfully eyeing me. - -"I understood so from your landlord this morning," I meekly responded. - -"Oh! you did, did yer! Well, you can tell that bald-headed, goggling, -mean little humbug of a cobbler that he's labouring under a -miscomprehension!" With that the awful female banged the door in my -face, and thus brought to an end my house-hunting in Cambridge. No sign -of the cobbler could I see--he had evidently overheard "the terror's" -concluding words and bolted. - -I went back to my hotel dejected and out of spirits. On entering the -reading-room, I found two gentlemen installed there--evidently new -arrivals--who were smoking cigarettes and perusing newspapers. The -younger one, a man of about thirty-five years of age, with a full beard -and moustache, shortly after my entrance handed me the paper he had -been studying, saying, "Perhaps you would like to see the _Auckland -Star_, just arrived by the evening train." - -I thanked him, and ran my eye over its columns. I did not take much -interest in the New Zealand papers at that time, so was easily -satisfied, and passed the paper on to the other occupant of the room, -an elderly gentleman with a jovial countenance, whom the younger -addressed as Doctor. - -Acquaintances are soon made in New Zealand hotels, and in a very short -time we were all three chatting as though we had known one another for -months. - -"Not long out from home?" questioned the bearded gentleman. - -"Only landed in Auckland on the third of July," I responded. - -"What do you think of the colony?" was the next question. - -"Well, I hardly like to express an opinion yet, but I certainly am not -favourably impressed with the part I have just come from," I rejoined, -naming the locality, "and feel half inclined to go back to the old -country." - -"Your disappointment does not surprise me," returned my companion. -"By Jove, sir, the way land companies and the banks have caused this -part of the colony to be puffed up, has done more harm to New Zealand -than anything else. I would not live here if they _gave_ me a house. -You can't go out without being choked with dust when the weather's -dry, and there is positively nothing attractive in the whole place. -Now, where I live, it is altogether different. Beautiful country! -virgin forests! an inland sea alive with fish--nice society--fishing, -shooting, pig hunting, sailing--everything a man can wish for. It's a -grand country--a _grand_ country, sir. Ah! that is a place worth living -in; but this--bah!" Here he paused to relight his cigarette, which in -his enthusiasm he had allowed to go out. - -Seizing the opportunity, I exclaimed--"I have no doubt it is all you -describe, but I am a civil engineer, possessing very limited means, and -anxious to get work, so fear it would never do or me." - -"Never do for you--why not?" resumed my hairy interlocutor. "Far better -chance of getting occupation there than you'll ever have here. Just -where your chance lies. County Council got no proper engineer--you on -the spot--make your application--produce your testimonials, and the -thing's done. Tell you what--I am going up here in about a fortnight; -you come up with me. I'll put you up and show you the country. Know a -property that will just suit you--lovely place--dirt cheap, sir! Good -house--orchards--beautiful views--grand, sir--grand!" - -"What is the district called, and how far is it from Auckland?" I -questioned. - -"The Kaipara--the Eden of the north island, sir! and not more than -ninety miles from Auckland--thirty by rail and sixty by steamer," -replied my new acquaintance. "Delightful trip the water part. Don't -think much of the railway part--never did like the railway--have too -much of it perhaps--wretched accommodation--jerked and bumped nearly -to death. Give me the water!" he proceeded enthusiastically. "Ah! when -you've seen the Kaipara, you'll say it's lovely; I know you will. Take -my advice, and come up with me!" - -I thanked him for his kind offer, which I promised to take into serious -consideration, and writing my Auckland address on my card, I asked him -to call when he reached town, and I would then be prepared with an -answer. He promised to do so, and at that moment the first bell ringing -from the dining-room, warned us to get ready for the evening meal. - -Having no further business to transact in Cambridge, I took the first -train on the following morning for Auckland, which I reached in due -course, and spent the evening detailing my adventures to my wife, and -in consultation with her as to the best course for us to pursue. It -seemed evident we must give up, at any rate for a time, the idea with -which we left England, and it was equally clear that in order to live -within my income I must buy a place with the few loose hundreds I had -brought out, where I could keep a cow or two, and save rent, milk, and -butter. I decided, therefore, to look at places that were for sale -about Auckland so as to help me to come to a decision before my friend -of the Cambridge hotel put in an appearance. - -I had looked over one property at Cambridge, which comprised a -six-roomed house, and eight acres of land. The house was in very bad -condition--quite uninhabitable indeed; and for it and the eight acres I -was asked one thousand pounds. - -I saw several about Auckland, but could find nothing to suit me. My -wife and I took a good many excursions together in this pursuit, but -without avail. We also made some pleasure trips, one of which was to -Mount Eden, lying directly behind the city. An easy ascent of between -three and four hundred feet brought us to the lip of the crater, from -which a magnificent view of the isthmus of Auckland and the surrounding -country is to be obtained, the great number of volcanic cones visible -forming a very remarkable feature in the landscape. They are, I -believe, over sixty in number, and range in height from three hundred -to nine hundred feet. No tradition exists among the Maoris of any -eruption in the neighbourhood, though the fact that the Maori name for -the highest peak, Rangitoto, means sky of blood, seems to imply that it -has been active within their time. - -The inside of the crater of Mount Eden resembles a funnel or inverted -cone covered with grass and plentifully strewn with lumps of scoria. -It is very symmetrical in shape, and one would almost fancy it an -artificial creation. There is indeed plenty of evidence of the -work of human hands on Mount Eden in the shape of remains of Maori -fortifications, though the natural and the artificial are so blended -together and softened by time that it is difficult to say where the one -ends and the other begins. - -When we had satisfied our appetites for landscape scenery, we descended -the Mount, and spent some time examining the neighbourhood in the vain -hope of tumbling across a place to be sold that would suit us. We were -much struck with the elegant timber villa residences, surrounded by -spacious verandahs, about which flowering creeping plants of various -kinds, such as the yellow Banksian rose and the passion fruit with -its splendid scarlet flower, climbed and hung in luxurious festoons. -Some of the villas possessed gardens filled with beautiful flowers, -including camelias, azaleas, spirœas, and many others only to be found -in conservatories in England. Everywhere in the province of Auckland -flowers of all kinds not only grow but flower most luxuriantly, and the -lover of floriculture can indulge his hobby to the full. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -_A SALE BY AUCTION._ - - -It does not often fall to my lot to do shopping--one reason being -that my wife is fond of doing it herself, and another that I detest -the occupation. It happened, however, a few mornings after our Mount -Eden trip, that some mutton chops were required, and as I was going -into the town, my wife asked me to purchase three or four. To avoid -the possibility of forgetting my commission, I headed straight for the -flashiest-looking butcher's shop in Queen Street, gave my order, and -on receiving the chops handed half-a-crown to the shopman, who to my -intense surprise returned me a two-shilling piece. - -Four fine mutton chops for sixpence! Digest this information, my -home readers, and then come out here if you like, and digest the -three-halfpenny chops--they are every bit as good as English ones, and -one-fifth of the money. - -Strolling down Queen Street with my purchases done up in a neat -parcel, I was nearly knocked over by a man who suddenly rushed out -of a doorway with a gigantic bell in his hand, which he commenced -ringing violently. "What is the matter now?" thought I. "Can this be an -opposition form of religion to the Salvation Army, in which the bell -takes the place of the drum?" Determining to fathom the mystery of -the man with the bell, I stationed myself as near to him as possible -without running a risk of being rendered deaf for life, and watched -events. Nobody appeared to take much notice of the performance, but -I saw people from time to time entering the doorway from which the -bellringer had emerged. "No doubt," I thought, "some kind of service is -about to be held;" and I determined when the bell stopped to form one -of the congregation. People were now flocking in pretty fast, and the -bellman showed symptoms of fatigue, though he stuck to his work with -all the ardour of a religious fanatic. At last the bell conquered the -man, and entering the doorway I found myself in a large and rather dark -room, along one side of which all sorts of articles of furniture were -arranged. On a small raised platform with a rail in front, to which a -desk was attached, stood a gentleman whom I immediately saw was not -a parson, but an auctioneer, for in his hand he carried his baton of -office--a small ivory hammer. Round him were crowded about one hundred -shabbily dressed persons, a large proportion of whom were Jews. Just as -I entered the auctioneer rapped sharply with his mallet on the desk in -front of him and spoke as follows:-- - -"Gentlemen, I have to-day to offer you some of the choicest articles -of furniture that have ever come under my hammer, and I will but -express the hope that you have brought with you plenty of money to -buy with, and plenty of pluck to bid with, and proceed to business. -Jim, move that chest of drawers forward, so that the gentlemen -can see it. There, gentlemen, what do you say to that? a piece of -furniture that would give a distinguished appearance to the meanest -bedchamber--best cabinetmaker's work too. Shall we say five pounds for -the chest of drawers? What, no bidders? Well, start it at what you -like--say ten shillings for this magnificent piece of furniture--twelve -shillings--fourteen shillings--one pound bid in two places--this -remarkably handsome specimen of cabinetmaker's work going for one -pound--twenty-five shillings bid," &c. &c., until it was finally -knocked down for fifty shillings. The next thing disposed of was a -clock, and then a sewing-machine was put up, which was just the thing I -knew my wife wanted. - -"Gentlemen," said the auctioneer, "the sewing-machine I now have -to offer to you is the property of a widow lady in distressed -circumstances. I will with your permission read a letter I received -from her at the time the machine was forwarded to me, and I am -confident that you will sympathise with this poor bereaved lady, who -has not only had the misfortune to lose her husband, but is now, -alas! about to lose her sewing-machine!" He then read the letter, the -contents of which I have forgotten, though I recollect it stated that -the machine was a "Wheeler and Wilson" in good order. - -"Gentlemen," continued the auctioneer, "I am sure the letter I have -just read must have excited feelings of compassion in each manly -breast. Show it by bidding freely for the widow--or rather, I mean -for the widow's sewing-machine. Shall we start it at a pound? What! -no bid at a pound? Where are your bowels of compassion, gentlemen? -Well, say ten shillings--ten shillings for a 'Wheeler and Wilson' -sewing-machine--fifteen shillings for this splendid piece of -mechanism--sixteen shillings offered--sixteen shillings for a beautiful -widow's sewing-machine--seventeen shillings offered--eighteen shillings -in two places for the widow--nineteen shillings--in perfect working -order--one pound offered for this beautiful machine of a lone widow in -good working order one pound two and six offered--any advance on one -pound two and six?" - -"One pound five!" I shouted; and the second after down came the hammer, -and the machine as my property. It was moved away by Jim into a little -sideroom, and the auctioneer took down my name. - -I went to inspect my purchase, and to my disgust found it would not -move, and also discovered it was not a "Wheeler and Wilson" at all. -Catching sight of Jim, who was no other than the performer on the bell, -I said--"Look here, my man, this is not a 'Wheeler and Wilson' machine -at all, and it is all rusty and won't work!" - -"Can't help it, sir," replied Jim. "When you buys at auctions, you buys -for weal or woe!" - -"Oh! the wheel's right enough, and there is no question about the -whoa," I sarcastically remarked, "for it won't move an inch; but I -will not pay for it; it's not a 'Wheeler and Wilson,' as the auctioneer -stated!" and in a state of righteous indignation I strode out of the -place, leaving my chops unwittingly behind me. - -There are eight or nine of these rooms, or marts, in Queen Street, and -the system of selling all sorts of things daily by auction gives a -sort of Cheap Jack air to the thoroughfare. Surely, if this method of -disposing of goods of all descriptions is necessary to the happiness of -the good citizens of Auckland, some side street might be selected in -which the business could be carried on, and the peace and dignity of -the principal thoroughfare in the city left undisturbed. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -_THE FAITHLESS MARY ANN._ - - -One evening, shortly after my adventures in the auction room, the -servant girl we had brought from England with us asked my wife's -permission to go out for an hour or two. This was readily granted, and -no more was thought of the matter until ten o'clock came, and with -it no sign of Mary Ann. She had promised to return by nine, and was -usually fairly punctual. We sat up waiting until eleven, wondering what -could have happened, and then, deciding to give her up for the night, -retired to bed. - -On the following morning there was still no sign of the girl, so I -hurried down to the police station to ascertain if the inspector could -assist me to obtain tidings of her. An interview with the sergeant in -charge proved to me conclusively that Mary Ann as a speculation in -servant girls was an utter failure, resulting in a dead loss to me -of £50. He told me the police could do nothing unless a charge of a -criminal nature was entered. I produced a document stamped a Somerset -House, in which the girl agreed to remain in my service for three years -at a specified rate of wages, on condition of my paying for her outfit -and passage, and assured the sergeant that I had fulfilled my part of -the agreement in every particular, giving her a most complete outfit -and paying for a saloon passage. He, however, immediately floored my -hopes in the document by telling me that no agreement of the kind -signed in England was binding in the colony, and that to have made it -so it should have been again signed before witnesses on reaching New -Zealand. - -"No doubt," he said, "your servant acquainted herself with this fact, -and has run away in order to secure the high wages to be obtained in -the colony, though possibly there may be a sweetheart in the case." - -I assured him I did not think the latter at all likely, as one reason -for her selection was her excessive plainness, which we considered -sufficient to keep every man in New Zealand at a safe distance. - -He remarked that she must indeed be a "rum 'un" to look at, if -she could not find a chap in New Zealand, for they weren't very -particular; and regretting that he could not assist me, the interview -came to an end, and I returned home in the hopes of learning some -tidings there of the truant. - -Nothing, however, had been heard of her, though my wife had made a -discovery in connection with her box, which at first sight appeared -full of clothes, a waterproof cloak lying at the top. On removing this -cloak, however, pieces of sacking and old rags were disclosed, and -proved its sole contents. - -Mary Ann had evidently been taking away her things by degrees, carrying -something away, probably, whenever she had had an evening out; and -in case her box might be inspected, had kept it apparently full of -things by stuffing in old rags under cover of the waterproof cloak. Oh! -faithless Mary Ann. Your artfulness exceeded your ugliness, and our -credulity exceeded both! - -I trust the experience narrated above may be of use to persons bringing -servant girls out from the old country, and will show the necessity of -getting an agreement signed as soon as the colony is reached. - -My readers will probably agree with me that the New Zealand law as -expounded by the police sergeant is a most absurd and one-sided one, -placing the master altogether in the servant's hands, as he has to find -the money for her passage, and probably, as in my case, for her outfit -as well, while he has only her word to rely on in return. It is not, -however, the only law in New Zealand that requires alteration. - -We were now servantless, and until we could arrange about extraneous -help it became necessary to investigate and to undertake those -operations which comprise the duties of a general servant. My wife -assumed of course the lead, and I seconded her to the best of my -abilities--cooking, bed making, floor sweeping, chair dusting, fire -lighting, potato peeling, and many other accomplishments of which up to -that date we had had only a sort of vague conception, were now brought -prominently under our notice, and became to us terrible realities. - -I advertised in the _Herald_ and _Star_ newspapers for a servant -girl, and several responded, but none proved suitable, the wages -asked averaging from twelve to sixteen shillings per week. Two, but -lately arrived in New Zealand, called together one morning. My wife -interrogated them. Neither knew anything of cookery, could not wash, -and had very dim notions of a housemaid's duties. - -"Why, you could not have been getting more than eighteenpence a week -each in England?" my wife exclaimed. - -"Perhaps not," one of them returned impudently; "but we ain't come -all this way across the sea for sich wages as them. We wants twelve -shillings a week, and a hevening hout when we likes, and neither on us -won't go nowhere for no less." - -Further questioning after the delivery of this ultimatum was -superfluous, and my wife hastened their departure. - -Servant girls, or "helps," as they prefer to be called, have a nice -time of it at present in New Zealand. They demand extortionate wages, -and dictate almost entirely their own terms. No character is ever -demanded when application for a situation is made; to ask for one would -probably bring the interview to an abrupt end. Latterly, Lady Jervois, -the wife of his Excellency the Governor, has shown a great interest in -a capital institution called the "Girls' Friendly Society," with which -none but girls of good character are connected; and if ladies would -make up their minds only to take girls through this Society, a very -different class of servants would eventually become established in New -Zealand. We at last succeeded in securing the services of a married -woman for the daytime only, and were again fairly comfortable. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -_MY INTRODUCTION TO KAIPARA._ - - -One evening, about three weeks after my return from Cambridge, a hansom -cab drew up at our door, and from it descended my bearded friend of -the Cambridge hotel. I introduced him to my wife, to whom, when he was -comfortably seated, with a refreshing beverage before him, he gave a -glowing description of the Kaipara district. - -"Ah!" he exclaimed, with fervour, "when the time comes, as come it -surely will, when people will exercise their own judgments, and not be -led away by flaming puffs in the newspapers, or by extravagant reports -made in the interest of land companies, then the North Kaipara will -assume its proper position in New Zealand, and be known throughout the -length and breadth of the land as the Eden of the North! You think me -over enthusiastic, no doubt; but wait until your husband has returned -from his visit, and he will be just as enthusiastic as I am." - -"But do you think he will be able to get work to do there?" questioned -my wife. - -"Could not have a better chance. Sure to drop into the county -engineership. Just the man they want. Any amount of work to be -done--bridges, roads, and that sort of thing to be made; and, by -the by, I am going to start a fish-preserving industry--a grand -scheme--thousands of pounds to be made at it; got hold of a German -preparation that will preserve anything. Have a partner in the Waikato -district who has arranged sale for any amount of fish down there. I'm -taking up a lot of tubs and German preparation to the Kaipara with me. -If you settle up there, I'll make your husband manager until county -engineership turns up." - -And so it was determined that I should spend a visit of a week's -duration in the Northern Kaipara, and examine the property that was for -sale. My portmanteau was therefore once more brought into requisition, -and on the following Monday afternoon we took our seats in the train -for Helensville, the terminus of the Northern line, from whence a -steamer would convey us to our destination. - -The railway journey was decidedly uninteresting, the line passing -through some most dreary looking country, which became more -uninviting as we neared Helensville, a township only impressive by -its unsightliness. It stands on a river whose discoloured waters run -between two banks of mud. - -"Surely my bearded friend has been indulging in unlimited quantities -of the colonial amusement known as 'gassing,'" I thought; and feeling -very much tempted to return to Auckland, I expressed my opinion to my -companion pretty freely. - -"I fully expected some remarks of the kind--fully expected them," he -replied. "That wretched journey to Helensville is in a great measure -responsible for so little being known of the North Kaipara. People come -up as far as here, and are so disgusted that they turn back. Wait, -however, till we have crossed the Kaipara Harbour, and then give me -your opinion. I fancy it will have undergone a change, sir. Yes; I -_rather_ fancy so. All I ask you is to wait." - -We slept that night at an hotel near the railway station, and were -aroused from our slumbers about three o'clock in the morning, and told -to "hurry up," as the boat was ready to start. After hasty ablutions, -therefore, we struggled into our clothes, and speedily transferred -ourselves to the deck of the _Kina_, a screw steamboat of fifty-three -tons register, which was making noise enough with her horrible whistle -and horn for a two thousand tonner. - -We steamed away between the mud banks, which gradually widened out, and -at last disappeared altogether as the Kaipara Harbour was reached. This -we crossed in about two hours, and steered for one of the many armlets -of this inland sea, which intersect the Kaipara district in so peculiar -a manner. - -The formation of the Northern Kaipara is indeed remarkable, and looks -as though the land at some distant period had cracked and opened from -the harbour in different directions, allowing the sea to rush in and -form the beautiful creeks which everywhere abound. While crossing the -harbour, my opinion, as prophesied by my companion and guide, began -to undergo a change. The scenery there was very pretty; but when we -were fairly in the armlet, which leads with many windings and turns to -Pahi and Matakohe, I became thoroughly charmed. The virgin forests -were there true enough--the native trees reaching to the very water's -edge, with their hanging branches kissing its placid surface. Ferns in -numberless variety--ranging from the gigantic tree fern with stem of -twenty feet down to the dainty maiden hair, together with Nikau and -cabbage palms--fringed the banks, and mingled with the darker green of -the pohutukawa and other trees: at times bold grass-crowned bluffs of -sand or lime stone met our view, giving place again to lovely little -bays with bright shelly beaches and grassy slopes: ever and anon on -either shore one caught glimpses of neat wooden houses, peeping out -of nests of pine and gum trees, and surrounded by green fields of -waving manuka--a background of high forest-covered hills completing the -picture. - -I was enraptured. After my recent experience of New Zealand scenery -it appeared to me perfection, and I was prepared fully to indorse my -companion's remark that the North Kaipara was a place worth living in. - -The water teemed with fish, which were jumping in every direction, -while birds of various kinds, including duck, teal, shags, eel-hawks, -and flocks of godwit and red-shanked plover, added further life to the -scene. - -At last the township of Pahi--where my friend resided--was reached, and -on the steamer mooring to the wharf we landed. - -I was most hospitably entertained for a couple of days, and introduced -to many of the settlers residing in the locality; and on the third day -a visit to the gentleman with whom my companion had arranged I should -spend a short time was undertaken. We left Pahi in a flat-bottomed -punt, about fifteen feet long, painted black, and possessing an -uncomfortable resemblance to a coffin with the lid off. The forward -thwart, in which I noticed a split, was pierced for a mast; there was -a seat about the centre of the boat for the rower, and another in the -stern. Two large tubs and a package containing the German preserving -preparation occupied the fore part of the cranky concern, while our -portmanteaus were placed in the stern, and with a pair of sculls -and a broken oar, to which a small sail was attached, completed the -equipment. With some misgiving I stepped in, and we pushed off. - -"Are you going to row?" I asked. - -"Oh no, we'll sail--rowing is a waste of labour when you've got any -wind," replied my companion, as he adjusted the stump of the oar in the -hole in the damaged thwart. "You sit on the weather gunwale to keep her -trim, and we shall be across in no time," he continued, seating himself -in the stern, and steering by means of a scull. - -We found a pretty strong breeze blowing when we got well off the land, -but the punt sat stiff enough with my weight on the weather gunwale, -and we were going along at a grand rate, when an ominous crack was -heard, and over went mast and sail on our lee-side as the damaged -thwart gave way, whilst down went the weather gunwale with me on it. We -did not upset, but we took in a good deal of water, and the bottom of -my coat and a portion of my trousers were saturated. My friend, after -an ineffectual attempt to reinstate the mast, applied himself to the -oars, with the remark that "it was confounded bad luck," and in a short -time we landed in a remarkably pretty bay with a white shelly beach. - -My friend's friend, Mr. M----, was there to meet us, and received me -most kindly, saying he was extremely happy to make my acquaintance, and -hoped I would stay with him as long as I could. He promised to give me -some fishing, flat fish spearing, and pig hunting, and to take me to -see the property to be sold, which, it appeared, belonged to my bearded -friend's brother-in-law. I thanked him heartily, and at the same time -expressed my fear that I had been guilty of considerable coolness in -thus taking his house by storm, adding, "My friend here, however, must -share the blame with me." - -"Oh! you don't know us up here, or you would never trouble your head -about the matter: we're only too delighted to see you, and will do our -utmost to make your visit an enjoyable one," returned my host; and -thus commenced an agreeable acquaintance, which, I am happy to say, -continues to the present time. - -Following him up a steep path winding in and out among high bushes of -New Zealand flax, cabbage palms, fir, acacia, peach, and loquat trees, -the house was reached, at an elevation of some sixty feet above sea -level, and I was speedily placed on a friendly footing with my host's -family, which consisted of his wife, five children, and a governess. - -In pleasant conversation the evening slipped away, and before we -retired to rest, a programme, embracing a visit to the property for -sale, a wild pig hunt, and a day's fishing, was drawn up. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -_A WILD PIG HUNT._ - - -Next morning, after an ample, and, I may say, luxurious breakfast, -pipes were lighted and a start made for the property to be -inspected--distant about three quarters of a mile--to reach which -another trip on the water had to be undertaken. A punt belonging to my -host was got under weigh, and with two good men at the oars the journey -was quickly accomplished, the latter part of our row being along a bank -shaded by willow and other trees. - -We landed on a limestone beach, and a sloping ascent covered with tall -grass brought us to the house. It possessed six rooms, and a passage -running the entire depth, terminating a each end with a door. The -sitting-room and but one bedroom were lined and papered, and the rest -of the house was only in a half finished state. A verandah ran round -three sides of it, but part of the flooring was wanting: to make the -house comfortable a considerable outlay was required. The outdoor -portion of the property consisted of two orchards, containing together -three hundred and sixty fruit trees. In one of them were a number of -well-grown peach trees covered with blossom, together with some orange, -lemon, and other sub-tropical trees. The second orchard--about two -acres in extent--was filled with apple and plum trees three or four -years old. A grass paddock of fifteen acres enclosed by a wire fence, a -stockyard and pigsties, three or four acres of very pretty bush fenced -in and bordered on one side by the water, and an acre or two of grass -land about the house planted with ornamental trees and flowering shrubs -of various kinds, completed the property, for which four hundred pounds -was asked. - -The view of the Kaipara from the verandah was lovely, and altogether I -was extremely pleased with the place, though it was evident that the -aid of a carpenter and painter would be required to make the house -habitable. I determined, therefore, to think the matter over well and -to ascertain the cost of completing the house before making any offer. - -The inspection over, we returned in the punt, and after lunch strolled -over part of my host's farm of between four and five hundred acres. On -the next day a pig hunt in the bush was arranged, in which Mr. C----, -a sporting bachelor residing in the neighbourhood, was invited to -participate. My bearded friend did not accompany us. We started about -eleven in the morning, my host carrying a gun, Mr. C---- an axe and -a butcher's knife, and myself a tomahawk. Three pig dogs--a breed, I -think, between the bull and the collie--followed at our heels, and -after walking about three quarters of a mile we entered the bush. - -How comes it, I wonder, that the magnificent New Zealand forests are -stigmatised with the name of "bush." If we turn to the dictionary -we find that bush means a thick shrub. The forests here, however, -are composed principally of gigantic trees, not thick shrubs, and to -give them such an unworthy name is only misleading. No scenery of the -kind in any part of the world can excel in beauty the forests of New -Zealand, and it is much to be deplored that they are not dignified with -a more befitting title. - -The ground where we stood was clothed with ferns and mosses in -endless variety. Immense trees stood here and there, whose moss and -fern-covered trunks rose to a height of sixty or seventy feet, and -then broke into a crown of branches which met and interlaced overhead, -forming a canopy through which the light of day but dimly penetrated. - -[Illustration: Heavy Bush, Matakohe.] - -Nikau palms, tree ferns, and small native flowering trees grew -between these giants, and from their branches hung clusters of lovely -white clematis, bush lawyers, supplejacks, and other climbing plants. -Although it was blowing freshly when we entered, not a breath of wind -could now be felt, nor a sound heard, except the glorious deep note -of the Tui--or parson bird--the harsh cry of the New Zealand parrot, -and the gentle cooing of the pigeon. About us fluttered numbers of the -bushman's little feathered friends--the fantails--spreading their large -white fan-shaped tails as they darted hither and thither, and flew -fearlessly within two feet of us. It seemed almost sacrilege to disturb -the beautiful solemnity, but we had come to hunt wild pigs, and hunt -them we must. My new sporting acquaintance was impatient, so away we -went, the dogs heading us, and disappearing out of sight. We wandered -on for some time in silence, listening for the dogs. At last one gave -tongue, and we hastened in its direction; again the sound faintly -rose, and shortly afterwards, further to our right, a distant noise of -yelping, barking, and grunting reached our ears. - -"Come along! they have got a pig bailed up!" cried Mr. C---- -excitedly, as he plunged out of sight in the thick undergrowth, quickly -followed by my host and myself. - -I found rapid bush travelling by no mean easy of accomplishment. At -one moment my legs were caught in a supplejack, from which I would get -clear, only to find myself firmly hooked by the claw-shaped thorns of -the bush lawyer; then after a desperate struggle and many scratches -would escape from its clutches, to become entangled the next minute in -a bunch of Mangi-mangi, a fine wiry-stemmed creeper, which hangs in -clusters from the trees. - -I ascertained afterwards that my companions carried pocket knives, and -cut away the obstacles as they presented themselves. Being heavily -handicapped by my inexperience, I arrived at the scene of action a bad -third, though in time to see the _coup-de-grâce_ given by my host to a -small pig which one of the dogs had seized by the ear while the other -two were barking a chorus of approval. - -The animal being pronounced a good subject for discussion at the dinner -table, was dressed on the spot by my two companions, and hung up in a -tree with a piece of flax--a capital substitute for a rope--to await -our return. A fresh start was then made, and the raid against the pigs -prosecuted with vigour. The dogs seemed delighted with their success, -and anxious to secure fresh laurels. In a short time a more open part -of the forest was reached, and here the dogs started three large boars, -which came tearing through the trees with bristles erect. A bullet from -my host's gun slightly wounded one of them, and he turned and charged -towards us, grinding his tusks in his rage. To reach us he had to cross -a small gully with steep banks, and this he was no sooner in than a dog -had him by each ear. He succeeded in ripping one, but the other held on -bravely, and a crack on the head with the tomahawk finished the boar's -career. He was too big and coarse for eating, so we left his body where -it fell, and satisfied with our sport, turned for home, carrying to -the edge of the bush the carcass of our first victim, which we tied on -a fence, and our host on reaching the house sent his man back with a -horse to bring it on. - -The last day of my visit was devoted to fishing. My bearded friend -assumed command, and under his direction a fire was lit early in the -morning beneath a large copper boiler; a certain proportion of the -preserving powder was introduced in the water with which the copper -was filled, and the mixture allowed to boil, while we sallied forth to -catch the fish. - -A net about one hundred yards long was produced by my host, and laid -in the punt, together with two stakes to fasten the ends in the mud. -We put off, and in a couple of hours had captured over a hundred fine -mullet, and as these were sufficient to fill the two tubs, the net was -hauled up, and we returned to the shore. The fish were then packed in -the tubs, the heads fitted on, and the preserving preparation poured -over them through holes afterwards plugged with corks. - -The success of the day's fishing decided me to make an offer for the -property I had inspected, and I finally agreed to purchase--a reduction -being made on account of the unfinished state of the house. - -Having arranged with a local carpenter to do the necessary work, I -returned to Auckland quite satisfied with my investment. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -_PURCHASING LIVE-STOCK._ - - -I will not weary the reader with an account of our journey from -Auckland to our new property. As soon as I heard that the house was -ready for occupation, we bade adieu to Parnell, and after a somewhat -tedious journey arrived at the Matakohe Wharf, where a large barge with -two men in it awaited us. Into it all our goods and chattels, together -with ourselves, some fowls, and a retriever pup, were stowed, and after -half an hour's pull we disembarked on the limestone beach in front of -our new dwelling. - -The carpenter who had been doing up the house had secured for us -the services of a country girl, who, among other accomplishments, -understood the arts of milking and butter making. - -My first care was to purchase a couple of quiet cows. - -One I bought from a sanctimonious individual, who assured me the animal -was perfectly docile, stating as a proof that his little daughter was -accustomed to milk her. Having sold me the cow, he expressed himself -anxious as to my spiritual welfare, and preached me a short sermon in -atrocious English on the subject of his own righteousness. - -Although the man was leaving the neighbourhood, I felt no hesitation -in taking his word about the amiability of the cow--he seemed so -oppressively pious. She was turned into my paddock, and in a few days -one of my little boys came running breathlessly to me to say that she -had a calf. - -I had been advised, when this event took place, to immediately take -the calf away, and I accordingly proceeded to the paddock to do so, -never anticipating any difficulty in the matter. To my surprise and -alarm, however, when I got within about fifty yards of the animal, -she suddenly lowered her head, and came straight for me, her rapid -movements necessitating on my part a most ignominious and hasty -retreat. On reaching safely the other side of the fence, I considered -the matter over, and coming to the conclusion that my new "chumminess" -in the matter of cows and calves must be to blame, sent to request the -assistance of a settler living near. He was unfortunately out at the -time, but a lad who was lodging with him said he would come down. - -On his arrival he inquired in supremely contemptuous tones, "What! -can't yer take a calf away?" - -[Illustration: The Pious Man's Cow.] - -I replied that the mother had protested in so very forcible a manner -against my interfering with her infant that I thought I must have -gone the wrong way to work, and asked him if _he_ could undertake the -business. - -To this he briefly responded, "Rather!" and marched off with a -confident air to the scene of action, while I secured a vantage -place outside the fence. No sooner, however, did the pious man's -late cow catch sight of the would-be abductor, than she charged -like a streak of lightning, and I don't believe that that--alas! -no-longer-confident--youth ever before made such good use of his legs. -When he was in safety, and had recovered breath enough to speak, he -gasped out, "If that there cow belonged to me, I'd shoot her!" and -strode off without another word, leaving me in the depths of despair. - -Later in the day, the labouring man I had first sent for--a -solemn-looking individual, with a long beard--came down, and when I -related what had occurred, said with a placid and reassuring smile that -he would soon settle matters satisfactorily. Procuring a tea-tree stake -about five feet long, he requested me to follow him into the paddock, -and on the way laid down a plan of attack. - -"When I see's a propitchus oppertunity," said he, "I'll con-fūs-cate -the calf; and if the parent animȳle precipices herself on me, as in all -probableness she will, you must fetch her a right down preponderating -blow atween the horns with this here tea-tree stake!" - -I did not like my allotted portion of this elegantly worded programme -at all, and suggested that I should do the abduction part, while he -"preponderated" the cow. This being agreed to, we cautiously entered -the arena, and seizing my opportunity--and the calf at the same time--I -retired at a speed that would have completely shamed a New Zealand -express train. I never attempted to look round, but I heard a blow and -a dull thud close behind, and knew something had happened. - -When outside the post and rail fence with my burden I breathed once -more, and was delighted to see the settler standing triumphant, stake -in hand, and the cow struggling on the ground. He had "preponderated" -her in the most approved style, and the business was satisfactorily -accomplished. - -I thanked him warmly; and foreseeing that a difficulty would probably -arise in the milking of the brute, arranged with him to perform that -office for a time. It was well I did so, for she proved a perfect -"terror." - -To milk her it was not only necessary to put her in the bail--an -arrangement which secures the head of the cow in somewhat the same -manner as some of the old-fashioned instruments of punishment used to -secure the head of a man--but it was also necessary to rope both her -hind legs to prevent her from kicking. These operations had to be gone -through night and morning, and caused a great deal of trouble and waste -of time. - -No more pious men's cows for me. - -The vendor of the other animal did not pretend to possess any excessive -amount of spirituality, and the cow turned out a splendid animal. - -I next directed my attention to horseflesh, as I found it impossible -to get about on foot to see the country. I tried several animals, but -could find none in the neighbourhood to suit my fancy. - -One evening a man rode in who was anxious to sell the quadruped he -bestrode--a weedy-looking, weak-necked animal, standing about fourteen -hands, decidedly shaky about the knees, and with a swelling on the -off-stifle joint. - -"There's a 'oss for you," he began, "choke full of spirits. Just the -animal to suit yer. A regler gentleman's 'oss he is, and no mistake." - -I remarked that I feared he would hardly be up to my weight. - -"Not up to your weight! Lor' bless you, he'd carry you like a -bird--'e's all 'art, 'e is. My word, you should see 'im junk--'e'd junk -a brick wall down, 'e would." - -I had never before come across the word "junk" in connection with -equine accomplishments, but presumed it to be synonymous with "buck," -and expressed a wish to see the performance. - -"Ketch hold of these 'ere eggs then," said he, handing me a basket. -He next proceeded to cut a switch, armed with which he remounted the -"junker," and pulling hard at the reins with one hand, punished the -unfortunate animal with the switch, at the same time digging the spurs -well home. - -After pursuing these tactics for a short time, he looked over his -shoulder at me and questioned, "Ain't 'e junking yet?" - -"No," I replied, not liking to confess ignorance of the term; "he does -not seem to be 'junking' much." - -Another and a heavier dose of whip and spur torture was then -administered, and at last the unhappy quadruped gave a feeble shake -with one hind leg. - -"He's junking now a bit, I think," I cried, anxious to stop the -exhibition. - -"Oh! that ain't nothink," replied the owner. "Lor' bless you, you -should see 'im junk sometimes; he'd junk a brick wall, 'e would; but 'e -ain't in spirits now." - -The latter fact I was fully prepared to corroborate, and may add that -I did _not_ purchase the "junker." - -I eventually succeeded in getting suited, and was able to look about -the country. - -The tremendously steep grades on the so-called roads astonished me very -much, but the horses bred out here think nothing of them. In the winter -time these roads are veritable bogs in some places, and travelling is -then anything but pleasant. When they become slippery, the horses have -a fashion of putting their feet together, throwing themselves well back -on their haunches, and sliding down the steep inclines. They never -come to grief, and all the rider has to do is to lean well back in the -saddle. - -The main road through the county is supposed to be constructed by the -local governing body, called the County Council, which is composed -of representatives from the several ridings or districts forming the -county, each riding electing a councillor every three years. - -Too often the sole aim of a councillor is to get as much done as -possible for the road near his own house, and to secure as much -compensation as he can for himself and his friends, therefore almost -useless roads are frequently promoted, and the money frittered away -in their construction and in compensation to the owners of the land -through which they pass. - -The main county road here is not yet formed in places, and though -large sums have been expended, there was very little in the way of -solid, substantial work to be seen until the last few months. Matakohe -belonged to the Hobson County Council, which has existed for over ten -years; it now forms part of a new county called the Otamatea. - -County Councils have power to levy rates and taxes, and to borrow money -from the Government under certain conditions, and they take care to -exercise all their privileges in these respects. - -When the chairman of a County Council is a large employer of labour -and a man of influence, his part of the county generally shows the -best graded and best metalled roads. Besides the County Councils, many -of the ridings--of which Matakohe is one--possess Road Boards, also -empowered to levy rates, and with the money carry out works on branch -roads. - -It is very commonly believed that the country would progress far more -rapidly if County Councils were abolished and the different districts -represented solely by Road Boards, which would determine the works -considered most desirable, and draw up half yearly reports to be laid -before a Government engineer, who, after examining into the merits of -the schemes proposed, would finally decide on those most likely to be -beneficial to the county, and which could be undertaken with the funds -in hand. - -Enough, however, for the present of County Councils. The Matakoheans -can certainly have no wish to uphold the system, as very little indeed -has been done for their district by the county to which it, until quite -lately, belonged. Its misfortune in this respect may have been due to -its _situation_; it certainly was not due to its size, for Matakohe -formed one of the largest ridings in the county. - -It boasts of between forty and fifty private houses scattered over -a somewhat large area; a good-sized public hall where concerts, tea -and prayer meetings, dances and theatrical performances are held from -time to time; a chapel used on alternate Sundays by the Wesleyans and -Church of England people; a cemetery, a Government school-house, a -public library, &c. &c.; three general stores (or shops, as they would -be called in England); a saw-mill, a tremendously long wharf in a -tremendously inconvenient place, and a capital racecourse, here the -Matakohe Racing Club holds an annual meeting. - -Horse-racing is one of the great national amusements of New Zealanders, -and there are very few settlements in the Northern Kaipara which do not -number owners of racehorses among their inhabitants. - -In England racing is associated with betting, blacklegs, welshers, -suicides, and other disagreeable things: out here, as far as small -country meetings are concerned, it means genuine, honest, legitimate -sport, and should be encouraged, as calculated to improve the breed of -horses in the colony, and to do a great amount of good to the districts -in which the meetings are held. - -A sort of betting-machine called the "Totalisator" has indeed been -legalised by the New Zealand Government, but may only be used at race -meetings where prizes of thirty pounds and upwards are given. It -therefore does not affect in any way small meetings like ours, and the -Matakohe Racing Club have no desire that it should. - -For the benefit of my readers who are unacquainted with the -betting-machine, I will endeavour to describe the manner in which it -is worked. The intending speculator enters small office and buys his -ticket, or tickets, according to his rashness, and then proceeds to -examine a board on one of the walls of an inner chamber, where are -displayed certain variable numbers arranged in the following manner:-- - -[Illustration] - -The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, represent the starting horses in the -order shown on the Racing Club's card. They may therefore be taken to -stand instead of the horses' names. - -In the illustration above seven horses are supposed to be going to run. -The numerals underneath in the squares indicate the number of tickets -invested on each horse, and the top square records the total tickets -sold. - -When the investor has consulted his "correct card," and decided on -what horse to place his ticket, he gets it stamped with its number, -and the figure or figures on the board under the selected horse and -those representing the total tickets sold are each moved on one. A few -minutes before the race a bell is rung, and the totalisator closed, -and after the event is decided the total proceeds--less ten per -cent.--are divided among those who have placed their tickets on the -winning horse. Thus in the illustration, supposing No. 6 won, and the -tickets a pound each, the wily individual who placed his money there -would receive ninety pounds; if No. 3 won, each of the five investors -would receive a dividend of eighteen pounds; if No. 1, a dividend of -one pound eighteen shillings and three-pence, and so on. The ten per -cent. deducted from the receipts is divided between the proprietors of -the machine and the Jockey Club; and inasmuch as fourteen or fifteen -thousand pounds generally passes through it at one of the large Racing -Club Meetings, the totalisator will be seen to be a paying concern. -The advisability of taxing it was mooted in Parliament last year; and -as our sage administrators of the law have deemed it right to make the -betting-machine legal, surely they cannot be wrong in taxing it heavily -as a luxury. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -_A COLONIAL BALL._ - - -We had not been long settled in Matakohe when an invitation to a ball -at Mr. M----'s was received, asking us to go early in the day, as -the tide then suited best, to bring our evening clothes with us, and -to dress there. We accomplished the journey in my punt, for I had by -this time one of my own, and on our arrival at Mr. M----'s found the -household very busy with preparations. - -One half the spacious verandah had been closed in with canvas, and -formed a supper room. It was decorated with flags, Nikau palms, ferns, -and flowers with very pretty effect. The other half was to be utilised -as a promenade, and was hung with Chinese lanterns. - -As the afternoon advanced, guests began to arrive--some on horseback, -and some by boat. They all brought their evening clothes with them, -not in portmanteaus, but in _flour bags_. It is most surprising to a -new chum to see the manifold uses to which flour bags are put to here. -Besides usually taking the place of portmanteaus, they are made into -aprons, kitchen cloths, dusters, and sometimes even into trousers for -boys. Not long ago I met a lad with a pair on. On one leg, printed in -large red letters, was "Wood silk dressed;" and on the other "Lamb's -Superfine." Almost every one bakes at home in the country, so flour -bags are very plentiful. - -Rather late in the afternoon a gentleman arrived in a punt with his -wife. It was nearly low water, and he got stranded in the mud fully a -quarter of a mile from the beach. Finding he could not get the punt -any further, he jumped overboard--sinking immediately nearly up to his -waist--and pushed the punt with his wife in it to the shore. Changing -his clothes in a boat-house on the beach, he shortly after appeared at -the house as though nothing unusual had occurred, and I don't think -considered his adventure worthy of mention to any one. - -I have had several mud-larking experiences myself since then, but -have not yet learned to behave with the _sang froid_ displayed by the -gentleman on this occasion. - -When the time arrived for donning our dress clothes, I was ushered into -a huge barn standing close to the house, where several washing basins, -brushes and combs, looking-glasses and other toilet necessaries had -been placed in position on tables and boxes. Between thirty and forty -gentlemen, in various stages of dressing, were there, and jokes and -repartee were being bandied about freely. Several of the gentlemen -caricatured in that amusing book, "Brighter Britain,"--written after a -visit of the author to this part of the colony,--were present, and most -of them had already called and made my acquaintance. - -The feat of dressing accomplished, and having succeeded in arranging my -tie in some sort of fashion by the aid of a hand-glass and flickering -candle, I proceeded to the drawing-room, from whence already issued the -enlivening strains of one of Godfrey's valses. - -The settlers up here, and in the province of Auckland generally, are -most enthusiastic about dancing. Young and old, married and single, -all delight in it, and no opportunity of indulging in a dance is ever -neglected. - -Flirtation I have never seen attempted, and conversation indeed is only -sparsely carried on. It is in the dancing itself that the enjoyment is -centred, and to it the attention of both ladies and gentlemen is almost -wholly directed. An anxious expression is ofttimes observable on the -face of a male performer, as though his whole mind was concentrated in -the effort to acquit himself well in the task before him; but though is -countenance depicts no pleasurable emotion, he doubtless enjoys himself -immensely. - -On the present occasion dancing was carried on with unrelaxed vigour -until past midnight, when a move was made to the supper room. The inner -man refreshed, dancing was resumed, and day began to dawn before the -party broke up. - -The greater part of the ladies slept at the house, though some rode -straight away after donning their riding-habits. The gentlemen, about -forty in number, were accommodated in the barn with beds of soft hay -and rugs. - -The ease with which the ladies out here do without the paraphernalia, -considered in England as necessary in preparing for a ball, struck -me greatly at this, my first colonial one. The dressing of a young -lady at home is a big affair, embracing an elaborate costume, an -equally elaborate toilette, hair-dressing, and goodness knows what -all, and concluding generally with an elaborate bill. Out here a -light dress of muslin or some similar material, relieved with a little -ribbon, and hair ornamented with a flower or two, constitutes the -full evening costume of a young lady. She looks quite as nice as her -semi-manufactured rival in England, and there is no prospect of a big -bill for papa in the immediate future to mar her evening's amusement. - -The gentlemen are equally negligent. If they have dress clothes, they -put them on; but if they have not, they appear in whatever cut of black -coat they happen to be the proprietors of, and enjoy themselves every -bit as much as their swallow-tailed companions. - -Before I left Mr. M----'s residence, he informed me that the -fish-preserving scheme had turned out a failure, and that my bearded -acquaintance had received a letter from his partner in the Waikato, -in which he stated that the fish forwarded in the two tubs had sold -readily at one shilling each, but had made all who partook of them very -ill. "He presumed," he wrote, "that there must be something wrong with -the German preserving preparation," and concluded by stating that as he -had no wish to be apprehended for manslaughter, he must decline to have -anything more to do with the business. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -_THE FORESTS OF NORTH NEW ZEALAND._ - - -With the failure of the German preparation, my hopes of being made -manager to the Fish Preserving Company vanished. I cannot say I had -built much on it, so did not take the matter very deeply to heart. -If the industry had been fairly started, the post of coroner in the -Waikato might have been worth looking after. The ultimatum of the -Waikato partner, however, nipped the business in the bud, and probably -saved some lives. - -No prospect of getting professional work had yet shown itself; and the -only post I had succeeded in obtaining was that of correspondent to the -Auckland weekly paper, an appointment of not a very lucrative nature. - -Time, however, by no means hung heavily on my hands. There was plenty -to do about my place, which had been much neglected. The weeds were -disputing possession with the fruit trees, and had they been left -undisturbed much longer I think would have gained the day. A peculiar -kind of thistle, called the "cow thistle," grew everywhere luxuriantly, -and docks with roots as thick as a man's arm were abundant. - -I became familiarised with hoeing, digging, pruning fruit trees, and -the use of the axe. The latter is a most necessary accomplishment in -this part of the colony, as to the axe every one trusts for his supply -of fuel. When I first attempted to wield it, each blow struck jarred -my hands and arms tremendously, and at the same time made little -impression on the wood; but at last I caught the trick, and am now a -fairly good axeman. - -Small tea-tree, or "Manuka," to use the native name, is principally -used for firing. The wood is hard and close-grained, and gives out -a great amount of heat. It grows in large and dense patches called -"scrub." The trees in the scrub generally stand about a foot apart, run -up straight for some twelve feet, and then break into a small bunch of -branches. If tea-tree happens to be isolated, it becomes a spreading -tree of fair dimensions, though it never grows sufficiently large to be -employed much in carpentering. It is always more or less in flower--a -beautiful small white flower--with which at some seasons of the year -it is completely covered. Not only is tea-tree universally used for -firewood, but it supplies the material of which most of the fences up -here are composed, and is preferred to any other wood for wheel-spokes. -It is, therefore, one of the most useful natural productions of the -colony. - -North New Zealand boasts of a great variety of splendid timber, of -which the Kauri pine (_Dammara australis_) takes the lead. These giants -of the forest attain a girth sometimes of between forty and fifty -feet, and grow up perfectly straight for sixty or seventy feet before -throwing out branches. They reminded me when I first saw them of the -toy trees with little round stands that used to be sold with boxes -containing wooden animals. If the reader can imagine one of these toy -trees magnified some six or seven hundred times, he will have a fair -idea of what a Kauri looks like. Its foliage resembles somewhat that -of the ornamental shrub known as the "Monkey plant," the leaves being -stiff and glossy. - -The Kauri is used more extensively than any other New Zealand wood -for building purposes. It is a magnificent timber, and if properly -seasoned, neither shrinks nor warps. Very few of the bush owners, -however, can afford to let timber lie idle for any length of time, and -therefore the majority of the Kauri used is not seasoned, and shrinks -very much both ways. So much is this the case, and so unreliable is -the timber considered through insufficient seasoning, that a clause -has been inserted in the specification for the New Auckland Custom -House, now about to be erected, which states that Baltic timber, and -not Kauri, is to be used for sashes, architraves, mouldings, &c. As -Kauri is very easily worked, and admits of a splendid polish, it is -greatly to be regretted that with such timber in the province the -architect should have deemed it necessary to specify Baltic timber. It -is nevertheless true, however; and the cause may be summed up in six -words, "High wages and want of capital," the great bane of New Zealand, -felt not only in the timber trade, but in all other industries that -have been established. - -In getting out the Kauri, an immense and at times reckless destruction -of young trees takes place, and for this reason the time is not far -distant when the Kauri pine will be a tree of the past. - -From an official report of Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., Chief Conservator of -State Forests--for a copy of which I am indebted to the courtesy of -Mr. S. P. Smith, Assistant Surveyor-General--it appears that the total -extent of available Kauri forest now existing does not exceed two -hundred thousand acres, and placing the average yield at the high rate -of fifteen thousand superficial feet per acre, the Kauri at the present -demand will be exhausted in twenty-six years. If, however, the demand -increases in the same ratio as it has shown during the last ten years, -it will be worked out in fifteen years. When we consider that the Kauri -timber trade is one of the mainstays of the North Auckland district, -this is a most alarming statement. The export trade amounted last year -to the value of £136,000--more than five times as much as the timber -trade of all the rest of the colony put together; and it is difficult -to see what is to take its place when the last Kauri has been felled. -In Mr. Kirk's report no allowance is made for probable loss by bush -fires, which in the dry weather are constantly breaking out, and which -are generally ascribed, rightly or wrongly, to the carelessness of -gumdiggers or to vindictiveness. Fires in the heavy Kauri bush last a -long time when they once get hold, and do an immense amount of damage. -There is a Kauri bush at the present time on fire in this riding of -Matakohe which has been alight for the last five or six months. A large -quantity of timber must be destroyed in this way, and the contingency -of fire further lessens the probable duration of the Kauri forests of -North New Zealand. - -The task of felling and getting the timber out of the bushes is a -difficult and dangerous one. The country north of Auckland, where Kauri -abounds, is usually very broken, and seldom admits of a tramway being -laid down to carry the logs on. When the timber is on high ground, the -usual method adopted is to cut the logs into suitable lengths with -cross-cut saws, move them by means of timber jacks and immense teams of -bullocks to the brow of a convenient incline, and let them slide down -a well-greased shoot composed of young Kauri trees, a great number of -which are thus annually destroyed. - -If the bush happens to be on the borders of the Kaipara, the logs are -placed behind booms until enough are collected to make a raft. If, -however, it is situated some little distance from deep water, the logs -are laid in the bed of an adjacent creek, higher up in which a dam is -formed and the water stored. When sufficient logs are collected, and -sufficient water stored behind the dam, the sluices are opened, and -the logs washed down to the Kaipara, where they are gathered, chained -together, and towed to their destination. - -Ordinary Kauri timber presents, when polished or varnished, a -wavy appearance, and is darker in some places than in others; but -occasionally Kauri is mottled, and when this is the case it is very -valuable for veneering purposes, being worth from £3 to £5 per hundred -superficial feet, while the average price of ordinary Kauri is only ten -shillings per hundred feet. - -The mottling is sometimes caused by the tree throwing out an excessive -number of branchlets, and at others by a sort of disease in which the -too rapid development of cellular tissue prevents the proper expansion -of the bark, and small portions become enclosed in the sap wood, and -form the dark mottlings. Mottled Kauri trees are usually found in rocky -situations. - -The total area covered by forest in the North Auckland provincial -district--of which the Kaipara forms a part--is estimated by the -chief surveyor to be seven million two hundred thousand acres, about -one million six hundred and seven thousand acres being held by the -Crown. One peculiar feature in these forests is that while they possess -several trees--among others the Kauri--not to be met with in any other -part of New Zealand, they still contain all the trees found elsewhere -in the colony. - -The Puriri (_Vitex littoralis_), sometimes called the New Zealand oak, -is perhaps next in importance to the Kauri, on account of its great -durability. It is principally used for railway sleepers, house blocks, -framings of carriages, and fencing posts. It makes excellent furniture, -and is said to equal the English oak in strength and durability. -Sometimes the tree grows to a height of twenty feet in the trunk, and -Puriri logs have been cut nine feet in diameter. - -The Kahikatea (_Podocarpus dacrydioides_), a white pine, is a -magnificent-looking tree, often reaching a total height of one hundred -and fifty feet, with a barrel clear of branches seventy-five feet long. -Its timber is highly valued for the inside lining of houses. - -The Totara (_Podocarpus totara_) is employed in making wharf piles, -telegraph posts, sleepers, and in the construction of houses and -furniture. It occasionally grows to a height of seventy feet or so, -perfectly straight, without a knot or branch, and is used by the -natives for making canoes, some of which, seventy feet in length, have -been hollowed out of Totara logs. It is the only wood that successfully -withstands the ravages of the _Teredo navalis_. - -The Pohutukawa (_Metrosideros tomentosa_) is a very handsome tree, -usually to be found growing near the water's edge. At Christmas time it -is covered with beautiful red blossoms, and on that account is called -New Zealand holly. The trunk is very hard, and is invaluable for knees -and timbers of ships and boats. - -The Rata (_Metrosideros robusta_) has until lately been considered by -most people to be altogether a parasite, but it has now been proved -beyond doubt that its seed is deposited by birds, or the wind, in the -fork of a tree, where it germinates and sends forth two or three roots -which creep down the trunk to the ground. These roots, as they grow, -press on the supporting tree, until they cause its death, and the Rata -then stands alone. The wood is very hard, and when not too twisted, may -be split into very good fencing rails. - -The Rimu (_Dacrydium cupressinum_) is a very stately pine, with -drooping branches like the weeping willow. It grows up straight for -about sixty feet, with a slightly tapering barrel some two or three -feet in diameter at the ground. The grain of this wood is red, streaked -with black, and it makes splendid furniture, balustrades and railings -for staircases, panels for doors, &c. - -There are a great many other varieties of trees in the North Kaipara -forests, which, however, I will content myself with stating are most -of them exceedingly beautiful in grain, and should find places of -honour in cabinet and furniture makers' work. In spite, however, of the -beautiful woods at command, the furniture-making trade has made but -little progress in Auckland, and I presume the high price of labour and -want of capital prevent it from being pushed. - -The bushman who fells the timber and rolls out the logs receives an -average wage of thirty shillings a week, as well as his food, or, -as it is called here, his "tucker;" the towing charges are high, -and the railway rates from Helensville to Auckland exorbitant; and -so by the time the timber has passed through the mills and left the -furniture-maker's hands, the excessive payments for labour, railway and -towing charges, have made the articles into which it has been converted -so expensive, that the trade is killed. - -The annual output of timber in the Auckland district is estimated at -about one hundred million superficial feet, and the larger proportion -is employed in the construction of houses, bridges, &c., in the colony. - -Timber houses are a great deal more durable than many people would -imagine: there are some still standing in Auckland--in fairly good -condition--built nearly forty years ago. The mode of erection usually -adopted is briefly as follows. Puriri blocks, sunk in the ground deep -enough to insure a good foundation, and of sufficient length to project -above the surface two or three feet, are set up in rows four or five -feet apart. On these blocks--the tops of which are sawn off perfectly -level with one another--is laid a frame of timber, marking out the -rooms and passage, and on this the superstructure is raised. Instead -of slates or tiles, thin strips of wood, called shingles, split off -small blocks of Kauri, are most commonly used for the roofing, though -corrugated iron sometimes takes their place. In the better class of -house a brick chimney runs through the structure, but in the smaller -and cheaper ones a wide wooden chimney is erected at one end. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -_THE LABOURING-MAN SETTLER._ - - -I trust the kind reader will excuse the somewhat sudden departure from -my narrative to the forests of North New Zealand, which characterised -the last chapter, and will now also pardon an equally abrupt return to -my humble doings. - -When in Auckland I had bought three or four books on colonial fruit -culture, all of which I found, on investigating their contents, -advocated thorough drainage. I therefore made up my mind to attempt -to drain my smaller orchard, and in order to do so successfully, -carefully took the levels, and planned out the drains. I tried digging -them myself, but the work progressed so slowly, and my hands became -so uncomfortably blistered, that I was obliged to call in extraneous -aid, and applied to a labouring man, a settler in the district, for his -assistance. His terms were seven shillings a day, which I with much -reluctance agreed to give. He arrived at the scene of his labour at -eight o'clock on the morning following my interview with him, took a -full hour in the middle of the day for his dinner, and left off work at -five P.M. with a punctuality worthy of a better cause. At the end of -three days he had opened one drain to the required depth; it would take -ten of them to drain the orchard, and they would require, in order to -keep them open, filling up with tea-tree, the cutting and carrying of -which would probably equal the cost of the digging. I therefore came -to the conclusion that draining my orchard would go a good way towards -draining my purse, and determined to abandon the project. - -The labouring man, when I informed him of my resolution, said, with a -melancholy air of superior wisdom, "I guessed you'd soon get tired of -it," and appeared quite resigned to his dismissal. - -Among the labouring-men settlers (by which expression I mean those -who go out to work at so much a day) there is to be found a type of -humanity quite distinct from any other I have ever met with. Specimens -of this class are sometimes just sufficiently educated to be able to -read and write, and sometimes have no education at all, but still -they believe themselves--truly and earnestly believe themselves--to -be gentlemen. They are to be distinguished by solemn-looking faces, -to which beards are generally attached. They very seldom smile, never -laugh, and always speak slowly and deliberately, often using long words -in wrong places. - -This variety of the labouring-man settler delights in being called -by the prefix Mr.----, and it would give him unspeakable joy to -receive a letter addressed Mr.----, Esq. Imported probably into New -Zealand in its early days, he knows little more than the Maori about -the doings of the great world. Yet he is very self-opinionated, and -considers Auckland the finest city in the universe. He does a good deal -of "gassing" in a solemn manner, which inclines a stranger to give -credence to his romances, until their dimensions become too large to -be swallowed. In spite of these little failings, he is steady, honest, -temperate, and his chief fault lies in his believing himself to be what -he is not, and what he never can be. He is a square man continually -trying to fit himself into a round hole, a task impossible for him to -accomplish, while the effort to do so sours is disposition and renders -him melancholy. He either possesses extreme religious views, and is -very bigoted and narrow-minded, or he has no religion of any kind. Of -course he owns land, given him by the Government that brought him out. -He works fairly hard on his own property--harder, I am inclined to -think, than he does when engaged on any one else's; and the fact of his -being a landed proprietor, probably gives him the impression that he -_must_ be a gentleman, and is the cause of all his futile strivings and -unhappiness. - -I do not mean for one moment to assert that all the labouring-men -settlers are like the above. There are many who have been soldiers, -sailors, or have followed some occupation, before they settled in New -Zealand, which has given them opportunities of seeing life. Their views -are therefore larger and wider, and they have learnt how to laugh. -Still, in most of the settlements I am acquainted with, are to be found -some examples of the class of settler I have described. - -Having abandoned the drainage scheme, I turned my attention to -effecting other improvements, and amongst them built a small pier or -wharf of limestone rock, at the sea end of which I kept my punt, and so -could get away in it as soon as the tide came in, instead of having to -push it over the rough limestone beach. - -One day a young Matakohe settler called, and asked me if I would care -to join a small party, to ride out on the following morning to the -Wairoa swamp, to try and destroy a dangerous wild bull that was roaming -about there, and which a few days previously had gored the speaker's -horse, when he was cattle-hunting, he himself only escaping by jumping -into a creek. He also told me there were great numbers of Pūkĕkŏ or -swamp-hens there, and that after despatching the bull, we might be able -to have some Pūkĕkŏ shooting. I at once agreed to join the party, and -that night visions of roaring bulls with distended nostrils, lowered -heads, and erected tails attended my slumbers. - -I awoke next morning with a sort of Gordon Cumming feeling about me, -and made preparation for my first day's big game shooting. Armed with -a rifle and fowling-piece, I mounted my horse, and sallied forth to -the place of rendezvous, where our party, four in number, had already -assembled, and after a ride of about nine miles, we reached the edge of -the swamp. Two of the party who had not brought guns, then proceeded on -horseback, to discover the whereabouts of the game, and one of them -dismounted to examine a clump of tea-tree, growing on a high mound -about four hundred yards out on the swamp. - -There the animal was, sure enough, and the rash disturber of his peace -had only time to climb a friendly cabbage-tree when he charged. - -We could see the man in the tree, but no sight of any animal, and -wondered what he could be doing up there, until he shouted out that he -was bailed up by the bull. Upon receiving this intelligence we sallied -forth to endeavour to persuade the beast to raise the siege, and the -mounted settler, by cracking the stock whip which he carried in the -vicinity of the scrub, at last succeeded in getting the bull to come -out on to the open swamp, when I immediately fired and put a rifle -ball through his stomach. Another bullet from a fowling-piece brought -him to the ground, and thus ended my first and only bull hunt--a very -tame affair. If the animal had seen and charged us when we were on foot -on the open swamp, before I handicapped him with a bullet, it would -probably have been quite exciting enough for some of us, but as it -turned out, the bull did not give half the sport the pious man's cow -afforded, when her calf was taken away. - -There are great numbers of wild cattle in the back country of this -district, and I am told that most exciting adventures at times take -place with them, though I cannot speak from experience. - -The two settlers who had not brought their guns, skinned the carcass -of the animal we had shot, and cut off some of the choicest pieces of -its flesh; and while they were so employed, the rest of us went on -the swamp to shoot Pūkĕkŏ, which were there in great numbers. Every -minute or two, as we pushed our way through the tall Raupo grass, -Pūkĕkŏ would rise about thirty yards ahead, and we had some very pretty -shooting, and made a heavy bag. The Pūkĕkŏ belongs undoubtedly to the -same family as the familiar moorhen of the old country. It is, however, -much larger, and is a very handsome bird. The neck, breast, and body -are bright blue, the wings black, and the underneath part of the tail -white. It has a flat red sort of comb or crown on the top of the head, -and red feet. Its flesh is very good to eat in the New Zealand autumn, -but only at that time of year. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -_KAIPARA FISH._ - - -Although I had been defeated in my scheme of draining my orchards, -I did not on that account give them up in despair, but endeavoured -to improve the condition of each tree by lightly digging round it, -and mulching it with the weeds I had taken off the land. They seemed -all to be growing nicely, and the peaches the first season yielded a -tremendous crop of most delicious fruit; so many indeed had we, that -besides almost living on them ourselves, we fed the pigs with them. -It was a great season everywhere in North New Zealand for peaches, -but since then some sort of blight has universally attacked the older -trees. The why or the wherefore of the disease remains a mystery, -and the matter is greatly exercising the minds of the most eminent -authorities in the colony. All sorts of theories have been put forward, -but no satisfactory solution has been arrived at. One might almost -fancy that some personage possessing mysterious power, and suffering -from too free indulgence in the delicious fruit, had cursed them, as -the Abbot in the Ingoldsby Legends cursed the Jackdaw of Rheims. - -Other fruit-trees, both English and sub-tropical, grow and fruit -remarkably well in the North Kaipara, in spite of the fact that not a -single orchard anywhere is drained. If every advantage were given the -trees, what would they not produce! - -The climate is eminently suitable to fruit-tree culture, and the slopes -of the undulating hills present everywhere opportunities for planting -snugly sheltered orchards. Fruit-growing ought to become one of the -standard industries of the district; but before that can happen, the -railway charges must be lowered very considerably. The first apple -season after I was settled in Matakohe, I sent a case of splendid -apples down to Auckland to be sold, and the sale just covered the -freight. - -The excessive and prohibitive railway charges tend to stop all -enterprise. The railways are supposed to have been constructed to open -up the country, develop its resources, and induce settlement; but as -they are at present managed, it would be absurd to think of starting -any industry, in which they would have to play an important part as -carriers. Cheap railway freights and fares would naturally have a -tendency to enhance the value of the land in the country which came -within their influence, bringing it as it were in closer contact with -the centres of population, and it may therefore be inferred that owners -of suburban estates--which must suffer by country properties being -rendered more marketable--are by no means anxious for any alteration in -the railway tariff, and suburban landowners are a power in the colony. -The time must come, however, when in spite of all opposition, the -freights will be lowered, and the sooner the better for the prosperity -of New Zealand, and for the fruit-growing industry of the Kaipara. -Enough, however, of railway mismanagement. - -A settler who understood netting had made me a small fishing-net, and -fish now formed a prominent feature at our table. Fishing wasted a -good deal of time, however, as most of the fish are caught in narrow -channels when the tide is running out, and the punt almost invariably -was left high and dry, and had to remain until the tide flowed. I -always in a day's fishing caught a great many more fish than we -required for our own use, and it occurred to me to enclose a portion of -the beach below high-water mark with a wall, so as to form a miniature -fish-pond to keep the surplus fish in. As the tide flowed a self-acting -valve let the water in, but prevented it from flowing out again when it -ebbed. A lever connected with this valve, allowed me to empty the pond -at pleasure. - -[Illustration: My Fish Pond.] - -The piscatorial residence--forty-six feet long, twenty-three feet -wide, and five and a half feet deep--being ready for occupation, the -next question to determine, was how to keep the fish alive after -they were caught, until they could be transferred to the pond. To -accomplish this, I made a sort of basket of wire-netting to hang over -the side of the boat and keep the fish in, but it proved a failure, and -I eventually purchased a little punt about six feet long, which had -been built for a boy, but was too cranky to be used with any degree -of safety. In this punt, fitted with a removable canvas cover, and -filled with water, the captured fish were deposited, towed home, and -transferred to the pond, where they soon appeared to be perfectly at -home. - -About this time I obtained the services of an able-bodied lad of some -seventeen years, who understood farm work and a little carpentering. -He used to fish for me at times, and caught so many fish that I tried -sending fresh fish down to Auckland for sale there. The journey -occupied, however, the greater part of two days, though the distance -is under a hundred miles, and the fish did not arrive in town in good -condition. If packed in ice, they would of course have kept perfectly -fresh, as they were alive when sent from Matakohe; but I had no -ice-making machine, and therefore was obliged to give the matter up. - -I feel confident, however, that the fishery here only wants capital to -develop it, to become one of the great industries of the North Kaipara. -Its land-locked waters swarm with the finny tribe, and can be fished -with impunity in any weather. Fish is by no means a cheap commodity in -Auckland; but the population being small, the market there would soon -be glutted. Sydney, Melbourne, and the other Australian ports, however, -present a grand field for the disposal of the fisherman's spoils, -and were fish sent away alive from here packed in ice, frozen by the -Freezing Company in Auckland, and transported from there to Australia -in ships provided with freezing chambers, I cannot help believing an -immense trade would be done. - -[Illustration: - -Sketch of Schnapper. - -Skull of Schnapper.] - -I have seen in the newspaper the price of fish called schnapper, quoted -in the Sydney market at from thirty-six shillings to eighty-four -shillings per dozen. These fish can be caught line-fishing in the -Kaipara, at the rate of sixty or seventy an hour per line of two hooks, -and of an average weight of about 9 lbs. each. The schnapper fisherman -files the barbs off his hooks, that they may readily be extracted -from the fishes' mouths; he also ties the bait securely on; and thus -prepared, can haul the fish in as fast as he likes. The schnapper -has most powerful teeth and jaws, and lives principally on cockles -and mussels, the shells of which it crushes in its mouth without -difficulty. It will, however, take almost any sort of bait, and is by -no means a fastidious eater. The Kaipara waters swarm also with several -other varieties of fish. - -[Illustration: Sketch of Lower Jaw of Schnapper, showing double row of -teeth. (About half size.)] - -_Mullet_, resembling in appearance the grey mullet of the old country, -but far richer and superior in flavour, are very plentiful during the -summer months. These fish and schnapper are most delicious when salted -and smoked, and may be said to fill the place of the English herring -and haddock. Mullet average about 2 lbs. each in weight, and I have -known one hundred and twenty dozen of them to be netted by two men in a -day up here. - -_Patiki_, a fish shaped exactly as the English flounder, but resembling -more nearly in flavour the sole, are here in great numbers, and can be -caught with a net in boat loads. - -The _Kahawai_, weighing on the average 5 or 6 lbs., and modelled very -much like the salmon, though finer in the tail, and with spotted sides. -The resemblance unfortunately ends with the shape, for its flesh is dry -and not over palatable. It lives principally on young mullet and Patiki. - -The _yellow tail_, a sort of sea bream; a fish called locally the _king -fish_, closely resembling in shape, fins, colour, and scales the fresh -water tench; the _dog fish_, _eels_, and a small fish with a long snout -called the _pipe fish_, complete the list, with the exception of the -_shark_, and a fish called the _Stingarie_, doubtless a corruption of -Stinging Ray. This fish--in form somewhat like the skate, with the -exception that it has a long tail--attains a weight, at times, of about -a quarter of a ton, and possesses a most formidable sting, armed with -sharp-pointed barbs, and from six to eight inches in length, and about -half an inch in width. This sting is situated at the root of the tail, -and lies flat along it. When the fish makes an attack, it elevates its -sting, and runs backwards with great speed at the object of its wrath. -The Stingarie is of a discreet nature, however, and will never make -an attack, unless driven to it. Its principal food, like the Kahawai, -consists of mullet and Patiki. - -Oysters and other bivalves, including Pipis (cockles) and escalops, -also abound in the Kaipara. The rough corrugated shelled rock oyster, -spoken of in my second chapter, are very abundant in places; and there -is another kind, a smooth shelled oyster, very like the English native, -which locates itself in deep water, and therefore is seldom met with. - -Escalops, I think, must be plentiful, if one may judge by the number -of escalop shells thrown up on the beaches near deep water. To procure -these delicacies a dredge would be necessary, and dredges for shell -fish are as yet unknown in the Kaipara, neither has the trawl net -ever been tried, so it is impossible to say what unknown piscatorial -treasures may yet lie hidden in the unexplored depths of the waters of -our inland sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -_GODWIT SHOOTING._ - - -Whatever accusations of remissness and lack of zeal and energy may be -brought against the New Zealand Government, no one can assert with -any degree of truth, that the surveys of this part of the country are -neglected by them. Before one surveyor's pegs have had time to commence -to decay, and the lines cut, become grown up with tea-tree scrub, a new -survey is ordered, new pegs are put in, and lines fresh cut. I am told -that the cost of these repeated surveys sometimes exceeds the value of -the land surveyed, and without for a moment supposing that they are -unnecessary or useless, one cannot help thinking that the money spent -in resurveying outlying and comparatively uninhabited districts, would -be more judiciously expended in making good roads in those places that -are already settled. - -There have been two surveys at Matakohe over the same ground--or at -any rate in a great measure over the same ground--during the four -years I have lived there. One of the most efficient surveyors on the -Government staff, Mr. J----, was with his party, at this time encamped -on the outskirts of Matakohe, and he and his assistant, Mr. de C----, -called on me, and an acquaintance sprang up which greatly helped to -lessen the dulness of our country life. - -Mr. J---- was fond of shooting, and whenever a day could be spared, -we went out together with our guns. When I first became friendly with -him--in April--pheasant shooting had not commenced, so we confined our -attention to the wild fowl, the season for which had already opened, -in consequence of the breeding time having been unusually early. The -Acclimatisation Society has the power to alter the shooting season as -it deems advisable, but the season for both native and imported game, -usually extends from the 1st of May to the end of July. We enjoyed two -or three good days' sport together, but the best I have ever had up -here, was towards the end of April. - -On this particular day, Mr. J---- rode in by appointment to have some -godwit shooting, and as soon as the incoming tide reached my landing -wharf, we embarked in my punt with our dogs, guns, luncheon, &c., in -order to have some shooting before the flats became covered. I took -with us one of my boys, a capital hand with the sculls, and his duty -was to paddle the punt as quietly as possible, when we were coming up -to birds, while my friend and myself placed ourselves as well as we -could out of sight. - -We first steered for a point about a quarter of a mile off, on which -we could distinguish birds of some description. Mangrove grew in the -shallow water off this point, and these I was careful to make use -of, as a screen, as long as possible. As we neared the last one, I -handed my boy the sculls, and crouched down in the stem, while Mr. -J---- followed my example in the stern. Presently the last shelter was -passed, and we came in full sight and range of a large flock of godwit. -Up they rose to seek safety in flight, but the music of our guns rang -out, feathers flew in all directions, and the dogs had their work cut -out for some time. We dropped fifteen and a half brace with the three -shots we got in; and when they were all bagged, we hoisted the sail, as -a nice breeze was blowing, and shaped our course for a point called the -Tent Rock, where I knew godwit, red-shanked plover, and other birds -loved to congregate. - -When within about a quarter of a mile, the sail was lowered, my boy -again took the sculls, and Mr. J---- and myself laid up in the punt. -In spite, however, of all our precautions, we only secured there a -brace of red-shanked plover, a black duck, and a couple of New Zealand -sandpipers. We now sailed away with a leading breeze for an island -lying about three miles distant, which is only covered at high water, -adding a couple of duck and a brace and a half of red-shanked plover to -our bag on the way. On the island we had some grand sport, as the tide -was by this time over all the flats, and the birds did not like leaving -the only feeding place remaining to them. - -After bagging nine or ten brace of godwit and plover we turned for -home, quite satisfied with our day's shooting, and anxious to fetch my -place before the tide had receded from the beach. This we succeeded -in doing, and had barely reached the house with our load of birds -when rain began to fall, and was soon descending in torrents. As the -next day was Sunday, and of course a day of rest for the surveyors, -we easily persuaded Mr. J---- to sleep at our house. All the evening -and through the night the downpour continued, and on Sunday morning, -when it was still raining hard, Mr. J---- told me he felt rather -anxious about his men, as they were encamped close to a stream in a -valley, with high hills on either side. His anxiety turned out to -be well founded, for on that Saturday night, as Mr. de C----, the -assistant-surveyor, and the three men were fast asleep, the stream -overflowed its bank, and the water gradually rising at last washed -their tents away, and they awoke to find the flood level with their -beds, and a bitterly cold rain pelting down on them. - -A surveyor's camp bed is constructed usually as follows:-- - -Four tea-tree stakes for legs are driven well in the ground, and cut -off at a convenient height above it. A couple of sacks with holes cut -in each corner of the bottom are then stretched on two six foot stakes -passed through the holes, and these stakes are nailed securely on the -top of those driven in the ground, thus forming the bed, on which is -laid either dried ferns or Mongi-mongi as a mattress. The tents that -were washed away were recovered uninjured, and beyond the loss of a tin -pot or two, and the wetting of some boots and clothes, no great damage -was done, as Mr. J---- had luckily planted his tent, containing the -instruments, maps, &c., on high ground beyond the reach of flood. - -Being flooded out, I am told, is by no means an uncommon occurrence -in the lives of Zealand Government surveyors. Compelled to camp near -running water, as of course they cannot spare the time to sink wells, -and have no water tanks, sudden floods often overtake even the most -wary. Indeed, being flooded out, working up to the knees in mud -and water, swimming rivers, climbing almost impossible mountains, -subsisting on the pith of the Nikau palm when provisions run out and -cannot be renewed, rheumatic pains, fevers and agues, may be all said -to fall within the usual experience of the New Zealand Government -surveyor, and to become qualified to enjoy these experiences a special -training is required, and a stiff examination has to be passed. There -is no guarantee of the permanency of the appointment, and no retiring -pensions are granted. - -A young man may waste several of the best years of his life studying -for the post of Government surveyor, which he may obtain only to be -dispossessed of on the plea of retrenchment. The colony being so -young, presents few openings for educated men to make a start in life. -I sincerely trust, however, it will have something more promising to -offer the rising generation when their time comes to go forth into the -world. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -_THE KAURI GUMDIGGER._ - - -I am going to commence this chapter by confessing that I find myself -in a difficulty. All my endeavours to secure an appointment had proved -abortive. I am anxious to stick to fact, and at the same time to -interest my reader, but how can it be done, if I simply relate the -details of my humdrum life as a country settler! - -Three or four chapters back, I rushed off from my narrative into the -New Zealand forests, and then apologised, but I can't keep perpetually -apologising, and to prevent the reader from closing my book in disgust, -I must ask him to hold me excused if I frequently bolt off the even -course of my clodhoppery existence into subjects which are more -interesting. - -I have already briefly described one of North Auckland's greatest -industries--the Kauri timber trade--an industry, alas! of destruction, -and one whose days are numbered. There is another great industry -which also owes its existence to the Kauri, both of the present and of -bygones times. I mean the Kauri gum trade. This being the land of the -glorious Kauri pine for all ages, of course forms the "Tom Tiddler's" -ground of the happy-go-lucky gumdiggers, of whom there are at the -present time over ten thousand in the North Auckland district. About -£350,000 worth of Kauri gum was exported last year from the province -of Auckland, principally to London and America. It is used largely in -the manufacture of varnish and lacquers, and as there are no varnish -manufactories of any importance in New Zealand, all the gum is sent -away. - -The three principal exports of the province of Auckland are Kauri -gum, gold, and timber, and the export value of the former is greater -than the combined values of the gold and timber. The gumdigger -therefore plays a most important part in the province of Auckland, as -without his assistance its export trade would look very shady, yet -he is universally looked down upon by the sober-sided settler, who -hardly ever has a good word for him. "He's only a gumdigger," is an -expression I have commonly heard used, to imply that the individual -indicated was a person of no importance. - -The title "Gumdigger" itself may have something to do with the matter. -It is not a nice word, and looks too much like "Gravedigger" at first -sight. Possibly, too, the sedate settler may not think digging gum -so intellectual and high-toned an employment as digging potatoes, -fattening pigs, and the other duties which fall to his lot; again, -the gumdigger proper is not a landowner; and yet again, he is often -addicted to what he terms "going on the spree," and when he has changed -his gum into money, to changing the money into strong waters. All these -causes, I think, conspire together to lower him in the eyes of the -extremely respectable, but ofttimes narrow-minded settler. - -I have not the slightest wish to endeavour to defend the gumdigger -for the intemperance and careless waste of money that too generally -characterises him, but I will say, and say it without fear of -contradiction, that he is exposed to far greater temptations than ever -beset the settler. He lives an entirely isolated and a fearfully hard -life out on the gum-field, and when he comes into a township, which he -probably does every two or three months, and converts his gum into -money, the temptation "to go on the spree" is great. He is unmarried, -and has no particular use for the surplus money after his "tucker" bill -is paid, and he spends it recklessly. There are savings-banks, it is -true, but no one calls his attention to the fact that by depositing his -surplus cash in them it will be making money for him while he is out on -the gum-field, and the probability is that he does not know of their -existence. The settler has a hundred improvements to make on his land, -and has plenty of ways of employing his spare cash. Besides, he is -generally surrounded by his family, and has not to endure the horrible -isolation in which most of the gumdiggers' time is spent. - -Not all gumdiggers, however, waste their substance. Many when they -indulge in a holiday, enjoy themselves in a moderate and becoming -manner. Not long since I was rowing by the Matakohe Wharf, and saw a -stout, thick-set man, whom I knew to be a gumdigger, fishing off its -seaward end. His legs were dangling over the edge, his back was resting -against one of the mooring posts, in his mouth was a short clay, and by -his side stood a bottle of beer and a tumbler. His face wore a look of -placid contentment, and he was evidently enjoying himself thoroughly. - -[Illustration: A Gumdigger's Holiday.] - -Gumdigging is exceptionally hard work, and only a man accustomed to -manual labour can hope to be successful at it. Some intelligence too -and power of observation is required, in order that the digger may not -waste time working in unlikely places. When an old Kauri tree dies and -falls, its huge roots throw up a mound of earth, and the shape of these -mounds indicate to an observing digger the direction in which the trees -have fallen, although all signs of the trees themselves have entirely -decayed away and disappeared, perhaps thousands of years ago. As the -gum generally exudes freely from the Kauri, and collects in the forks -where the trunk commences to throw out branches, by stepping sixty or -seventy feet from the mound in the right direction, and digging there, -gum will probably be found. The mounds themselves also offer good -chances, and these are generally first attacked. - -A gumdigger's outfit is not an expensive one. It consists of a spade, a -gum spear, and a piece of sacking made into a bag and strapped on his -back with pieces of flax. - -The gum spear is a four-sided rod of steel, about four feet long, -and pointed at one end. It looks very like a fencing foil, with a -handle like a spade stuck in the end of it, instead of a hilt. If the -field is a new one, or has been but little worked, this instrument -is brought into use, and with it the gumdigger probes the ground in -different directions, until he strikes a piece of gum, which, if at -all experienced, he can tell at once from a stone, root, or other -substance. He then digs it up, puts it in the bag, and recommences -spearing. An old observing hand generally does a good deal less -spearing than a new chum, but a good deal more putting in the bag. When -a field has been dug over two or three times, as most of them have been -now, the big lumps have nearly all been removed, and the method then -adopted is to dig in the most likely places, on the chance of turning -up gum with the earth. Here the observing digger again gets the pull, -for instead of digging a patch right out as many do, he digs a spitful -here and a spitful there, and generally manages to turn up gum. - -My theory is, that by minutely examining the places where gum is turned -up, and comparing it with the surrounding ground, the wide-awake -ones have discovered something or other--I don't in the least know -what--which indicates to them the most likely places to dig. Anyway, it -is a fact that some gumdiggers earn their two and three pounds a week, -while others working equally hard, if not harder, in the field, can -scarcely pay their "tucker" bill. - -[Illustration: Group of Tree-Gummers under Kauri.] - -[Illustration: Gum Scraping.] - -After the gum has been dug up, it has to be scraped, and this is -generally done by the gumdigger before he offers it for sale. If an -industrious man, his evenings are usually spent at this tedious work; -and the more successful his day's digging, the more scraping lies -before him in the evening, and it is considered a good ten hours' work -to scrape a hundredweight of gum. When it is thoroughly scraped, it is -easy to see the quality, and it is then sorted into boxes. The rarest -kind is quite transparent and resembles lumps of glass; the next in -order, is cloudy in places, yellowish looking, and very like amber, -though much more brittle; some again is all cloudy, and the commonest -sort of all is almost opaque. The clearer it is the higher its value, -and the price for the first class, which is used in the manufacture of -copal varnishes, ranges from about £70 to £80 a ton, according as the -market is over or under stocked. - -[Illustration: Gum Scraper's Knife, constructed so that blade can be -replaced when worn out.] - -Very pretty ornaments can be cut with a pen-knife out of Kauri gum, -the surface of which may be afterwards easily polished by being -rubbed with a piece of flannel soaked in kerosine oil. In most of the -gumdiggers' huts (or whares, as they are called), and in settlers' -houses in gumdigging districts, are to be found specimens of amateur -gum-carving, among which, hearts are by far the most popular subject. -I have seen flat hearts with sharp edges, rounded hearts, lob-sided -hearts, elongated hearts, and many other varieties of Kauri gum hearts, -which, though doubtless greatly admired by the personal friends of -the carvers, could not be said to possess any commercial value. The -material is too fragile for elaborate and artistic designs to be -attempted, and no trade of any extent in Kauri gum carvings is pushed -in the colony. - -All the gum dug out of the gum-fields of course belonged to Kauri trees -of bygone ages, and is sometimes called fossil gum. From the living -Kauri, however, gum is constantly exuding, and forming in large lumps -in the forks of the branches. To secure this it is necessary to climb -the tree; but the barrel being of such huge dimensions, and rising -like a pillar for sixty or seventy feet, it cannot be climbed in the -ordinary manner. The plan generally adopted, therefore, is to tie a -small weight to a long piece of strong twine or fishing-line, and throw -the weight over the branches; the end of the thread held below is then -slacked out until the weight is lowered within reach, when a rope is -tied to the line, and hauled up over the branch and down again the -other side. Climbing this rope, the gum-seeker gains a footing on the -branch, and with a tomahawk, hacks out the gum and lets it fall to the -ground. I have heard of another method of climbing by means of steps -cut with a tomahawk in the barrel of a Kauri, but have never seen it -done, and should think it an exceedingly dangerous operation. Climbing -for gum in the ordinary way with a rope is dangerous work enough, and -very often men meet their death when engaged in the occupation. Only a -few weeks back the dead body of a native was found in the bush about -four miles from here, lying at the foot of a Kauri, the rope dangling -from a branch overhead, clearly indicating the manner of his death. -Tree gum is not so valuable as the ordinary gum found in the ground, -but it can be obtained in much larger lumps, and a good tree climber -can make on the average between three and four pounds a week. - -[Illustration: Climbing Kauri for Gum.] - -The Kauri gum industry cannot be considered as an unmixed blessing to -the province of Auckland, inasmuch as it materially helps to keep up -the price of labour. If a man cannot get the wages he wants, away he -goes to the gum-fields, and although he probably only makes enough to -just keep himself alive, still he is his own master, and is always -looking forward to doing better. The life he leads when gumdigging is a -fearfully lonely one, and he would really be far happier and far better -off, if he were working regularly for moderate wages at some factory, -with mates around him, and a comfortable cottage to spend his evenings -in, when his day's work is over. - -The North New Zealand working-man cannot see this at present, however, -and until he is forced to see it, the natural industries of the -province of Auckland can never be developed. - -Take, for instance, the varnish-making industry. Although New Zealand -is the only country in the whole world which produces Kauri gum--one of -the most important ingredients in varnish--yet it is all sent away in -its crude state, for other countries to derive the benefits and profits -consequent on its manufacture into varnish. - -Before closing the chapter, I must say a word concerning the honesty -of gumdiggers. Within a radius of twenty miles from here, there are -several hundred men engaged in the occupation, and within that same -radius we only possess two rural policemen. In spite of this feeble -protection, however, I have never during my residence in the district, -heard of a robbery being committed by a gumdigger, although many -scarcely earn enough to keep themselves alive. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -_A STORY OF A BUSHRANGER._ - - -We are indeed very seldom troubled in the North Kaipara district with -thieves or burglars. No one ever thinks of bolting a door, nor do -people hesitate to vacate their habitations for two or three days, -leaving them entirely tenantless and unguarded. There are no wolves -among us; we are all lambs (I was going to say sheep, but I won't). - -This was the state of things, until a sort of amateur bushranger -started business in the district, about eighteen months ago, and -upset all our feelings of security. He was not a gumdigger, however, -but a labourer employed by a gentleman sheep farming in Matakohe. As -correspondent for the _Auckland Weekly News_, I sent the Editor the -following account concerning his little enterprise:-- - - "A NORTH KAIPARA BUSHRANGER. - - "An individual has for some time past been wandering about the - different settlements here, whose doings do not at all meet with the - approval of the inhabitants. He has contracted an unpleasant habit - of visiting houses at the witching hour of midnight, and extracting - from the larders whatever comestibles he finds to his taste. His - penchant for sweetmeats of all kinds is remarkable. He would risk - his liberty for a bottle of lollies, while the sight of a jam tart - would draw him through a plate-glass window. This gentleman rejoices - in many names, Sullivan being the one he at present patronises. Last - week he visited Paparoa and Maungaturoto, and regaled himself at - several establishments. On Saturday he called at Mr. D.'s. store, - Maungaturoto, the owner being engaged elsewhere. Sullivan, unwilling - to disturb him, broke open the door, and captured a bottle of prime - bulls'-eyes and some other articles. He next made a short stay at the - Doctor's, but what he secured there I have not heard. Some time last - week he honoured Mr. B. of Paparoa with a visit, took all the loose - cash he could find, a jar full of sweet jelly, and a batch of bread, - leaving a stale loaf in its place. Finding that creeping through - windows, hiding in holes, and sleeping in the tea-tree scrub had had - a very deteriorating effect on his clothes, he applied to Mr. H.'s - store, Pahi, during the proprietor's absence, and selecting a suit to - his satisfaction, left without a word. Last Sunday he was reported to - have reached Matakohe, and probably his presence will be felt by some - of the settlers before long. Naturally, his movements have excited, - and still excite, a good deal of notice and criticism, and a few - weeks back some settlers, taking an unfavourable view of his peculiar - free-and-easy mode of existence, applied to a local constable to come - and put a stop to his little game. In due course this functionary - arrived, and a sigh of relief went through the several settlements--an - arm of the law was with us, and confidence was restored. - - "The energy displayed by this officer was indeed most reassuring. - No sooner did he hear of a settler's house having been entered the - previous night, than he was off at once to the place. No sooner did - the news reach him of another depredation being committed elsewhere, - than away he went again, and at last succeeded in capturing--not the - man--but some mementoes of his travels. The story goes, that he very - nearly captured the man himself, and would have done so, if the man, - who is very powerfully built, had not unfortunately captured him - instead. It was in this way. Having sighted his proposed captive, our - energetic and plucky local official immediately gave chase, and was - evidently gaining ground, when the pursued suddenly crouched down in - some tea-tree scrub. 'Now I have him,' thought the exulting rural - representative of the law, and in another instant he was on the back, - and his hand was on the collar, of the larder-breaking Sullivan, - while in a voice of thunder he shouted, 'I arrest you in the name - of the law.' Had the midnight prowler any sense of decency and the - fitness of things, now was the time to show it by resigning himself - quietly to his fate and the majesty of the law. But no! the bump of - reverence must indeed be wanting in the cranium of this sweet-toothed - bushranger, for instead of thus comporting himself, he actually (so - runs the tale) passed his hand over the constable's shoulder, grasped - his coat collar, and raising himself from is stooping posture, marched - off with the highly indignant officer kicking and struggling on his - back. On arriving at a creek, he shot the representative of the law - over his shoulder into the water like a sack of coals, and retired - into the bush to suck lollipops. After this episode our rural - official returned to his home (eighteen miles away) to consider what - was best to be done, leaving word, however, at Paparoa that should - the knight of the jam tarts and bulls'-eyes be seen anywhere, he was - to be detained until our rural official could come over to arrest - him. Mr. Sullivan has made his presence felt several times since, but - there always seems to be a difficulty about inducing him to remain in - any one place sufficiently long to call in the services of our rural - officer. Another rural officer from the Wairoa has now come forward, - and is at present at Maungaturoto, while Sullivan is here. By the - time the rural officer arrives here, the wily Sullivan will probably - be at Pahi. If he could only be induced to partake of some carefully - doctored jam tart, I think the rural officer would be more evenly - handicapped. As it is, unless our volatile visitor gets a sunstroke, - or accidentally chokes himself with a bull's eye, I fear a good many - more larders will be emptied and a good many more jam tarts reported - missing before he is safely placed under lock and key in Mount Eden - Jail." - -This lollipop-sucking bushranger for several weeks completely baffled -all efforts to arrest him, and pursued with impunity his meteoric -course, leaving behind him a well-defined train composed of jam tins, -lolly bottles, pie dishes, infuriated settlers, and rural policemen. -He was finally captured near Helensville, about sixty miles from here, -and in due course brought before the magistrates at Pahi, who committed -him for trial. I rode over to be present at the hearing of the case, -and in returning after dark, my horse shied, the saddle, too loosely -girthed, slipped round, and I was thrown, the result being concussion -of the brain. An acquaintance, a Paparoa settler, got me home somehow -or other, and for three days my mind was wandering, during which time -my poor wife had to attend to me entirely unaided, as on the very day -of my accident she had dismissed our servant girl for dishonesty. The -principal storekeeper in Matakohe kindly came at once, offered his -services, and telegraphed for the doctor, who unfortunately was engaged -attending a serious case at a distance. When he did arrive he said my -wife had done everything he could have done, and that I was going on -all right. It was months, however, before I could get about again, -and neither my wife nor myself are likely to easily forget the North -Kaipara bushranger, now safely installed in Mount Eden Jail, and about -half way through the term of three years' imprisonment with hard labour -to which he was sentenced. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -_SPORTS._ - - -A grand opportunity for an energetic bushranger might be found on the -Pahi regatta and sports day, generally held in January. Then every -one, masters, mistresses, children, and servants turn out, and leave -houses and their contents to look after themselves. It is one of the -chief events we look forward to in our uneventful lives up here, and a -most sociable and enjoyable day is always spent, for every one seems -light-hearted and happy on a Pahi sports day. Luncheon parties are -given on board cutters, owned by neighbouring settlers, and moored so -as to command a good view of the races; picnic parties are held on the -bright shelly beach, while the settlers who live in the township itself -keep open house. - -Our punt usually conveys us to the scene of gaiety, distant about four -miles by water, though over twelve by land. It was on our first visit -on a regatta day that I became acquainted with a singular colonial -institution known by the name of "planting." My introduction came about -in this way. I had not long disembarked my wife and children at the -township, after a somewhat boisterous trip, when a gentleman whose -acquaintance I had lately made came up, and after shaking hands with -us all, whispered mysteriously in my ear that he had a plant near, -and wished me to come with him. Having secured seats for my party, -I followed, wondering what sort of plant it could possibly be that -required mentioning in such strangely subdued tones. My conductor soon -came to a clump of tea tree, where, stooping down, he commenced groping -about among the undergrowth, and at last produced a bottle containing -some liquid, which I shortly after discovered to be brandy and water. -What a curious plant! and in what a curious position to find it! The -tea tree (symbolical of blue ribbonism) protecting and sheltering the -deadly brandy and water plant. Here is food for reflection indeed, -but let it pass! There were plants (of the class alcoholic) in all -directions that day, from the humble beer to the haughty three star -brandy plant. - -An hotel has since been opened in Pahi, and there is now no necessity -for planting, though the system--which will doubtless strike with -horror some of my readers--is still in vogue in most country districts -on the occasion of any public gathering. In common justice, I am bound -to say that I saw no one on that day at Pahi the slightest degree the -worse for the peculiar gardening operations; in fact, unless like a -bee gathering honey from flower to flower, some thirsty soul had made -a round of the plants, which he could only do on receiving a general -invitation from the proprietors, they were harmless enough, and the -system must be regarded simply as a method adopted by colonials to show -good fellowship. - -To return to the regatta. Three or four hundred persons were by -this time assembled. My wife had joined, by invitation, a party of -ladies--the wives of some of Mr. Hay's heroes in "Brighter Britain"--on -board one of the moored yachts, and I leave her deeply engaged in that -enjoyment so dear to most ladies--a good gossip--and stroll on to the -wharf to see the cutter race started. After some little delay, and a -good deal of shouting, the seven boats entered for the contest are -in position, the gun is fired from the umpire's boat for the start, -and they all become suddenly covered with canvas, and are off. It is -blowing half a gale--but what care they. Up go their gaff topsails, and -the boats careen over until you can almost see their keels. Most of -them carry extra hands for ballast, and this live ballast hangs itself -over the windward rail. Away they go, till they look like toy yachts -in the distance. Now they round the buoy, and beat up for home. One -boat misses stays and goes ashore, another carries away her topmast, -and a third springs her bowsprit and gives in. But nobody seems to -mind--every one appears happy--owners of the damaged crafts and all. -On the wharf, which is crowded, a little mild betting goes on, and a -gentleman (an old Etonian) gets up a shilling sweepstake in his hat. -Bang goes the gun, as the first boat passes the winning post. Bang -again, and the second boat is in. Then a voice whispers in my ear, -"Come along, I've got a plant;" and I retire with the whisperer, and -have a glass of ale. - -While the cutter race is progressing a rowing match is started, and -then a punt race is rowed, followed by another sailing race for open -boats, a Maori race, and a model yacht race. After all the boat events -have been run off, walking a greasy boom fixed out from the end of -the wharf is indulged in; and after that the landsmen have a turn, and -a move is made for the greensward, which reaches down to the beach. -Here are erected hurdles for horse-jumping, in which several Maoris -(who are great at sports) are competitors; next comes pole leaping, -long jumping, foot races, &c.; and the sports conclude with an obstacle -race, in which the competitors have to crawl through bottomless tubs, -and overcome all sorts of carefully devised impediments to their -passage. A concert and dance in the public hall conclude a most -enjoyable day's amusement. At its conclusion, horses are saddled, boats -and punts got ready, and the assembly melts away, leaving the pretty -township of Pahi bathed in the glorious light of the full moon, which -here and there shines brightly on the sapless remains of the now no -longer regarded colonial alcoholic plants. - -Another great break in our monotony up here is the Matakohe Annual -Race Meeting, in connection with which I at present hold the position -of Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. At our last meeting, held in March, -about four hundred persons assembled on the racecourse, and a capital -day's sport was enjoyed. We had a grand stand capable of seating three -hundred, refreshment booths, saddling paddock, weighing room, a tent -for the Secretary, and a Judge's box. The jockeys all rode in colours, -and the scene was altogether a very brilliant and enlivening one. The -following events were run off during the day:-- - -The Maiden Plate, over a mile and a half course. Nine horses started, -and winner received seven pounds. - -Settlers' Race Handicap. Two miles course. Six started, and winner -received seven pounds. - -Handicap Hurdle Race. Two miles course, with eight sets of three feet -six inch hurdles. Four started, and winner received eight pounds ten -shillings, and second horse one pound five shillings. - -Hack Hurdles, over a mile and a half course and six flights of hurdles. -Five started, and winner received five pounds. - -Maori Race, over a mile and a half course. Only three horses started, -and winner received five pounds. - -_Matakohe Cup Handicap._ Two miles. Seven started. Winner received -thirteen pounds ten shillings, and second horse one pound ten -shillings. - -A Trotting Race, Pony Race, and Consolation Handicap, the winners -carrying off between them twelve pounds, completed the events of the -day. - -Order was sustained by half the police force in the whole district, -consisting of one constable of portly dimensions, backed by an -imposing uniform and a shako. The money for the prizes was supplied -by the takings at the gates, the nomination and acceptance fees, and -the subscriptions of the members of the Club. There was no betting -beyond a few shilling sweepstakes got up in the old Etonian's hat. No -drunkenness disturbed the harmony of the day, or the equanimity of -our stalwart protector. Legitimate sport, and nothing else, called us -together, and legitimate sport we enjoyed to our hearts' content. - -I am confident that great good results from such gatherings as the -two I have described--the Pahi Regatta and the Matakohe Races. In the -former, several of the competing cutters and boats, and all the punts, -are locally built, and wholesome rivalry is excited among the builders, -tending to improve the class of boat turned out by them. In the case of -the races, the tendency is to improve the breed of horses, and to study -more closely the most important animal in the colony. - -These social gatherings also do good in another way, by bringing -about a general hand-shaking and wiping out for a time of the petty -jealousies and the miserable little bickerings and quarrels that too -often exist among a certain class in these little settlements. Among -such people the slightest thing is sufficient to cause a break in -friendship. If Jones does not vote the same way as Brown, smash goes -their acquaintance; if Robinson afterwards asks the discarded Jones to -spend the evening, he is cut dead by Brown immediately; and if Mrs. -Robinson appears in chapel with a more gaudy bonnet than Mrs. Jones -possesses, the demon jealousy is at once aroused, and a coolness takes -place between the two families. - -The most active agent, however, in producing discord among the settlers -is the law relating to straying cattle. As it at present stands, no -compensation can be obtained for damage done by straying cattle unless -the land trespassed on is enclosed by what is termed "a legal fence," -which must be of a certain height and of certain forms of construction. -A summons may certainly be taken out for trespass, and the owner of -the cattle fined one shilling per head, but to do this involves a great -loss of time, and is very little satisfaction. - -The result of this law is that the man who has good feed on his land -has to erect fences unnecessarily strong for the restraint of his own -cattle, in order to keep out his neighbour's wandering animals. It -certainly causes cattle to be very cheap, but at the same time does -great injury to the legitimate farmer, who will not take advantage of -this miserable piece of legislation, and who keeps his paddocks in good -grass, and his beasts in proper restraint. Many settlers systematically -breed calves, which, when about three months old, they brand with their -initials, and turn out on the roads to get their living as best they -may, knowing that if they do break into a neighbour's paddock, the -chances are that they can show he has not a legal fence. - -Surely it would be more just if the law made it compulsory for a man -to fence sufficiently to keep his own cattle in, and not oblige him -to fence to keep other people's out. Suppose twelve men take up land -near together, only one of whom owns cattle, while the others crop and -grow fruit trees, does it not seem grossly unjust that, in order to -place themselves in a position to obtain damages, the eleven should -be obliged to erect legal fences round their properties to keep out -the twelfth man's cattle? Yet this is the law as it stands at present -in New Zealand, and any change in it would probably meet with a great -amount of opposition. We pay dearly enough for our laws out here, -however, and the motto of all law-makers should be _Fiat justitia ruat -cœlum_. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -_SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND._ - - -At the end of my last chapter I remarked that we pay dearly enough for -our laws out here, and I will now try and explain my reasons for so -thinking. In my humble opinion, we are altogether over-governed, and -that this is one of the reasons why so many of our enterprises turn -out commercially unsuccessful, and also why we do not make our own -varnish, our own furniture, and do not push many other industries, for -the prosecution of which the colony possesses exceptional advantages. -We seem to be playing at being a big nation--a second Great Britain in -fact--while our entire population does not reach the population of one -of England's first-class towns. - -Besides His Excellency the Governor, we have a Premier, styled -an "Honourable," with a salary of £1750 a year, a ministerial -residence, travelling and other allowances; six Cabinet ministers -holding portfolios, receiving each a salary of £1250 a year, a -ministerial residence, travelling and other allowances, and each -styled an Honourable; one minister without portfolio, receiving a -salary of £800 a year; a host of clerks belonging to the different -ministerial departments, with salaries from £800 a year downwards; -an attorney-general, solicitor-general, and several law officers; -a Legislative Council, consisting at present, I believe, of a -Speaker, a Chairman of Committee, Clerk to the Council, and forty-six -members--each member being appointed _for life_, and receiving 200 -guineas every Parliamentary session, a free pass on the railways, and -the title "Hon." tacked on before his name.[A] - -[Footnote A: The Legislative Council is supposed to correspond with the -House of Lords at home, but is called out here by the irreverent, the -Old Man's Refuge.] - -Then we have the House of Representatives, consisting of a Speaker, -Chairman of Committees, Clerk of Committees, Clerk of the House, -Sergeant-at-arms, Clerk of Writs, and ninety members. The M.H.R.'s are -elected for three years, and each receives an honorarium of 200 guineas -a session, a free pass on the railways, and has M.H.R. tacked on after -his name. - -It is doubtless a very proud and pleasant thing to be able to say we -have a House of Lords, a Sergeant-at-arms, and all that sort of thing, -but we are paying too dearly for the gratification. - -In England, with an army and navy to support, and a National Debt of -about seven hundred millions, the general government costs rather under -fifty shillings per head. Out here, with a public debt of thirty-two -millions, it costs double, though all we possess in the way of army and -navy consists of one general, a few volunteers, and a small steamboat -called the _Hinamoe_ (_i.e._, the sleepy), which, I believe, looks -after the lighthouses, and carries the "Hons." and the "M.H.R.'s" about -when they require change of air. - -With regard to New Zealand's debt, it may be remarked that the money -borrowed has not been thrown away on profitless wars, as is often the -case with Government loans,--and that although I fear a good deal of -money has been wasted, still there is something better to show than -soldier's graves and tattered standards. There are telegraph lines, -harbours, lighthouses, and about sixteen hundred and twenty miles of -railway, which return at present a net profit of nearly three per -cent. on their entire cost--over twelve and a half millions--and would -probably return considerably more were the charges reduced so that -farmers, orchardists, and others could profitably utilise them as -carriers. Last year over four millions were expended in governing the -colony, of which about one million was derived from the gross revenue -of the railways, and three millions squeezed somehow or other out -of the colonists. About half this sum of three millions went to pay -interest on the public debt, and half the cost of government. It is -with the latter item that our chance of retrenchment at present lies. - -The population of the colony last year numbered about 620,000, -comprised, as nearly as I can ascertain, of 120,000 unmarried men, -women, widows, and widowers, 100,000 married men, 100,000 married -women, and 300,000 children. It is clear that the 120,000 unmarried, -and the 100,000 married men, have between them to pay, directly and -indirectly, the whole sum necessary for the interest on the loans -and the cost of government. The married man, with wife and average -allowance of three children, has of course to contribute a very much -larger share than the single individual, who has only himself or -herself to support, and I will assume that the married man pays three -quarters, and the unmarried one quarter. The former has therefore -(without counting local rates) to contribute about £22, 10s. annually, -half of which sum goes to sustain our expensive game of pretending to -be a big nation. - -How can labour be cheap when the above is the case! If the cost of -government were reduced to one half, the married labouring man (and -it is he that fixes the rate of wages) could afford to work for -appreciably less than he now can, the cost of working the railways -would be diminished, and the revenue from them proportionately -increased. A sensible reduction in the price of labour would doubtless -also most beneficially affect the commercial prospects of the colony, -and probably cause the successful development of its many suitable -industries. - -Mr. Froude, in his book "Oceana," talks about the possibility of New -Zealand repudiating her debt, and I trust he will not be angry if I say -that the information given him on this point is about as accurate as -the information he received concerning Kauri gum, to the effect that it -was valuable because it made pretty ornaments. There is little fear of -New Zealand repudiating her debt--as I think the figures I have given -show--but I trust before long she will repudiate all the unnecessary -paraphernalia of government that is weighing her down. - -The colony may at present, I think, be likened to a goodly fruit tree -full of bud and promise, but suffering from the ravages of host of -caterpillars, which are destroying its blossoms, and with them the -chance of fruit. - -A new Government pledged to retrenchment has lately been formed, and I -trust the promises made on the platform will be fulfilled later on in -Parliament. - -Since writing the above, the following paragraph _referring to the -late ministry_ appeared among the items of Parliamentary news in the -_Auckland Evening Star_ of December 6, 1887. - - "MINISTERIAL RESIDENCES. - - "The following rather questionable items appear in the return of - expenditure during the last six months on ministerial residences, and - have created some comment:-- - - "Tinakori Road House (Sir J. Vogel's): Overhauling lift, £11, 16s. - 8d.; gas-fittings for theatrical stages, £2, 9s. 11d.; hire of piano, - tuning and repairing, £10, 4s.; 12 dining-room chairs, at 60s., £36; - pink and gold breakfast set, £3; one spring lounge, £10; hire of - piano, £7, 10s. - - "Molesworth Street (Hon. E. Richardson's): Re-covering suite in plush, - £35; knife-cleaning machine, £4, 10s.; hire of piano, £8, 0s. 6d.; - hire of piano repairing, £3, 5s.; three gas fires, £9; one dinner - service, £14, 18s.; garden hose and fitting, £4, 1s. 4d. - - "Tinakori Road (east) (Hon. J. A. Tole's): One walnut card table, - £5; two spirit seltzogenes, £5, 2s. 6d.; flower-pots, £1; set best - hangings, £9; one mangle, £8, 10s.; three pairs curtains, £5, 12s. - 6d.; one child's bath, £1; packing piano from Christchurch to - Wellington, £1, 10s.; freight, 9s. 8d." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -_KAIPARA INSECTS._ - - -This part of New Zealand, as well as suffering in common with the rest -of the colony from the ravages of the political caterpillar, is a good -deal troubled with other insects, and an entomologist would find in -the Kaipara rare opportunities of prosecuting his studies. Some of the -specimens are so strange that they cannot fail to strike with their -peculiarities the most unobserving, and I will venture to describe two -or three of them. - -[Illustration: The Kauri Bug (life size).] - -[Illustration: Aweto or Bulrush Caterpillar (two-thirds life size).] - -The Kauri bug (called by the Maoris the Kekereru), with its power -of emitting a terrible and unbearable smell when alarmed, has been -so often and so fully dealt with by writers, that I shall content -myself with simply making a sketch of the insect, leaving its smell -to the imagination of my readers, and will proceed to describe the -most curious of the New Zealand native insects I have seen, called -the bulrush caterpillar (_Sphœria Robertsia_)--native name, Aweto. -This caterpillar becomes changed into a white vegetable substance -while still retaining its caterpillar shape. It is from three to three -and a half inches in length, and when about to assume the chrysalis -form buries itself in the ground, and it is supposed that in doing -so, some of the minute seeds of a fungus become inserted between the -scales of its neck; these the insect, being in a sickly condition, -is unable to rid itself of, and they vegetate and spread through the -whole of the body, completely filling and changing it entirely into a -vegetable substance, though retaining exactly the caterpillar form, -even to the legs, head, mandibles, and claws. From the nape of the -neck shoots one single stem, which grows to a height of eight or ten -inches, its apex resembling very closely the club-headed bulrush in -miniature. This insect plant is generally found growing at the root -of the Rata tree. It has no leaves, and if the stem by chance becomes -broken off, another arises in its place, though two stems are never -found growing simultaneously from one caterpillar. When fresh, the -vegetable substance of which it is composed is soft, and has a strong -nutty flavour, and the natives are fond of eating it; they also use it -burnt and ground to powder as colouring matter for tattooing purposes. -In every instance the caterpillar is found perfect in shape and size, -without any sign of contraction or decomposition, and it is therefore -presumed that the vegetating process takes place during the insect's -life. A section of the insect vegetable shows distinctly the intestine -passage. - -[Illustration: The Mantis (life size).] - -Another curious insect found here is the "Mantis," commonly called, -on account of its shape, "the ridge-pole rafter." This insect has the -power of changing its colour like the chameleon. It favours tea-tree -more than any other plant, and if resting on a withered portion, -assumes a corresponding brown colour, though when found on the young -leaves it is a bright green. Its shape is most peculiar, and very -suggestive of the name given it. - -[Illustration: The Weta, Male (two-thirds life size).] - -[Illustration: The Weta, Female (two-thirds life size).] - -Another insect very commonly found in soft wood tree is called by the -natives the "Weta," but by vulgar little boys "The Jimmy Nipper." It is -a most repulsive and formidable-looking insect, with a body sometimes -two and a half inches long, and is capable of biting hard enough to -make blood flow freely. The male and female differ considerably in -shape, the male being provided with an immense pair of jaws. They have -no wings, and their bodies are covered with a kind of horny shell. - -I was engaged felling some dead trees in my bush when I first made the -acquaintance of these uncanny looking insects, and I then discovered -two specimens in a hollow tree. A settler, an old soldier, hailing from -the Emerald Isle, was assisting me, and I asked him what they were -called. - -"Jimmy Nippers to be shure, sur!" he responded; "and by the same token, -one's a male, and t'other's a faimale." - -I inquired if he knew which was which, and he replied-- - -"Bedad, sur, shure that's aisy to see; look at the power of jaw in that -one--that's the faimale, sur." - -I found out afterwards, however, that he was wrong, and his mode of -reasoning defective, and, I fear, hardly complimentary to the fair sex. - -One of the insects most dreaded by our orchardists is an insect called -the "Leech," about a third of an inch long, and very like a small slug. -It sometimes attacks plum and pear trees in thousands, and completely -denudes them of leaves. Shaking wood ashes over the trees is a very -effective method of getting rid of these pests. - -During some summers a kind of cricket also appears in immense numbers -and eats the grass, and the bark off the fruit trees. The best remedy -for these is to keep poultry, which relish them immensely, though the -crickets in no sense return the compliment, as they give the flesh of -the fowls a disagreeable bitter taste, and render them for the time -unfit for the table. The eggs are not affected, however, and corn is -saved, which is one point gained. Where crickets are undisturbed, they -destroy all the grass in their neighbourhood, and then turn cannibals -and eat one another. - -We have not, I am happy to say, the dreaded Codlin moth up here, -although it exists, I believe, in some parts of New Zealand. - -Another destructive insect is a little brown beetle, shaped exactly as -the lady bird. This insect confines its attention to the stalk end of -the apple, round which it nibbles, until the apple withers and drops -off. Last year the orchards in the neighbourhood were free from this -pest, and I hope they have either moved to pastures new, or have been -exterminated by some of our insect-eating birds. - -The spider tribe is very fully represented, some specimens being of -enormous size. One kind is said to be so dangerous that a bite from it -endangers life. I have never, however, heard of any one in the Kaipara -having been bitten. - -One other insect, called the Mason bee, I must mention. This fly -builds a nest of a kind of white mortar, stocks it with small spiders, -and lives in solitary state. It lays its eggs in the nest, and the -stored spiders, which are not dead, but appear to have been rendered -insensible, are for the consumption of its offspring when they hatch -out. The Mason bee has a very venomous sting, and is altogether an -undesirable visitor, as it builds its habitation in all sorts of -untoward places, sometimes even in the locks of doors. - -We have numerous other kinds of insects, including a small sort of -mosquito, a vicious little biting fly called the sandfly, and a locust, -which, though differing altogether in shape from the ordinary locust of -the East of Europe, makes exactly the same noise when settled on a tree. - -My readers will probably think, from the foregoing alarming list, that -we are an insect-ridden district altogether, but nature has provided -us with plenty of help to keep down our pests. We have a beautiful -little bird called the Blight bird, as small as some humming birds, -which lives principally on flies and insects, though rather partial -at times to grapes and figs; we have a bright brown vulture hocked -bird--about the size of a lark, barred with brown and white on the -breast, and with a beautiful metallic lustre on its feathers--which -comes in flocks, and destroys great quantities of the Leech; and we -have the imported Chinese Pheasant, which helps us greatly in the -matter of slugs and crickets, though sadly given to rooting up crops -of maize and potatoes, in consequence of which unfortunate habit it is -looked upon as a deadly enemy by most of the farmers. - -I asked my Hibernian naturalist friend one day how his potatoes were -getting on. "Bedad, sur," he replied, "Oi niver had a crop come up so -quickly; sure Oi'd only planted thim one day, and ivery mother's son of -thim was up the next!" - -His field, he afterwards explained, had received a visit from the -pheasants in force. - -In spite, however, of all the wrong-doing laid at the pheasant's door, -I cannot help thinking it does a great deal more good than harm by -keeping down slugs, crickets, and other destructive insects. I took -126 slugs out of the crop of one pheasant, and I have shot many others -quite as well supplied. They also give us many a day's pleasure, and -help to keep the larder stocked. With a couple of good dogs and a -"white man" (as a good fellow is called out here) for a companion, what -more enjoyable than a day after the long tails. You have to do a good -deal of tramping for your sport certainly, and you don't generally make -a big bag, but you never come home empty handed, and feel when your day -is over that you have thoroughly earned the three or four--or perhaps -five or six--brace of birds that are hanging up in your safe. - -Heavier bags than these are often made, though it has not fallen to my -lot to make them. Last season a young fellow here grassed fourteen and -a half brace between sunrise and midday, and bigger bags than that are -even sometimes recorded, but they involve to my thinking too great an -expenditure of labour in the way of walking for pleasure. - -The full grown cock pheasant in New Zealand weighs from three to three -and a half pounds, and the hen from two to two and three-quarter -pounds. - -There is one kind of shooting (native pigeon shooting) that may be -indulged in, without any walking beyond that necessary to reach the -shooting ground. All you have to do is to seat yourself in the bush -under a clump of Taraire trees when the berries they bear are ripe, and -wait for the pigeons to come and feed on them. As soon as the birds are -settled on the trees, and are busy with the berries, you can blaze away -as hard as you like, for they won't fly away or move until you bring -them down. It is unadulterated pot-shooting, and there is not a single -iota of sport to be got out of it with powder and shot, though with a -rook rifle there might be some little fun. The Maoris, who are, as a -rule, bad shots, are very fond of pigeon shooting--they being about the -only birds they can hit--and I have seen them returning after a day's -shooting with two or three horse loads of pigeons. The New Zealand -bird, although looking larger than the English wood quest, rarely -exceeds a pound and a half in weight. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -_A MAORI WEDDING._ - - -Bad shots as the Maoris are generally considered, they are nevertheless -very fond of sport, and are great fellows at horse leaping, running -matches, and athletic amusements of all kinds. They are a fine, -intelligent race of people, with plenty of fun and spirit in them, and -are justly renowned for their hospitality. - -About two years ago, the marriage of a daughter of one of the chief -men belonging to a native village a few miles off took place; and I, -in common with all the settlers in the neighbourhood, received an -invitation to be present at the ceremony, and to partake afterwards -of the wedding breakfast. My wife told me it would be the right thing -to take some little bridal gift, and gave me a fan to present which -had a good deal of gold and colour about it. I wrapped it carefully -in some nice tissue paper, and thus accredited, rode off to the -festive gathering. During the journey, the paper in which the fan -was enveloped unfortunately became torn, and finally disappeared, and -conceiving the impression that a horseman in knee breeches, spurs, and -fan looked somewhat ridiculous, I was anxious to get rid of my present -as soon as possible. On drawing near to the village, therefore, great -was my delight to perceive the bride's father stationed at the entrance -to receive his guests as they arrived, and I at once made up my mind to -hand the fan over to him, but to my disappointment found his knowledge -of English was as limited as mine of Maori, which consisted of one -word, "Kapai," meaning, It is good. - -I endeavoured to illustrate the action of the fan, and held it towards -him, saying at the same time, "Kapai." He evidently viewed it with -distrust, and appeared to think it something unholy, or a disguised -infernal machine. Whenever I held it near him he backed, and every time -I opened it he jumped. The more I cried "Kapai," the more he shied, and -we were gradually working our way into the village, my host backing at -every movement of the fan, and I leading my horse with one hand, and -with the other manipulating the wretched bridal gift. At last, just -as I had made up my mind to pitch it away, a Matakohe settler came up -who could speak Maori, and who soon altered the aspect of affairs. The -fan was accepted most graciously, and was taken the round of the Maori -belles, each one of whom, when its action was explained, had a trial of -it. - -[Illustration: He evidently viewed it with distrust.] - -This helped to fill up the time, until our Church of England -clergyman--who was to perform the ceremony--arrived, and we all -repaired to a structure erected by the Maoris for the occasion, -and made of Nikau palm leaves plaited together. The inside was very -tastefully decorated with ferns and cabbage palms, and really did great -credit to their artistic taste. - -An "Ancient and Modern" hymn, in which the natives heartily joined, -having been sung, the ceremony was performed in Maori, and a second -hymn closed the service. - -The bride and bridegroom then led the way to another construction of -Nikau leaves, where the wedding breakfast was prepared. The happy -couple took the head of the table, and the "Pakehas" (_i.e._, the -white men, literally "strangers"), were invited to first sit down, the -Maoris waiting on them. The feast was ample, and consisted of wild -pig, beef, vegetables, and plum pudding. When the Pakeha visitors had -eaten their fill of the good things, the Maoris had their innings, and -then the health of the bride and bridegroom, who still retained their -position at the head of the table, was drunk in Gilbey's Castle A -Claret, the toast being proposed by our local J.P., and translated by -an interpreter to the Maoris. The bride's father returned thanks, and -every one present shook hands with the loving pair and retired. Some -horse-jumping competitions among the natives brought the afternoon to a -close, and I returned home very pleased with my day with the Maoris. - -Giving place to their Pakeha guests, and seeing them duly satisfied -before partaking of anything themselves, struck me as showing a very -keen sense of true hospitality and politeness. They have also, I -believe, a true appreciation of justice--at least I have often heard -so, and in the only case which has come under my personal observation, -the Maori concerned showed it in a marked degree. It occurred in -connection with the race for horses owned by Maoris, run at our last -meeting. The jockey of the leading horse--an Englishman--in coming up -the straight for the post, deliberately pulled right across the second -horse, thereby nearly causing an accident. A protest was entered by the -owner of the second horse, and the evidence having been heard by the -committee, it was unanimously decided to disqualify the leading horse, -the second was declared winner, and the jockey censured. The leading -horse could easily have won, and much sympathy was felt for its owner, -who had lost the race through the bedevilment of his jockey. - -When I handed the money to the Maori whose horse was pronounced the -winner, I explained to him, through an interpreter, that he had won it -simply through the misbehaviour of the leading jockey, and expressed -my opinion that it would be fair to divide the sum with the Maori who -had been so badly treated. He seemed to see the justice of the case at -once, and without the least hesitation paid over half the money. - -Civilisation has done, and is doing, great things for the Maoris. -Among others it has taught many to drink, to swear in English, and -to wear English slop clothes, which are quite unsuited to them and -their habits, and to the use of which, many medical men attribute the -pulmonary complaints so rife in their midst. They are constantly wading -through streams, and getting wet through by rain, and they let their -clothes dry on them (as they were accustomed to do when their skin -formed the principal part of their garb), and thus sow the germs of -disease, and hasten the inevitable day when the Maori will have been -improved off the face of the earth. - -No cannibalism exists, I believe, among them at the present time, -though there are natives living who have indulged in it, and smack -their lips at the thought. They say white men are too salt to be much -good for the table, though young Pakeha children they pronounce to be -"Kapai." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -_SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND._ - - -I must not lay down my pen without saying something about the New -Zealand educational system, one of the best features in our colonial -government, though possessing undoubtedly its faults. - -The educational course is divided into three grades, viz., the -elementary or public schools, the secondary or high schools, and -finally the university. For the two latter, fees have to be paid, -unless the scholar is clever and lucky enough to obtain a scholarship, -in which case he or she can go through the whole course without any -expense to the parents. - -In regard to securing a scholarship, however, besides ability -being necessary on the part of the pupil, a good deal depends on -the capability of the teacher at the elementary school. This is an -uncertain element, and constitutes, to my thinking, a flaw in the -educational system. Teachers at the elementary schools are supposed to -pass examinations, and receive certificates of competency, but in the -small up-country districts, teachers are often placed in charge who are -not certificated, but are what are termed probationers. It is true that -in each school-district, a committee is elected by the inhabitants, -whose duty it is to attend to matters connected with the school and -the teacher, and to report all irregularities to the head school board -in Auckland. Very often, however, the members of these committees are -uneducated men, sometimes even being unable to read or write, and it -may be imagined that they are not held in much awe by the teacher, who -does in such cases pretty well as he or she likes. Also, as the salary -of the teacher is regulated by the average number of children attending -the school, a good competent man naturally objects to a small district, -and the consequence is, that the children in the country are not so -well educated as the children in large towns. - -This is a serious flaw in the working of the education scheme, but it -is one that might possibly be overcome by the institution of Government -boarding-houses in towns like Auckland, where the children of country -people who cannot afford to pay for private tuition, but who wish their -little ones to be as well educated as possible, might be lodged at cost -price by the Government. Another flaw, to my mind, in the system, is -not allowing the Bible to be read in the schools, the result being that -many children are allowed to grow up without any knowledge of their -God or their Saviour, their parents naturally inferring that if it is -considered unnecessary and unwise to teach Bible truths in the schools, -there can be no necessity to teach them at home, even if they are able -to, which in many cases they are not. Freethought and Deism has taken -strong root in the province of Auckland, and I think the cause may -probably be traced to the expulsion of the Bible from the New Zealand -Government schools. - -To counteract the evil effects of this blot in our educational system, -we have our Church of England parsons, our Roman Catholic priests, and -Wesleyan and Dissenting ministers of various denominations. In this -district we are very fortunate in our Church of England parson, who -is not only a gentleman, but is a conscientious and energetic man, as -well as an agreeable and amusing companion. He has an immense deal -of riding to get through, as his district is a very extensive one, -containing about 800 square miles, and in the winter, when some of the -roads are knee-deep in mud, his experiences must be at times terrible. -He wears the orthodox dog collar, a clerical cut coat, riding trousers, -and top-boots with the tops off, and thus accoutred, he travels -about regardless of the weather, and unremitting in his endeavour to -counteract evil, in whatever shape or form he meets it. He does not -always spare himself time even to get his hair cut properly, for not -long ago I saw him seated on a gentleman's verandah with a sack over -his shoulders, while his friend, the owner of the house, was shearing -him with a pair of sheep shears. - -While we are thus happily provided with regard to our souls, our bodily -welfare is not neglected, and our local doctor--a genial son of Erin, -and a great favourite on all sides--rivals the parson in tending to our -wants connected with his department. He also has an immense amount of -riding to do, and is as much at home in the pigskin as some men are in -their easy chairs. A forty-mile ride to see a patient he regards as a -little holiday, and pulls up smiling at the finish. He is married, and -in that respect scores against our parson. He is fond of sport, keeps -his own hacks, a couple of racers, his double-barrelled central fire, -and a brace of setters. He sings a good song (hunting ones are his -favourites), is clever at his profession and attentive to his patients, -and, in short, is what is known as a good all round man. I think I am -therefore entitled to say that the North Kaipara settler, both body and -soul, is in good hands. - -The parson and the doctor are the two busiest professional men in -this part of the world, although the doctor's practice is principally -confined to accidents and additions to families. The Auckland lawyers -perhaps have a fairish share of work at times, in connection with North -Kaiparians, but engineers, to use a colonialism, have not a "show" at -all--particularly now that the borrowing policy has been partially -given up. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -_A MEETING OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL._ - - -About a year ago the Government decided to create a new county, which -was to be formed of the riding in which I reside, together with seven -others. With this object eight councillors were elected for the eight -different ridings. A meeting of these gentlemen took place to carry out -the intentions of the Government, and to appoint certain officers. This -was the first meeting of the Council, and I rode over in order to be -present. - -A large hall--at one end of which was a kind of stage--was hired for -the occasion, and on the stage stood a good-sized table, supplied with -pens, ink, and paper, and surrounded by eight stout chairs--one for -each councillor. By one o'clock "the trusted of the people" had all -arrived and taken their seats with countenances carefully arranged, to -suit the solemnity of the occasion which had called them together. -Some interested ratepayers occupied the body of the hall, and watched -the proceedings of the "trusted ones" with awe and admiration. - -The first business to be transacted was the appointment of a chairman. -Two councillors were proposed for the office, and there were four votes -for each. Here was a dilemma--a deadlock. What was to be done? A gruff -voice from among the audience was heard to exclaim, "Toss up for it!" -a proposition rightly met by a volley of indignant and withering looks -from the councillors. - -After a short pause, a remarkably solemn looking councillor moved that -the "County Council Act" be consulted, with a view to finding a way out -of the difficulty. This motion being duly carried, the County's Act was -produced, and a clause eventually discovered bearing on the matter, and -which stated that lots were to be drawn by some totally disinterested -individual. It was naturally felt that it would be extremely -undignified on the part of a councillor to go and hunt up a suitable -party. Still somebody must undertake the duty--the two embryo chairmen -and their supporters could not sit staring blankly at one another all -day--the county work would never be got through in that fashion, nor -the county roads ever graded and metalled. At this crisis a gentleman -among the audience--all honour to him--volunteered to find an eligible -person, and on his offer being graciously accepted, rushed from the -hall. He first encountered a workman halfway up a ladder, standing -against a building in course of erection, and called out to him to -come and draw lots for the chairmanship of the county. The man on the -ladder, owing probably to the hammering that was going on, evidently -only imperfectly heard, for instead of replying, he hailed his mate on -the roof with a "Hi, Bill! here is a go. They wants me to go and be -chairman of the county." Bill leant over the parapet, and delivered -himself as follows--"You take my tip, Jack, and have nothing to do -with 'em!" and this advice Jack concluded to follow, and refused to be -beguiled from his ladder. Nothing daunted, however, the public-spirited -volunteer proceeded with his search, and after a considerable lapse of -time, returned with a small boy in charge, whom he triumphantly marched -up the hall, amid murmurs of applause. - -In the meantime the only "bell-topper" to be found among the head-gear -of the assembled sages had been called into requisition, placed in -position on the table, and the names of the proposed chairmen written -on pieces of paper and laid in it. - -The boy was now commanded to approach the hat and draw. At this -supreme moment the scene was most impressive. Round about, in various -attitudes, betokening the deep interest they felt in the proceedings, -were the eight councillors, and on tiptoes in front of the table was -the small boy, endeavouring amid profound silence to fathom the depths -of the bell-topper. Never before had that small boy in the course of -his brief life been such an object of interest outside his own family. -The eyes of the leading men in the county were on him, and the election -of chairman of the County Council was in his hands. It ought to have -been a proud moment for that lad, but I regret to record he hardly -seemed duly impressed. - -At last his not too nimble fingers secured one of the pieces of paper, -the boy became once more an insignificant atom of humanity in flour-bag -pants, and the selected chairman was duly announced. He assumed the -position with a calm dignity and solemnity, which seemed to proclaim -him as not being unaccustomed to such honours, and the County Council -proceeded to business. - -[Illustration: The Supreme Moment.[A]] - -[Footnote A: In order to avoid the possibility of giving offence, I -have taken care not to caricature any actual members of the Council.] - -The practical working of this system is not at present very -satisfactory, and the last half-yearly statement of accounts shows -that the roads of the district were not so economically managed as -when they were under the former Road Boards, which did not involve the -keeping up of this august body, the County Council. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -_CONCLUSION._ - - -At the commencement of this narrative, I expressed my opinion that -persons fond of outdoor amusements, and with moderate incomes, would -get on very well in New Zealand. Four or five hundred a year is thought -little of at home, but a gentleman out here with such an income, would -be deemed a man of very considerable importance, and if he felt an -inclination for politics, would have little difficulty in securing a -seat in the House of Representatives. - -These are the kind of men the colony wants--men who would take up -politics for the good of their adopted country, and not for the sake of -an honorarium which the country cannot afford to pay. - -New Zealand has now passed the pioneer stage, and, like a newly built -and furnished hotel, is prepared to receive any amount of visitors, -but they must bring their cheque books with them. She has all the -necessaries of ordinary civilised life, plenty of labour, cities lit -with gas and the electric light, churches, houses furnished with -bath-rooms and hot and cold water pipes, clubs, hotels, railways, -telephones, roads, carriages, tramways, steamships, yachts, billiard -rooms, and her big dock in Auckland, which Mr. Froude laughs at in -"Oceana." - -Now I cannot resist saying a word or two about this part of his book. - -Mr. Froude seems annoyed with the citizens of Auckland for the -improvements they are carrying out, particularly with the dock, and -predicts that New Zealand will never grow into a new nation thus. - -I don't for a moment presume to dispute Mr. Froude's judgment with -regard to the baneful effect likely to be produced by a big dock on -a young colony; it is a subject I have never studied, and I have no -intention of pitting my opinion against his. Still, _humanum est -errare_, and Mr. Froude, though an historian, is human, and in this -particular instance, most colonials in the province of Auckland think -mistaken as well, as he certainly is with regard to the harbour and -the dimensions of the dock. Referring to them, he says: "Public works -form the excuse for the borrowing, and there are works enough and to -spare in progress. They are laying out a harbour, cutting down half -a hillside in the process, suited for the ambitious Auckland that is -to be, but ten times larger than there is present need of. They are -excavating the biggest graving dock in the world (the _Great Eastern_ -would float in it with ease), preparing for the fleets, which are to -make Auckland their headquarters." - -I am utterly at a loss to know what Mr. Froude means by saying they -are laying out a harbour, as Auckland harbour has been laid out by -nature, and man has had no hand in it. A part of the foreshore has -certainly been reclaimed within the last three or four years, and -on the reclaimed land now stands the Auckland railway terminus, the -Auckland Freezing Company's premises, some large flour mills, an -hotel, and some other buildings. To fill in this reclamation, they -utilised a precipitous hill, over-shadowing the main road from Parnell -to Auckland, which was slipping, and in a highly dangerous condition; -but how can that be called "laying out a harbour"? The hill had to be -removed, as part actually slipped one morning, carried away a building, -and fell across the road, nearly burying an omnibus and its contents. - -Does Mr. Froude blame the Harbour Board for converting this dangerous -hillside into valuable building land? - -With regard to dimensions, the new Auckland dock, "The Calliope" (which -Mr. Froude calls the biggest in the world), is 500 feet long. There -are two docks, I believe, at Birkenhead, each 750 feet long; two at -Plymouth, each 644 feet long; one now in course of construction in -Sydney, N.S.W., 630 feet long; one at Carleton, N.B., 630 feet long; -and one at Liverpool, 501 feet long. The _Great Eastern_ steamship is -one of the two vessels afloat that will _not fit_ in the Calliope dock. - -So much for Mr. Froude's facts about the dimensions of the dock. Now a -word about the wisdom of having made it. - -Auckland harbour is, without question, one of the best natural -harbours in the universe. Its depth is so great that ships can enter -at any state of the tide. A channel a mile wide, and so perfectly -clear of obstacles that the services of the pilot are often dispensed -with, leads to its entrance, which is snugly sheltered by outlying -islands. Its coaling facilities are magnificent, the supply of coal -inexhaustible, and its position with regard to the groups of islands -forming the eastern portion of the continent of Australasia, must -render it, I should think, a desirable point for a naval station. All -it required to make it perfect was a dock of sufficient dimensions to -take in any of Her Majesty's ships of war, and hence the big dock. If -Auckland is ever utilised as a naval station, immense benefit must -accrue to the town. A man of war or two, with six or seven hundred -hands apiece, means a good many hundred pounds' worth of business a -week to the tradesmen of Auckland. But Mr. Froude says this sort of -thing will never make New Zealand a nation. He thinks the people should -go and live in the country, raise crops, breed sheep and cattle, and -not bother about towns and big docks. Surely he forgets that the farmer -must have a market, and that his prosperity depends on the demand for -his produce, and therefore in a great measure on the prosperity of the -towns. - -A few more words, and I will have said my say. I trust the reader -will pardon all my shortcomings, and will bear in mind that I have -only endeavoured to describe my own experiences in the colony, my -own impression concerning matters that have come under my notice, -and some opinions I have gathered from old colonials. I know nothing -of agricultural pursuits, but believe that the kind of farming most -suitable to this part of the colony is sheep-farming, my principal -reasons for so thinking being that many of the Kaiparians appear to -do well at it, and that a Matakohe resident, our local J.P., carries -off nearly every year two or three prizes for sheep at the Annual -Show held in Auckland, and last year the first prize for Shropshires. -Grapes do splendidly in this district, and I think wine-making will one -day become a leading industry. The olive also grows remarkably well, -and I fancy I see another industry sticking out in that direction. -Our mineral resources have never been tapped, hough there are many -indications of hidden wealth. - -The colony is undoubtedly passing through a period of depression (in -which it is by no means singular), and is suffering as well from too -much government, both local and general. It however still possesses -plenty of vitality, and only wants time, and men earnest for its good, -at the head of affairs, to nurse it into a vigorous and flourishing -condition. - -At the present, indeed, it offers little inducement to professional -men, to endeavour to pursue their callings, but what better time, when -land is so cheap, could be selected by gentlemen with small fixed -incomes to come out, and purchase properties. I should strongly advise -family men to bring if possible their own servants with them, and to -get an agreement signed immediately on reaching Auckland, binding them, -on consideration of the passage money, to remain a certain time in -their service at certain wages. I cannot help thinking that there are -many at home with moderate incomes who would do far better out here, -and who could become important personages in New Zealand if they chose -to take up public matters. They must, however, as I mentioned before, -be people who like a free and easy life, untrammelled by stiff rules of -society. The climate of the North Island is said to be all that can be -desired for those whom a tropical life has unsuited to endure the harsh -winds, the fogs, and the cold of England; and although I have not -travelled the colony sufficiently to feel competent to pass an opinion -as to which are the most desirable localities, still I do not think I -can be wrong in mentioning as a summer or autumn retreat the Northern -Kaipara. - - -THE END. - - - PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. - EDINBURGH AND LONDON. - - -Transcriber's Notes - - Page 19: Page 20: Page 29: changed, Manakan to Manukau - Page 76: Page 83: Page 102: Page 140: Page 197: changed, Nikan to Nikau - Page 112: changed, lessons to lessens - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KAIPARA, OR EXPERIENCES OF A SETTLER -IN NORTH NEW ZEALAND *** - -***** This file should be named 64112-0.txt or 64112-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/1/1/64112/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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