CHAPTER V
[Image of page 114]
CHAPTER V.
Return to Queen Charlotte's Sound. -- West Bay. -- East Bay. -- Island of Arapaoa.
We left the roadstead of Mana on the 31st of October with a N.W. breeze, and steered for the entrance of Queen Charlotte's Sound, in order to go into East Bay, as it is called by Captain Cook, where the Nga-te-awa tribe have several settlements. The agent of the New Zealand Company had purchased from those of this tribe who reside at Kapiti all their remaining claims to the land on both sides of Cook's Strait, and he was now proceeding to purchase the claims of those residing in East Bay. Te Patu, whom I have mentioned before, lives at East Bay, and we took him with us from Waikanahi to his own settlement The wind was favourable, and we crossed the strait in a few hours.
Before noon we had the Two Brothers on our larboard side: they consisted of rocks clothed with a thin vegetation. The sea breaks furiously against them, and access seems difficult. Seals have now almost disappeared from the coasts of New Zealand, but a few sometimes resort here: they do not, however, escape the pursuit of man, who follows them into their most secluded retreats. At noon we were
[Image of page 115]
COAST OF ARAPAOA.
off Cape Komaru, a remarkably steep pyramidical promontory, which cannot be easily mistaken, and may serve as a safe landmark for ships running into the north entrance of Cook's Straits. Off this promontory are the White Rocks, just above water, consisting of the usual yellow schist. The coast of Arapaoa, towards Queen Charlotte's Sound, is of a similar formation, with the same strike and dip. This part of the coast partakes in its general appearance of the character which I have assigned to the coast in Cook's Straits, being steep and barren. Nearly opposite the Two Brothers there is a small beach, called Kapiti Beach, where the natives often land when they are prevented from crossing the straits, and reach the head of East Bay by a short and easy walk. The natives of the latter place dread this spot, as from it they can be easily surprised by their enemies. A fear was entertained in Queen Charlotte's Sound that Tairoa, the chief from Otago, was about to attack the Nga-te-awa tribes; and in East Bay the natives were fortifying their village against a surprise from Kapiti Beach.
When the Tory first came to New Zealand we entered Queen Charlotte's Sound between Motuara and Te Katu, or Long Island. This time we left Te Katu on our starboard side, and I observed that the shores were steep and scantily covered with vegetation. A large ship followed in our track from Mana, and arrived in East Bay a little after the Tory had cast anchor. She proved to he the Con-
[Image of page 116]
EAST BAY.
cordia, the first ship sent out by a Danish company for the southern whaling-fishery, which, if successful, will be followed by others of that nation, formerly so active in the Greenland fishery. Amongst the nations engaged in the southern fishery the Americans rank first, as they employ annually 500 vessels, of from 300 to 500 tons each; the second place is held by the English, the number of whose vessels is, if I am rightly informed, 150; the French rank next, having not less than 140 ships. Besides these there are a few German vessels, chiefly from Bremen and Hamburgh.
We cast anchor in East Bay, shortly after noon, near the island of Matapara, which is about the size of Motuara, and is in the shape of a cone. As soon as we had anchored the cutter was sent off into Naruawitu--called by Captain Cook West Bay-- to get a spar for a foreyard. I embraced the opportunity to visit that bay, and, crossing the sound with a fine breeze, landed at the decline of day on the northern arm of West Bay. In Cook's chart this arm is very correctly laid down, with the exception that it turns again to the left, and its actual head is separated from the southern arm only by a narrow ridge of hills. It seems that Cook did not explore the head of the bay. We found no suitable spar, and, the day being nearly gone, we took possession of some empty huts, which a Mr. Love had built for the men employed in cutting timber, and splitting staves, of which 100,000 were lying on
[Image of page 117]
WEST BAY.
the beach. Fine trees surround this bay; and the flat land, which was about a square mile in extent, bore marks of former cultivation; but the inhabitants have disappeared: they were the tribe called the Rangitane. All that remains of this once numerous people are a few slaves belonging to the Nga-te-awa, who live at the Oieri or Pylorus River. After a war of extermination the right to West Bay was made over to another tribe of Nga-te-awa, who have never occupied the spot.
Our situation was not without the peculiar interest which an uninhabited land always excites in the mind. Behind and around us high steep and wooded hills towered over the bay in a semicircle. The night was extremely mild and calm; the air singularly clear and transparent. The sonorous fluting call of the large parrots, varied by their harsh scream when, on a sudden alarm, they started over the tops of the hills, and then returned to rest, were the only sounds that broke the deep silence. The water of the bay was as smooth as glass; for, being sheltered on all sides, it was unaffected by the winds which agitated the sea. Sometimes a parrot would perch on one of the trees embowering our huts, as if curious to ascertain who had ventured to disturb his repose. During the night a solitary cry from one of these birds might be heard from time to time, after which everything again became quiet. The sweet song of the mako-mako, 1 which I can only
[Image of page 118]
WEST BAY.
compare to that of our nightingale, although I must confess that the former is simpler, and therefore more impressive, and the warbling of the tui, 2 whose note resembles that of our thrush or blackbird, cease at the setting of the sun; but in the morning, before he is above the horizon, the little songsters renew their music with increased vivacity, and their combined tunes form a pleasing concert. The only inconvenience we suffered was from the musquittos, which are always most numerous in places that have been cultivated but afterwards deserted. Early in the morning of the 2nd of November we again took to the boat, and ascended the southern arm of West Bay. This place has a beach of flat land, similar to that of the northern arm. Near the beach the land is swampy, and covered with junceae, but soon ascends, bordered by the neighbouring hills. Two rivulets of excellent water discharge themselves into the sea. There were many fine timber-trees, especially tawai and pines. While the carpenter and his mates were occupied in preparing a spar I went up the side of the hills. The forest is open; deep layers of decayed leaves cover the rocks; the growth of everything appeared most vigorous: indeed throughout the whole of New Zealand nature seems to be eager to destroy and to reproduce. Large trees, unrooted and decaying, were preparing new soil for their successors, which were just struggling into existence.
[Image of page 119]
EAST BAY.
The peculiarly nourishing moisture of the soil displays itself in some ferns, which have germinated on their parent plant. The forest was enlivened by many of the common birds, and I brought home one of a new species, called pio-pio. 3 We slept another night in the bush. After the spar had been got into the water it would not float, and we were obliged to lash it under the keel of our boat.
West Bay is a very fine harbour, and, since good timber is found here, it would be a fit place for sawing-establishments, and for a village, whose inhabitants could with ease support themselves by cultivating the flat and available land. Fine sheep-walks are found on some of the open hills in the neighbourhood.
On the 7th of November I examined East Bay, which consists of three principal branches, on each of which are native settlements. East Bay is formed by the inland of Arapaoa. One arm is opposite Hokokuri, the native settlement in Tory Channel, and is called Otanarua. The hills ascend gently from the sea, with a small extent of flat land of about 400 acres at their base. We found about 200 natives assembled there who had arrived from Hokokuri, to which place it takes about two hours to walk; they had come over to settle about the sale of their land; they have plantations here. The cabbage, which now abounds in Queen Charlotte's
[Image of page 120]
MOKUPEKA.
Sound, and which grows wild, was in blossom, and covered the sides of the hills with a yellow carpet. There are a number of plants in New Zealand which are exactly the same as in Europe. Many of them are indigenous, others have spread with the cultivation of European vegetables. Such are the cabbage, Plantago major, Alsine media, Sonchus oleraceous, Stellaria media, Rumex crispus, Urtica dioica, Cytisus bullosa, Anagallis arvensis. The Juncus maritimus, effusus, filiformis, Scirpus lacustris, Typha angustifolia, Potamogeton natans, Chenopodium glaucum, maritimum, and others, must be regarded as indigenous, and, perhaps, the Plantago major.
On the beach were some huts, the occasional habitations of the wandering agriculturists. The beach itself is of a light soil. Higher up the hills the forest appears; the trees, however, are not tall enough for ship-timber.
At the head of East Bay is the village of Mokupeka, where we were well received, and presented with roasted potatoes, pork, and an excellent dried barracuda. This village stands on a spacious beach, surrounded by hills. Neatly planted taro and potatoes, kept free from weeds, ornamented the fields. The natives, when they dig the first crop of potatoes, leave the small ones in the ground, which grow during the winter, and give an early harvest before Christmas. Our friendly host showed us, with great satisfaction, a field of wheat, which was
[Image of page 121]
ARAPAOA.
in very good condition, and the seed for which Mr. Love had given him. This cove, although small, is one of the largest in Queen Charlotte's Sound. The sides of the hills appear to be very eligible for vineyards, as they are sheltered from the east and south winds.
I next explored that branch of East Bay which stretches to the westward. It is as large as the one I had first examined, and is called Anahuko. There is a small native village here. On the 4th I traced my way over the hills to Te-awa-iti, in order to see something of the interior of the island of Arapaoa. The track leads from a narrow beach up a very steep hill, just opposite the little island of Matapara. Some Europeans reside here during the summer, after the whaling season is over, for the purpose of procuring cheap pork and potatoes. It took me about two hours to reach Te-awa-iti. The hills are steep, covered with leptospermum, tall fuchsias with purple flowers, Edwardsias, and other shrubs. There are two kinds of Edwardsia in New Zealand, both of which have been introduced into England: they generally grow near the sea-shore, or by the banks of lakes or rivers. They belong to the leguminous plants, an order which is extensively spread in Australia, Van Diemen's Land, and the American continent. It is therefore more remarkable that none of the genera found in these countries are met with in New Zealand: but the order is represented here by genera peculiar to
[Image of page 122]
TE-AWA-ITI.
these islands; namely, Edwardsia, Carmichaelia, and Clianthus. There are two fuchsias here: one, the Fuchsia excorticata, forms a moderate-sized tree, and is very common; the other, however, the Fuchsia procumbens, is very rare, and at present is met with only in Wangaroa Bay, to the northward of the Bay of Islands.
From the top of the hills I had a fine view over the whole sound. A deep inlet of the sea, looking like a majestic river bordered by hills, leads to the head of Queen Charlotte's Sound. In this fiord, as the Norwegians would call it, is a small island, bearing the traces of an ancient native fortification. I was prevented from visiting the head of this inlet, but ascertained that it is surrounded by a considerable extent of flat and well-timbered land, and that a river of some size discharges itself into it. As I descended, the view opened upon the southern entrance of Tory Channel and Cloudy Bay.
This hill seems to have been the one which Cook ascended to take his survey of the sound, and on which he planted the union jack, and left some coins. Some stones were heaped up and fenced in, but I did not dare to disturb them, as my guide told me it was the burial-place of a chief.
I found Te-awa-iti very empty, as the whaling-season was over, and the natives had followed Etipi, their chief, to Waikanahi, to assist in the war against the Nga-te-raukaua. Gardening had made some progress; and all the seeds brought by
[Image of page 123]
KAPITI.
the Tory had sprung up, and the plants were in a thriving condition.
A Scotch tailor, whose fate had driven him to Te-awa-iti, had voluntarily undertaken the duties of missionary, and the natives had built a house for him.
Returning in a boat to East Bay, through Tory Channel, I visited on the way some other small bays, where natives reside with some few Europeans amongst them.
The purchase of the claims of the Nga-te-awa tribes residing in East Bay to the land on both sides of Cook's Straits having been completed, on which occasion a general rush--fortunately unattended by any serious consequences--took place at the distribution of the various articles given in exchange, we set sail for Kapiti, which we reached the following day, November 11th. The natives were making preparations for hostilities, which it was expected would be renewed by the Nga-te-raukaua. Warepouri had arrived in Waikanahi from Port Nicholson, and also some people from Wanganui and Queen Charlotte's Sound, who had promised their aid if the Nga-te-raukaua should make another attack, which, however, they did not venture to do.
