CHAPTER IV. TARANAKI--WRECK OF THE ORPHEUS... MANUKAU--AUCKLAND.
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CHAPTER IV.
TARANAKI--WRECK OF THE "ORPHEUS" MAN-OF-WAR-- MANUKAU--AUCKLAND.
IN about an hour after passing the Sugar-Loaves, we fired our gun, and let go the anchor off Taranaki, in the stormy open roadstead, called New Plymouth. There is no harbour nor any wharf here, and but one boat, which had, therefore, to divide its services between the "Airdale" and a brig lying at anchor near, and take its freight of cargo at every trip, half from one and half from the other. All the other boats, it was stated, had been taken by General Cameron for the use of the troops, and had been knocked to pieces in the service. I did not attempt to land under these circumstances. A few persons who belonged to the place went in this boat, and the getting into it from the ship was a frightful operation to look at; they had to keep their footing, and hold on to a ladder not let down (for had it been placed straight into the tossing boat, one or both must have been smashed), but hung out almost horizontally. In this position they had to watch their opportunity when the boat rose on the top of a wave, and, jumping into her, be caught in the arms of the boatman below. Often the boat rose so high that it knocked up the ladder on which they stood; but the people seemed accustomed to the operation, and held on fast. There were two or three women (steerage passengers) who
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performed this feat, and it was curious to see the accuracy and intrepidity with which they leapt right into the boatman's arms. It was a large eight-oared boat, and seemed safe enough when they were once off and clear of the ship, though the surf on shore was rather terrific too.
On the return of the boat the first time, a letter was brought to our captain, with an order for him to return to a place sixty miles south, with some troops who were mustered on the beach ready to embark. Fortunately for us, we happened to have some official personage on board, by whose influence the order was rescinded, and the troops dispersed to await the arrival of the "Wonga-Wonga," which was expected every moment to heave in sight, as we had passed her on the road an hour or two before.
Taranaki, or New Plymouth, was founded in 1841, on the west coast of the Northern Island, in lat. about 39 deg. 10" S., and long. 174 deg. E. It is famous for the fertility of its soil. The town looked rather straggling, as seen from the sea, built on a slope, and the barracks conspicuous on a hill behind. It has, I am told, a stone church, and the usual amount of dissenting chapels; also a hospital and "literary institution."
The hotels at Taranaki are said to be peculiarly primitive, not to say uncivilized. I was told that some gentlemen, landing there shortly before noon one day, went to the principal hotel, and inquired whether they could have dinner there. The answer was, "Wull, I don' know, what time'll you be wantin' it?" "Oh, about two or three in the afternoon." "Wull, I'll see; ye can come again some time afore four, and ye might chance to find somut or other."
This place has suffered sadly by the war, and the inhabitants have been dispersed; it is now, however, becoming settled again, and it is to be hoped the peaceful industry of the residents will not be again disturbed. The sands all along this coast are remarkable for their black colour, caused by the quantity of fine iron ore, of
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that kind, from which the best steel is manufactured. I was informed that this sand yields from seventy to eighty per cent, of iron, that some had been sent to England, and that the finest possible steel had been produced from it. The cost of transport, however, is, as usual, so great, that it is doubtful whether it would pay if sent home. It is to be hoped that, when the district is more settled and peace permanently restored, as it now seems likely to be, some enterprising persons may set up a manufactory and all necessary appliances on the spot.
We remained off Taranaki rather more than five hours, starting again at half-past four, up to which time the "Wonga-Wonga" had not appeared in sight; and it was supposed she had "hove-to," finding the weather too much for her, she being a much smaller vessel than the "Airdale," and appearing to find it hard work to get on at the time we passed her.
It happens as often as not that no vessel can anchor in this roadstead, and no cargo be landed. We had taken on board, at Nelson, the cargoes of two or three different vessels which had been taken in there, though intended for this place; and I doubt whether it was all delivered at Taranaki even now. The settlers here have long hoped to acquire a portion of the district called the Waiatera, which would give them a river harbour for small vessels, and be a great advantage.
The whole of this day had been misty and threatening, without any sunshine; the great Mount Egmont was entirely enveloped in clouds, so that we could see only the foot, except in the early morning, before seven o'clock, when I, being on deck, saw his peak towering for a short time above the clouds. It looks immensely high, though not, in truth, so high as Mount Cook by nearly 3000 feet, Mount Egmont being only 8900 feet high; but Mount Cook has other high mountains around it, whereas this one stands alone, there being none but quite low hills anywhere else about here. Fine fertile plains stretch in all directions; the whole extent looked very
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green, and. rich with luxuriant forests; but, unfortunately, two-thirds of this fine country are, or were at that time, in possession of the Maories, and all the farms and crops beyond the precincts of the town had been burnt and destroyed by them.
I must not omit to mention the discovery of petroleum on this coast. It appears that, from the earliest days of the settlement, exhalations and bubbles of bituminous matter had been observed to issue at about half a mile's distance from high-water mark, between the main land and the highest of the Sugar-Loaf rocks, called Moturoa. This appearance is said to have been attributed by the natives to the decomposition of an "atua," or spirit, who, according to their tradition, was drowned there ages before. Two or three years ago the settlers commenced boring on land in search of the oil, and success attended the attempt. One ingenious resident here has tried experiments with the petroleum and iron-sand together, using the refuse of the former, after purifying, to smelt the latter in a furnace. He is said to have been highly successful, and to have taken out a patent.
The day after leaving Taranaki, we had very rough weather and much rain. We were now bound for Manukau, and as we approached this wild-looking and most dangerous coast, we saw the surf dashing up mountains high, in thick white clouds, from the breakers on the low rocks, that extend out about five miles, and all along the coast there was a perfect mist of spray. Great care and experience are requisite in steering here.
The captain pointed out to me the part where the "Orpheus" man-of-war was lost not long ago. The old commodore in command of her obstinately refusing to obey the signals of the flag-staff at the Heads, and consulting only his charts, entered by the wrong passage, and his ship was dashed to pieces; his charts being old ones, and the sandbanks having shifted since they were drawn. His life was the forfeit, and those of nearly the
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whole crew, together with every officer, save one midshipman. 1
I never saw a grander sight than the breakers upon this coast, and it was really beautiful to see the dexterous steering of our ship between the Heads. These once safely passed we were immediately in comparatively smooth water. The pilot then came on board and took charge of the ship for the next twenty miles, which brought us into the harbour of Manukau. At about one o'clock our gun was fired and anchor dropped for the last time, and all proceeded to scramble into small boats, the luggage being tumbled in promiscuously, without any regard to ownership. It was with much difficulty that I could get any one to give me any assistance in securing my own; a fellow-passenger (of the he-kind) told me, when I applied to him in an emergency, that the maxim here was, "Everyone for himself, and God for us all." However, at last we got off. The rain, which had been falling more or less all the morning, now came down in a cascade. We had two miles to row and sail, to reach the wharf, the water being too shallow for any but small boats; once we got aground and were in danger of capsizing.
There is no convenience for landing at this wretched wharf--it is a mere feat of climbing and scrambling to get up; an appearance of steps certainly, but not safe to step upon, nor reaching down nearly to the boat, and when at last up, we found ourselves on slippery planks on a narrow space, in danger of being knocked over by the ascending luggage either into the water or through the many holes and missing planks, while in many parts the boarding was so rotten that it gave way under the feet.
I thought I never should have got my luggage collected; there I stood in the pelting rain a full half hour, unable to get any help or anyone to lift a thing, save a few straggling little dirty boys, whose services I was at
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last glad to avail myself of, and who at last managed between them to carry off everything to the verandah of an hotel separated from the wharf by an ankle-deep swamp of mud, through which I had to wade. There was a 'bus every hour to Auckland (this word is adopted here, and is the only one in use for the vehicle in question, on which this abbreviated term is painted). The two o'clock 'bus had already been secured by the gentlemen for themselves and one lady (the Maori wife of one of them); the only other lady now left was to wait for her brother, who soon arrived in a car and took her off; this lady had come all the way from Christchurch, and was the same that had been my companion in our walks about Nelson. Thus I was left, the only lone one, and two of the gentlemen passengers, who had, as well as myself, to wait a whole hour for the next 'bus, there being no car to be had.
Dripping wet and shivering with cold, my boots soaked through and through, I now went into the inn and had some hot negus, for I was beginning to feel alarmed and to wonder what would become of me if I were to be laid up in such a place as this, with no one near to know or care about me. The only word approaching to sympathy that one ever hears on these travels is the rough, bluff sentence, "Bad work for ladies travelling alone in this country;" but never followed by any offer of assistance in any way.
At three o'clock the two gentlemen and myself took our seats in the 'bus, our luggage being put into a cart, and we drove from this desolate spot, which is called Onehunga, and across the narrow part of the northern island that divides the Manukau harbour from that of Auckland, which lies on the opposite or east coast, a drive of seven miles only, at the termination of which we entered the great wilderness of a town--Auckland-- in the middle of which the 'bus stopped, and I was set down, not knowing which way to turn. I had been recommended to go to a particular boarding-house, as one of the only two a lady could stay at. I inquired, there-
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fore, how far it was off, and was answered, "Oh, right away a good, bit."
"Is there a car or fly of any kind to be had?"
"No such thing in all the town, leastways not for hire."
"Is there no kind of conveyance--no omnibus going that way?"
"There's the express cart for parcels and luggage."
"Oh, well, that will do, where is it?"
"There it stands."
I looked, and saw an open cart without any seat, except for the driver, and the floor of it deep in water and mud, so it was evident I had better walk than go in that. I therefore now inquired my way. "Right along the street, then turn to your right, right up the hill, and right down the other side of it, and then you'll be all right for the house on your right hand."
It seemed, therefore, I could not go wrong, and off I went through the slippery mud, putting down my umbrella to use it as a walking-stick, without which I never could have kept my footing. I had taken off my cloak, which was a perfect sop, doing more harm than good on my shoulders, and sent it with the luggage from Manukau, so that I had now only a thin silk jacket on, and a pretty plight I was in. I consoled myself, however, by the hope that I was going at last to be comfortable. Not a bit of it! Worse accommodation, worse attendance, and less civil servants could scarcely be found. I could not even get them to uncord my boxes, and being unable to undo the wet knots myself, without giving more time than was safe in my dripping state, I had to cut the cords with my pocket-knife; then changing everything I had on as quickly as possible, I was ready just as the dinner-bell rang for the table d'hote, a thing I hate, but finding that £2 5s. a week was charged for this, and £5 if you chose to have a sitting-room and meals alone, I thought it as well to pay the smaller sum only, especially as it seemed very unlikely that I should get things done comfortably, whatever I might pay; so
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down I went to a bad dinner, badly cooked, with raw cabbage, and potatoes ditto, and a most uncouth and staring set of people round the table, one lady and eight or ten gentlemen. They all seemed to be intimate friends together, but no one addressed one word, or offered anything to me; I had to ask for each thing I wanted.
Dinner over, I returned, to my bed-room, where, when I required a light, a wretched little paraffin lamp was brought to me, standing about two or three inches high; it would have given as much light as a rush-light, but for the shade cast round it by itself, and even this shabby little flame seemed going out, as I observed to the maid who brought it. "Oh, no, it's all right," was the answer, but presently out it went. I sought the maid, "This thing is gone out; do bring me a candle," I said. No answer. "Have you no candles in the house?" I asked.
"Yes, I s'pose so."
"Well, then, just get me one at once, for I am in the dark."
After long waiting, she came up with a thin tallow candle, tumbling about loosely in a shabby candlestick, and as she put it down, "Yer'll 'ave to pai for this," she said.
"What! pay at a boarding-house for a candle in one's bed-room; what can you mean? I shall certainly do no such thing."
"Yer can 'ave the lamp."
"What is the use of the lamp if it won't burn? Go and trim it properly and bring it, for I certainly shall not pay for the candle," and I forthwith blew it out.
After another long pause, up came the lamp again re-trimmed; and then, remembering that I had a candle somewhere in my box, I succeeded in finding it, and a small nutmeg-grater, into which I ingeniously stuck it for a candlestick, and so was enabled at last to sit down and write a bit of my journal, but went early to bed, totally tired out. Before doing so, however, I discovered that the (very unpromising-looking) bed had but one
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wretched little thin blanket upon it, and asked for another.
"Ain't another," was the answer.
"Nonsense! ask your mistress, or send her to me; whoever heard of a boarding-house with only one blanket?"
"Ain't only one for each bed."
"Go and tell your mistress I want another."
At last it came, a small threadbare thing, like the other.
The bed proved to be cruelly hard and lumpy, so that when I rose the next morning I felt unrefreshed and bruised all over by it, but yet better than I could have expected, considering my yesterday's drenching. Breakfast bell at half-past eight. A dish of very coarse, thick fish, fried in lumps; took a bit and found it to be more than doubtful; put it aside and tried a slice of cold meat--as doubtful as the fish; left it, and took some butter; no doubt at all about that, it was perfectly uneatable, so contented myself with dry bread and some particularly nasty coffee; then back to my room, spent the morning in writing letters, and after luncheon went out to post them.
It was tolerably dry by this time, for though the rain had fallen in torrents all night, it had ceased during the morning, and the steepness of the roads had carried off the water. The company below does not improve upon acquaintance. The lady sits constantly with both arms upon the table while eating, which makes a very curious humpbacked process of the operation; in the intervals of eating, the elbows remain in the same position and the hands supporting the chin, or a little meal goes on between whiles upon the nails; an untiring stare being fixed on the stranger (myself) the whole time. The man who takes the head of the table is not the landlord (neither he nor his wife appear at all); it is a creature with a large black beard and whiskers, that talks distressingly loud, lays down his own opinions as law in a most ridiculous fashion, and uses frequent blasphemous exclamations. Most of the other men read newspapers
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all breakfast time, and talked of their own concerns together at dinner yesterday. There was one topic, however, on which all seem to unite and agree, and that is that Auckland is the dullest and stupidest town in the world, though some say that it was not so two or three years ago. I certainly am not prepossessed with the little I have seen of it, and much to my disgust I find I shall have to stay here nearly a whole month, as there will be no steamer going to Sydney before that time.
Saturday, May 6th. --It is twelve years this day since I first landed in New Zealand. How short a time it now seems to look back upon. Yet could it have been foretold to me then, that not till that day twelve years should I be on my way back to England, how hard and almost unbearable a sentence would it have seemed to me, so little can we judge or foresee what is good for us; the fact being, that though I came with the intention of staying but three years, and during the first year would gladly have curtailed even that period, this long twelve years' experience has endeared the place of my sojourn (Canterbury) to me to such an extent, that when the time for quitting it actually arrived, I could scarcely tear myself away from it.
On getting up this morning, the first of my arrival, I found a number of red spots on my face, with much attendant irritation, and concluded that the unwholesome heat of the steamer's cabin had caused them. The following morning, however, I found many more, and one eyelid so swollen as to be almost closed up; also my hands and wrists spotted and bumped up, and all in a state of great irritation. The truth now flashed upon me; I recognized the signs of my old West Indian enemies the mosquitoes; I had either not heard, or had forgotten, that this place was famous for these pests.
In the course of the second day my bed-room door was bounced open by the maid-servant, with the question-- "Please is yer name T-----?"
"Yes."
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"Coz a person wants yer."
"A gentleman?" I asked.
"Don't know."
"Where is the person?"
"Outside door."
I knew it must be Captain F----, because I had written to him the day before to say I was here, and I knew no one else in the place. I went down immediately, and a pleasant thing it was to see a face I knew, and speak to one who knew me and the dear friends I had left in Canterbury; for the dreary, lonely feeling, of being always among strangers, with not a soul belonging to one within reach, becomes very oppressive.
I brought him, from outside the door, into the public room, there being no other, but found it full of the horrid people, fast assembling for luncheon, and almost at the same moment the bell rang for that meal; so we had to retreat into the verandah, where we stood and talked a short time. It was pelting hard with rain; we could make no plans, therefore, in such weather, for going anywhere. I learnt from Captain F---- that everyone here uses mosquito-nets, and he expressed surprise that the people of the house had not given me one. I forthwith, therefore, demanded to have one, and after much difficulty they brought me a worn-out thing full of large holes, and more than half a yard too short, of course therefore perfectly useless; but I resolved in future to sleep in a thick veil. Not a gleam of sunshine all day long; but as the rain held up for about half an hour in the afternoon, I tried to get out. Could only go a few steps, however, for the mud was perfectly impracticable, and soon down came the rain again.
I had another specimen to-day of the extreme uncouthness of the servant and the house arrangements. I had said to her in the afternoon, "I shall want some hot-water at bed-time to-night, and put a footbath in the room, if you please."
A stare, and no answer.
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"Don't you understand what I mean?" I continued; "a tin pan for the feet."
"Ain't one," she replied.
"Then I must do without, but let me have the hot water all the same."
Soon after I had gone up from dinner, at about seven o'clock, she appeared with a small jug containing about a pint of warm water. "What is that for?" I asked.
"Yer said yer wanted it."
"I said at bed-time, not for two or three hours yet at least, and then not a little drop like that, it must be a tin can full."
"Ain't a tin can, and water won't be 'ot if yer don't 'ave it now, coz boiler'll be filled up."
"Do you mean that no one in this house, then, ever has hot water in their rooms at night?"
"No, um couldn't."
"And no hot water at all in the house after seven o'clock?"
"Only for grog."
"And how do you keep it hot for that?"
"In kettle."
"Why can't I have some out of the kettle?"
"Genelmen uses it all."
"Well, then, I suppose I must have it now; bring me a large jug, and I will try and keep it warm."
"Ain't no larger jug."
In despair at last, and feeling chilled and unwell that night, I said, "I had better then have some hot wine and water when the water for the gentlemen's grog is ready. Bring it to me as hot as you can."
In due time she reappeared, bearing a small tumbler half full of a tepid, muddy-looking mixture, with heavy, coarse brown sugar settled at the bottom, and tasting of nothing else. If there were any wine at all in it, it could not have been above a dessert spoonful, and that of the worst kind. This was a worse specimen of a servant than I have ever met with or heard of before, even in the colonies.
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Auckland is considered to be the capital of New Zealand, and was, until lately, the seat of Government, which is now, however, removed to Wellington, notwithstanding which the Governor, Sir George Grey, who is very fond of the place, continues to make it his chief residence, and is here now (1865). It was to bring despatches to him that we were detained so long at Wellington.
The distance from Wellington to Auckland is 540 miles, and from Canterbury to Auckland 710 miles. The voyage will no doubt hereafter be more expeditiously managed. We were exactly a week performing it, out of which we spent two days and nights at Wellington, nearly as long at Nelson, five or six hours at Picton, five or six more at Taranaki--altogether nearly four days and a half out of the seven; then, if we add to this all the time lost in getting into and out of all these various bays and harbours, it would seem that the utmost it could take, if a steamer went direct from Lyttelton to Auckland, would be little over forty-eight hours. It certainly appears, therefore, to be a great loss of time that every one should be obliged to put into and stay so long at all these intermediate places, whether they wish it or no. I, myself, did wish it, because I desired to see them all, but if a person wanted to get from Lyttelton to Auckland quickly, it would seem rather hard that a forty-eight hours' voyage should be lengthened out to a week.
Our speed never exceeded eight and a half knots, and was generally less. I am told that none of these steam vessels can do more than ten knots an hour; no doubt there will be some faster ones put on the line ere long. There are other steamers that take their course up and down the east coast of the Northern Island, stopping at Napier (Hawke's Bay), etc.; the time occupied is about the same in either route. The lat. of Auckland is about 36 deg. 40" S.; the climate is warm and moist; the settlement was founded in 1840. The town, though now so extensive, was comparatively
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nothing at all before the war broke out; so lately as the middle of 1864 it was but a small and insignificant place, not half the size it now is. The expenditure of money here, owing to the presence of so large a body of military, has been the making of the place.
On my first Sunday here, after a night and morning of incessant, heavy rain, the weather began to clear up just in time to enable me to go to church at St. Paul's, which, fortunately, was close at hand. It is a good large building of brick, which appears to have been originally washed over with some thin plaster, now nearly all worn off; quite plain and unornamented both within and without, the inside walls whitewashed, and wooden roof, varnished. It is lofty, and good for sound, has a small organ of good tone, placed up in a gallery, and a tolerable choir, with space for three or four times as many singers as I saw there; rather a scanty congregation, with a good proportion of military officers; the Governor also was present, with his staff, in a conspicuous seat in the chancel. It was the first Sunday in the month, and Holy Communion was administered, the Governor receiving first and alone at the altar. There was but one clergyman for the whole service, and he not a very agreeable one to hear, shouting out the prayers and sermon, as the town-crier might have done had he been placed there for the purpose, with a wonderful force of voice and rapidity of utterance. Before going to church I had asked the maid what time the service began.
"'Spose about eleven or twelve," was the answer.
"You are not of the Church of England, I suppose?" said I.
"Oh, yes; and the people of the house is English Church too."
I therefore sought the master, and gained all necessary information from him, which he followed up by asking if he should lend me "a book."
"A book. Do you mean a hymn-book?" I asked.
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"No; a prayer-book, if you havn't got one," he answered.
A funny fancy it seemed to me (though meant to be very civil) that one should be travelling through the world without a prayer-book of one's own. After church, encountering him again, I inquired of him the name of the clergyman.
"It was Bishop Selwyn, I believe," was the answer.
I could scarcely avoid laughing at the absurd contrast so suddenly conjured up in my mind by these words. Any two human beings more thoroughly dissimilar in face, form, voice, or manner than these two it would be impossible to conceive; besides which, Bishop Selwyn was at that moment at Christchurch, in Canterbury, attending the General Synod. Would, indeed, that he had been here, and that I could have heard him again, with his deep, solemn, earnest tones, and a manner that seems to address itself to you in particular, as if he knew and sympathized with the trials and sorrows of each individual of his congregation.
Rain now came down again in torrents all the afternoon--not possible to go to evening service. My bedroom is a damp and unwholesome place, the windows look close upon the side of a hill, that has evidently been cut away to make room for the house; the cutting goes deep down, and forms at the bottom a narrow passage, swampy with mud and refuse; the side of the hill (but a few feet distant from the window) is covered with every kind of refuse, mingled with broken bottles and crockery, amid luxuriant weeds and wild, neglected plants. On the top is a house, the windows, verandah, and garden of which look down upon this house, and command, a perfect view of the interior of my room (and I suppose of others also).
Whenever I re-enter this den after a short absence, I am struck by the peculiarly earthy, grave-like odour that pervades it; the papering on the walls is all discoloured by damp. I have not felt well since I came here, and though I at first attributed this to the effects
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of the voyage and the wetting I got, I now begin to think the damp room is the cause.
Another night and day (the fifth since my arrival) of constant hard rain; Captain F---- called in the afternoon, and said the town was in a fearful state of mud, assured me that bad as this house was I should find any other in the place still worse, and advised me to insist upon having a front bed-room. I did so, and got it, the elbow-lady and large-whiskered man, who turn out to be husband and wife, having fortunately gone away this morning, and left one vacant.
Only able to get out as far as the post-office, which is close at hand, and a most shabby-looking building it is. I had concluded it was only a branch office for the convenience of this particular locality, but now find it is the post-office of the town--rather inconvenient, I should think, for all the other inhabitants down below, this being on the top of a steep hill, and by no means central. St. Paul's Church, too, also up here, is considered the church of the place. The top of this hill certainly dries pretty quickly, if there is any sunshine between the showers; but the steepness, slipperiness, and muddiness combined, have prevented my going down it yet on any side.
My change of room has proved a vast advantage in every way. Found two good blankets on the bed, and a very good mosquito-net, all ready; so suppose the defects in the management generally are owing to the bad, disobliging servants, and non-supervision of the heads; other people have apparently insisted upon having things as well as myself, and have had them. The view is really pretty from this window, which looks out upon the road and over the harbour, also down a short street (called simply and characteristically "Short Street") to the jetty; ships at anchor, and little boats sailing in and out, the whole appearing as if nearly shut in with hills at no great distance off.
Another rainy night; but the morning beginning to look so bright, that soon after breakfast I prepared to
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go out, and after one or two ineffectual attempts, being stopped by showers, at last accomplished it, and even succeeded in getting down the hill, though with much difficulty in keeping my footing in the slippery mud. I now found myself in the long main street, called "Queen Street," and forthwith sought out the steam-packet office. On inquiry here I found no hope of anything going to Sydney before the first of next month. The shops seem to be good, some of them running to a great depth back; but they are not handsome buildings, and but few of them have wide frontages. I saw not one handsome building in my walk to-day, except the Union Bank, which is of white stone, and has four handsome Corinthian columns in front. Most of the shops are of wood or brick; but there is a great deal of building going on, and brick or stone are the materials principally used in these. The streets are in many places being dug up preparatory to the laying down of gas pipes. There are many very narrow, wretched, and ruinous-looking side streets leading out of the chief street, and also from the steep one running from the hill down to it, called "Shortland Crescent." On the hill, too, there is "Eden Crescent," though what the idea is in these parts of a crescent it is difficult to see, both of these being to all appearance quite straight lines; there is also a Victoria Quadrant, composed of one single very shabby little cottage, quite by itself, without even a garden or inclosure round, it. I returned home only just in time to escape the renewed torrents of rain which fell during nearly the whole afternoon.
There is something indescribably oppressive in the climate of this place, producing a sensation of languor that it is very difficult to shake off--a curious contrast to the buoyancy of feeling induced by the air of the Canterbury plains. The heat is of a different kind to any I have before experienced--it is a damp, clammy heat. The constant rain may now be the immediate cause of this; but by all accounts it is almost always raining here.
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Another day, worse and worse, rain not ceasing for one moment, and only a gloomy twilight all day long. Time, however, does not hang heavily on my hands. I find plenty to amuse myself with, in books, work, and writing, and from my new room I can watch the ships come in and go out, and the signs made to them from the flagstaff on a neighbouring hill, and all this I can do with the greater pleasure, because it gives me an opportunity of using the excellent glasses, a parting gift from some dear friends in Canterbury, and I think of them all the time; but still there is the dreariness of not having a soul to speak to.
I am the only lady here now, and feel more comfortable so than when the elbow woman, who seemed so thoroughly at home with every one else, sat on the opposite side of the table staring rudely, and never offering a single word, or attempting to take advantage of any opening I made for conversation. As one specimen of the politeness of the gentlemen, I may give the fact that though most of them have daily papers every morning, and some of them have two, they sit at breakfast reading them, and never asking me if I would like to look at one, though the man who sits next to me has always one in his hands and another on his knees!
Seventh day of being here. Lay awake all night listening to the monotonous, never-ceasing down-pouring of the rain, which falls straight down, as from a huge shower-bath, without any wind. Captain F----, who called this afternoon, said the town was hopelessly muddy, and I should find it impossible to go anywhere walking. Asked him about a stand of three or four cabs that I had observed on the one occasion when I managed to get down into the town. He told me that they were not to be hired by the hour or mile, but made a charge of something like 30s. "a drive," however short the distance; that there was, in fact, no place worth driving to, unless it were toward Mount Eden, from whence, if I were equal to the fatigue of ascending it, a good view was to be got. 'Buses go part of the way
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towards it. Inquired of him about longer excursions, as Coromandel coast gold-diggings. --A small steamer goes there occasionally, but was quite without accommodation, nor was there any place there for a lady to stop at, and the steamers were several days before they returned. What of the Bay of Plenty?--Steamers go there too, but no place for ladies. A Mrs. Someone went there with her husband, and he had to knock up a kind of rough hut for her. The Bay of Islands?-- Very pretty scenery, but no steamers; there was some accommodation there, but only small schooners go, and duration of voyage dependent, of course, on wind; no place for ladies to sleep on board them, and no knowing how long one might be knocking about, either in going or returning. Any pretty drives inland?--No; in short, never was a more impracticable place than this Auckland seems to be; it appears there is little to be done or seen, oven if the weather should ever be fine.
My friend assures me that my exhausted and uncomfortable feelings are common to all persons who live in this town, and more especially to new-comers; but that it seldom seems to come to an illness. People often feel so weak that they can scarcely walk across the room, yet still they are not actually laid up. He has been in India, and agrees with me that the heat of a really tropical climate is not nearly so oppressive as the steamy enervating heat of this place.
