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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 80a

Start was made on Foot for Lake Walkaremoana

Start was made on Foot for Lake Walkaremoana,

a distance of twenty-four miles. This was a most trying journey, it being over the roughest part of the country they had travelled, the party having literally to crawl over masses of slippery clay and rocks, besides fording several streams. At one time they would have to ascend to a height of 2,000ft., and at another descend to the same depth. These gigantic undulations continued until about 3 p.m., when, upon ascending the last range, one of the most beautiful sights it is possible to imagine met the gaze. The lake was then viewed in all its picturesqueness, fringed by one of the grandest forests to be seen in any part of New Zealand. A wild hurrah burst from the whole party, not so much perhaps on account of the view, but because they imagined they were nearing their destination. This was not so, however, for several hours of weary travelling lay between them and their destination. Suddenly the track—if track it could be called—turned sharp off to the left, and a large sandstone bank, some 300ft. high, met the gaze, and the party descended floundering, slipping, and rolling to the bottom. Then commenced an especially difficult jaunt through a sandstone creek-bed. The Premier led the way. The whole party commenced to climb over huge stones for some hundred yards, and would them drop 12ft. over a terrace; travel another hundred yards or so, then drop again, and so on for about seven miles. The Maori packers declared it was a moral impossibility to reach the lake that night, and advised camping, but the Premier and Mr. Carroll were determined to go on. Night came on, and to keep the track in the dark required a good deal of caution. The lake was reached at about seven o'clock. Here there was a difficulty. A Maori had been sent on the day before to get the Natives at Onepoto—the other side of the lake—to bring a canoe to convey the party thither, but there was no sign of any one having been near the lake. There was an old canoe, which had a split in the side and was half-full of water, and that was the only means of conveying the voyagers across the lake, so far as could be seen. Therefore the party resigned themselves to their fate and camped for the night, deciding to wait to see what the morrow would bring forth. The Premier's secretary, when proceeding to the edge of the lake next morning to perform his ablutions, saw a speck of white paper lying in the mud. Picking it up, he saw "Timi Kara" written on the top, and took it at once to Mr. Carroll. The whole matter was then explained. The Natives had been there with a canoe, and had waited, but, thinking the party would not arrive till next morning—for (as they said when they ultimately came) they never imagined the journey could have been done on foot in one day—they had returned home, intending to come again later on. Before this paper was picked up, however, the Native guide page 91 and Mr. Biddle, of Ruatoki, had volunteered to go in the split canoe to endeavour to hail the settlement at Onepoto. This they did, and were nearly drowned for their temerity, for the canoe was almost in a sinking condition before they returned to camp at 3 p.m. Suddenly a European hurrah was heard, and a large canoe hove in sight manned by five stalwart Natives. Camp was struck, and all were on board in no time. Sail was set, and the waters lay hushed like a sleeping child—but not for long. Far away in the distance could be seen "white horses" coming out of the various arms of the lake, and many predicted tough times before the travellers in their frail bark reached the haven they sought. The captain of this "dug-out," however, assured the Premier that it was too rough at the landing-place, and he would not attempt to take the canoe in. But, unfortunately, he was himself taken in, whether he liked it or not, for he was in the break before he knew where he was. But, once in it, he exercised the most consummate skill in bringing his charges safe to land. It is enough to say that