Pipiriki to Wanganui, via the Wanganui River. 153

being at one time very hard up lor stores and ammunition. MajorBrassey, who was in command, adopted several ingenious schemes lorinlormingthe authorities at Wanganui ol his difficulty. Among others,he wrote messages in Latin , and, putting them in corked bottles, sentthem down in the current ol the river. One, picked up below the townby the writer, contained the words :—“ Omnes sunt recti. Mitte resbelli statim," which, being interpreted, is :—“ All are well. Send ammunition immediately.” This message was, of course, sent at once tothe Militia Office. Another Latin message was carried by a “ friendly ’’Maori overland by way of Waitotara. It read:—“ Surmis sine rebusbelli satis.” (“We are short of ammunition.”) Ammunition andstores were as soon as possible sent up to Pipiriki, part of the way bysteamer, and part by canoes. It may be interesting to mention thatthe first steamer to go above tidal waters on the Wanganui River wasthe “ Gundagai,” under the command of Captain Fairchild, who nowruns the “ Hinemoa.” She was a sea-going two-masted paddle-steamer, and did excellent work during the war in taking troops andstores from Wanganui to Waitotara, Patea, and other places on theWest Coast. The writer and Mr. A. D. Willis were both full privatesin the gallant party of a hundred volunteers and militia, under MajorRookes, which went up in the “ Gundagai” on her first ascent of theriver. Mr. Willis at that time was the overseer of the Chronicle, Mr.J. U. Taylor being the editor ; arid the Chron icle had incurred the wrathof the gallant Major by criticising his tyrannical proceedings. In orderthat the publishing of the paper might not be stopped (which wasRookes’s anxious desire), a “substitute” had been provided for Mr.Willis ; but Rookes was equal to the occasion, and he carried off bothoriginal and substitute, and took them to Parikino on board the“ Gundagai.” Fortunately, Major Atkinson (Sir Harry Atkinson),then Defence Minister, was on board ; and Private Willis got a chanceto appeal directly to him, with the result that he was ordered to returnby the “ Gundagai” to the town. The “ Gundagai,” although a sea-going boat, several times succeeded in getting up to Pipiriki, and hercolleague, the “ Moutoa,” a side-wheel boat constructed for up-riverwork, once attained a point estimated to be 115 M. above the town.

The lines of the old fortifications on the Pukehinau, Rangiahua,and Koanga o Rehua hills at Pipiriki may be still traced in the fern andscrub with which nature has endeavoured to conceal man’s poor works.

There is a pretty waterfall a quarter of a mile above the steam-boat landing called Papa-noa (The Long Flat). This is the subjectof one of our illustrations.

Leaving Pipiriki for the S. the steamer passes into the grand gorgewhich extends nearly to Hiruharama. Unfortunately the land on theL. bank has been cleared to the very edge of the cliffs, and part of itsbeauty destroyed. From one point seventeen waterfalls may be countedon the L. bank, some over 100ft. in height.

5 M. Ohoutahi. —To this place the Hauhaus retreated afterthe Battle of Moutoa, and here they were again attacked and defeatedby the friendlies. At this fight Hoani Hipango, a constantly loyalWanganui Chief, met his death-wound- The writer was one of thefiring party at his funeral at Putiki,