A TRIP TO NUHAKA HOT SPRINGS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 555, 10 January 1891, Page 3

A TRIP TO NUHAKA HOT SPRINGS.

[STANDABD CoSTRIBUTOE.J Having long desired to see the Nuhaka hot springs, of which I had heard so much, 1 fixed on the date on which the Nuhaka races were held as the most appropriate for a visit. Having no overweening desire for solitude I made choice of a travelling companion, whom I will call Daisy, and poured forth upon him such a flood of eloquence—l called it eloquence, but he described my volubility by a much harsher term —concerning the wondrous beauties of the scenery, and the pure joys that were the portion of anyone travelling through that serene and picturesque region, that from very weariness of soul he consented to accompany me, only stipulating that we Should not start at, what he termed, an unearthly hour in the morning. This I readily agreed to, though I had seme doubts as to whether our souls were in unison as to what constituted an " unearthly hour.” These doubts were solved next morning when the alarum clock—which I had surreptitiously set for 2 45 a. m.— rang out its hideous clamor. Daisy started up in bed with an imprecation startlingly .Suggestive of brimstone, and stopped that alarm, with his boot, whilst in tones of undisguised wrath and disgust he inquired what I meant by waking people up in the middle of the black night At least he must have meant black, but the adjective ho wed, rather gave one the impression of a less sombre color. I tried to soothe him by assuring him that if it wasn't daylight, it was near it ; also that it was desirable to £t into the bush before the heat of the y, and that we should have to travel slowly on account of the horse I was taking for the races, etc, etc; but he threw cold water (metaphorically) on all tny arguments, till I changed the subject by throwing cold water (literally) on him. That shifted him, and having made provision for the inner man, both in the present and future, we got under weigh. Ret much behind the sun.

Thu morning, though flue, was decidedly Chilly, end we did not feel thoroughly warm till we halted on the top of Tauatspa, above Wharcongaonga, to allow our horses to recover their wind, which had been somewhat tried by the rapid ascent, and to gaze on the beautiful prospect of the coaetline stretching far *way to northward and southward, Daisy, however, had scarcely recovered his equanimity—which had been still further disturbed by a disagreement with his mare, Who seemed to evince a decided repugnance to bills, though she afterwards accepted the situation with ths best possible grace—and my rapturous expressions of admiration tailed to elicit a reciprocity. However, a small spring by the side of the track where we dallied a few moments, and whose limpid waters we modified by a slight addition of Mr Matthewson, brought our souls more in harmony with the natural beauties around us, not the least of which were groups of raise every here and there, whose spreading branches were clothed with masses of brilliant scarlet blossoms.

Bising, ever rising, except where the track made a descent more or less precipitous, we wended our way on in Indian file, only stopping occasionally to pick up our hats or portions of our garments which had been torn off by overhanging scrub, and reached Mr Trafford’s ranche (where considerable improvements in the way of fencing, bushfalling, etc., have been effected). Thenceforward our road lay for the most part through heavy bush, on emerging from which, at intervals, we caught glimpses of beautiful coast scenery, the waves dashing on the rockbound shore hundreds of feet below us. At last, after what seemed a long time, as we could not travel at any pace, we reached the top of the Mabanga, whence the road winds down on to the beach, and when about half Way down there occurred a contretemps which spoiled my love of the beautiful scenery for a bit. The horse who was destined to win the Nuhaka hurdles, and who had been following us through, stopped to nibble some soq'thistle, and became so absorbed in that Occupation that he allowed us to get some little distance ahead. Presently awaking to a knowledge of the fact that be was deserted, he camo galloping after us down the spur, which was full of holes and thickly interlaced wi'h roots of trees. Unfortunately, however, be exemplified the old adage of more baste Worse speed, for he managed to get himself mixed up with these roots, and to use the beautiful metaphorical language of the turf, Vj*. * ee’eo "—result, shoe wrenched oft, tetiogk ricked, and consequently lameness. This was cheerful, and on discovering the of _tbe injury I said a tew short prayers and Daisy was fervent in the repouses. We got down to the bottom of the hill and held a council of wgr, qud as the horse did not seem'to be getting any worse, we determined to adhere to our original nlqn of geing straight on to Nuhaka, but further iqßßideration induced us to change our views, so we turned aside to Mr Bentley’s hotel at Mahia, where we let the mokes go in the paddock for an hour, and then, leaving the cripple there, went on to Nuhaka, where we were hospitably entertained by Mr Walker. Next morning we found that we had plenty of time to visit the springs (which ire Mtuated about four miles up the river from Mr Walker's homestead) before the time for starting the flrat race. The springs, of which there are two, have, I am told, strong medicinal properties, and if anaaty taste is any criterion, they should prove very beneficial to invalids. The composition of the waters is almost identical with those of Cheltenham and Harrowgate. Mr Bendall, who first discovered them, sent a sample to Dr Hector for analysis. He offered to show us the analysis if we called at his house on our way back, but wishing to return to the Mahia that night we left the race course before bo did and had not time to go eo tar out of OUS ' road 'on the peek. The races did not afford us MOB an overwhelming amount of excitement as to render us insensible to the lapse of time, and we left Nuhaka before the programme was completed, arriving at Mr Bentley’s hotel in time to do justice to the jo Mesoms-whaling w the morning, as the wind was blowing from a favorable quarter, but these cetacean, riae, totally Wking ? towuds strangers, and sternly declined to put in an appearance for our M!>?sf; so, after waiting tiil twelve b oloolt, We bed to make up our minds to start for home:- Ongoing into the paddock to catch the horses it was like adding insult to injury to find the cripple galloping about without fey sign of lameness. It looked u if the brute had put it on for the purpose. Wodid not waste much time on the return journey, only stopping at the end of the «abauga beach to gather some of the beautiful shells with which the shore is thickly strawn. in places, and arriving at Murewai about 6 p.m., ha ing had a most Mjoyable trip through. Daisy has since complained of an almost unquenchable