592 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



as hotel-keeping was concerned, and confined itself to making 

 the most of the travellers otherwise, an art in which they 

 have acquired great proficiency. 



The early route of travel was by Maketu, a small native 

 settlement about eighteen miles east of Tauranga ; thence 

 packing by native tracks to Eotoiti, Te Ngae, and Ohinemutu; 

 or from Eotoiti dn-ect to Waitangi, on Tarawera, en route to- 

 Eotomahana. The costs and charges up to this time were, 

 until the final squaring-up by the party, an unknown quantity, 

 and largely depended on the aptitude for commissariat manage- 

 ment of the leaders, and the energy of the then indispensable 

 guide. 



Under the public- works policy of 1870 and succeeding 

 years, a coach-road was formed from Tauranga to Eotorua 

 and Taupo, and through to Napier ; also from Maketu to 

 Eotorua, via Te Taheke, on Eotoiti. From the early part of 

 1873 may be dated the possibility of through coaching and 

 waggon-traffic. Fares were high, and the cost of freight quite 

 warraiited the charges made for the necessaries of life at 

 Eotorua. For years £14 per ton was the chai'ge to Eotorua, 

 and double that to Taupo. Under this tariff, any bricks used 

 in the first fireplaces and rudimentary chimneys at Ohine- 

 mutu cost for freight Is. each. 



With the exception of a very few parties who found their 

 way overland, via Waikato, Tokoroa, and Horohoro, the 

 Tauranga-Eotorua Eoad was the exclusive route from the 

 Auckland District for about eleven years. The length is 

 forty-two miles, and it traverses very broken country, crossing 

 the north-eastern and eastern drainages of the great wooded 

 range which, from Maketu northwards to Cape Colville, rises 

 to a great height, more or less abruptly, and is deeply fur- 

 rowed by ra\dnes, one of which, the Manga Orewa, is, where it 

 is crossed by the road, nearly 500ft. deep. 



In the beginning of 1880 Mr. F. J. Moss, then M.H.E. for 

 Parnell, made his way back from Eotorua by an almost dis- 

 used track, called the Ara Kaharoa. He was aided and guided 

 by Wi Maihi te Eangikaheke and other chiefs of the Ngati- 

 rangiwewehe, that hapu being favourable to the opening of 

 the road, but whose authority extended only about half-way 

 from the eastern side. The Ngatitukorehe laapu, which had 

 authority on the western side, at once acquiesced in the pro- 

 posal, and the writer, then District Engineer, was directed by 

 the Government to make the necessary explorations to open 

 up a road between Cambridge and Eotorua. Previous to the 

 exertions of Mr. Moss we can trace no evidences of desire on 

 the part of the people of Auckland to have direct communica- 

 tion with the lakes. Whether this was owing to an impres- 

 sion that an insuperable native difficulty barred the way, or 



