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CHAPTER V.

BANKS'S PENINSULA.

AFTER the unfortunate adventure in Port Levi, it was some time before we again ventured upon any lengthened expedition, the numerous bays and other interesting objects in the harbour and peninsula furnishing us, for some days, with ample occupation and amusement.

The first place we visited was Quail Island a pretty spot comprising about fifty acres, situated in the upper part of the harbour, about four miles from Lyttelton, the property of Mr. Hamilton Ward. A sad mystery hangs over the fate of the two elder brothers of this gentleman, who jointly possessed the property. A strong suspicion exists that they were attacked and killed by a party of natives whilst on a boating excursion in the harbour, as the Maori chiefs lay claim to Quail Island, which, as they assert, was not included in the sale of the remainder of the settlement.

* Plate III.

The soil is good; and there is an excellent house, and a considerable quantity of cultivated ground round it. The house commands a fine view of the harbour and town of Lyttelton; and as the colony increases, the island will prove a valuable property, both for supplying the town with vegetables and fruit; and ultimately, probably, as a summer residence for men of business who wish to avoid the disagreeables attendant upon a sea-port

town.

On the north side of the harbour, and three miles distant from Quail Island, is situated the Maori Reserve, a beautiful and wellwooded valley which was retained by the natives, and where there is a small "paa" or village. The "warries" look picturesque at a distance, but do not improve on a nearer inspection. They are generally low, built of mud or reeds, and sometimes thatched with "töi-töi," a kind of grass or small flag which grows to the height of three or four feet, and is found, more or less abundantly, all over the settlement. The paas are very dirty; and as the Maories use them as places for drying their fish, they have always a most disagreeable

E

smell. There are but few natives who live in this paa; and the only warri of any consideration is the one belonging to the chief, which is about twenty feet square, with a verandah round the outside. The roof is composed of large reeds, which, being stained and brightly polished by the smoke of the wood fire in the centre of the room, had an exceedingly pretty effect.

At the head of the harbour, about seven miles distant from Lyttelton, lies Governor's Bay, where Mr. Dobbs has a farming-station and a cultivated kitchen-garden; and in the next bay one of our fellow-passengers, Mr. Vigers, is now prosperously settled. The situation is favourable, the soil good, and although near the town, is not inconvenienced by it. It is also some distance from the Re. serve, which is a great advantage, as the habits of the Maories are often annoying to their nearer neighbours. They walk without scruple into a house, squat, sans cérémonie, before the fire, and smoke their pipes regardless of the domestic operations of the family, or of the other inconveniences which their uncleanly habits may occasion.

The only drawback to this locality is its mode of communication with the town, as it is only accessible by water or by a long and steep foot track over the hills. But notwithstanding this disadvantage, it is one of the best positions in the settlement.

The only other inhabited bays in the harbour are Rhodes' and Gollan's Bays. The latter is the authorised station for landing sheep, and is situated about a mile and a half north-east of Lyttelton, and on the same side of the harbour. Rhodes' Bay which is nearly opposite to it, is a beautiful narrow inlet, half a mile in length, from which a fertile valley extends to a distance of two or three miles, until it is lost in the hills. It is the property of Mr. Rhodes, and is valuable both from the richness of its soil and its vicinity to the town, with which there is a regular communication established by means of a ferry-boat.

There are several other bays around the shores of the harbour, but none worthy of mention here. The beach is in many places composed entirely of shells, amongst which some beautiful ones may be found. I have

also picked up some small specimens of a fine quality of sponge, but it is not found in any quantity. The upper portion of the harbour is shallow, and there are mud-flats at the head, which, at low water, extend upwards of a mile. It is well-stocked with fish of various kinds, but the colonists have not yet availed themselves. to any extent of its resources. Great numbers of large dog-fish prevail, and I was told that it also contained a few sharks.

There are also some other bays in Banks's Peninsula, beyond Port Lyttelton, which are worthy of notice. The first is Pigeon Bay, which greatly resembles Port Lyttelton, but is a much better harbour, as it is sheltered from the south-west gales. It is also deeper, and the hills surrounding it are higher and the gullies less frequent, so that it is much safer for boating. It is principally used by whalers, and there was one lying there when I visited it. There are two or three houses, and a very good inn at the head of the bay; and, what to us was more pleasing, the only really English-looking piece of meadowland that I have seen in the colony. The soil is rich, and there is an ample supply of timber