THE LATE MRS GEORGE HAY.

A STRENUOUS LIFE CLOSED.

(Otago Daily Times.)

lOn .the 'last day of the year there passed away at Romahapa a link connecting .the .present with the past hisiory of Qtago, in the person of Mrs Hay, relict of Mr George Hay. She -was 96 years of age, born at 'Keith, Banff shire, and arrived by the Ajax ((Captain Young), January 6, 1849. After spending six weeks in a tent at Port Chalmers, she, with her late husband, sailed in an almost open boat, the .Jumping Jackass, for Fort Molyneux, and was landed near Willsher Bay. She had with her, her young infant son John, whY afterwards became chief surveyor of Otago. The landing was a thrilling experience, old Makariri, Willsher's wire, taiking charge of the baby, through -surf. For a few year* i the home of .the Ha-r was behind Willsher'-e place, where they lived a bappy and simple life. The day's food was largely found by their son Willie, by shooting and fishing. For | 4>4 years her home 'has been at Hilly Park, Romohapa. L She leaves behind her three sons and two daughters, 50 grandchildren, and •- 30 great-grand-children. Mrs Peter Miller, of Dunedin, is «ne -of 'her daughters; and1 Mr W. G. Hay, solicitor, her grand-, apn. Many a-fcim» in s the early days I had Mrs Hay walked- all the way to Dunedin and b«ck> some 65, miles' «ach ■&&¥• On one occasion' she car* 4 ried her infant son James all the way. At TokomaJfrro the river was ao flooded that a Maori moki had to be built to,carry ifo® Pa;rty over.. Many a time the wtjter heajd from .jaer ownJipp her-experiences—experi-ences that wouH-agtoniehtthe younger generation, Frftm tfhose early until, the present Hays' home-1 stead has been noted, for its gener-' ous hospitality- Many a wayfarer i «njoyed the cheerful welcome and, hearty homely eonrfort of Hilly Park; and in those eady times of i colonisa-1 iron a centre such as that was a blessing that it is now impossible to estimate. Mr William Hay, the- deceased's eldest son, has T)een a mem-' her of the Clutha County Council for "27 years, and chairman of that bod^ 'Over and over again. Her daughter Jane became the wife of Mr John Begg, of Lochnagar, in the Highlands of Scotland. Her late "Majesty, ■Queen Victoria, became deeply attached to her, and on the death of Mrs John Begg some 10 years ago -the London papers alluded, to the and friendship that'had existed between her Majesty and Mrs Begg. The funeral, which took place Tecently at the Puerua Cemetery, was one of the largest ever seen in the district, a great many old settlers "being present, amons them being the Hay family, Messrs Jas. Paterson and sons, Shieis, Jenkinson, Bullock, Tilson, McLay, Mclntosh, Lindsay, Wilsons, A. Melville, McVicar, Latta, A. Saunders, Thos. Mackenzie, M.P., A. 'Simpson, McLaren, Wyley, G. "Smith, Abernethy, J. Huttpn, R. Sinclair, Jackman, Peter Miller,, Murray, King (Maori chief), and many others. The Rev. Mr Dalrymple, M.A., officiated at the house and grave. The volume of the Scriptures from which he read had the following on its first page:—"To Mr. George Willsher, Molyneux Harbour, New Zealand, from Robert Cole, M.A., minister of the Church of England for the district of Wellington, May 18, 1844." The late Mr George Hay died in 1876, and now, after 32 years, his wife is laid to rest by his side in the lovely Puerua Cemetery. The *' passing" of a good woman like Mrs Hay^ full of years and^ full of honour, conveys no feeling of sadness. She was ripe for another sphere. The service at the grave, with its surroundings, might with truth be called beautiful. The gentle and scholarly clergyman read and prayed with feeling and devotion. The sun shone brightly overhead, and the air was

full of the music of birds and. the perfume of Nature's' trees. The kowhais., totaras, black pines in and surrounding^ the/cemetery were per-, feet in their beauty; while immediately behind groves of rata wt re bursting into a glorious crimson, the background being filled in with almost untouched native forest.