Oamaru in 1852.

As the port and district increased in »tze and importance, Mr Hcrstlet filled the duties of interim Custom House Agent and Postmaster, with the duties of ; Arbitrator thrown in if required, and, as he could think in Greek and Latin, abuse •*ith much fluency in French or Maori, and give practical lessons in the art of self-defence to impertinent clients, he became as respected and admired in this district as any Westminster schoolboy should be. Mr Herstlet is now as hale as ever, enjoying life among the mountains of Ida. Mr Charles Traill was one of the oldest settlers in this district. He died at Stewart's Island in 1891. He was originally manager for the brothers Fifleul at Papakaio, and afterwards built a store near the Royal Hotel. A very amusing yam is told of him. Having been sent to Timaru for a boat load of stores, he could not find a mate to assist him home with them, so he went on board, hoisted a red blanket, and by the aid of a fair wind reached Oamaru in safety at night, and with the aid of a large stone anchored till morning. Mr Traill's second store was at the corner of Wansbecfc and Tyne streets, opposite the Northern Hotel. He afterwards built the house with three gables in Tynestrcet. which was subsequently owned by Mr James Hassell, and used by him as a woo! store, with Mr John Barraclough—now a wealthy farmer—as his storeman. Mr Traill afterwards joined Mr Roxby. trui they built the store now owned by Mr Grave in Tyne-street. They dissolved partnership in 1866. when Mr Traill built an iron store where the Globe Hotel now H-aiids. FJlt first little sod hut existed till within the last three years next door to the Northern Hotel. He was the first Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and was lay reader in the Church of England for many years. Mr Henry France, another old settler,

managed to secure ten acres at LI per acre, now in the centre of the town, in Thames-street, with his own house at one corner and Mr Davidson's at the other. Mr France was storekeeper and for ,Ti.»ny years postmaster. Mr Lemon succeeded his brother as postmaster. Mr Lc-mon and his brother, Mr Charles Lemon (now Doctor Lemon, of the Tele srraph Department), were doing grand business in the old days as builders and timber merchants. Mr A. Baker, built the Northern Hotel, for many years the premier hotel of this town. There were at this time three hotels only—the Star and Garter, the Northern, and the Oamaru Hotel, the last named owned by Mr James Wate. It was round the forge fire of Mr William Falconer that the village publicans settled nil matters of local and State difficulties. The Maoris, who had followed the earliest settlers from Moeraki and Waitaki, proved useful workers for the pioneers and gave invaluable assistance to the residents of the town a'nd country, and there being no Trades Unions, eight-hour systems, or very bad nun, they lived well and were contented .vith 2s 6d per diem and tucker. One of these old Maoris died at MoeraVi in June, 1889, Mrs Davis, wife of the Magistrate, who came from the Kaikouras, on the East Coast, in 1836. from which place herself and many others derived a fair income from the leases of their lands. The Maoris of Moeraki have a legend

:hat in 1835 a great tribal war took place

on the Kaikouras. Afterwards a great chief, since deceased, came south as far as Moeraki, and there settled, giving the place its present name. The late Mrs Davis was interred with great pomp, her remains being placed in a leaden coffin, and, to mark the importance of the occasion, a tangi was held, to which came a large number of Maoris fiom all parts. "On the 23rd August, 1893 (says the Oamaru Mail), an old Maori lady named Hira Mauhara, wife of Henare Mauhara, died at Moeraki pah, at the age of 75. Hira was one of the tribe who came to reside at Moeraki about 50 years ago, and was the last survivor of the tribe that came there at that time. Her husband came to reside there some years afterwards, and, after his marriage with Hira, he became one of the rulers of the race. Henare Mauhara and his wife have been recognised as chiefs of the race from which -they sprung for the last 12 years by all the tribes between Waikouaiti and Kaiapoi. Hira Mauhara is descended from Te Kahea, IVike. Te Kauapu, Raukawa, Te Anu, and Tuahuriri, and was recognised by all the tribes which sprang from the same ancestors. On her father's side her ancestors were Ihi Koata, Katihuirihia, Kaiterakiamoa, and Matenga. Representatives of trie tribes from Waikouaiti. Waihao, Temuka, Kaiapoi, and Little River held a tangi at Moeraki." The first land sale was held in Oamaru on 26th May. 1853, the late Mr Robert Short, of Incholme (Maheno), being the auctioneer. Mr Short was home in Edinburgh and he originally studied for the law."" He sailed for New Zealand in the ship Cornwall, in 1849. On his arrival he opened a school in North-East Valley, Dunedin. He was afterwards appointed to the Lands Office, and when the first gold in Otago was found, on Mr John M'Lean's run/at the Lindis. Mr Short wa3 created Commissioner of the Lindts gold field in Otago. He conducted the Government land sales throughout Otago for many years. He left the Government service in 1869, but in 1874 he resumed office as assistant clerk in the lands office, which 10 years since he resigned He then came to live at Maheno at which place he died. ' In 1860 Mr Surveyor England laid the sections at the north end of the town. t

In September, 1861, another large land sale took place. Among the purchasers were—3lessrs Morrison, Dalcety* Chas. Trail. Buckley, E. A. Reynolds, J. B. Gillies, R. Allen, C. Docking. W. G. and nnd R. A. Filled, Fairfax Fenwick, E. G. Weldon, J. and D. Main, Caroline Valpy, Jas. Thomson, D. Rae, J. Batson and G. Fenwick. Some of tUe town sections realised Ll3los to L3llos. Section 2, block 2, LSI 10s. In the following year went up very considerably. Certain town sections which had previously been shewn on the maps at the Lind Office were now carefully withdrawn#as the Educational Reserves and*were set apart in accordance with the Educational Reserve Ordinance. Mr Hislop, now Dr Histop, and Mr Short travelled together from Dunedin in September. 1861, to hold a land sale, and Dr Hislop has written me the followinu letter, which >n>*>t empirically describes all the particulars of that eventful journey: "We

set out on horseback from Dunediii, after an early breakfast. Our course lay through the North-East Valley, then up hit! by a very rouah and muddy bridle track, through tbe bush, to somewhere near the/junction of the present main road and i*ort Chalmers road, thence by a bridle track there had been formed and which has since been widened into the present main north road. At Mount Cargill's I may mention that, when climbing through the bush from NorthEast Valley to the higher ground, the mud was so deep that we had to dismount, lengthen the bridles, and pull our horses after us, we ourselves leaping from log to log in many places to avoid sticking in the mud. When we got Blueskin Bay we had to wade our horses through it. "enteriae it at the bottom of the hill tbis-sideTrf-tfce-Waitatrstream, and leaving where the hill begins to rise at' Kilmog.' There was uo road round the Bay. We reached Merton (Corner Bush) by a rough bridle track that had been cut. There was no road through the swamp at Waikottaiti. We had to climb to the top of the ridge or spur at Merton and go

down by the spur through Cherry Fan* and ford the river. Being rather tired, we were glad to eat the lunch we had brought with us. We did not reach Kennedy's accommodation house at Goodwood until after dark, land there we remained all nieht Next morning we started early and crossed the Shag Biver near where Bushy Park House now stands, climbed the steep side of the Horse Range, draegint> our horses after us, and reached the beach near where the Shag Point branch joins the main line of rail way. We leftjrbe beach along which we had ridden near Trotter's Creek, thence to the beach again near Hillgrove railway station and left it again when almost opposite Hampden, which we reached about 1 p.m. Mr and Mrs Murcott had that day opened their new hotel, and I believe we were the first guests. Our dinner consisted of boiled wild pork and potatoes, which, after our long and weary journey, we greatly relished. Ws reached Otepopo about dark, the track then passing between the bush and the ocean, and put up that night at an accommodation house at the edge of the bush kept, I think, by brothers of the name of Campbell. The track between Otepopo and Oamaru was comparatively good, and we reached the Star and Garter Hotel, Oamaru, early in the afternoon of the third day from Dunedin. We and our horses were pretty well knocked up. The Star and Garter of that day was a very humble sort of house compared with the present one, but it was well kept. After having finished the/business that had taken me to Oamaru, I started for Dunedin. I slept at Otepopo the first evening, having been late in starting. Next day I rode to Waikouaiti Parsonage, where I was m«st hospitably entertained for the uight by the Rev. J. A. Fenton (now Archdeacon Fenton (and his wife). I had re-n-solved not to return by the wretehed bush track at Blueskin, Mount Cargill, etc., but to try the mountain road l>y the Swampy Hill and Flagstaff. On leaving the parsonage, after a very early breakfast," Mrs Fenton insisted that I should accept of a small parcel of sandwiches, that I might want them before I reached home, and I believe tl.Ttt Mrs Fenton's forethought was the means of keeping me in life that day. I rode up the spur from Cherry Farm and reached Swampy Hill all right, but there a heavy thick mist fell all round me. I could not see more than a foot or two before me, and I lost my way amidst the numerous sheep or cattle tracks which ran in all directions. I wandered about for some bouts, not knowing which way to steer for homo. My poor horse and I became exhausted, and it came on to rain heavilv. I soon got thoroughly soaked. I ate Mrs Fenton's sandwiches with great relish, and but for them my strength would have utterly failed me. At one time I lost heart, satplown, and took out my note-book in which to write a farewell message to my wife and family. However, I resolved to make one more effort, and after a little I was enabled to emerge from the mist, and had the satisfaction of seeing the ocean and the white island off the Ocean Beach. By and bye other landmarks came into view. My horse by this time was so weak that he ; could hardly walk, and I had to lead i him. It was a terribly weary tramp from . Swampy Hill by Flagstaff and the Halfway Bush, and it was 11 o'clock before I reached my home. For some years afterwards the most difficult parts of the journey between Dunedin and Oamaru . were between Merton (Corner Bush) and Waikouaiti and between Goodwood and Kartigi beach. Until the road was formed , across/the swamp between Merton and , Cherry Farm, travellers on horseback had ; to ford a nasty muddy creek at Merton, and climb up on to a spur leading down to Cherry Far-n, and, until the road was made by Palmerston and through the . Horse Range Gorge to Trotter's Creek, we had* to drag our horses up a very steep hillside to the Horse Range, and thence on to Kartigi beach, from whence i it was always a fairly good road to i Oamaru."