THE BIG BAY LEGEND EXPLODED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1354, 29 September 1886, Page 3

THE BIG BAY LEGEND EXPLODED.

In reference, to the “ Legend of Big Bay,” which was reproduced in our columns some tira' ng ', the N Z. Herald says : It is a pity, perhaps, that wa should have to knock all this story away ; but it is well that the while truth should be known re?pecting the curse of the sch io- er Royal Mai 1 . Mr James Dacre, of Auckland, gives us the f d'owiog inf umation : My father tha late Cai trn Dacre, was in New Z island in 1830, and he ob ained from a native in some pin of the North a greenstone mere. Soma time ia 1842, Oeptain Dacre wa< in Manil-* t where a ma of the natives g-t sight of his creenstone mere. They w<*re charmed, and eagerly inquired where the miter al c uld be procured. They said they woald gLd'y give £SOO per 'on for all he cud bring Oi,.taia Dac e sold his mere f r a very large pric', and thought be saw hia way to make a splendid speculation He had always heard from the Mvr s in the North that the greenstone came from the West Coa t of the Souih Island, which was called by them “Te ' v ai Ponnsmou” (the Greenstone Sea), When Captain Deere got to Sydney he fi ted out the Royal Mail schooner with blasting . and querying appliances, and de'paiched her to Milford Sound and Big B\y 'o load up with the much prirei greenstone The vessel w*s commanded by Captain Anglin. She went to Milford Sound, and to other pa ts of the West Coast, but I never heard that they had any Maoris with them ■ s guides. They remained on the coast for s x months. They then we t to Ne'son for supplies, as s stod in the narrat ve published by vou, I* is true, too, that all the men were bun d to secrecy, and no one in Nelson k e ' what they were after, B t they had no gold on board, much less £IOO 000 worth, and all the time they were on the West Coast they only got two tons of greenstone It is so hard that th y found enormous d fficulty in quarrying it After obtaining supplies at Nelson the schooner returned to Big Bay, bu'. here various calamities overlock the party. Captain Anglin lost the sight of both hia eyes by the effects of an explosion of gunpowder while blasting, and several others were injured by different accidents The schooner then returned to Sydney. Tne two tons of greenstone were afterwards sent to Manila by my father, but ill-luck wassltll attendant on the venture. Thirgi had become unsettled Bute, and the greenstone realised hardy anything. I' was taken to Manila by a mao i amt d Elgin, who entered into b.sueaa th re in company with my fa’her, but a heavy loss resulted to all parties c maertud. B is to be hoped that the knowledge respecting the gold at Big B'V rests on something better t aa the etcry about the schooner Royal Mail having s-cared £IOO 000 worth in a short turns, because the above are undoub’eliy the facts as respects her voyage. She brought away from the coast, after several months work two tone of greenstone and several disabled nun.