THE ALBERTLANDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 7, 9 January 1926, Page 28

THE ALBERTLANDERS.

MAUNGATUROTO'S STORY. THE OPENING UP OF THE ROADS. WHEAT GROWING AND FIRST AGRICULTURAL SHOW. STRENUOUS WORK OF CLEARING THE LAND. (Edited by HE_\ T KY HOOK.) It is astonishing to us now to recall with what complacency the newly-arrived Albertland settlers accepted the prospect before them. To again quote from Mr. Bailey's MS.: " I can only suppose that an inflated sense of proprietorship in the newly-acquired land had temporarily arrested their reasoning faculties; this, and a certain glamour or fascination about the free unconventional conditions of life in the bush, which, as a prospective experience, invariably has the effect of overshadowing the thousand and one inconveniences and deprivations inevitable on a return to primitive conditions." Rosy prospects had been pictured for them in England. Their expectations were high; the contrast between the ideal and the real was startling. They were, they supposed, going to a large settlement in the Province of Auckland, where hundreds of people from Home were already comfortably established. The prospectus of the scheme showed houses with trim gardens, fenced farms, and made roads. In imagination they saw an advanced and prosperous community. There would be no lack of friends, pleasant social intercourse, mutual help and advice; hard work, of course, there would be for a time, then ease, comfort, and independence. Yet these people, without a murmur, allowed themselves to be stranded on one of the most isolated, impracticable blocks of land in the country. The present residents of Maungaturoto, living under comparatively pleasant modern conditions, with railway facilities, daily mails, telephone communication to their homes, and steadily improving roads, may find it hard to realise this, but it was the grini reality of "the 'sixties." The heads of families who went there to commence the. work of settlement, full of hope and bright expectations, pictured to themselves an' old age of ease and comfort, which not one of them ever realised. -

It is often remarkable that in the development of communities, large or small, we see one man who stands out prominently as a leader and statesman in his sphere; and no record of Maungaturoto would be complete without some reference to the public service rendered to the district by Mr. J. Hurndall. A man of fine presence and dignified carriage, and moreover of sterling character, he was an ideal leader in every movement for the public good. His long experience of public affairs through his connection with the municipality in his home town in Gloucestershire, rendered him a past master in the conduct of official business, and for many years he gave his time and services freely for every measure suggested* for the advancement of the district, besides proving himself a friend in need when advice or assistance was required in any private matter. We venture.to say. that'for the first thirty years or thereabouts, the main official business of the district passed through his hands, and whatever improvements were made in the way of road formation, bridges, culverts, etc., were brought about through his instrumentality. Previous to settling in Maungaturoto he had been appointed to the Commission of the Peace. He was, in addition, a tower of strength in all matters pertaining to the religious life of the district, as our narrative later will show.

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We pass now to speak of improvements during the first six months of the year 1864, of which house-building ranked first in importance. Homes, however primitive, are the centre of the community's life, around which other activities revolve. The first house built was Mr. Eowsell's, the timber for which was brought from the Northern Wairoa mills, and carried from the landing to the site of the building—a distance of about two miles. Messrs. Huband and Flower also had houses built. It was characteristic of the worthy foundation ideals of Mr. Hurndall that, by the middle of 1864, he had built a remarkably good house, the first completed building in Maungaturoto. This, many years later, became the residence of Dr. Mountaine, who bought the property when Mr. Hurndall left the district. Fences began to arise enclosing plots of garden ground, and soon abound various dwellings, in addition to the vegetables, a fine * display of flowers brought their fragrant message to gladden the toilers in the bush. As' the months passed other settlers erected their homes —pioneer homes it is true, but a distinct advance towards permanence from the tents and whares whicli had served as temporary abodes. The strenuous work of early .settlement was now on foot. The axes of the new chum settlers resounded as the primeval forest gradually yielded to the inroads of the colonists. The smoke curled from scattered homesteads. Henceforth the bush sections dotting the watershed of the Wairau contained a new significance, for here were the abodes of men. An amusing illustration of the rough carpentry of the 'sixties occurred in the building of Mr. Eowsell's first house. Some of the Albertland colonising parties fortunate in having brought good tradesmen with them, but, for this house a carpenter from Kaiwaka was engaged. When it was completed, Mrs. Eowsell, with her sister-in-law, came up from Auckland, via Manga wai; to ■join her husband, who met them at the latter place, and the party walked home to Maungaturoto in stages. On the way Mr. Eowsell bought a small keg of butter to replenish-the larder, and on arrival he put it down at the front door. It promptly Tolled down to the back wall! Inspection showed that the back level of the house was six inches lower than the front, and a timber jack had to be secured to raise it. 8 The opening up of the roads to give access throughout the block from the landing, and to neighbouring settlements was, from the outset, a vital question. For many years since 1864, Northland has borne the reproach of " The Roadless North." At the time of which we now speak it was roadless indeed! The Surveyors' tracks gave the only access; but faint hope of better things was dawning, for the settlement records state that "On April 12 1864 the. resident settlers met Mr.' Allright, Government road surveyor' ■ and made arrangements for opening np the roads." It was a welocme visit, though Government grants were not heavy in those days, and the Surveyor, however sympathetic, could not deal with a lavish hand. On April 19th, "the settlers again met Mr. Allright at Mr. Christopher Bailey's house for the same purpose." I The " burning question of roads " evidently advanced a staee at a meeting held at Mr. Hurndall's on May 6, 1864,/ when we read that " The sections of road from the Maungaturoto Post Office (Mr. Eowsell's) to Mr. Chalton's (a point near the Pukekaroro Mountain), a distance of about eight miles, were* drawn for an lots by the settlers." The position was that the Auckland

Provincial Government were asked to open this road, which was an important link with the neighbouring settlements, and agreed to do so provided the settlers would pay half the cost. This was agreed to by the residents, on the condition that they themselves did the work. The contribution consisted in their receiving but half the amount fixed per chain. The explanation of tbe " drawing for lots " is that the whole length of the road was estimated at a uniform price, while the work would vary considerably, as parts of the line were heavy bush, and parts open country covered with short fern and ti-tree, hence the drawing was very much a lottery.

Thus the system of voluntary labour for public benefits was early adopted in Maungaturoto, and the settlers who worked for half their small grant built better than they knew. In the development of self-reliance there is the simple, though great underlying truth, that " God helps tho.se who help themselves." The contract was to clear the road line twelve feet wide, cutting all stumps close to the ground. After the apportionment of this work on May 6th, the settlers pushed on with the clearing of the road, and were rewarded by another visit from Mr. Allright on November 24th of the same year, when the Surveyor inspected and measured up the portions completed, and paid over £100 on account. The amount received was at tlie rate of 12/ per chain, of which one-half was deducted in payment of the settlers' contribution. To Mr. Hurndall is due the credit of prevailing on the Government to give this assistance—the first grant made in the history of the settlement. From time to time afterwards further small grants were made for opening and improving the roads. Among neighbouring settlers at Pukekaroro and Kaiwaka when the Maungaturoto coloni&ts-landed are some well-known names — Dowson, Eoss, Leslie, Cameron (two families), Hatfield, Oldburn, Chalton, and Stewart.

Those were the "lean years," and the times of hard, rough experiences. There was practically no money in circulation, and the settlers were glad of a little road work (even at half contract value!) to replenish their limited reserves of cash. The Mr. Christopher Bailey earlier mentioned was not a Tyburnia passenger. He took up the section of land on which the Anglican Church formerly stood, and erected a fine whare near the subsequent church site. He was mainly occupied on Government works during his stay in the district.

As one of their first "agricultural experiments," Messrs. Cullen sowed a burn of. three or four acres in wheat. The crop was remarkably good, but unfortunately, owing to wet harvesting weather, the greater portion of it sprouted in the ear. Before cattle and sheep were kept in any considerable number, the meat supply for the families was not overabundant. Wild pigs were a source of meat provision on which the settlers had counted. At Home speakers and writers had enlarged on the advantage the emigrants would have in a ready supply of fresh and tasty meat, almost at their doors. Pigs, they were told, abounded in the bush. On shipboard any conversation about the future settlement was invariably flavoured with the anticipation of an abundance of the promised pork. It seemed to allay any uneasiness about the future meat ration.

• Now, on several occasions after the arrival of the pioneers in Maungaturoto, evidence of-wild pigs having been about bad been seen, and the desirability of a pig hunt had been several times mildly suggested, but no' one in the settlement was disposed to take too militant a part in the matter, because among the " new chums" none were sufficiently well acquainted with the manners and habits of wild pigs to undertake a hunt on their own account. They had some knowledge of the domestic pig, and grave doubts were entertained as to whether his bush brother would be such a mild accommodating creature as he appeared when the subject of conversation in an English sitting room or on board ship. There he ,was mere animated pork, but at close quarters and in his native wilds, armed with formidable carver-like tusks, -he might be a warrior indeed. Hunters of experience had advised that the proper way when hunting was to at once " fall pn " the quarry,, turn it over and the rest was simple. The new chums could not yet regard it in that light, unless they felt fully assured about the somebody who was to do the " falling on " and slaughtering. So far, all were maintaining a diplomatic silence about the matter, and discretion prevailed as the better part of valour.

But one morning, early in the second year after landing, a spu* to courage was given by the arrival on the scene of : Mr. G. Williams, a renowned pig hunter, accompanied by his famous dog. He had walked direct through the bush from his home on the Great North Eoad behind the Pukekaroro Mountain, and reported killing two p%s during the previous day on the journey. Here, then, waa the opportunity, Mr. Williams was bent on sport, and the settlers were bent on pork; they would join fore-..-. This keen sportsman being prepared to start on the hunt at once, a company of four, including the leader of the chase and Mr. Bailey, accompanied by the dogs, started off on the adventure. After tramping some distance the leader's trained dog was sent out to find the " quarry," and shortly afterwards his barks announced that he had a wild pig at bay; the other two dogs were then sent on to his assistance, the men, following over the rough country and tangled undergrowth, presently broke through on to the scene of conflict, where they found the dogs facing a wild boar, the most ugly savage looking animal it had ever been their lot to 6ee, also the most odorous, for the vile " animal smell" of the creature was scented before they actually saw it. With his hindquarters backed into a-cavity at the foot of an enormous rata tree, the only point of attack his awe-inspiring head and Bhoulders, he was ready for the fray. Stirred to wrath by the dogs, armed with formidable tusks, he presented a savage resentful attitude.

This was very unlike the plump, good-natured Albertland pig they had been led to expect. Courage in one or two of the party began to recede. However, the hunting instinct had been aroused, and this chieftain of the bush must be made to yield up his pork. How was this to be done? It was clearly impossible to "fall on" the pig and dispatch him by a knife to his throat in the orthodox

way; as he had entrenched himself in the hollow under the cover of the large tree. One of the party had anticipated such a contingency by bringing with him a gun and some ball cartridge. It may have been less sportsmanlike, but it was more humane—the artillery was brought to bear and the ferocious animal was laid low. The hunters were now able to make a closer inspection of their game, and it was an uninviting sight. Its noisome smell, and terrifying ugliness, with the probable toughness of the meat of such an ancient animals were not prepossessing The New Zealand wild pig has" often been a good standby for the settlers' meat supply, and the younger animals provide excellent eating, but the flesh of the older ones becomes very rank and tough. Next Week: More about Maungaturoto.

Mr*. J. Cullen, the wife of one of the earliest settlers of Maungaturoto, mother and grandmother of all the well-known Cullen family. Respected and beloved for her kindness and Christian character, she also excelled as a nurse, and many dangerous journeys by land and water were taken (and at all hours of the night) in rendering her "valued service. She died in 1910, having reached the age of 82 years.