THE LOST TRIBE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 200, 24 August 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

THE LOST TRIBE.

THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS.

REIGN OF KING TOM.

A PRIEST AND HIS PAEISH.

(By R. ALEXANDER.)

At a time like the present when public thought is concentrated upon the devastated West Coast, some reference to its romantic iiistory may prove interesting, particularly with regard to the Matakitaki Valley and the area which appears to have been the centre of the great disturbance. The whole of the West Coast is, of course, rich with tales of the far-gone days, when men with pan, cradle and sluice won golden harvest from the banks of the rivers and the secret iVtnesses of mountain creeks and gullies; stories of men who lived hard-, worked hard, faced perils and privation with buoyant, careless confidence that'fortune lay a box-length ahead and :that a golden pathway led to the ever-distant to-morrow. There were no great "finds" in the Upper Buller and Matakitaki Valley, but payable wash lured many adventurous spirits right up to the head waters of the rivers, and the lonely "fossicker" often formed a distant outpost from even the rough civilisation which existed there 50 years ago. It was of such men that the mythical "Lost Tribe" was formed.

Contact with the world in those days terminated at the Upper Matakitaki, where a combination store-pub existed near the junction of the track which led over the Maruia Saddle into the valley of. that river. Here the diggers did their .banking, purchased, stores and obtained spirituous consolation. At one time a small number of diggers were lost sight of. for several months. They neither came in to sell gold nor buy stores, and they were ultimately looked upon as lost, or to have departed for other fields. But later they were found camped away up the Glenray River (a tributary of the Matakitaki), where in isolation they had worked upon their claims unknown to the outside world—hence their name of "The Lost Tribe." The "tribe" gradually grew to occupy more extended territory, but these were the founders of the hardbitten community which gave its loyal allegiance to "King Tom." His Majesty. • . ■ There was a glamour of mystery .about the ruler of the "Lost Tribe." His real, name ivas Thomas May, and it- was reported thai, he wae some connection of the Mays of match fame, and had left a big fortune in Britain to seek forgetful; ness in the rough life of the diggings. Be the - truth what it may, he was evidently an educated man, but never talked of his past. It is not hard to understand King Tom's sway when it is 'realised .that.he was' banker, postmaster, storekeeper, and publican. Every thriftless Or unlucky digger owed him money, and the ones who were "flush" spent their dus.t with him in riotous enjoyment until they, too, had to become temporary debtors pending a pa.yable washup. His pack horses afforded the only mean's-pi obtaining"supplies,-"and-We to the luckless digger who eanie under permanent royal displeasure. But, taken all in all, King Tom was a benevolent despot. If adigger came in to buy tucker and spent his money on a wild spree instead, royal indulgence -was generally extended by an extension of credit, and the sodden and saddened fortune seeker shouldered his flour,' bacon, tea, and Fugar, aiid plunged .once more into the wilderness of the mountains to work off his overdraft; It would .be hard to justly, sum up the "balance of trade," for "if. his majesty deigned to rob he was. also robbed, and many thousands from the royal coffers west into useless , tail races, flumes, head races, and duffer, claims, and it is understood that he died a comparatively poor man. The Court. In the- -palmy days of the tribe his majesty was generlaly robed in an old frock coat, pants at which a modern drycleaner would turn pale, and heelless slippers. A smoking cap perched unsteadily above a countenance the colour of which would have caused the makers of Caesar's imperial purple to quit business in despair. The accommodation provided was in keeping with the times, and these lighter domestic duties were entrusted to his royal highness, "Brandy Mac." From a face adorned with dirty white whiskers and ornamented in the centre with a nose like a young volcano with many active craters, Mac looked with bibulous indifferent eyes upon the clamorous stomachs demanding food. He had to be primed with drink to get him to cook, and a great deal of care was required in the process.

If he was given too little he would not cook, and if he got too niijeh he coUld not. His usual court costume condieted of a greasy flannel einglefr and a pair orpants, which were a miracle"in suspension. Like the sword of Damocles, they, so to epeak, hung by a hair, and every movement of his highness was fraught with.danger. Still, they never fell, and if .he changed them no one ever noticed the difference. Other notable members of th& royal entourage were>orky, Taff, The Scorpion, Tommy the Robm, Blackguard Jack, The Blowfly, Jimmy the Wanderer and many others of the good old days. King Tom's sceptre was a pickhandle which he kept in a convenient place behind the bar counter, and when arguments and fights interfered with legitimate drinking his majesty hopped round the counter and laid about him right and left. The pickhaiidle soon restored peace and harmony, and the drinks were duly allocated on the offenders. At a,- later stage the Chinese began to invade the territory, anc[ in the course of trade and intercourse King Tom picked up a smattering of the language and gradually the heathen population turned to. him more and more for guidance, and his dominion over these new members, of the 'community led to an* elabdratioa of his. majesty's title, and he became recognised as "The King of the Lost Tribe;and Emperor of the Chinese." For inany years he held royal sway, granted privileges and conferred titles upon distinguished visitors and faithful servitors. But the . advance of transport facilities, and the working ou4 of small claims brought a.bout the decline and fall of the tribe and'its «mpire. The old palace was v another one erected on a newly-made road. The nobles of the court became scattered or joined their ancestors and finally some 28 or 30 years ago King Tom .was drowned while fording the Matakitaki near his old home. May be rest in peace. There may have been some better "kings." but there have certainly been worse men. . j\V"

From King to Priest

In recalling the history of Central LBuller there is another, yet. very difjferent figure, whidi claims a sweet and

pure niche in the memory of men—Father iioland, a dear, gentle Catholic priest. His service to his Church in the JUurchison district does not date back as far as the founding ef the-lost tribe but 40 years ago his name was one to conjure with. By heretic and faithful alike he was respected and loved. Dressed in clerical garments that had stood the buffeting and bleaching of many eeason3 and wearing an old top hat green with the weight of its years he might be, met witn in any lonely spot of his wild parish. He was generally accompanied by his old horse, Castlemaine. Tne word "accompanied" is used because they were frequently met walking together. Where the road was good, Father would frequently stroll ahead reading while his four-legged friend followed close behind. It was a simple sight, the memory of which, after many years, stiD carries its lesson of peace and trust. Up many of the gullies which have been blocked with landslides, and along pathways and tracks now obliterated, Father Roland carried his message. No track was too muddy or difficult for him, nor any lodging too humble. Many a lonely dio-o-er has had his solitude brightened and his faith revived by the gentle, patient old priest. He mnor thrust his faith upon those who did not follow him, but likewise he never neglected his own flock. He has been known to tramp miles through the bush to hold Mass for a woman and three young children. The simplicity of his lifi made him the warm friend of all who knew him, and many who were not of his faith found in him an inspiration to seek the higher and purer pathways of life. The Father never had money. He came and went empty-handed. A mug of tea in a dig"e/s hut or a rich meal in a farmhouse, ft was all the same to him. He was equally grateful, and in hut or homestead fie "left behind him an atmosphere of trust apd courage which left everyone the better for his passing by. He had money left him from France, but lie <-ave it all for the training of young priests. He suffered death with the agonies.of internal cancer. As he rose above his suffering, let us hope the district he loved and served so well will face its great ordeal with courage and win back prosperity and security.