THEN AND NOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 1 (Supplement)

THEN AND NOW.

MAILS HI THE 'FIFTIES. JOURNAL OF A PIONEER. (By A.L.R.) It is interesting Xo compare the mail service existing in New Zealand a-t the present time with that of 80 years ago, as described in the journal of an early pioneer. In these days, when an air letter from the North Island reaches the South within a few hours, the conditions described in the following extract from the diary seem almost incredible: "November, 1851. Received to-day three letters from England dated April, 1851. They have been a little less than eight months on the way, the cause being that letters sent by ships from England which sail to one of the southern ports of New Zealand often discharge there, and probably go on to America or Australia, and never come near Auckland. The uihU by such ships is left at a post office in the southern port until some small coaster is coming our way; a very uncertain and irregular occurrence. This is proved by the fact that papers from Lyttelton and Nelson are a month older in date than those received a few days back from London. The fact shows clearly the very inadequate connections existing between the North and South Islands of New Zealand., It must be admitted that for all practical purposes we are nearer Sydnev than Wellington, and that Wellington is nearer London than Lyttelton! So I hope my friends will henceforth avoid posting by such ships as go first to the southern ports of New Zealand, and post only by such vessels as sail direct to Auckland or via Sydney. • Later we find the comment: "No mails for weeKs, but we expect that time will prove that they have gone on their 'Pilgrimage to Caturbury?' " Even if letters were posted by ships sailing direct to Auckland, it was often months before they reached their destination. We read: "April, 1852. Seven 'Times,' and 10 'Evening Standards' bv the Cashmere. She was reported to have started from England 11 months ago, but it seems she had to start seven times from England before she could get fairly away! However, at last we are enjoying our 'Times'!" "First Year of Steam." There is another even more interesting extract from .1852, which the writer of the journal terms the "first year of steam." Instead or the service being* more adequate as might be expected" we find that never before had they been so erratic. We read: "No news from England, but I hear there is a vessel expected now three weeks overdue from London. This time last year we had received letters from our friends up to the date of October, two months later than those of this year, and yet this is the first year of steam! Another week. and still no news from England, everyone is wondering and expecting. It is said there never was such an interval as this year. This does not foretell well for the future of steam! "Goods are so scarce that scarcely anything worth having can be purchased in the first shops in Auckland. It is now so long since we had a ship from England that should the inconvenience be protracted the situation will become acute. There is no crockery, no shoes. no haberdashery to speak of, paper is

very scarce, and as to wines, etc., one has to pay very highly for the small store left." Then comes the joyous entry: "Unlooked for good luck, letters", 'John Bulls' and 'Guardians' from England by the Joseph Fletcher." Then a fortnight later: "The Raven came in yesterday bringing the Chilean's mail. Now the Chusan is a steam vessel, the Joseph Fletcher but a sailing ship. The former left England a fortnight before the latter yet we received the mail by the Joseph Fletcher on the 3rd inst.. and the letters by the Chusan only to-day!" "Mails Thrown Overboard." Not only had Her Majesty's mails to contend with the many vicissitudes brought about by the strange caprices of steam ships; other and more exciting dangers often threatened them! For example: "We hear that the Gwalior was in sight of Auckland. She sailed from London in November, and arrived here June taking seven months. The accounts of her are most disturbing. The Children, a small sailing vessel ran aside her at the Bay of Islands, and found the passengers in a most deplorable state. For several weeks they had on the Gwalior nothing but red herrings and porter, provisions and water having been long since exhausted. The captain is said to have become mad during the voyage through drink, and had stabbed three of the passengers, opened and read the mails and then thrown many of them overboard. The Children gave her nine gallons of water, and bread and brought some of the passengers up to Auckland. "Fifteenth. Just heard that the Gwalior was about to enter the harbour on Sunday evening when she was observed to stand out to sea and be making off. It was supposed that the mad captain was afraid to come in, so the Lieutenant Governor sent a man o' war after her to bring her in. The captain was immediately seized and put in irons. One woman is not expected to live, she has been so frightened and starved!" Yet in spite of aH these happenings, some of-the Gwalior's mails evidently reached their destination, for we find the words: "Only one letter came for us by the Gwalior. but we are most lunky in receiving six papers which had escaped the captain!" Turning the old and faded pages of the journal, one realises a little of what the coming of the mail meant to those early eolonii-ts. The arrival of each was noted down as the important event ' of the passing weeks. We find: ""Letters by the Fairy Queen. 'Guardians' by the Cresswell. 'John Bulls' by the Duchess of Argyle." Sympathetic Postmen—and Others. The postman at the Pensioners' Settlement of Howick. 15 miles from Auckland, seems to have been an understanding fellow for he used to take round the mails as soon as they were sorted, no matter bow late the hour, as is described in the simple entry: "At nine last night the postman's loud knock resounded, and I rushed to the door for the mail by the Duke of Portland." In the city, however, the postal authorities did not take, by any means, such a friendly interest in those long looked for letters. There all mails were handed through a rough wooden shutter in a strictly unemotional manner, the idea being that, should the owner of the mail become aggressive, the wooden shutter could be let down with a final and sudden bang. Tt was a precaution sometimes necessary, when the coming of a mail from the O'd Country had been celebrated with several glasses at The Windsor Castle. These simple chronicle* are worth remembering about Christmas time when the postman, working overtime, makes three calls in one da v.