MEMORIES OF 1840

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

MEMORIES OF 1840

MANY of you will have heard of the Entente Cordiale, that alliance between the two great nations of Great Britain and France, which U the chief guarantee of the world's

peace to-day. Not so very manv days apo that alliance was mentioned by a speaker at an official dinner. The speaker was a brisk, alert man of French parentage, 84 years old. He was speaking at a dinner in the Bruce Hotel, at Akaroa. the dreamy little settlement on Banks Peninsula which will celebrate it*; hundredth birthday in 1940.

The aged speaker was Mr. E. X. I.< Lievre and he pointed out that as fa;as New Zealand was concerned the Entente Cordiale dated much furthe' back than the present alliance. Mr. Le Lievre was addressing an audience which included officers of the little French sloop Rigault de Genouilly, which recently visited Auckland and Lvttelton.

The visit of the French ship to Akaroa was a very important occasion, even more important than thai of a British warship. As Mr. Le Lievre's remark would suggest. Akaroa has a very close connection with France. To learn the facts of

that connection it will be neceesarv for us to make a brief excursion into history, but I can promise that it will not be boring. There will be a hint of excitement about it and a little romance.

Many years ago French whalers who came to the South Island landed at Banks Peninsula to establish a base. One in particular, a Captain L'Anglois, was particularly attracted by the beauty and fertility of the countryside. He entered into negotiations with the Maoris for the purchase of the whole peninsula with the object of founding a French settlement.

Then he went back to France, and just a hundred years ago he organised an expedition to transport a French community to far-off New Zealand. The French Government assisted and two chips were fitted out for the long voyage. One was the fri,crate L'Atihe, commanded by Commodore Lavaud. The other was the ship Comte de Paris, commanded by L'AnprloLi himself. Al>out a hundred sturdy Frenchmen and women accompanied the expedition a* •ettlers.

French Sloop at Akaroa

What happened at the end of the voyage has often been disputed, bu' the following is the version generally accepted. The L'Aube is eaid to have called at Auckland, where someone who had failed to learn til-.' important lesson that silencc i; golden told one of the British >ettlers that it was intended to annex the South Island as a French colony. Captain ITobson, British representative at Auckland, wasted no time. He sent Captain Stanley it: the Britoinart to forestall the FrencV and hoist the British flag. Captain Stanley sped down the coast and hoisted the British flag on August 11, 1840. Three days later tin; French arrived. Just imagine the disappointment of those poor folk who had travelled so many thousands of miles to found a new colony! French people are always ready to make the best of things, so most of them accepted an invitation to stay at Akaroa under British rule. That is why Akaroa to-day is totally different from any other town ii, New Zealand. The streets have French names—Lavaud Street, named after the commander of the L'Aube,

by 'TRICOLOUR'

Jolie Street, Benoit Street; the hill on which the old French cemetery if situated is called L'Aube Hill; th'older houses have a foreign appearance; there are willow trees growi' from cuttings taken from Napoleon's tomb. There is still something different about the atmosphere of Akaroa. The old French eettlers are now dead, but many of the best known families of Akaroa have French names. Mr. Le Lievre, who spoke of the "Entente Cordiale" of 1840, is a son of one of the original settlerand is typical of tie best qualities inherent in that fine old stock. He speaks fluent French and is delighted to have an opportunity to uee it. Understanding something of Akaroa'e history, it is easy to realise, what a great occasion the visit of the French sloop was. Captain Plante and his officers were thoroughly at home in a town which might so easily have been French. The writer of this article wafortunate enough to travel from Lyttelton to Akaroa on the Rigault de Genouilly, and it is an experience to be remembered with pleasure and appreciation. Frenchmen are won-

derful hosts and the officers of th; sloop more than juatilied this rcputa tion.

The Bigault de Genouilly i» * happy ship and Captain I'lante is • splendid tailor. He waj a captain at 28 and lie eerved for eeveral years in submarine®. Hia officer* are young, keen and alwaye bubbling with laughter and good epirits. The sailors are cheerful and brisk.

They kne«r * good deal about the early history of Akaroa before arriving there and they were quite wwiUd at the prospect of meeting so many of their long-loet cousins. Onee 011 shore it did not take them long to And people of French descent and they did not allow the difficulty to be an obtt-acle to the forming of friendships.

The officers found many relie* of France in Akaroa. They were shown maps drawn by French naval officernearly a hundred years ago. They met a resident who ha* his own pri vate museum, which include* <-cveral cutlasses from Commodore l.asand's famou« frigate.

Perhaps the highlight of the was the official dinner. Tim liruce Hotel was crowded with Ai-.;u.>a people whose desire it was to <1«> :• 1! honour to their visitors. -Mr. Le Lievre kept up a fire of remark* to Captain I'lanie, and it was ea.«y to see that the Kntente Conliali' founded in Akaroa nearly a humliel years afro is still alive in the same pretty little town to-dav.