NINETY YEARS AGO SIDELIGHTS ON PIONEER. SOCIETY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 6 (Supplement)

NINETY YEARS AGO SIDELIGHTS ON PIONEER. SOCIETY

JTXPL'BLISHED manuscript, diaries and letters of the early days have often yielded me curious little footnotes to history, and sidelights on New Zealand society as it was in the days of the pioneers. A bush journey, an exciting canoe passage of a 'wild river, coastwise voyages in pen boats or small half-decked craft, have been among the incidents found m such documents. Sometimes a description of life in the little towns ■nd on the new farms far out. In a packet of old letters from New Plymouth to a Government official of •lome 90 years ago, I came upon the following epistle which Scottish people would well describe as

By ... James CoWan

"pawky." It was written to Donald Maclean by Dr. Peter Wilson, an old military surgeon who had been appointed to the control of the Xew Plymouth Hospital. This sturdy conservative Scotsman wrote on Giristmas Day, IS4B: — "My dear Maclean:— "Only fancy our folks having become infected, by Wangamii example, with the mania of Horse Racing, and this day week, or Ist of 1549, is to be unhallowed by the f'rst exhibition. They have got a very good two-mile course out at the Moturoa, near to the whalers' sections. They came to nie for a subscription; but I gave them such a . phillipic on their folly that they went away more yes than no disconcerted at the reception. No lack of ready subscribers to horse races; but closed purses to all matters of utility. Where is the Mechanics' Institute? Where the Waiwakaio Bridge? Where a thousand other objects tbat are wanted, and might benefit the settlement? But if the blockheads wanted a days field amusement, why not have instituted an agricultural feat, such as ploughing, mowing, reaping, etc? and no risk of making themselves gamblers and drunkards, and blacklegs by the experiment. One industrious fellow might have gained a plough; another a pair of harrows; a third something else to forward him on in agricultural life: and so on, to the utter exclusion of public house benefit; and to the saving of our gentry from making asses

of themselves. The only argument that was urged to me was that they had Races at Wanganni; and my rejoinder was a silencer. Wanganui abounds in two classes: First, Officers who have nothing to do either with their time or pay, but glad to get rid ol both in any way that promises to purchase them a respite from ennui; and secondly, civilian settlers whohave made lots of money by the said soldiers sojourning among them. But 1 whence come our funds for the sustaining of such folly? And where is our time to devote to it? This is an industrious community, earning its livelihood by the sweat of the brow. Therefore every idle inducement that is presented, having a wayward tendency, merits reprobation! Besides, what want we with blood racinsr (weeds? We want good heavy Cleveland* that can carry our honest men to market, or drag a cart or plough, as occasion may require. We muse make a dead set against this horseraeing; and you may tell Sir George (Governor Grey) from me that he cannot render the Colony a better service than by discountenancing it also; and recommending in lieu agricultural an<! cattle shows, ploughing matches, and all the other et cetera-s of farming emulation.

"There is a feeling just now.travelling among us to get a subscription piano; but I am adverse quite to the nonsense of expending our girls' time in learning; so useless an accomplishment. At beet we would make them mere strummers, and when they left school and became farmers' wives, they would soon forget it. I recommend, in lieu, a pair of ISin globes, to let them know that thev live on a globe, that it moves, that"there is a variety of other countries besides Xew Zealand and Great Britain; and thus, with a little sound knowledge concerning the planets and stars, give them something rational to talk about when they are roasting potatoes of a night after the fatigues of the house and dairy are done for the day. But to play the Piano, even bearably well, takes much time in the first place, and far more daily practice afterwards, than any colonial's wife can spare. "Now I think I have given you a good morning's screed; so wishing you very soon back among us. I remain, my dear Mac., F. Wilson." fJooil. honest man! Xone of this fun business for him. Life was real; life was earnest, even in Xew Plvliiouth of IS4S. How would Dr. Wilson and his douce wife (who also was given to admonitory letter-writing) possibly survive a day and a night of modern life, say in the Exhibition City ?

t The incident here described of v Donald Maclean on a journey to V Taupo in 154.3 depicts characters o£ ii long ago of a very different type 5 from the solid uncompromising old i Scots doctor. Mr. Maclean, as Governi ment agent and inspector of police ) at Xew Plymouth, had reached ; Tuhna village in the heart of the' )- bush, on his way from the West 1 Coast to Uie great Tc Heuheu's coun-; E try, when he encountered two stray . white men. One of them, whom he , described as a tall, thin, miserable ? looking Yankee, was one of those • interlopers in Maori society who ; travelled from village to village. "He f was without snoes or head-covering," ' Maclean wrote, "and he was elad • with a long ridietilous-looking cloak 1 or coat, which appeared to have undergone equal wear and tear with its owner. On questioning this man as to his intentions and prospects, I found he entertained many extravagant notions of his own ingenuity which might lead a person unaequain-1 ted with such characters to infer | that he was a demigod among the natives, which he attributed to his skill in repairing their guns and boxlocks; those good qualities were, in tact, confined to his own imagination. |: I could afterwards perceive the | natives treated him with the greatest j indifference; perhaps less so, from | '■ his extreme indolence than the mean-1' est of their slaves. Xor could I but regret the contempt in which we - become involved, by dissolute char- I acters of this description being allowed _ to remain at large among the natives; diffusing and breeding discord towards the British Government. 1 ' _ The other man was an Irishman who once was employed by Maclean, i ''He came up to my tent door; and ] in his Irish accent expressed himself 1 highly pleased at meeting his old i master. "Och, sure, Sir; "whin I ] heard it was your dear self, I came t right to see you, and the best em- •} ployer I had in Xew Zealand; and t sure, Sir, I have quite given up the drink; though many a good quillfull ! r you used to allow me. And sure, Sir,! a I niver got any money since I left j 0 you till I scraped up with that!,, Yankee partner of mine, strutting i „ about in his long gown." He had f four pounds, which he took out of j a his cap to show me. j j■ "Distant as the (wriod was since i i»= he was in my employment, and in ri the very secluded place I met him, I si could not but yield a hearty shake of e;

( thc hand to a truly honest and faithj ful Hibernian. Having still a little I tea left, I gave it to him and his | partner; so showing the natives that jl did not disregard Europeans, however low their position. j By a little kindness I found they ( could be led and advised as well as I natives; and as they expressed •an anxiety to better their circumstances. I suggested they should abandon the life they then led—a step I might have a difficulty in enforcing, though desirous of doing so, could it not be accomplished by | easier means. While I was on my laupo expedition, they remained here. I afterwards took them to Wanganui, defraying their expenses; they obtained employment there."