"THE LEGEND OF BIG BAY."

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6554, 24 September 1886, Page 3

"THE LEGEND OF BIG BAY."

In reference to the "Legend of Big Bay/ -which was reproduced in our columns acme time ago, the NZ. Herald says:— It is a pity, perhaps, that we should hare to knock ail this story away; but it is well that the whole troth ehould be known respecting the cruise of the schooner Royal iuail. Mr James Dacre, of Auckland, gives ua the following information: Sly father, the late Captain Dacre, was in New Zealand in 1830, and he obtained from a native in some part of the North a greenstone mere. Some time in 1842, Captain Dacre was in Manila, where some of the natives got light of his greenstone mere. They were charmed, and eagerly inquired where the material could be procured. They said they would gladly give £500 per ton for all he could bring. Captain Daore sold bis mere for a very large price, and thought he saw his way to make a splendid speculation. He had always heard from the Maeris in the North that the greenstone came from the West Coast of the South Island, which was called by them "Te Wai Ppunamou " (the Greenstone Sea). When Captain Dacre got to Sydney he fitted out. the BoyaV Jiail schooner with blasting and quarrying appliances, and despatched her to Milfoid Sound ana Big Bay to load up with the muck prized greenstone. The vessel waa commanded by Captain Anglin. She went to Mtlford Sound, and to other parts of the West Coast, bat I never heard that they had any Maoris with them as guides. They remained on the coast for six months. They then went to Nelson for supplies, as stated in the narrative published by you. It is true, too, that all the men were bound to secrecy, and no one in Nelson knew what they were after. But they had no gold on board, much lota 4100,000 worth, and all the time they were on the West Coast they got onJy two tone J of greenstone. It is so hard that they found enormouß difficulty in quarrying it. After obtaining supplies at Nelson the schooner retained to Big Bay, but here various calamities overtook the party. Captain Anglin lost the sieht ofj both his eyes by the effects of an explosion o< gunpowder while blasting, ana several others were injured by QJerent accidents. The schooner then returned to Sydney. The two tons of greenstone were afterwards sent to Manila by my father, but ill-luck was still attendmn e h J on * venture. Things had become unsettled there, and the greenstone realised hardly anything. It was taken to Manila by a man named Elgin, who entered into business there in company with my father, but a heavy lose resulted to all parties) concerned. It is to be hoped that the knowledge respecting the gold at Big Bay rests on something better than the story about the schooner Boyal Mail having secured 4100,000 worth in a short time; because the »bove are undoubtedly the facts as reepects her voyage. Bhe brought away from that coast, after several months work, two tons of greenstone and several doubled aen.