OLD TIME MEMORIES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12849, 6 July 1907, Page 7

OLD TIME MEMORIES.

XEW ZEALAND IN THE 'FORTIES. No. I. (Bt S. C. Fabb.) I found among my gatherings the other day, another link to the chain of the early history -of New Zealand. I copied it from the original some years since. Possessing, as it does, some interesting details of colonial life, may I ask yen to kindly give space for it in "The Press," at your earliest convenience? ' ]\i rs 'fod, the dictator of these reminiscences, was housekeeper for the .Messrs Deans, at Riccartou, when I first visited them in 1850. The incidents relate to her first eighteen years' «>xj>rrifnoe in New Zealand, nml are us follows: —

I landed in Wellington, June 11th, I 1841. About the end of August a great commotion happened one Sunday night. Tho natives found a Maori dead; they blamed tho whit© men for the murder and were going to slaughter them tor it, but they did not turn out, being frightened of the Taipo (the devil). About a year afterwards (1842) we travelled to a place called Manawatu, through tho Kowai Bush, Pararua Bush, and Pukani Bush to the beach, and along the beach to a Maori pa (village). A Maori woman came out and took my baby from my arms and ran into the pa, squealing and yelling for the Maoris to come and see the haby, because it was the first white baby they had ever seen. I followed the Maori woman to the pa, and thought I woufd never see my baby any more. When we got to the mouth of the Manawatu Rlrer there was no cano<\ and we- etayed all night with a white man who had lost both arms. Next day wo travelled sixteen milos up the side of the river, where we lived nino weeks, and were burned out and left without n stitch of anything to put on our backs, and nothing in the world, but just ac wo stood. At this timo there were five white families scattered along the Manawatu River. I got an old blanket from one of them, an old dress from one, an old hat From another. We then came down the river in a canoe, and along the beach, 6lept in a Maori hut one night, the next clay we crossed thr*o rivws. When we wero living at Manawalu tho Maoris were a great bother to ue; they generally camo in at meal time, about thirty of them at one time, ami squatted on the floor. I used to tell them to go away, and they did not like it. They told another white woman they were going to play mc a trick for sending them away, so the white woman told mc, and the- next time they camo I let them etop a good deal longer. At last I told them to go away as I was going to see the other white woman. They were not willing to go, but I got them all out but one Dig fellow. I locked him ineido to frighten him. In a little •whilo I opened the door and went in; ho was etill sitting so I caught him by the cuff of the neck and put him outside. He picked up a piece of firewood to hit mc, and 1 took up a piece and shook it in his face, and dared him to hit mc, co ho throw it down and cleared: into the bush. All this time I had my boy (Johnny) in my arms. I must let you understand it in Maori, as I always talked to them in this way. This is what I said (phonetically):—'Takway, howrie, yo-peranq; iteharai, to the warrio of the wyhenia, yakway napenap." 'The Maori said:— "Kaharie yo baric, yo _ get the no kekonie" (literal translation), "la koe haere—you go." "You like to carry it to the house of the woman., you br> quick.'' No, you go and bring it he r j (ki konei) to 'this place."

It took ns four days to travel back into Wellington again. Wo rented a room from a bachelor not far off, and. told us where to go to a carpenters «ftr>p to get some shavings to make a bed.

In the commencement of the year 1843 the first lawyer wo had in Wollington was a,MT Rets. Ho and another man, Mr Brewer, had a duel, and they ..had two seconds, Major Durey and Major Hombrook. They got up early in. the morning, and they went out to a place Koriora (P Karon). Mr Brewer fired irrthe air and Mr Ross fired at him and killed him. There wae no law in those day.? and ho got off. Mrs Brewer went home to the Old Country hfter that.

John Branks was a well-known Scotchman, and ganger on the roads to the river Hutt, over the natives. Ono day he had a quarrol with one of them,; this Maori came to John Branks's house and pretended to be friendly with him. John wa* sitting reading hie Biblo; all at once tht Maori jumped up and tomahawked him ,to death, and then went to the bed and killed the three children. Mrs Branlcs had been dead some time; she had her leg broken. The Maori was tried and hanged, he being the first man that was hanged in Wellington. We lived in Wellington two years. In the year 1843 there was a great commotion caused in Wellington. Word came from Nelson that there were eighteen white men murdered by the natives. Captain Wakefield was one of them; he waved his white handkerchief to try to make peace, but it made them worse. There were not enough "Europeans to do anything with them, nnd they were expecting Governor Grey every day, but when ho came, instead of giving them a good drubbing, he treated then; with blankets and many other things. They called it the Wairau massacre. I heard a woman who was very ill repeat the following lines: — "I had a wondrous dream one night, And. oh! it was a wondrQus eight; Jerus my Saviour was quite n«ar, Hβ beckoned mc and said: Come here. Hβ turned, and onward went Hie way, I strove to follow night and day; The road wan rough, I longed for rest, But still I thought for His behest. I followed Him, a toilsome road. I knew full well it led to God. I saw His hs>nd ttill beckon mc; I straggled on, His face to see. At last, when worn, and faint and sore, I {ell, and thought to rife no more. Jesus my Saviour rtood quite near. He raised mc up, and said: 'I'm here.' Oh! Yawed dTeam, 'twas from above, From Him who is the God of love. To mc it was in mercy given That I might long and hope for Heaven." * In the commencement of the year 1845 we came down to Port Cooper in a vessel called The Sisters. We were landed at Purau, and we stopped there nil night; the next day Alfred Wallace, John Hay, and Tom Collins brought ■Uβ up the riv«r. They were over the bnr before they knew where we were. We wer« landed at the "Bricks," and Mr Gebbie came down to meet us. Captain Sinclair sold the vessel to the natives. I brought a little yeast from Wellington, and they had nothing but scones in Rieearton. I didn't like to interfere until Mrs Gebbie and Mrs had gone away. Our fireplace was just on the bare ground. I I made a nice batter at night with some [ mashed potatoes, yeast and flour, and i sugar. Next morning I made it up ' stiff, and let it stand until dinner time. There were some bricks Iring outside, so my husband brought them I and laid one half of tho fireplace, so the bricks were heating while I was cooking the dinner. I swept the bricks, and popped a piece of dough on them, ! and then T had three pots, and tnnvd them upside down on top of the dongh, then put a piece of iron (Tioop-iron) round the feet, and put the fire o« the top; the bread turned out beautiful. One day one of the loaves stuck to the pot, and I couldn't get it out. Mv little hoy was about four years old: he ran out to me*t fiis father, sineine nnt t "Oh. daddy, mammy's boiled a lonf in the pot. and she can't eet it «nt." I V<*nr n piece of dough, and tli<» day before I wa« going to nse it. T pnt in a little c«ld water nnd salt, nnd let it dissolve, poured the wnter off. and n«r!r n fresh bnfter. I baked ♦ y " , - bread in this way for two or three years.