EARLY HISTORY OF N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21976, 28 December 1936, Page 8

EARLY HISTORY OF N.Z.

A DIRECT LINK CAREER OF CAPTAIN NIAS [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, December 26. Two personalities who provide a direct link with some of J he ° utstan ’ ing events of New Zealand s early history arrived by the Orford - morning for a brief visit o minion. They are Miss C. Nias, a daughter of Admiral Nias, who participated in the signing of the Treaty o Waitangi, and Mrs I. Baynes, widow of Admiral Baynes, who Mildura when it took the Go Lord Ranfurly, to annex the Coox inlands They are sisters. Commenting on the coincidence m an interview with a reporter to-da^ Mr T D. H. Hall, Clerk of the House of Representatives, who aIEO rnve t d by the Orford, gave an interesting out line of the career of Admiral Nias “In writing history,” he said, it : ivery easy to slip into error through drawing a hasty conclusion. There^as some friction between Lieutenant-Gov ernor Hobson, himself a naval officer, and Captain Joseph Nias, who commanded H.M.S Herald in which Hobson was brought to New Zealand, mr T mdsav Luick. in his book, ine Treaty y of Waitangi,’ describes Captain Nias as a ‘hot-headed Irishman. This conclusion from an unusual namo serves to uncover interesting piece of personal history.” . Mr Hail said that the Nias family was"of Dutcn origin. It was nrst• ot in England in 1&53, when one John Nias was among these captured in a naval engagement between the Engnsn and the Dutch—in the days wnen Blake and others were ra :f stab . lishl ”f Britain's naval tradition. The pnsoneis of war were interned at Newouiy ana Donnington Castles. The supply ot lood proved a burden at Newpury. and on petition trom the townsfolk some of the prisoners were transferred to Littleccto, in which old manor housthey decorated a room with murais. Tnis room, called the Dutch Room, said Mr Hall, was still preserved m this beautiiul house, now owned by a member of the Wills family. _ Alter peace was declared Nias remained in England and married an English girl. The Lost Bottle “In direct line,” continued Mr Hall, “Joseph Nias was born in 1793, wnen the family had moved to London. He joined the Navy at the age of 13, and after an exciting and distinguished career as a junior officer was appointed to command H.M.S. Herald. He brought Hobson to New Zealand, and was one of the signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi. Later, he took MajOi. Bunbury to the South Island and forrnally annexed Stewart Island by right of discovery by Captain Cook. The original declaration of sovereignty was placed in a bottle and buried. Recently search was made for this bottle, but without success. The old records containing Major Bunbury’s report were searched in London, and it appears that the bottle was buried on a small island near the anchorage in Zephyr Bay. which, at low tide, becomes a peninsula. This may aid in discovering the bottle. T ■, j “On this trip, too, the Middle Island, or South Island, was formally declared under the sovereignty of her Majesty, signatures to the Treaty of Waitangi having been obtained from the leading chiefs. It is a coincidence that the discoverer of New Zealand. Abel Tasman, should have been a Dutchman, and that the descendant of a Dutch seaman almost contemporary with Tasman should have had a part in its acquisition by the British Crown. The subsequent career of Captain Nias was a distinguished one. He became an admiral, and was given the honour of KC B ” Mr Hall added that these particulars had been given to him by Miss Nias herself. '