BLACK ANDY, ALIAS CHOWBOK

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29264, 23 July 1960, Page 10

BLACK ANDY, ALIAS CHOWBOK

Was Butler’s Portrait Based On Fact?

[Specially Written for "The Press" by RICHARD J. HUTCHINGS}

JN Samuel Butler’s satire, “Erewhoir,” the hero Higgs was accompanied by Chowbok, a native station-hand, during his journey into the mountains. It is generally supposed that Chowbok was a figment of Butler’s imagination. Mr G. W. Harte, however, suggests briefly in his book, “Mount Peel is a Hundred,” that Chowbok was actually modelled on Black Andy, an Australian aborigine. Black Andy worked for C. G. Tripp at Mount Peel station when Butler was farming at Mesopotamia nearby. Butler himself was a frequent and welcome visitor, but his attempts to convert the Tripps’ cook to atheism were wholly deprecated, especially as Mrs Tripp was one of Bishop Harper’s daughters. Mr Harte probably based his supposition on Mrs Tripp’s privately, circulated booklet, “My Early Days.” But no-one, to my knowledge, has previously attempted to draw in greater detail the comparison between the two characters Chowbok and Black Andy.

Butler depicted Chowbok as naturally slothful and generally .unwilling to help the shearers unless bribed with grog. Indeed, with Such a bribe, Higgs flicited information from Chowbok about the fabulous Erewhon. Nevertheless, Chowbok was a great favourite with the missionaries.

Of Andy, his real life-counter-part, Mrs Tripp said that he had once been mail carrier between Timaru and Christchurch, running at a quick trot all the way. He would do anything for a glass of rum, which he was always given, at the end of a journey. Often, after getting into the hands of the police for intemperance, he would run straight to the prison, where he was locked up until ready to leave with the mail next mornjng. Good With Children Although there is no evidence to show that Black Andy was a favourite with the Bishop—a frequent visitor to Mount Peel— Mrs Tripp confessed she had a soft ‘ spot for him. She recalled that Andy was . very good with the ’children. In 1859, Butler had dissented from the orthodox Church, and was outspoken in his criticism of blind; unthinking faith. Possibly, then, he used Chowbok as a vehicle for satire in “Erewhon” to express his doubts on the efficacy of infant, baptism. It may be recalled also that when Higgs eventually reached the "main divide, Chowbok, without warning, turned and fled. With his people’s inherent dread of the Erewhonfans, he suddenly became afraid to venture further. Unable to catch him, Higgs then had time to ponder his largely fruitless efforts to convert Chowbok to the faith. He had set his mind on making him a true Christian, and had explained to him the mysteries of the Trinity and original sin. Like Butler, Higgs was a son and grandson of churchmen, and he therefore felt more than qualified for the task of trying to save “the unhappy creature from an eternity of torture.” In fact, on one occasion, Higgs had gone so far as to baptise Chowbok as best he could. Chowbok, he learned, had only been christened and named William, Had this also been the case with Andy? Higgs found Chowbok very hard to teach. On the very evening he had baptised him by a moun-

tain stream, Chowbok for the twentieth time tried to steal the brandy arid this made Higgs rather unhappy as to whether he could have baptised him'rightly; Butler referred here, of course, to the time he was lay preacher at St. James’ parish, Piccadilly. He had been instructing, some boys in Christian matters, when he discovered to his amazement that only about half of them had been baptised. Yet he could find no evident difference in. moral standards between the two groups to denote the benefits ’of the Christian rite. g Andy’s Prowess Black Andy was a most courageous tracker, according to Mrs Tripp, and on one occasion, set off from Mount Peel at dawn with a letter which had to be delivered to Christchurch—over 100 miles—by nightfall; This Andy did, notwithstanding flooded rivers and difficult, trackless country. “In fact,” wrofe Mrs Tripp, “(Andy) was an invaluable' man, but unfortunately, under the influence of drink became quite mad. Hd took a dislike to my husband as One day he refused to let him have any more drink, and Andy threatened to kill him.”

Tripp did not want Andy imprisoned, so he sent him back to South. Australia. This action had tragic consequences. When Andy returned to his home town on the Swan river, he killed a man who had murdered his mother. Andy was tried and hanged. Many who had known him felt this to have been too severe a sentence, and New Zealand friends were indignant Butler himself must have followed with interest the Australian’s career while at Mesopotamia. And on receiving news of Andy’s death ’in . 1862, he must have been incensed at the severity of the verdict With his own inimitable brand of satiric humour, Butler caused Chowbok, the black-hearted hypocrite; to be appointed Bishop to Erewhemos —the country adjoining Erewhon. What, indeed, could have been more ironic than that? Higgs, when he returned to England in “Erewhon Revisited.” attended by chance a missionary meeting at which the Bishop was guest speaker. His reaction, when he had recovered from shock at finding Chowbok in so exalted a station, was one of deep satisfaction. Perhaps Higgs’s own efforts

might have contributed to the conversion of Chowbok. He felt that the baptismal rite—however unprofessional —he had performed once on Chowbok on that wild upland river had not been wholly ineffective. . ■ The irony of it all is that Chowbok, the fictitious Bishop, should be remembered, while Black Andy, the victim of “civilised society, has already slipped into limbo. Perhaps the best service we can pay to the memory of Black Andy is to continue laughing at Chowbok.