THE SETTLERS' FIRST HOUSE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 11, 17 September 1874, Page 4

THE SETTLERS' FIRST HOUSE.

The town of Dunedin was surveyed in 1844. Two days after the selection of town land, I applied for the lease of a quarter acre. I was too poor to purchase, and Capt. Cargill gave me a temporary lease ofa section at L 4 per annum. As my family were anxious to leave the ship, I engaged two natives to help me to build a bouse, at three shillings a day, and sent them at once to the swamp for a boat-load of grass to thatch the roof and sides. Oa my leasehold there was a clump of maple trees, but before cutting them down, I stretched a line through them for the ground plan of the hou°e— trees which coincided with this line I left sending, merely cutting off the tops, and those which were out of the line were cut down and put in the line by digging holes. By this novel plan the walls were made strong and substantial in one day The natives then put small wands or wattles across the uprights, about a foot apart fastening them firmly with strips of flax' and over all they laced the long grass to the wattles, did the same over the roof, and at the end of four days my house was habitable. I have owned good houses since, but never have I been able to evoke the pleasure and happiness felt on the night mv cosy hut was finished. I could not refrain from going out after dark to contemplate its proportion, architecture, and site There was a difference of two feet in the breadth of the gables, but as no one could see the four 'corners of. tbe house at once it was never known to any one but myself' Next day I went down to the ship to bringup my family. I fear my wife must have felt some self-gratulation because she was going direct to her own villa instead of a crowded and uncomfortable barracks. Mv cottage stood where the Empire Hotel now stands, with its busy throng of passengers and coaches, but none of my family could see it for trees. The entrance was through aleafy archway from Princes- street, and at the first sight of the rustic cottage a cry of joy burst from my little girl in my arms and from the rest of my family. Here was a sweet reward for all- my labour and toil for I was anxious that their first impressions should be favourable.' Tea, the,neverfailing beverage in the bush,- was proposed; A fire was kindled outsidfj and the kettle* hung Hpon a triangle of poles, while the fryingpan was doing duty lower down. That was the finest repast I ever hadi I have often been at public and private dinners, and seen the tables groaning under the weight of the feast, but ; these surroundings were wanting. The cottage, apparently in the centre -of an impenetrable bush, the shades of evening closing over us, the gipsy Encampment round the fire, the. happy countenances of loved, .ones, theiight and, shade— turned a plain cup of tea into a delightful pic-nic. not easily, effaced from the* memory. Indeed, the romance of emigrant j life; in its first stages, s was.to me so enviable, | that if it need be, I would not hesitate for | a moment to pass through air the phases, of pioneer life again, which, in my case, was foil of hard work, pleasure, profit: and [healthful exercise." \j . \ ■ , .., ' j Mr. Adam.gives various graphic. sketches of the .career ; of. successful colonists, more than one of whom hail from the' good city of Aberdeen. -. We are not sure? however, but the incidental glimpses that come in of his experiences; as jau industrious* persevering, i and capable: man, wil^he found as useful and encouraging, to the! prospec , tive emigrant as the example ; pf any. one else mentioned in the book. As. he 4et on heartily to do the best for. himself, so. he seems to have shown equal readiness to apply his hand With a will to do the WOrk that turned up for, _im, and so aid . others, along. And from/the construction of habitations, which, if homely, served their purpose, and sufficiently rewarded the srchi-f tect and builder who could live contentedly, and a little -more, on. a modest wage, he Varied his occupation/widely/from.boatbujUd;ng,/B,n^ so dn ? 'to farn_njg4rof wHich, Mr. Adam' says, he knew fdoi bins, though he is nqw rthje.oWner of an exterisive'riegion; of fertile land "and numerous flocks, in the J care of which he has enjoyed hfeithbrqu|hl^. f Mr. Adam was early pressed into tJi§ public service, .and h,«re is a sketch of; ' "

THIS Fj£RgT m>T&(!__^C'tfurfCl_, 9 - ! « " There are m'Sriy itfcide'nfs f do_hectea : with 5 the nr'sf Council -' __r*tir__^_if *e_]si legislators'; in r a? most^rimitivis „&"_? ostentatiousi_ariherV !r -Fa^^ were unknowh w tbrtt^l_a^W^gtopped our way through .these t—rigs^lrk^sdhobl-hdy^ learning their lessous^crWe'had an Aber- , doriian for first 3peaker,;,and au.old townclerk off Rothesay led ;th& Opposition^ ad%, seconded by 'Mr. „H^~r-/ Tb^Ve gentle-* men were always opp6sirigV ;: put they^Were I absolutely terrified' 'to *oUstithe< Ministry.^ j that bad happeued.. once, .when, they, were/ requested to form, a nevf Miuistry. ' they v^ere solicitors: by ! prdfessiott/ V! arid;'acceptance of office, according to a proposition of their own, necessitated the. giving up. ofa! lucrative business. ' This .was' Wrneih'ing more than they were - . prepared ; -fbr,' ! so the*; old (aroyerhraeut refurned.to the Ministerial., benches, and the Opposition,;; though most., willing ,to give all, the annoyance possible,'; were equally careful not to commit thern- ' selves to the management of [public affairs^ The public treasury in 185,6, was represented by a reyenue of L180(V ' To dispose 1 ! bt this gigantic sum in tbe most -profitable' manner for Otago, was the great .and difiv,,, cult problem before us, andititopk t nine. men nine long weary mon this to. accomplish; the task 1" What contrasts meet' the same' men in the same (provincial Council I/Th/p* first Council, met ia the /Mechanics' Instil tutiori , a "building 1 8 ; feet feqtiare;' and 'cost* only L l3O ; now they meetin a magnificent hall, the furniture of , whi.ch I post ;£2ofjp n and the building L18,0Q0. .: The.cbuncjilors, numbered nine ' gentlemen; V-'lriow/ * they number thirty-six. The revenue 1 ib ap- : propriate was LIBOO, and now it is about half a million. '■-■■ "< '»< ;

FORMER APPOINTMENT 5 AS IMMIGRATIOIif COMMISSIONER.;. ;j ; „;,,,,;..• In 185.7 I was appointed by the Govern- ; ment to visit Great Britain in the inteijeßts. of the Province, and when this wasihade known to' the settlersj' ( thSy, voluntarily' came forward arid offered to pay the pas-' sages of their friendsif I feouldinduce them" to come out and join them. ; The. result of. my visit to this country, was that;4ooo;per-: sons directlyand indirectly immigrated ,to Otßgo, among whom , were BQQ. related, .to-' those settled in the country.. "After re?' maining a year in Britain I 'returned to' face the very persons I had induced to emigrate. These emigrants, met mein-the-heartiest manner, and in exrery way sought to honor me as the chief. instrument in, bringing them .to, T New Zealand. ? .Public , and private testimonials, were, willingly; accorded to me, and a seat in the Provmciai' Council offered, to me three days after landing. The latter I declined/' /From., these facts the reader may fairly infer that what I had sud about Otago had not been overdrawn." :; > ;., ; ; ; ,- . The sections devoted to . agriculture . and sheep- farming are exceedingly interesting, and valuable, and we pick' put /a few sentences, merely remarking' that Mr 1 . 'Adam ; and his neighbors are already advanced* enough to be ia possession of ' Tirie's two* furro w and other ploughs, unproved threshing machines, and so on;:-— • .. , ; .,' _-..,., AGRICULTURE ANDSHEEP 7PARMING.' " The farmers of the Taieri- plain are' iri general the best farmers iri Otago. There, is no other district where co many .real agriculturists are settled together. It.jwas there that reaping machines, portable steam thrashing mills; and double ploughs* we're' introduced. The crops gVown there/yield' generally from forty to sixty bushels pcr 1 acre, and when the land ia laid down in grass it is unsurpassedfor richness. :> The Chief Inspector of sheep on one occasion saw thirteen sheep, to the acre on a ', Taieri field, and the corners of the Afield had to be. cut down for cattle. The coil of the Taieri' plain is a vegetable mould, arid yields' most readily after a few months' fallow;' but in the Tokomairiro plain, and throughout the country generally* a, year's fallow; is necessary before cropping new . land.,, Mr. Holmes, a well-known farmer,,,, has 7000 acres, which are how laid down iri' artificial grass, and stocked with English sheep of the best blood; 1 Sbee'p „rrjairig : has now become so prosperous that 'fears are entertained that they will buy: up .the, whole country, and it. is. to.^ prevent this that the arable land has been .reserved for small capitalists and. emigrants on deferred payments. All the land would, be iakeri" up at L 2 per acre, arid it'is perhaps 'the highest test of the value of the' waste/lands 1 of Otago that sheep-farmers ''would= give; such a price for land inits primitive: state ; but the natural grasses areyery abundant, and well adapted for sheep pasture. . There, are about seven and; a Half millions of acres leased in the Province, and ;the quantity for ; all New Zealand ' isr fifteen millions' of : acres. 'But as the area of 'New Ze'ala"ndis'i similar to the area of Great Britain.and: Ireland, what must the future. of. ifew/ZeAv, land be when the gold jof-., the, whitman, will purchase the last ae^e of , the Maori X No purpose of man -can stay/ the rapjd' stride of destiny in ;tnw direction/ ..Everythjrighas been done, to p/a^pV^tb/ please, : arid preWrye the^'most. splendid 1 'savage? -ifi '* ,in the : world, btft it .will -not do; The very ■ revenues be derives frorh leasing c'hWhwds.} to /.the. i white man- only -accelerates] the, -, the.great; work of, Maori?, decpy. ,/.Whenr< that ,. wo,rk Tis , completerlNew Zealand will 1 ' rise/with renewed "strength and' v&oVHfd" take'that nla.de amongst „e r ri f a'ti6^ yftiicti 1 J position, climate; 'people- and ProViderijSe' ! •have assigired'to -her;. -'Th e H profits iofv sheep farniinginducedmey'thirteenvyears-, ; ago, to sell my'ikiadlnrishetsuburbs g£^un-,V edin, arid purchase, seven square? jmiks o£, beautiful land,: mogVof 'it; arable^ arid 1 surrounded with "twenty miles of süb-' ! stahtial sotf fence."! '^ce r farmfe'r» s ii-e largely" ' engaged ;ifl ; breeding aria 1 fatte^^ Turnips : are- ; grpwri>"for > winter feed _<<« ; > plan that supersedes ; thinnings nf^hlft M/Si kind. ; of labpT 'that.;:cj|nriojb f; b^«^e^c^! , through Chinamen, wbo^kf^^t^QV'to/''' thin ; .turnips' £t/5s per acre iVbut t_ /plan 1 ' te which T allude' is this^f 1 !^ dftrirnrp^ Seed i^mixed Wth a| sack 4 'ixr-'sh'liWck^Md' ptit/ into 1 a; gfaßs^bwin ! g' ( 'm_bitte; ?^whi_v sows : ; a^ tag/ to 'Thouasinds^ofi aeries are^annuallyrsoWjn^mutbyj^ayij^b!,! Of fleedbeing;uniformlj.diß^bgf«d^ver aa' acre.,^ V( They; come ,aw^y;b s earitifully,>ndr the, sheep are v ßetted unohjbem m the v ordinar^^, "' W W 9 W s wrftei« upon thirty-two acres of oats;l_#*yeigV™S? ; and this kept'lHelS¥6iP^r^o_hs in fine "i coriditToh?^ *•:-'- - j " cr -*c Wsbtißd i ffz&l A , We_ught^gnote much mo^SitP^n^ ( sideratioris of space 1 fhrbtd|«iuad, 3 W _di^ \ tibri, we i could rib? do%usrice' , td- ! thg fi»3s*a#< varied mforMtibif cdht_^iff^^clß_ f i« j book; which, we may say,"_cl„«ls^_a^ i aur4 several uicely UthograDhe4. ilhMtrat* j

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in iits^aies^rthe'^salub%W(th^lihiiief tio^'bWceidf-' mteWtofymLmis* for eilttfple^'&bv^ wholefraUWa^sfr^ trol ; 6n a/um7tf W^ .railways- & i te%« i W_«Ui fdr*lhte_l»"< m£ emigrants','' the !f b ? ooH w 'wiU J be &u_a 8t ops (the Very ttg K^'i^tieV J wh_i'<lße > 'g_Snd^ t '-' 1 reader 'will find it extremely readable -and " instructive/ umn ,J y *--^' y a ,>-;■<*: ■•.-.■: