A NIGHT ASHORE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 10

A NIGHT ASHORE.

-4 —- A REMINISCENCE OF 1840. : (By "Caliban.',')' ''Did I ever tell you of my first nighfc ashore? ' asked Mr. Thomas H'Kenzio, tho octogonarian pioneer .of Wellington, in chatting over the events, now misty in tho past, in connection with the arival of the New Zealand Company's people in tho first half Of 1840. ..I; ..-. /, ,;•:;,;.. ~V. I confessed that the story would be a new one. ' " " :, .-..--; "Before wo left London, you know, many of the. Company's people, ignorant of tho' conditions obtaining out here,.-purchased' what, were called Manning houses, small houses built in sections that,could,lie quickly put together. Di\ Evans had .a.fine onebuilt. ■' I remember it was' erected at the London Docks beforo we left by''a- carpc'iitei , ' > named Ticehurst, tho different■•> parts woro■'. numbered*, and then, it was knocked Wpieces and packed away among-tho cargo. - - "As a matter of fact, Col. Wakefiold h'ad" : built a Alaori house for Dr. Evan's'behind' the old Thistle Inn..- . " " - ■'' "Where would that bo now?" :.••■••• ■ -y.-.- ■: "Well, the Thistle Inn is still in existence—it would be about where Aitken Street, I think they call it, is now. . Just on tho ThorudonFlat. ""■ ■ •' .'."■'"' "It was a fine Maori 1 house—theii foot studs lined with toi toi, interlaced-'with 'fca-\ rema. It had no windows; it'is true, but still it was a fine roomy house, and'was par'titioned into rooms. - : . ... "Ticehurst,wwhso s had'come out with us on-, tho. Adelaide,' was to put in windows, and in,'; order to got to work,early.the. next morning'! he was to sleep there the first night we iarrived, March. 7, 1840. He asked one of the '•• other passengers to sleep with him, but he was too frightened, and, vrefused; hurst asked me, and I—well, a lad at", the time, I thought'it was rather'.'good fun. "So wo wont,up to the house.in,the even- i ing, and having pulled, some of; tho long grass,from the back of the make a bod, we were sitting' in front of the door when, a rather alarming incident occurred. "It was getting on towards ■: nightfall' when who should cSmo along but the chief,Poronta, accompanied by. his two wives and about twenty of his men. Having arrived , opposite us, ho, with great' dignity, drew the ' magnificent mat from his shoulders and stood' there.naked as the .day ho was born.' His body was wonderfully tattooed,' and .standing ; there in the light of the setting sun behind him, grasping a greenstone mere that, hung to his wrist by. a thong of flax he looked e ' splendid specimen'of manhood; '; '■'■■' ."He commenced to. harangue the crowd,-' gradually increasing in- warmth and action," until he commenced.a warrdance by himself.As he worked himself up,his wives ' came ane!' '-. sat by us, and as their lord and master , rolO led his eyes- and stamped' the • ground with fearful energy the women began- to :sob.' This ' was,the first; notification that the matter wa> . serious at all. Having worked - himself to : i the/top of • his-'self-imposed ■ frenzy, ho at' vanned on us shaking-'' his death-dealing, merej. ' ' ■■• "-■'■' ■•-..■-•:• "Just:as he was ono of the '■■'■ women threw ■ her "mat over us and laid her head on it. This made us 'tapu,' and the chief, who -. would not think ■■ of himself by touching the woman or defying tho law of 'tapu,' bottled'upvhis wrath-.arid-' strode away into the evening glpom at the head of his warriors.' '. :,, ; / '~ > ,;" r -. : ' "The" Maoris used'to call me ,'ETomi.'," said Mr. McKenzie,-"and years'after that \[. Henry Pitt, a son of Poronta's, who was in the Customs boat for, years, used to; sing, out, 'E Tomi, lie.'tuakana- koe , , nqk\il' ,"('Oh,,' Tommy, you're' my brother. , )" I asked'him. once what lie meant,'and ho. Said it "was beV. cause his mother had.given me lifd. It.was she who had thrown .the mat over us the first night ashore!" . ' .!. '~ ..,'. . ,