JULIA MARTIN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 491, 26 April 1909, Page 3

JULIA MARTIN.

THE GRACE DARLING OF NEW ■ZEALAND. ' ■ "Mrs. : Martin died suddenly yesterday at the Maori pa, just after arriving from a' visit to Nelson. The deceased, who was about seventy years; of age, was known as the Grace Darling of New Zealand."—Press Association. ■ Thus briefly does the telegram sum up the career of one of the finest women who ever lived in New Zealand, Julia Martin, or Huria Matenga, • the daughter of Wi llatane,-' a prominent chief, of the Ngatitame tribe, a woman who, forty-six years ago, performed a deed ; of heroism that earned her the name of "the Grace Darling of New Zealand," and who,' in _ all _ the intervening' years, retained the, admiration. and respect of everyone who know her, a woman whom the Nelson folk re- : garded as one of their most distinguished possessions, and' whom tho Nelson children referred to romantically as "Princess Julia." .. Two or . three years ago the s .writer.: wastravelling along the Manawatu. line by a train; that was taking a number of Maoris up to the tangi of a well-known member of their , race. In. the carriage, opposite'to her sat' tjyo Maori women with: interesting faces.' Onqvwas handsome in a large way, and she had' all the air of a kindly, efficient doctor's wife. There was a twinkle in her ey«, a richness of voice, and: a drollery that; would almost have; led one to think her of .Irish birth, pure Maori though she was. Her, companion was a'rather older woman, whose appearance .would' have attracted • attention in any company. In a railway carriage, with; ' leisure .. to look about, ; one found it ; almost impossible not to stare, to.■ wonder who she was,, what: was her . history, whether her people were influenced by her, and guided by her wisdom and: experience,, /as they .surely; .-should:bei;. One'felt somehow that) had this woman been a man, she would have dono something brilliant: intellectually, and . one found in her resemblances'to certain famous lawyers: of tho kindlier type. It: was indeed a .legal; type of ifacej - and,- were- /eminent lawyers in _' the habit of bequeathing their mental: attainments to succeeding generations,one ..would have been 1 inclined to say that she came from, a long line "of'lawyers.," After a' time the travellers at that end of the carriage began ; to, talk- to each other, and grow . friendly, .'and .presently ~ this'.distinguisaedlooking woman took' her gold waHch out of her pocket, and,, leaning:forward, showed it to her new acquaintance. ■ It'.was the gold watch "presented to Mrs. Martin ' by the citizens. . .of Nelson - : at a public . meeting held in honour '. of .the bravery shown ,by her: |in rescuing a shipwrecked crew." ;This was the famous "Princess' Julia." i Well, anyono who knows the story of-Mrs. Martin would have been glad to meet her in . that way, and after, that everything wasvery pleasant and companionable, and there was, no longer, any wonder, but only pleasure; that the face so well fitted the, story, and pleasure too that .the tribute from .Nelson had, during nil theso; years,'evidently, been Buch' a joy to tho heroino of tho; wreck..: ■,' . • : • The story of that wreck has been told many times; .it'-is-even published in one of the public school readers', : but accounts • differ amazingly.'VThfi' story, :as told by Mr. Marton, Julia's husband, is that in' September, 1863,: lie and his'wife and a boy who was with them : sa'w ; ; a., boat .drifting on to the rocks about .fifteen miles from' Nelson. It was the brigantine Delaware, and no one ; on, boardseemed able ,to do, anything. ' There was ho boat nearby,', and the only thing to do was to ,swim out to the ship through the raging sea—a feat.performed:by Julia and her husband./ Here' again accounts- differ as .to the. distance from ' /.but. .'certain it Vis that it' only by 1 a ! great effort: of .courage and endurance that they were able to reach the ship, seize the:rope that was thrown to them; and swim :ba'ck to the shore, where it was'-'made fast to; a.:great ! .rock.After that eleven men. came ashore, and they hoped that all had been saved, when,; suddenly, they saw a figure come on deck and presently fall into tho sea. fit was the mate, who had been ill for weeks,and who; in the hurry, had been forgotten. 'With this exception al] on board were saved. : That is how Julia Martin won the name of the Grace Darling of Now Zealand; 'and this'is partly why she was held in such reverence .by Maoris and Europeans alike. She was a woman of great force of character and passionate affections. She., had no children .of her own, but in true ■.? Maori fashion adopted other children, or took, them under'' her; protection.One, of the ' younger, generation in whom she took most prideis the Rev; F. Bennett, tho ' Anglican clergy-; man, , now/stationed at Rotoriia. She was interested Sincerely; in .the welfare of her race, and 'of the' Church. Mr. Martin, her husband, to whom she was married in 1858, is a brother of Mr. Parata, and undo or Mr. H.. W. Parata, .of ; Wellington. l Mrs; Martin was a great property owner, owning a. large portion of the land round Cable BayT-18,000 acres in rail:,'.'.: She had a pretty, cottage home of. the bungalow type on a piece of high ground overlooking Golden Bay, just a little' past Cable Bay, where she. lived : very happily, and where many thought it a privilege to be received by her.