BACK TO OLD, OLD HAUNTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 748, 22 February 1910, Page 4

BACK TO OLD, OLD HAUNTS.

; ;;A:PASSENGEK'jBTr\THE JCAl^i,})" :;-:.: v (By Tdecraph;—Sntdal-OorresDondent).'"' .. :: - t ;k * "•'■, ■■ 2tv;' : : ;. Seventy years' ago, i in' June of :the yem :. -;:■.■; 1840, there arrived at;.tho Bay. of Island! ; : a .yonth of , :; ,18 .. years,':-' John "■., BJchard: ■-:■■. Houtching.. He .did 'not stay long, thir: yoiing ; man,, but.-the place, and tne:,in-':.. cidents ,of his, sojourn: there'made. Fuel.. . ■ an impression upon'his-memory that-now, ..,-'. in his old : age, he ■is solicitous. to ■ see • the. <■ . '■'■ Bayi.'of.ilslands';againiiViProbably;. there ::.;'y : were: few of the: passengers .by. the, Malwa : ." last.,week .who recognised'.in-.the : whitor .. '■-■-.■ haire'd.courteous'old man.'.whorwas.their/, '.. fellow-passenger,xone/.of- the, fe.W'..survjyow . ■- Ci 'of the ■ stirring .times of, very long;ago—. : >■ long before the .advent of policemen and law. courts and: Carnegie.libraries to our ■ country.: ;'i : .'?■•"'<:■■ ■';:■■■■ !;'^--'•'■ '■■■■ ■■ '■'■ :'-■'■:■"--■. ••■'• Mr.-.Houtchingvmadevhis, first' trip to. ... : -.' : New- ZeaJjind/ins a , 'craft/very, different.;,'.;..-. from : ar;-'and ! o.',lineT. ilt.was a little ;' barque ot 350,-tons,v;dnd practically the ;. whole of its , cargoVcpmprised cases of gin.-. '•■■ Theso were 1 hustled ashore as quickly ae.: ."., possible, , for the Governor.was.dueVin.a j. . day'Qr. two,l and.he might want to collect-. -, duty' on" spirits, and . Euch , " profitable;' .; articles of -trade.'.: Mr., Haitohing did.not.- .-■:-." stay in New. Zealand long. '.■ In • .abour,•■•.-. seven' months', time he had. bought' -some' : 200 acres of land/from , a '•. merchant 'in: , Sydney, and ho had been.given, a deed of. ' ■ sorts-for., it,' but, .'when he. arrived, he found.that the \chief to whom^ithad.-.bef.-.'; ■ longed had , re-entered ■ into possession, 0n,:..-, the-ground I that :-.he-had not .'.been:.; paid: , ., '•■ 1 onoughior.it.;.There such.com-;.a. ; plete.arrangoments,for.compelling him. to ■~-.; quit possession,'in , -.those uays,.:and ; :the>' .•:< new , colonist did .'not; try ...\ :: : ' Mr. Houtching.is , B3-years, of age,.and he is now making .'his first : visit to .the - v ' .': city of Auckland. .-By.and by-hemtenda .; ; to go-to the Bay of Islands to see what it looks like. after ■70 ,years: of; civilisation,'.,',, -