OLD COLONIAL DAYS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 8

OLD COLONIAL DAYS

Footnotes to New Zealand History Incidents associated with the early settlement of New Zealand, fragments of history and anecdotes are invited for inclusion in this section. The Dominion will pay 2/6 for each published note, which should not exceed 250 words. Each contribution must be accompanied by the sender's name and address, but where publication of name is not desired, initials or a nom-de-plume may be used —initials for preference.

The Whalers’ Duel French .ships frequently trailed to Australia in the early days with cargoes of sugar from Mauritius. In 1840 some of these returned via New Zealand, as ships were in demand then for the conveyance of Australian produce for the new settlement. One of these, the Justine, landed whaling stores (and rum) at Cloudy Bay. During the unloading one of the French crew had a dispute with a Portuguese whaler and challenged him to a duel. A time was appointed for the following day, but when the two combatants faced each other on the sands and the Frenchman, who carried a light sword, noticed that the Portuguese held a whaling lance he flew into a rage and turned back to the ship, exclaiming indignantly : “He take me for oue fish I He take me for one fish!”—and the duel was off.— “T.” (Wellington). Maori Names A writer in a recent “Colonial Days” section (M.M., Greytown) points out that the native name for governor is “Kawana.” I should like to confirm this by a reference to the book “Adventure in New Zealand,” by Edward Jerningham Wakefield, published in London in 1845. The reference is on page 43, volume 2. The Governor, Captain Hobson, had arrived in the harbour and the natives stated that it could not be the “Kawana” owing to the small size of his ship. Another interesting note appears on page 192: “. . . the Kawana, as the Police Magistrate was invariably called.” I would suggest that this was really governor, used as we sometimes do when speaking of some person other than the actual governor.— Mrs. G. E. Mullen (Palmerston North). Christmas in Old Wairarapa Before 1880 Featherston was mainly a street of shacks where men seldom met in numbers, and then only to mark an event; Christmas was almost invariably the whole social season itself. Men began to ride in from the outback in ever-increasing numbers for days beforehand. They had substantial cheques, and the spirit of the occasion flowed freely. Rivalry between the coach drivers led to a challenge to race down the main street on Christmas Eve for a prize of five gallons of beer and two bottles of whisky. Both star driv-. ers accepted. The course lay from Granny Abbott's stable at the foot of the Riniutakas down through the main street to the flax-mill, where the memorial triangle now stands, around there and back up town to the Royal Hotel for the prize giving. Racing down the rough thoroughfare at a gallop the two vehicles passed each other with ease in the kerbless roadway, missing verandah poles by inches until both slowed to negotiate the triangular turn. On the return sprint the pace was not so fierce, and when within sight of the Royal both coaches were compelled to slow down because of spectators on the right of way. The prizes were shared, and, with the aid of numerous friends, consumed at onee. On one occasion the man engaged in boiling the Victoria Hotel’s Christmas puddings in an outdoor copper was “shouted” into insensibility by the astute proprietor of another hotel who saw to it that choice boulders were substituted for nice puddings. He also removed the Victoria’s supply of beer. That act was altogether too obvious, of course, and a pitched battle in the middle of the road wag-enjoyed by all who were within call. The publicans already had everyone’s money so equal division of stocks was a natural solution. Our modern “tough guys” would never be allowed to ride right up to an hotel bar and knock on the counter with their spurs as pioneer shepherds did in half a dozen Wairarapa hotels. — K.J.C. (Featherston).

Heckling Jerusalem In tlie sixties in Otago, when the railway to the Bluff was begun, tlie contractor, Mr. Jerusalem Smyth, had occasion to give evidence for defendant in a Supreme Court case. When plaintiff’s counsel came to cross-exam-ine witness, he gave “Jerry” a severe heckling, at the end of which the judge gently interposed with “Counsel, you are not obeying the injunction of the prophet Isaiah, for he said ‘Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem.’ “M.” (Wellington). Proposed Settlement in 1774 Though 1525 is the dale given of the first attempt to colonise New Zealand (Herd’s unsuccessful expedition), the earliest unattempted scheme was in 1774, the project of a pamphleteer named Forrest who, having . just read Cook’s account of his visits to New Zealand, wrote to A state official suggesting that the Dusky Bay described by Cook would be a good place to plant a colony for the purpose of raising produce and providing a place of refreshment for the English squadron at that time stationed in South American waters. The colony was to consist of freed slaves, Malay-speaking, from the East India Company’s settlement at Beencoolen. A small vessel was to be sent to them every now and then with supplies, but no European was to form part of the colony. For the sake of the slaves it is as well that the suggestion was not acted upon. It would have been rather a cold spot for natives of the tropics and, iu addition, the Maoris of Murihiku might have descended upon them and, not considering them superior beings, have consigned them to their ovens, regarding them as particularly welcome just as they must have eaten the last of the moils. —“J.” (Wellington). Early Nelson To Nelson must be given the credit of publishing one of the first newspapers, “Nelson Examiner,” to circulate in New Zealand. Mr. Charles Elliot was proprietor of the paper which was at first published weekly, the price being one shilling per copy. This was in 1842 aud it was not until four years later that the “Evening Mail,” Nelson’s first daily paper, was started. In the same year (1842) a jail and a pair of stocks were erected in Nelson. Prior to this four prisoners were compelled to “do” their six months in the raupo residence of the local policeman. A great deal of freedom was allowed these “prisoners,” they being permitted to go marketing for the jailer and to stroll about town. They were, however, under strict injunctions to return “home’’ by a certain hour at night, to save themselves from being locked out! On February 1, 1843, the first anniversary of Nelson was celebrated with great eclat. A ploughing match aud agricultural show, as well as a regatta and race meeting, were held. So far had the settlers progressed that in April of the same year the first bridge over the Matai River was commenced, but two months later that tragic event occurred which cast a gloom over the community—the Wairau Massacre. The news of the terrible tragedy created consternation in Nelson and caused a deep sensation, not only in the colonies, but also at Home, and even in Paris where it was proposed to raise money to take all the settlers back to England. Governor Fitzroy was recalled in 1845, and because lie was disliked in Nelson on account of his refusal to punish the authors of the Wairau Massacre, this event was celebrated in Nelson with great rejoicings. There was a grand dinner of “beef, mutton, pork, various puddings and beer,” and the festival was crowned by the burning of the late Governor in effigy.— D.F.S. (Marton).