OLD COLONIAL DAYS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 291, 4 September 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

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 ttom-de-Plume may be used—initials for preference.

First White Child In South Island

In 1831, at Te Awaiti, was born a son to John and Betty Guard. This baby boy was the first white child to be born in the South Island of New Zealand, just as his mother was the first known white woman to live in the South Island. His mother had been Betty Parker, of Sydney. She had met her husband in 1827, when making a sea-voyage for the benefit of her health. He had been the captain of the ship, Waterloo, on which she was trvaelling. During the trip and as they were sailing through Cook Strait the ship was caught in a storm and driven into Tory Channel. Captain Guard liked the calm of Fair Haven, as he called the place, and, with his crew and plenty of supplies, returned there next year. The men built their huts on the most suitable piece of coast-line, and Fair Haven, or, as the Maoris called it, “Te Awaiti,” became a successful whaling station. At the end of the first year of settlement John Guard returned to Sydney, where he persuaded Betty Parker to become his wife, though she was then no more than fifteen years of age. Together they journeyed to Te Awaiti, where Betty spent the remainder of her life, except for the five months she and her two babies were prisoners among the Maoris. Her name is immortalised in an island off the coast of Taranaki, near where she was imprisoned.—J|M. (Wellington).

Worser Bay

Worser Bay, which lies to the west and just inside the entrance to Wellington harbour, is quite an interesting little place, apart from its popularity as a seaside resort. Away back in the mist of time, about seven hundred years ago, when Tara and Tautoki, sons of Whatonga of Nukutaurua (near Mahia) settled on Matin (Spines Island), they were advised by 'heir father to build a strong pa on the ridge overlooking Worser Bay.

The pa was named Whetu-Kairangi. The timber for posts and palisading was cut in the Heretaunga (Hutt) valley and rafted across the harbour (Te Whanganui-a-Tara) to Worser Bay. Tradition does not mention the name of the bay, but that is the most convenient place for landing the timber. On Captain Chaffer’s chart of Wellington harbour, dated 1839, the bay is marked Young’s Bay, apparently after George Young, a whaler, who lived at Thorndon in 1834-5. The present name of the bay is that by which Captain James Heberley was known to his friends. “Whatu” is the correct word, but it became corrupted into “Worser.” Mrs. Heberley’s grandfather and uncle gave the bay to Mr. James Heberley and he lived there for two years. While there he acted as pilot for the port, but the dues collected were insufficient to keep a boat and crew so it was given up. This is the same James Heberley who, with Dieffenbach was the first person to ascend Mount Egmont; this was accomplished on December 25, 1840. The diary kept by the late Captain James Heberley was discovered in the possession of relatives in England, and many extracts from it appear in C. H. MacDonald’s “Pages From the Past.”— “ll, Maynard” (Wellington).

Awa People Leave Wellington

Maori Cartridges

The Maori warriors who possessed firearms and used them very effectively against our troops in the several wars, were quick to copy the methods in use by the pakeha soldiers. Most of the firearms used ‘by the Natives were muzzle loaders, but the Maori soon learned, to make cartridges for using In them, and thus keep up a fairly rapid fire in emergencies. The materials required were few and simple: a short, rounded, smooth stick the same diameter ag the gun-barrel, some paper, thiu flax ‘threads and powder. Strips of paper (we have found portions of the Maori Scriptures used for the purpose) were rolled around the stick several times with about half-an-inch overlapping at one end. The overlapping piece was folded over tightly, then the flax thread was tied around the cylinder and the case was ready for the charge of powder as soon as drawn from the "shaper.” A measured charge of powder was tipped into the case and the loose part twisted between finger and thumb to tighten it up, and the cartridge wsfs complete. To carry the cartridges, the Maori cut and bored, by means of an auger, a curved block of wood about nine by three by four inches. The holes for containing the cartridges were about the same diameter as the cartridges, and lay in two rows. A flap of leather'or waterproofed canvas with a strap fastening caught on a peg kept the ammunition dry and preventpd it from falling out. Generally, each Maori carried on a belt four "cartouche boxes,” one at the back, another in front and one at each hip. As one box was emptied it was moved around and another brought to the front, ready for use. In action, a cartridge was drawn and the twisted end torn off, and the powder emptied down the barrel. A bullet was pushed in, then more paper to act as a wad, and the whole driven home with a ramrod. A percussion cap was then put on the nipple and the gun wag ready. Match heads were used in place of percussion caps at times. — H. Maynard.

Turuturu-Mokai

Hotel Accommodation

Hotel accommodation in the early (lays would appal a licensing committee of 1937. At the outlet of Lake Onoke, known as Lake Ferry, Wairarapa, there was an inn the cusine of which was recorded by a traveller in 1853 and retold by Heron and other writers. Travelling from Wellington to the Wairarapa by the then customary coastal route, the traveller arrived at the inn in time for “dinner,” which he watched being prepared by the Maori wife of the host. Peeling and washing an ample supply of potatoes, she placed them in a large camp oven. Over and among the potatoes followed goodly lumps of fat and rancid pork, the whole being capped off l>y a large eel which was coiled in a layer almost as big as the oven in diameter. Finding this disli repellent to hi,s taste, the guest had to be content with bread and bottled beer. In the morning breakfast was better, consisting of potatoes, liver of wild pig, salt pork, boiled, and bread.— J.H. (Masterton).

Pig-Hunting

Early French Visitor

Nearly 170 years ago, Captain de Surville, of the St. Jean Baptiste, visited New Zealand, this being the first visit of the French. Curiously enough they arrived when Cook was exploring the North Island, and though they were within a few miles of each other neither knew of the other’s proximity. A week after Cook sailed out of what he called “Doubtless Bay,” de Surville sailed in, and he called it Lauriston Bay. The interesting explanation of this very British-sounding name is that James Francis Daw, Governor of the French Settlements in India, was the nephew of a John Law, of Lauriston (near Edinburgh), who became Coinptroller-Genera! of Finance to Louis XV. His nephew and a Monsieur Chevallier chiefly fitted out the Jean Baptiste for the search _ of a fabled “treasure island.” So, iu compliment the bay was named Lauriston, and a small creek in it Chevallier. De Surville treated the Maoris shamefully, after accepting the utmost kindness and hospitality from them, and when the “Marion” expedition some years later met with such a shocking fate it was thought to be revenge for the injuries received from de Surville. Captain Marion du Fresue arrived in 1772 and paid a great tribute to the chart laid down by Captain Cook. “I found it,” he says, “of an exactitude and of a thoroughness of detail which astonished me beyond all powers of expression, and I doubt much whether the charts of our own French coasts are laid down with greater precision.” The next French visitors were sent by the French Government in 1791 to search for their lost navigiltor, La Perouse. A naturalist with the expedition, Labillardiere, wrote the story of the expedition and brought to Europe plants of the New Zealand flax, which he successfully cultivated. It was in 1824, 34 years afterward, before Lieut. Duperry came. Two junior officers, D’Urville and Blosseville, collected much curious and valuable information. Captain D’Urville, the junior of the first voyage, came again in 1827 —with a number of scientists aboard. His name will ever be associated with the French Pass (through which he was the first to sail), D’Urville Island, Astrocabe (the name of one of his ships) and the Croixelles. Two volumes of D’Urville’s on New Zealand really form a standard reference on the subject and are well worthy of translation. Many other visits followed, Captain Pallace in 1831, Captain Cecile in 1838, Bishop Pompallier in 1837, and in 1840 D’Urville came again. —-M.W. (Wanganui).

The Awa people who had come from Taranaki in 1824-5 and settled around the shores of Wellington harbour with their principal pa at Pito-oue, were never at rest while absent from their old home and eventually they decided to return to Taranaki, and set about preparations for the migration. Their activity gave rise to a certain amount of uneasiness on the part of the Government, for it was thought that trouble would arise when they returned to Taranaki. In April, 1847, the Awa people at Pito-one began constructing canoes for the trip up the coast, and records of that time show that nine large canoes, each capable of holding sixty persons, were being prepared. Since the number of Te Puni’s people at pito-one was two hundred, it was thought by Government officials that other persons were to accompany those of Pito-one, probably from Waikanae and Otaki, and that the Taranaki lands were to be forcibly occupied. So alarmed were the Europeans iu Wellington that Sir George Grey, the Governor, wrote to Colonel McCleverty, stating: “. . . I should therefore feel much obliged to you if you in conjunction with Major Itichmond would require E. Puni to dismantle those canoes in such manner that they may be rendered unfit for the voyage to Taranaki.” The canoes were not “rendered unfit," however, for in April, 1848, a large body of men, women and children embarked at Pito-one, Waikanae and Otaki en route for Taranaki. Details of the departure state that there were two hundred and seventy-three males, one hundred and ninety-five females and one hundred and nineteen children, conveyed in one vessel, four boats and 44 canoes. Twenty men and one woman travelled overland on horses, making a total of five hundred and eighty-seven persons. Quite a large number of the Awa people remained at Pito-one and many of their descendants still live there.— H. Maynard (Wellington) .

The murder of Cahill, Squires and Clarke near Normanby on June 10, 1868, proved a temporary deterrent to further land settlement in the Hawera district and manifested the undiminlshed hostility of the local Hauhaus, who were organised by the redoubtable chief Titokowaru, who had his headquarters in the dense bush inland of Matapu. This warrior took the offensive against the hated pakeha, and on July 12, 1868, sent an armed band to attack the newly-erected redoubt at Turuturu-Mokai, garrisoned by some 20 men under the command of Captain Fredrick Ross. A dozen of the defenders were slain, and the fort was only held by the gallantry of four of the survivors, who held on till the arrival of help from Waihi fort. The following month Colonel McDonnell retaliated by taking Titokowaru’s stronghold, catching the enemy by surprise and inflicting severe losses. Unfortunately four of the colonel’s force were killed in the action and a considerable number wounded.— A.P.H. (Feilding).

In 1773, Captain Cook, on his second voyage round the world, let loose three pigs in Queen Charlotte Sound, and their descendants soon stocked the bush. To give some idea of the astonishing increase of these animals, Dr. Hochstetler, who visited the colony in 1862, stated that three men in 20 months killed on a block of 250,000 acres, 25.000 pigs and pledged themselves to kill 15,000 more.—E.R.H. (Waugauui),