“FRENCH LOUIS” DEAD

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 9, 5 October 1940, Page 16

“FRENCH LOUIS” DEAD

Well-known Makara Beach

Character

COOK STRAIT VETERAN

For years a familiar sight to visitors to Ma'kirra beach, a white-bearded figure seated in the sunshine at the door of a fisherman's hut, "French Louis” died in Wellington Hospital on Thursday, aged 88. For more than 60 years he had been a well-known chara’cter on the shores of Cook Strait.

Leopold Haupois, his real name, was born in a Normandie village, but at the age of 10 went to sea in a French barque and followed the seir for more than a decade. In 1878 he arrived at Wellington in the barque Beal rice, with a cargo of railway iron, and decided to try his luck in the Dominion. He worked on the construction of the Rlinutaka section of tlie Wairarapa railway, and on the Manawatu line. Later lie took to fishing, first in Port Nicholson, which was then still a prolific fishing ground, and subsequently at Island Bay and Makanr. For some years lie acted as cook on the late Mr. MacMenamin's property netrr Cape Terawhiti.

Wlien Louis” went to Makara there was not a European lint a Maori fishing village on the flats at the mouth of Makara creek, and there was a fortified pa still standing on the hill overlooking the bay. He learnt much of Maori lore and Maori fishing methods from the Natives. Eventually a fire destroyed a number of wlmres and the remaining Maoris quit the place. For years afterward, however, old Louis used to recount, storms turned up human remains and ancient weapons among the shingle of the foreshore. He used to show polished . adzes ot greenstone and granite which lie had picked up on the Makara betrcli. In his youth Louis was a strong man. He claimed to have been able to raise a bag of wheat or pebbles, holding it in his teeth. He was a brilliant swimmer, and til! lie was an old man he used to swim frequently across the mouth of the bay, a distance of about a mile, in choppy weather. He was uiso tr good walker and till recently used to walk in to Wellington over the hills, and back. Old Louis possessed a keen mind and was an interesting conversationalist. Two Governors-General, Sir Charles Fergusson and Lord Bledisloe, used to visit him, and Lord Bledisloe presented him with a framed photograph he took ot the veteran.fisherman with two companions. lie was a favourite with many visitors to Makara, and was accounted an authority on the history of the district, and on Cook Strait weather. Many will miss the venerable figure, seated at the door of his simple cabin, looking out. over the turbulent strait.