PERILS OF EARLY SETTLERS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 22, 25 July 1918, Page 2

PERILS OF EARLY SETTLERS

The perils of settlers in the neighbourhood of Wellington in the early days were vividly recalled by a statement furnished to the Wellington Early Settlers' Association last evening by Mrs/ Orchiston, wife of Mr. J. Orchiston (late Chief Engineer of Telegraphs). " I thought it might be of some interest to jot down the following particulars relating to the first sheep run in the province," wrote Mrs. Orchiston. "My grandfather, Archibald Anderson, who died eight years ago at the age of 92, arrived in Wellington in the Bengal Merchant on 30th January, 1840. Shortly he took up all the open country round Cape Terawhiti, which was tiien covered with rich native grass. He then imported 700 sheep from Sydney, and placed them under the care of a Highland shepherd, whom he brought out with him from Scotland. The flock had increased to over 1500 when the Maori War of 1845 broke out. Early one morning the shepherd was awakened by the sound of gunsfiring and the barking of dogs. On looking out of his hut, he sawabout 150 Maoris some 200 yards away, across a gully, hunting the sheep. Almost immediately he heard the whistling sound of bullets overhead,'and realising that he was being fired at, he lost no time in making for the bush track en route for Wellington, while the bullets continued to whistle round him for the first 100. yards or so. When he arrived in town,! without boots, coat, or hat, he bewailed the loss of his old watch, which had been left, behind, explaining that..':the .watch, had been'a faithful friend; "and in ;his fortnightly walks through the bush to Wellington prior to this episode it enabled him to note what, progress he was making at different landmarks' along the track. On this ■" occasion, however, he had no great need for it, as he was satisfied that he had broken all his previous records. It was nearly two years after this event before my grandfather ventured out to see whether any slieep haxs survived. On mustering he found about the same number as were originally turned out some six years previously. Needless to say, they were a mixed mob of long tails,, etc., carrying a heavy coat of long wool. Considering the South Island safer, he chartered two schooners, and had them conveyed to Otago early in 1847, having in the meantime soleftted all the country lying between the Tokomairiro and Clutha Rivers £or a sheep run."