LAST OF THE PIONEER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 110, 5 November 1926, Page 9

LAST OF THE PIONEER

A GUNBOAT OF THE MAORI WAR

STORY OF AN BYE-WITNESS.

Some months ago an article was published in the "Evening Post," giving the history of H.M.S. Pioneer, a gunboat which saw service on the Waikato Biver during the latter half of the Maori War, and an interesting account of her sinking was given to a "Post" reporter this week by Mr. W. G. Lodder, of Petone, whose father was at one time engineer on the boat. "I suppose I am about the only man alive who saw tho last of the Pioneer," said Mr. Lodder. "At the end of the Maori War the Government steamers were laid up, and the Pioneer was lying in Tairapunga Bay, Waikato Heads. There was no shipkeeper aboard. About 4 o'clock one Christmas morning—probably 1866, when I would be about eight years old —my father, who was in charge of the Government steamers at the Heads, was just turning in when he saw a boat which he took to be the Sturt or the St. Kilda, seemingly coming in over the bar. Thinking all was in order, he went to bed, but was awakened later by the baker, who was up early chopping wood for his fire, and told that it was the Pioneer. She had twisted her two anchors until they were wound up short, and then when the tide went out she just slipped gently over the bar. "Great was the commotion. Every available man in the settlement went out in two lifeboats in the charge of Captain Brittain. There was a good deal of water in her when they got aboard for she was a stern-wheel boat with the "connecting rods going out through slots in the stern. These slots were only about a foot above the water level, nnd if she ran into any heavy weather she was soon awash. However, tho volunteers got up steam at last, and Captain Brittain headed for Manakau Harbour. Unfortunately, just before they got there she began to sottle down, and there was a rush for the boats before she sank. The men landed on the beach somewhere under Manakau lighthouse, and made their way overland to Waikato. And that was tho end of the Pioneer." OTHER BOATS. "Other boats? Well, as far as I can remember there was the Eangiriri, the Koheroa, and I think, tho Waipa. Then there was the Jim Notice, a Maori canoe with an engine, and another canoe alongside, but I don't know the origin of the name. The Koheroa and the Waipa were built in sections in Sydney under the direction of Mr. James Stewart, who designed the craft, being sent to Australia by the Government especially for the purpose. In their erection at Port Waikato ; Mr. Stewart was assisted by Mr. J. B. Steedman." "The Koheroa, or it may have been one of the other steamers, was fitted up as the Cleopatra, and taken to Nelson and sold there on behalf of the Government by my father, who afterwards went to the Sturt. While the Cleopatra was in Nelson the people there heard that Mr. Steedman was aboard, and as he was a very well-known ciicki etcr, having represented Auckland against All England at Ellerslie, fl match was arranged, Nelson versus the Cleoptitra, and most • successful it P Speaking of early days at Waikato Heads and Ngaruawaia, Mr. Lodder said that at the former settlement Ins family lived in the officers' quarters, and kept their fowls in the barracks! "I must have been a pretty good lad," said Mr. Lodder, "for often my father used to rout me out of bed on a dark night and send me—scared out of my seven senses—with a letter down to one of the ships. Then, one of my earliest recollections was coming from school at Auckland by coach to Mercer where the Pioneer came to meet me with my father on board, and .also the Hon. John Williamson, superintendent

of the province." Mr. Lodder was the oldest boy m the Waikato settlement, and had for his chum a younger lad, William Dashwoud, who was years later burned to death in tho well-remembered fire in Anthony ilorden's Sydney stores, where he was employed as engineer. "The 12th and 58th regiments were stationed at Ngaruawahia when tho Loddcrs lived there; in fact, the end of the sentry beat was the beginning of their property, where the heat from a cracked iron chimney warmed the hands of many a cold and weary soldier "on sentry-go."