OLD OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 18157, 23 December 1922, Page 8

OLD OTAGO

INTERESTING RECORDS OF THE PAST. EXPLORING UNDER DIFFICULTIES, ROUGH JOURNEY TO LAKE WAKATIPU. In forwarding to us copies of three manuscripts, all of which are in the Hocken Library (‘ Flotsam and Jetsam,’ T ol, II.) Canon Nevill writes as follows ; They all relate to Otago, and though Dr Hocken no doubt used them, yet they have never been printed in full as far as I know. They will deal with a. good many names, though Von Tnnzelmann omits explaining that (he names ho uses were given after, not before, their' discovery. He writes at a much later date in the petition, of course, which explains tho uso of what became wellknown names, but it would have been more helpful if he had “named the namer.” I have to thank very much both Professor Bonham and Hr Skinner for their kind help and courtesy in looking out the works I wanted in the library. Dr Hocken had the true historian’s instinct when lie saved every writing relative to the early history of Otago—much of it indeed 1 priceless. What follows is part of Mr Nicholas Von Tunzelmann’s description of early Wakatip (sic) district,andshould be compared with Duncan’s ‘ Wakalipuans.’ , I arrived in Wellington in 1859, being a native of Russia, born on tho Baltic, educated in Germany, Switzerland, and England. 'Went to London to try my fortune. Got a billot in the Phoenix Fire Insurance Office as foreign correspondent. Had an attack of tphus (sic) fever, and scut out to Canada to recruit my health. Studied medicine there. Game back to London again to finish my studies; hut not liking it, wont through the Royal Veterinary College, intending to go out to India in tho cavalry service. The doctors not approving of India, went out to Canada again; but getting a letter wliile there from New Zealand, came out here to try sheep farming instead. After spending about a year in different parts of the North Island, from Wellington, Wairarapa, and up tho coast to Hawke’s Bay, and finding no runs to be had, and hearing of an expedition about to start from Dunedin to explore tho West Coast, I went there, and interviewed the leaders—Hopkinson and Rees, and being a yet. surgeon and able to shoe a horse, I had no difficulty in getting leave to join them ; and after spending some weeks in making all neccssaiy preparations, purchasing horses and outfit, we all had to rendezvous at Omani (sic) on a, certain date to make the final start. For there were six of us—Mr William Low, a partner of Switzer’s, myself, a man to fix camp and to look after tho horses. Each of ns led a pack horse (fifteen horses amongst us), and we made our way up the Waitaki River, stopping at stations and accommo-dation-houses. Meeting with Mr Robert M'Leun, the lessee of Morven' Hills Station, he piloted us through as far as that, and sent a shepherd on to pilot us through the Kawea (sic) and Wanaka Lakes. So far all went well, but hero our troubles began. There was a cattle station across the Molineux at this point, owned by Wilkie, a Christchurch man; and meeting a stockman of his at the Hawea River, who advised us to drive the pack horses after his horse, ho leading, wo did so, packs on. Tho consequence was that as soon as the horses crot low enough into the water, so that Die current reached the packs, the horses were all swept off the shingle bank and carried down the river! Luckily some of them had their tether ropes dragging while feeding on tho banks of Die river, and some of us catching hold of the ends of the ropes, the horses awung round with tho current and managed to get out. But the rest went down the river, and William Lowe’s mare was drowned, although Rees and Hopkinson galloped down the river, trying to save her. There was a waggon-box at the station (watertight), used as a punt, and with tho aid of that and the men from the station (Albert Town now) a second attempt Landed horses and packs safely on the other side of the Molyneux._ Here w® spent some days drying biscuits, flour, tents, blankets, etc., and then made a, start up tho Gardrona, trying always to got north into the heart of Die mountains, dragging packhorscs and hacks up mountains, as the valleys were impassable for horses owing to scrub, timber, spear grass, and tomategora, and always with tho result of having to retrace our steps in tho evening down to tho camps we haul left in tho morning, reaching camp by moonlight generally. After spending several days in this way there was a grand; consultation amongst the loaders, with the result that they all made up their minds to return to Dunedin, with the exception of Rees, who said lie intended to push on, and ho asked' me if I would join him, as it was useless for one to go by himself. The rest turned back the next morning, and Rees and myself started up tho Gardrona River. The second day we took up.one of the spurs of the Crown Range, and when we reached the cupola a glorious panorama .stretched out before us, and we realised that our perseverance was crowned with success. After enjoying tho view and discussing our plans for tho next step, wo pushed down the leading spur to tho Arrow River, and) the banks getting very steep, our horses, slid down Die last incline on all fours, we following them. We crossed the river near where Die township now stands, and camped. The country was all thickly covered with prickly scrub and spear grass, so that one of us made a point of ascending some low hill every rooming to look out for the best track, while the other struck tent and! packed the horses. In that way wo reached the Shotover River, where our horses sank into the quicksand, alarming mo, a pew chum to tho falls. Keeping along the margin of Die Jake, wo reached Queenstown Bay, where we spent some days making a raft with tho driftwood lying on the beach and our tether ropes, flax, and corradicß, as we could not take tho horses any further and could not see the head of the lake, although going up Ben Lomond, where wo took the pack mule, which gave the name of Moke Lake to the little lake near Diese. On the raft we managed to paddle up the shore of the lake about halfway up the middle arm, where a strong wind''sot in against us, and we had to abandon the raft and toko to the hill and up to the loading ridge to get to the point wlrere the lake took the turn north, and from whence wo could reo the head of the lake, the Dart and Rees Rivers, Mount M’lntoah, etc., of which Rees took a, sketch. We started down tho hill to get to the beach to camp, finding the fern at tho bottom of the hill so high! that we had to lie down sideways and roll down over it, crushing it down as wo wont. Having carried our swag of tent, blanket, and food all day, we were so exhausted l when we readied the beach about 12 o’clock p.m., by moonlight, that we lay down as we were, without boiling the billy, and were soon fast asleep.

Next morning we started on our way book to tho raft, setting fire to the fenj. as wo wont, and soon the flames reache:! the top of the mountain, forming one uninterrupted lino from the lake upward, and the roar and smoko made it. magnificent.. We liad to -hurry on as fast as we could to reach the raft and got away from the fire, reaching QueeuMown Bay in the afternooni in time to catch our horses that wo had le-ft hoppled there a week previous. Have a hearty meal and make for the Shotover River around tho beach of tho Frnnkton arm of the lake, reaching the river about sundown, in time, to camp on the other side, and glad to put the river between us and tho firo that was devouring everything that would buin behind us. The spectacle that night I shall never forget. It set in wet that night, and the smoke- next morning was so dense that we could not see far ahead of us; but keening near the river (Kuwe teyrgffiif njfflig. spos pji

hills, and near sundown, reaching a river beach, wo looked for a likely place to camp, and, came upon our extinguished' camp fi.ro, Die first we had, mob with, having seen no signs of human' beings after wo 3oft Wanaka Lake. On looking round, found wo had arrived at the camping place wo had left tliat morning, having 1 travelled all’ day round the loot _of a big til in tho smoke without knowing it. Rees had sprained his knee tailing down a steep gully crossing the Twelvemile Greek, and could not walk without great pain, so kept the saddle wherever lie could rid©, and wo determined to spell a day until the smoke subsided. The day after we made up for the top of Die Grown Range, and got back of Wilkins ■Station (Albert town), where we arrived famished, having been three weeks a wav and out of all provisions except oatmeal, which wo could not cook during the last few days owing to wet weather. _ We retraced' our steps to Dunedin, having been six weeks away, where Rees handed in liis sketch of the lake and description of tho country wo had seen, and I went back to Wellington to make arrangements to strut a sheep station on Die south-west side of tho lake and Rees on the north. But before going back to Wellington I thought it prudent to go to Invercargill and find a practicable road up to tho lake from the south. Finding Mr Cowan, an old Southland settlor, ready to start from Dunedin for Invercargill, I‘was glad to join him, and on arriving at the Hokonuis wo met with a man, young Clark, going up tho Oroti River, and got os far as Burwood with him. There my horse knocked up, hut I managed to get to a neighboring settler’s place up the Oreti River, the last I was told a caiDo station, by following a track I sometimes hit and often lost. Here I was hospitably received and rested a day or two, telling Mr and Mrs Clayton of q, big lake Rees and I had discovered from the Canterbury side, and I was endeavoring to find a road to it from the south side. They seemed incredulous, and said they knew of no big lake about there; but a brother of Mr Clayton’s, a surveyor from Auckland, who was staying on a visit to them, offered to go with mo to find it, and, taking tent ami provisions to List us a .few days, wo ect out up the Oreti River in quest of the big lake. Wo travelled two days and came to a watershed and a small river running in tho opposite direction to the Oreti River, and, following it, came to a fine flat, where wo tethered our horses and mad© up for the top of a high hill near (now the homestead near Mount Nicholas Station), from the top of which we caught a glimpse of the big lakeland I recognised the round hill (Mount Nicholas), called' after me by Mr MTverrow afterwards, which I had seen from the other side of the lake near Bob’s Cove (called' after Rees’s first boatman.” These extracts are taken from a petition of Mr Yon Tnnselmann to the Government for consideration of his discoveries. A. younger brother, Mr T E. Von Tunsolmann, was in the early seventies a settler at tho lake. His eldest son, born at Fern-hill’s Station, married some few vears ago a daughter of tho late Dr S. HodgIcinson, whose memory is deservedly held in Dio highest esteem.