PIONEERING DAYS

Evening Star, Issue 19758, 7 January 1928, Page 14

PIONEERING DAYS

The Great Wellington, Earthquake Enlarging the Run Orbell Diary Continued No. IV. _

We had now been in the colony about three years, and had experienced many vicissitudes I was too young to take much notice of them, but in later years I have often thought of the terrible trial it must have been to my parents, For twenty-eight years of my father’s life he had done little but fox hunt Ha was no business man, unfortunately, and it was during the financial crisis of 1842 that he lost his money; hence our coming to New Zealand. It would be difficult indeed for mo to put into words the teelings of my mother during those early days. She was ono of the most leva file characters, which, once to know, leaves an impression upon one’s mind that time never effaces. Bright and cheerful in difficulties as in pleasure, no matter what happened, she w. j always the same. Had a kind word for everybody, and when any trouble arose she would always endeavor to impress upon us that it was all for the best, and that wo should soon overcome it. Her equanimity under all circumstances astonished all who knew her. I should be failing in my duty did I not relate in these pages how she worked for her children. She was certainly the hardest worked ono in the household. There were no sewing machines then. Her needle was con-

siantly in her hand. She made all my brothers’ clothing and mine, including moleskin trousers, and coats or jerseys that w© wore, reaching nearly to our kneCs, with belts round the waist. She purchased the material, cut them out, and made them all to our measure. She’ did this for three or four years, until at last her needle finger became so stiff and rheumatic that they obliged her to surrender Travellers ' often stayed at our house—-there were no hotels—for a night on their way to Dunedin. Ono and all admired her genial kindheartediiess and hospitality. She was very particular about assembling tho family every morning to prayers, and on Sunday always read tho church service to us herself. After *i while my brother Henry relieved her. fn after days, when conversation turned upon early times at Hawksbury, I once hoard her remark that making our moleskin trousers—that we always wore —was a great trial, tho stuff being so hard and stiff, yet during the time she was engaged at the work not a suspicion of a murmur was heard. . Truly, she was good, patient, kind, thoughtful, and considerate, not only for her own family but to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

DANGER FROM FIRE

During the early part of 1854 one of Jones’s shepherds set fir© to the country at the back of Hawkabury, which spread in an unexpected manner. The rank growth of grass and scrub caused the lire to extend in all directions, and to make it worse a strong nor’-wester was blowing. This carried it in the direction of our house, and for a time gave us some anxiety. We covered tho roof with wet blankets, and made every preparation to fight the flames with wet sacks. Had the bush caught fi;•© it would have been very serious, for the hous3 was built upon tho extreme edge of the bush, and nothing could have saved it. Fortunately at that time the bush was practically in its native state, not much having been cut; consequently there was little dead timber about to create a fire, so it proved a protection to ns. It raged with great fury all round it, and still coming towards the house. We all went out with sacks and managed to heat it back, but not until it came within a hundred yards' of the home and passed on. So rank was Hie growth of vegetation in those days that it was a most dangerous thing to start a fire. I remember upon ono occasion some unknown individual put a match to tho grass in tho hack country that eventually became onr run. It burned for throe weeks.

road over the Ilimutaka, which was rendered impassable by rents and landslips. Dead fish were washed upon the beach. The tides were affected, and for two or three weeks the quakes were more or less severe. At any rate, it took this time for the earth to assume its normal state. It occurred about 9 o’clock in the evening (we felt it in Otago), and so great was the shock that my parents said that they were sitting with the judge when all at once they were thrown out of their chairs. The judge rushed to the door of the room, but was unable to got out. He caught hold of the door, which was partially open, and he was swayed backwards and forwards while clinging to it. The pictures on the wall turned completely over, with the faces to the wall. This to some may appear incredible, but it is a positive fact. Every chimney in the town was thrown down, but the houses, being all buillt with wood, with no upper story, were not much damaged. It was very remarkable that, although they were Twisted and apparently appeared as it it were impossible for them to recover their proper position, nearly all of them did so.

At the end of February my parents arrived in Dunedin, and the only way for my mother to get to Hawksbury was either by a whaleboat or ride over the Flagstaff Hill and Snowy Mountain. She preferred the latter. _ The distance was about thirty-two miles. Had it been decently level country it would not have been accounted much; but when the country she had to travel is taken into consideration —there was no track, nothing but riding up and down the bills aIT the time under these conditions, for a lady of fifty-five years of ago, and not accustomed to riding on horseback, I consider it rather a notable event. However, it was fortunately a very fine day, and she managed the journey splendidly.

In August, 1854, my father and mother went to stay with tho Bidwills, in the Wairarapa. It was the first time they had—l was going to say, taken a holiday. However, they required a change, and it was tho only place they could go to. They also wanted to make Bidwill’s acquaintance. None of ns had ever seen him, either before or since his marriage to my eldest sister in 1851. They stayed with them until 1855, and while they were the guests of Judge Stephens in Wellington upon their return the memorable earthquake of that month and year occurred. There was a bush

A RAGE FOR LARD

It was during this year (1855) that we began to think of extending our operations by applying for some of the vacant sheep and cattle country. Mr Walter Mantell was Acting Commissioner of Crown Lands for Otago, and he happened to be on a visit to Waikouaiti to interview the Natives with regard to £2.000, or balance of money due to the Middle Island Natives by the Government for the purchase of land, about which there had been much dispute ever since, and to this day I do not think .the matter has been finally settled (1909). *He called at our house and had lunch. My father had met him before, and know him fairly well, and. confiding in him, asked his opinion about applying for land, also conditions upon which runs were leased. He strongly advised our making application without delay, and. looking out of the window, said: “Why, Mr Orbell, there is the very thing yon require,” pointing to the hills in front, and recommended his applying for 20,000 acres. The rent at that time was less than a halfpenny an acre per annum. No immediate action was taken, hut after a short delay it was arranged that Henry should accompany my father to Dunedin and apply for the area advised by Mr Mantell. The day fixed upon was a Monday, hut the afternoon before (Sunday) Mr Jones called at the house, a thing he had never done before. He was in the best of “tempera,” made himself most agreeable, even to drinking a glass of win© with my father, who was foolish enough to tell him that he was going to -Dunedin next day to apply for the country; upon which Air Jones at once said: “Oh! yon can’t do that; it belongs to my brother Tom.” _ My father replied that he did not think it did, because Air Mantell had informed him that it was vacant. There is little doubt that Air Jones had in some mysterious manner heard of our intention, and that it was his reason for going to Hawkshury to ascertain jf it were true. After finding out that it was he soon left, and sent a messenger to inform his brother Tom to act without delay. His brother lived about six miles away, and was this distance nearer to Dunedin. Henry was very vexed that the information had been given. Howoyer, early next morning he and my father started for Dunedin. The former had to walk, as we only had the old mare that my father rode. When some few miles on the road Henry saw a man on the same range, walking alone, and at least an hour ahead. He remarked: “That is Tom Jones, and

ho is racing us for the run. My father would not believe it for a moment. Henry walked on as fast as he could, but was unable to overtake his man. That night they both stayed at Mr Kettle’s, about twenty minutes walk from the Land Office. Henry was very anxious to be at the office immediately it opened in the morning, and so arranged with my father overnight. However, when the hour for opening arrived, my father said: “Oh, we cannot co directly the doors open. And waited for half an hour. When they leached the office Mr Mantell, seeing them coming, met them at the door, remarked: “Why did you not come earlier? Tom Jones was here before i was; I kept him waiting as long as 1 could, intending that if you arrived he should ballot with you for the country; at last I could wait no longer, and was obliged to receivo his application; but never mind, he. has only taken 4,000 acres, and there is plenty of countrv adjoining that will suit you. Poor Henry was' very disgusted, but advised taking 20,000 of the vacant land. The lease was granted by the Provincial Government for fourteen years. We purchased a few cattle, and grazed stock for other people on “ terms ” i.e., the owners paid ns so much per annum for feeding and looking alter them; ids a year was the usual charge per head, ft was a common practice to take either sheep or cattle upon what was called “ terms,” until runholders had sufficient funds and were able to obtain stock to the carrying capacity of the country. The terms foi sheep were that, instead of charging so much per head, a percentage of the annual Increase in lambs and wool was agreed upon, generally one-third of each. ft was subsequently found to be an excellent investment for the owners of the sheep, but did not pay the runholdor, and in the course of a few years the system was abandoned. We did not at once build a homestead upon the country wo had acquired; but continued to work it from Hawkesbury; looking after the cattle from there, going through them once or twice a week to see that they were all right. In dry weather_ we would set fire to grass and scrub in the gullies, which in many places reached over one’s head. Years must have elapsed since they had been burned, and it was several years before the country was fit for grazing sheep on account of the rank growth; but it was excellent for cattle, and they did remarkably well.

A BUSH CONTRACT

Work was not very pressing at Hawkesbury, so Henry and I went back to the bush. We took a contract for posts and rails from Mr Jones. We had completed the one for shingles. This time it was for 800 rods, or five and a-half miles. It meant 10,000 pieces—B,ooo rails Oft long, and 2,000 posts 6ft 6in long; each post required four mortised holes to receive the rails, which all had to be pointed to fit the mortise. We not only undertook to split and'prepare the posts and rails, but we agreed to erect the fence where required. The post holes were 2ft deep. Henry generally dug them, while I rammed the posts and kept the line straight. Our usual day’s work when erecting was to put thirty posts into the ground 2ft, fix four rails, and ram posts. When working at this contract in the hush our usual task was to fell as many trees in one day as would, after being cut out into 9ft lengths for rails and 6ft 6in for posts, keep us splitting the following day; when we would each average 115 rails and thirty-fivq posts, or 150 pieces. Next > day we fifirsd .asfflHS and mortised poles

for four rails in each post, following day pointed at each end 300 rails; afterwards we carried them upon _ our backs to the bullock dray track, which we had to cut and clear. It took us several months to complete the contract, for which we received 6s per rod, or £240. To save time we made a grass whare in the bush to be near our work, in which we lived, of course doing our own cooking. When we had cut all the timber available near the whare, we went to live in a hut with a young man named Durden; this was the hut to which 1 was carried by the Maori woman when the dog bit me; it was high up the hill called Mount Pleasant, behind the Hawkesbury. Not far from the hut wo found a fine lot of splitting timber (gowhai) sufficient to enable us to complete our contract. Whenever we required meat we went pig hunting. Upon one occasion wo caught more than we could can'}' homo. Going back for it the next day we caught another good pig, too good to leave, so determined to return for it the following day, in doing we came across another very fine one that we

captured and killed, leaving it for another day’s work. We never had such a run of luck. But by this time we had had enough of it, especially as we had to carry it all home upon our backs. So the fourth day we loft our dogs behind to avoid catching any more; besides, we had no conveniences for ing more meat. After we had delivered it at the hut we estimated that we had carried between 5001 b and 6001 b of meat upon our backs six or seven miles in the four days. This kept us through the winter. (To be continued.).