STEWART ISLAND

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 22

STEWART ISLAND

PLACE NAMES [By Basil H. Howard.] No. V. Joss's Beach.—This name does not appear on the map. The bay lies just inside the Neck below Anglem Point. Captain James Joss was one of the earliest settlers on Stewart, Island. He was a native of Banff. The earliest record we have is a. newspaper note recording his arrival at Port Jackson from Preservation Inlet in the Bee m 18J2. He wis back again as captain of the Sydney Racket in IBJJ. About this time ho must have given up trading back and forth to Fort Jackson, for we lind him shortly. more intimately connected with southern New Zealand. Together with one Williams (probably the Williams of Halfmoon Bay) be was in charge of the New River whaling depot about the period 18J7-40. In IBJB he was living at the beach that bears his name. Here, with the assistance of one man, he built a schooner of 4U tons; after launching she was taken to Glory Cove for rigging and fitting. The name of the vessel has not. been preserved; but the Maori humorously called her “ Kaiporuporu.” She was evidently sold, lor she left lor Port Nicholson in ballast. It seems that Captain Joss spent some time at Pegasus with Cook of Stewart’s shipbuilding gang; for his sons used to speak of being at Pegasus as children, and of playing with Cook’s family. Shortly alter the completion of the vessel mentioned above be caught the gold fever and set out lor the Californian goldfields with his two_ eldest sons. Ho never returned; it was thought that Mexicans or natives had murdered him, as no other trace than his overcoat was ever found. Early references often spell the name as “Joyce.” Under this name he is reported as settling at the Neck m ISJ7.

Kirkland’s Creek, Kirkland’s Hill.— Tho crook flows into the Toitois River round the hill of the same name. These two lie on the route ot what was known as Kirkland’s Track, running from Big Glory to the mouth of the Kopeka River on the south coast, and to the tin mining area. The Government employed William Kirkland to cut the track to give access to the mining district by land. Jh.it it was cut too late; by the time of its completion tile “ boom ” had collapsed. There were some breezy passages in Parliament over the cost ot the work, which reached about £275. 'The track wa.s soon lost in the rapidly growing scrub; “it was never used by anybody but the wekas!” bee Bay.—On the north coast, cast of Port ‘William. It is the landing of the caiile across Koreans Strait. The opening of the telephone office on June 11, l<k)2, was one of the greatest benefits tho islanders have received. (One is inclined to doubt it in rough weather. Kven the possession of a stentorian voice does not improve the audibility.) Tho existence of the cable is due to the patience and perseverance of Sir Joseph Ward. The name has no connection with “Jacky” Lee; the bay is on the lee in easterly weather. Longnet Creek, —Flows into tho head of North Arm, Port Pegasus. Louis Longnet was Stewart Island s indefatigable prospector. From records 1 have found, I conclude that there were few spots that lie or his assistants had not investigated. .In the early ’eighties ho had parties working ior him in the Pegasus region and tho results were sufficiently interesting to attract the attention of Professor Ulrich, who visited Pegasus in March, 1833. Gold, of course, was tho object of Longnet’s searching although it is thought that as early as 1882 he had suspected the existence of tin. In tho beginnings of tho gold “scare” in 1867, Longnet worked all tho beaches from Kuggedy to Port William, and was perhaps more successful than his competitors. Long Harry’s.—Local name for the Reach immediately oast of Cave Point (which, by the way, is never so called. I give the map name,) Long Harry was a half-caste whaler whose stature earned him the name. There is a cave at the point in which ho is supposed to have lived. Others say' that it was there that he received the injury which ultimately killed him. He died in Invercargill Hospital from a. severe wound in the head inflicted hy the handle of a winch on which the pawl had broken.

Lord’s Hirer.—A long narrow river esluary running inland for about five miles. Jt lies a. little to the southwest of Port Adventure. Large areas were set aside here lor landless natives. The name comes from Simeon Lord, one of the most progressive and far-seeing men engaged in the sealing trade. In ISO.’J wo first hear of him in connection with the sealing. He sent au expedition in 1810, accompanied by an artist to inquire into the possibilities of the flax trade at Port Macquarric (Bluff). Nothing came of it. At this time he was owner of the Caroline, which was frequently on the Stewart Island coasts. Wo next find him as a partner in the energetic firm of Lord, William, and Thomson, sealers and whalers, of Port Jackson. They owned the Governor Bligb and other vessels. The other partners have left their mark in Port William (Williams’ Bay 1 ) and Thomson Sound on the AVcst Coast. The entrance to the river is somewhat hazardous for large vessels, although H.M.S. Acheron' took the risk when engaged on her survey. Lord’s River has its little share of war mystery; many of the islanders believe that the raider AVoIf spent some time in there. Dunedinites afreet to credit the story of the same vessel’s passing off St. Clair; but far more definite evidence can bo brought forward in support of the Stewart Island visit. The facts arc these: It was the mntton-birding season; a party on one of the islands off Lord’s River was engaged in "torching’’one night when they saw the lights of a vessel entering the inlet. They thought nothing of it, believing the lights to bo those of the Government steamer Hinemoa or Tutanekai. But on their return to Halfmoon Bay, some time Inter, they found that the Government vessels had not been anywhere in the locality. This fact, coupled with reports of a strange vessel which had taken no notice of signals from Bluff and had turned into the channel between Stewart Island and Codfish, gave rise to the story. The evidence from Lord’s River cannot be questioned ; it is genuine. The rest of it is a matter of opinion. Certain responsible and reliable people in Bluff and neighborhood are ver.v far from laughing at'the idea. The AA'olf’s log has been published; 1 believe that there are copies in New Zealand, but no translation has yet appeared. Reference to any available copy of this would settle the matter. Mason Bay.—On the west coast. This beach, seven miles long, is the most extensive stretch of sand on the island. The locality is in many ways remarkable. The warm current from the Great Australian Bight sweeps its shores; the waves that dash in here come right round the world from Cape Horn in uninterrupted course. It is not strange that many outlandish objects find their way to this coast of Stewart Island. Nuts and seeds of all varieties are to be found mingled with the weed and ■ timber cast up on the beach. Among other things might be mentioned two cedar logs supposed to hail from Australia; another outlandish visitor was a live turtle who must have travelled many miles from his probable home in Queensland. On other occasions large numbers of blackfish have been cast ashore. This has occurred twice in recent years; the last visitation numbered, I think, about ninety. Those on the spot seized the opportunity and rendered them into ready money by trying out the blubber

in true whaler fashion. The blackfish, of course, is a small edition of the whale, reaching about 20ft in length. A Government department coming to hear of this wrote down and requested that the carcases be buried in tho interests of general health. Tho department was evidently unaware of the locality of Mason Bay. . . . at least thirty miles from civilised settlement! One can imagine the two or three men setting about the task of burying ninety of the monsters! Fortunately, Mason Bay is in the habit of interring its own dead. The carcases were soon buried out ol sight in the moving sands. Several years ago a bottle was picked up containing a message dropped from a troopship in the Australian Bight. On the fifth of June, 1865, a party of Maoris returning from a muttonbirding expedition brought in a story of a wreck at the bay. The beach was strewn with wreckage, casks and broken packages, including a woman’s cabin trunk with linen, silk, jewellery, and popers. Theories were not long in arising. The brigantine Ivanhoo, which had left port in 1863 an dhad not since been heard, of; the .ship graph missing; the Elizabeth Curie, which had recently lost cargo in the heavy seas; tho Jack Frost months out from Bluff and not reported. But by far the most exciting story was yet to come. The ‘Southland News’ says (abridged): “ A three-masted American schooner left Dunedin some time since. This report, coupled with tho fact that a suspicions looking steamer supposed to he the Shenandoah has been observed by several vessels, gives rise to some conjecture, it is stated that local pilots have observed a glare to seaward as of a ship on fire. It is supposed that the vessel fell into the hands of the cruiser and shared the usual fate.” , , . Mystery enough, no duobt; but it was founded on he fact that one or the articles found hy the police at the bav was a ship’s mast charred by lire. Unfortunately the log of the Shenandoah blows the theory to pieces. But what of the suspicious steamer? TV as it an early Wolf? The hav was a common hcavcclown for sealers in easterly weather. De Blosseville says he found the name on a map published in 1820. It is too far back to trace with certainty. However, Dr M'Nab mentions somewhere that* a. Mr Mason was on the Pegasus prior to her exploring trip of 1809. Ho mav have been here with the Pegasus in ‘IBOB with Captain Bunker. At the present time there are three sheep runs in occupation as Mason Bay. (Messrs Traill, Leask, and M. Adamson. Mr Traill holds what was known n.s iC nin, onco owned hv Professor Black. Tt may not he generally known that there is a motor truck at Mason Bay brought there by the Adamsons to transport goods and passengers from Freshwater at tho head of Paterson to the Bay. As can be imagined, it does little passenger business; hut it is sufficient _to show that even Mason Bay is losing its seclusion. Mason is the richest searching ground for tho ambergris hunter. This valuable article still comes ashore in varying quantities. I do not think there have been many large “hauls” latterlv. Mr Adam Adamson is credited with finding a 700 oz lump some years ago. Ambergris of the grey or clean type is worth from £5 to £7 per ounce!" A little calculation may persuade yon to try your luck! The trouble "is that a new chum would see, a pioce and spurn it away with his feet, after a curious glance. One would not even examine a piece of the black variety, which brings from los to 20s per ounce. Moreover, it smells! And the smell is hardly a perfume.