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The Gisborne Times PUSLISHED EVERY MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1913.

The recent recital in this journal of the history of “A Barbarously Un- Captain Cook’s flattering Title.” first landing in New Zealand, which, as is well known, took place at Poverty Bay in the year 1769, has led the “Lyttelton Times” to raise the old question as to how it comes about that the residents of this very fertile and prosperous district have never taken such action as would ensure that this portion of the Dominion would now be known by a more fitting and more pleasing name. Our southern contemporary is no doubt quite right when it says that tins district has a grievance against the great navigator in the name he bestowed upon his first landing place. It then goes on to remark: “Poverty Bay may have been a not unfitting name for the Turanganui bay a hundred and forty-four years ago, from the point ofi view of the sea-weary sailor who wanted fresh provisions for his ship, hut it was the hostile character of the Natives, and not the barrenness of the place, that prevented Cook from revictualling his ship. In any case, ‘Poverty Bay’ has long outgrown what small measure of appropriateness the name may once have held, and for a splendidly fertile countryside like the Turanganui plain to rest contentedly under such a barbarously unflattering title speaks little f-or the local patriotism of its people. There are numerous fitting substitutes. Many years ago a newspaper writer suggested ‘Endeavour Bay’ as a suitable successor to the present name, but the matter did not go beyond the suggestion. Endeavor Bay would he an excellent title, for, besides commemorating Captain Cook’s ship, it would he descriptive of colonial pioneering effort. Gisborne really ought to insist upon its district being re-christened.” It is of course, the position that this distric t owes its present name not to the fact that Captain Cook considered it a barren place, hut to the circumstance that the great navigator did not succeed in getting such provisions as lie desired during his- call here. As showing that this was the case it may be" recalled that the great navigator made the following entry in his diary : “The shore of this Bay for a little within each entrance is a low fiat sand; but this is only a narrow slip, for the fact of the country appears with a variety of hills and rallies all cloatiled with woods and verdure and to all appearances well inhabited, especially in the vallies leading up from the Bay where we daily saw smoke at a great distance inland and far back in the country are very high mountains.” The real position of affairs, it would seem, was, as the “Lyttelton Times” says, that it was only owing to the hostility of the Natives that Captain Cook was unable to secure provisions here. He was clearly disappointed when he failed to get fresh water in the vicinity of his landingplace; also on account of the fact that the Natives did not bring forward, for the purposes.of trafficking, foodstuffs of any description. If, then, so much suspicion had not arisen between the Natives and Captain Cook, he mi'dit have been much more successful on his quest for provisions—and this district in that case would not have had to suffer the indignity of such an inappropriate name. But he that as it may. It makes no difference how it came about that Poverty Bay received its present unflattering title. What people in other districts must, however, continue to marvel at is that it was not changed long ago. As wo view the matter such a title as that which the “Lyttelton Times” suggests and it is, of course, not a new suggestion—would, we think, have been quite fitting, and if it had been adopted originally there would, it seems to us, never have been any ground for regret in the matter. The question arises, however, as to whether in view of the fact that this district has all along had such an uncomplimentary name it would not be better if any change is to he made to settle, upon a title which would completely remove any bad impression (if such does happen to exist anywhere) that may attach to the district on account of its unhappy designation and, instead, reflect the great fertility and prosperity of this progressive portion of the Dominion.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GIST19131020.2.16

Bibliographic details

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3467, 20 October 1913, Page 4

Word Count
740

The Gisborne Times PUSLISHED EVERY MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1913. Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3467, 20 October 1913, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUSLISHED EVERY MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1913. Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3467, 20 October 1913, Page 4

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