Days of the Pioneers.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10392, 9 May 1927, Page 6 (Supplement)

Days of the Pioneers.

FLATS COVERED WITH WILD STOCK. MR GEO. _POU.LGR AIN’S graphic NARRATIVE. SIMPLE, BUT HARD TIMES. ■New Zealand is wonderfully wellfavored in respect ot tile absence oi wild animal pests but, away back in the years between 1856 and IS7O, travellers on the Matawhero fiats, were they on lout, ran a serious danger of being attacked by wild pigs and cattle. Thick manuka covered this part of the country and right into the present heart of Gisbopnt town. From the earliest times pig*-, cattle, horses and goats had been introd need into the district ond nifl.ni of these ran wild in the country outside the town, breeding heavily and building up a strain, particularly n» the pigs and cattle, that constituted a real menace to any loot traveller who .-ventured, unarmed, out oil the scrub-covered flats of Matawhero.— SOME OF THE EARLY FAMILIES. This interesting feature of early life in Poverty Bay was related ,by Mr. George Poulgrain, who, seventy-four-years ago, landed in Gisborne as a' babe in a rms with his parents. Thev took uv> land at Matawhero anu lived there until tho Maori troubles of 186 S, when they left for Auckland and spent some years at that town, finally returning to Gisborne about 1876. v . r r ‘•Among the earliest settlers 1 can remember,” remarked Mr. Poulgrain, “were the Dunlops, Burns, Halberts, Tarrs. Captain Ben Harris, the Wyllies, the Williamses (who had a church at Waerenga-a-hika), the Bensons, U’Rcns, a well-known character called “French Bob” whose full RrKmmrnmmrrsrKrs

MR. CEO. POULGRAIN

fflgflnsnsgßaaiijiß aannsssrass sbAn —acVj’a —J—. -■ . n—ALw, name I never knew, a Dr. Smith and. of course, our family, including’ an uncle of mine, Richard .Poulgrain. All these were living here between 18-33 and 1860, and there were others, too, whom I cannot call to mind. “We lived very simple lives ; n those days and. while, it was hard, x think everyone ciijoyc-d it. The Matawhero flats swarmed with gcats. pigs, horses and cattle, for which wo really had little ime in the earliest times. When we wanted fresh meat, it was just a case of riding, out and shooting the first young cow we came in contact with, ciufpng off whatever part we wanted', and leaving the rest of the carcase to decay or be cateii by the birds or tile wild stock. We had no coins at ail and. in fact, until after 1 left the Bay, i oi'dikt know what a half-crown, a shilling or even a penny was. All our finance was on paper or by exchange of produce. After the Massacre in VS6t>. however, matters Leer.me greatly improved and the settlers began to realise the value of these wild animals or. the Matawhero fiats. Tire horses were mustered and large numbers were sent to Wellington and Auckland where they were sold.” WHALE KILLED IN WAIPAOA RIVER. Mails came to Gisborne. Mr. Potilgrain related, at periods varying between five and eighteen weeks. Captain Read had a schooner, the “Tawera,” under the captaincy of the late Joe Kennedy, which traded between here and Auckland ;ind her arrival was the special, more or less regular, event of the times. This vessel was lost .finally in the Bay of Plenty and was then succeeded by the “Julius Vogel.” Schooners and cutters could then go right up the Waipnoa river nearly as far as the railway bridge at Patutahi. Once even a whale, some thirty feet long, managed to find its way up the river anil was stranded near Mr. Wyllie’s place. There it u'as killed and boiled clown for tho sane of its oil. About Matawhero near Mr. Poulgrain’s first borne in the Bay, however, it was cjuite possible to walk across the river in normal times. Later, when the land was cleared, matters became changed and the river readied a depth of many' feet where previously there had been only inches. PROBLEM OF EDUCATION. Education for their children was a continual source of worry to the early settlers and those who could afford it sent their families to Auckland or Wellington for their schooling. Others depended ' entirely on their own efforts, but, generally, after a hard clay’s toil felling bush or clearing off scrub, parents were too tired to spend hours at night instilling the three “Rs” into the children not over-willing to learn. There was a Native school at Waerenga-a-hika which had as many as two or three hundred scholars at a time, but the settlers appeared loth to senu -their children there. Communication between town and country districts was terribly difficult and many years passed, before any of the roads received the first dressings of metal. Even the old . bullock drays, which were supposed to be able to get through almost any sort or morass, often became firmly settled in the mud on the old Ormond to "town load. A coach was scheduled to go back and -fore each day, on this route, but it was no unusual thing for it to occupy two days on the OneWay run. Horseback was the only really sure means of moving about, in the winter-time and even then a few hours were usually allowed for delays on what was normally a six hours’ trip. ' . ;

SENSATION CAUSED BY -VOLKNER TRAGEDY. ; Questioned about the trouble with the Maoris, Mr. .Poulgraiht. recalled the terrible stir Unused-in the district in March, 1865, by the dreadful tragedy at Opot iki,' of which vthe Rev. Volkner was the victim. “When word came through here,” he remarked, that the - Rev. Volkner had been hanged in a tree by Kereopa. and after his body had' been mutilated. Kereopa had swallowed his eyes, the indignation of the settlers" knew no runcls • and relations ,With. The loen 1, Natives , became, very strained, despite the fact That they , had not . the: slighest connection with Kereopa. Then .came; word that. Kereopa was .coming through .this way-, and there was great, consternation .among U -

settlers in the outlying parts. Fortunately the friendly Natives, who had brought the warning, did so with plenty of time to spare, and all the Matawhero residents boarded a boat at Roseland and sailed clown the river to Turanganui,.where everything, was considered safe. Then followed the YVaerenga-a-hika rising with the utter temporary defeat of me rebels.” ' - ■ . ' ./ . RESCUE WORK AFTER V MASSACRE. V . ' Mr. Poulgrain went on to refer to the Te Kooti troubles, following upon the return of that notorious rebel from the Chathams. These proved too much for his parents and it was decided that the family should leave for Auckland immediately. It appeared that, on the day prior to the massacre, two schooners had left Gisborne, ono bound for Auckland and the other for Napier. As there had been little wind since these vessels left, the authorities decided, when news of the massacre was received, that tlie'best chance of safety for. tlie women and .children lay in" an attempt to recall these two schooners;' the Tawera and tlie Success, the latter commanded by Captain Trimmer and the former by Captain. Joe Kennedy. Volunteers were called for and a whaleboat manned to venture out after the vessels. It was night-time and tlie reflection from the burning home of Mr Bloomfield' was still plainly visible when the boat got into the 'roadstead. Flames were lighted and a oentinual calling kept up. as the boat cruised about during the night in search of tlie Tawera or Success. THREE WEEK TRIP TO AUCKLAND. Fortunately, as expected, the two vessels had made little progress and Captain Kennedy, noticing the flares, signalled to Captain Trimmer, and both" put about and, coming up to the whaleboat, learned of the tragedy. The whole of the day after was occupied in transporting the women and children to the tiro 1 Hats. . The Tawera, on which" were the Poulgrain family, was three weeks in making tire trip up to Auckland* and had to lie off tlie coast and send boats ashore, in order to* secure fresh supplies of food and water. . “I was only a hoy those stirring times,” concluded Mr Poulgrain, ‘hind I have forgotten most details of tlie happenings, hut one thing I do remember particularly is that they called tlie -camo at Patutahi “Stinking Cam]?.” The great number of dead bodies there prevented practically anyone from approochaing practically anyone from approaching.”