OVER THE SIDE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 11 (Supplement)

OVER THE SIDE.

SAILOR WHO SLIPPED ASHORE AT HAITI.

ECHO OF EARLIEST WHALING DAYS.

WHY WILLIAM BROWN NEVER RET COINED TO ENGLAND.

HIS REASON FOR WEARING HAIR LONG.

Not long after Captain 7, . W. Harris, grandfather of Air. Frank Harris, of Haiti, settled in Gisborne at the dawn of 'the 30’s he and his few pnkehn helpers were surprised to find in their midst a new settler in the person of one William Brown or, as he become known to the Natives, Wireniu Pa rone, a sailor whom they had previously seen ashore with some of his comrades prior, to the sailing of a whaling vessel that had called in at the Bav.

ONE OF THE VERY EARLIEST ' SETTLERS.

As to the date of William Brown’s advent, even as to the name of the vessel from which he ran away, history is silent. In the past, it has been supposed in same quarters that he came here about the same time as Capt. Harrs, If not before. Enquiries, however, go to show, conclusively, that the vessel hv which lie c-anie out to New Zealand was an Encdish Ixiat and that her object in calling

was to pick up oil, whale-bone and provisions. It is also known by Ins descendants that he landed on the Haiti beach ana that, at tlie tune ol his arrival, Capt. .Harris was not the only pnkehn resident hero. As Captain Harris did not continence whale hunting at Papawliiriki, near_Tuarnctn Island, until about 1837, it would seem, therefore, that that would bo about the date ol Yin. Brown’s advent. Even so, it requires to be set down that William lirown was one ol Poverty Bay’s very earliest settlers. Unfortunately, tlie names are not known of all the pnkcha.s who nssistted Capt,tip Elan is in his trading and whaling activities. Some, it would seem, moved about a* great deal and wbuld be only temporary residents. Tom Ralph wasp i f course, one. Barnet Burns, it was, in tlio early days, thought was another, but Burns’ account of his strange exploits oil the East Coast indicates that ho. visited here a year or two earlier, prior to settling at Telega Bay. Maybe, Air. Tiioa. Halbert, father of Pit 311, IVi Fere and Thus. Halbert, who lives at Afakaraka. wi,«. like Capt. Harris, also established here before AATn. Brown’s day. That Mr. R. Pimlgiain. Sir, Espie, snir., or -the IT’lter.s preceded him is ilia supportable.

I.UCKY IN LOVE.

What loci ill:s William Brown to forsake his roving life on the ocean wave to partake of the hardships incidental to ponecring life in this isolated part of the Dominion amongst Natives who had, op till that time, come into contact with hut few Europeans, is not known. It is, however, well authenticated that he did not leave the vessel with the master’s

permission, for he had signed on for a. three years’ voyage. In short, William Brown quietly s’ipped ashore one dark evening on tUio Knit-i beach and succeeded in keeping under cover instil his good ship could not’he detained any longer and had to resume her voyage to England. From what can be learned. W illiam Brown came of a good family. His people, it is generally supposed, were Eng’ish, hut. even on that point his grandchild, Mahaki Brown, of Pulia, for instance, is far from emphatic, having conic to the conclusion that he might also have had Scottish b’ood in his veins. At all events William Brown had some petty difference with his people and, in consequence, he decided to ouit the British Isles and see something of the wide, wide world for himself.

In those early days of pakeha venturesomeness in these parts it was highly advantageous for an intruder to get into the good hooks of an influential Native chief, and it so ballpens that it was William Brown’s good fortune to find favor with no less a Native nobleman than Kaimtin, for history records that, verv soon after lie landed here. Kahutia gave him for a wife one of his relatives. Mavbe, this Particular damsel may have lured Will’am Brown from his duties aboard ship. The voting Native woman who became Mrs. William Brown could trace her descent thus wise—Te Kan pa begat Ruku and Tu Trim. Ruku begat- Kaluitia who begat Ripirnta Kahutia. who begat Lady Carroll. Tu Taira begat Aoikara, who begat Hiue Whati o te Rangi, the wife of William Brown.

SERVITORS OF THE UNION.

On every hand it is agreed that the matrimonial alliance -was a most har>py one. It was blessed bv the advent- ef five .children.— •'••• : -;yWi Brown, who lived near Makaraka, dying in 189 d. :i f , Mere King! Parohb, a resident of Manutuke. .r.' ' ‘ y. . W,/ Eruera Parone, who died at jfci-

kauri in 1920. Paku Brown, of Alakauri, who was killed at Tiniroto by Te Kooti rebels whilst carrying despatches from Gisborne to Wairoa in 1808; and Ha to Rum (the esteemed mother of Henry Ruru, of Te Baraka) who vwv kindly, at her son’s request, supplied much ol the information no,, 1 being placed on record concerning her grandfather, Air. Brown.

Incidentally, it may he mentioned that Karo Jvuru, Win. Brown’s youngest daughter, married Karaitiami liuru, who was a son of Henarc Keepa Ruru, who was the donor of the Waerenga-a-liika Alission site of GOO acres to the Rev. AY. AA illiams, a property which to-day is worth probably up to £OO,COO. Henare Keepa Ruru was the first Native buried with military honors in this district, his burial taking place at AVaerenga-a-Hil;a in 1873. It was to him, according to Air. Henry Ruru, that the Native rebels after the Waerenga-a-Hika rising, laid down their arms. AA'hnt is further of interest concerning Henare Keepa Ruru is that Air. Henry Ruru claims that Kahutia and his grandfather were the last Maori males to be tattooed in Poverty Bay. Alnnv of the females ol high rank subsequently underwent the operation. To-day, however, tattooing is a tiling of the past for Alaori female as well as Alaori male in this district. Air. Ruru also says that in different districts the tattooing differed and that the tattooing of the East Coast can be readily recognised by experts. In fact the old experts could give the name of the operator on studying the markings. Both AA'm. Brown’"! daughters were tattooed.

SET'S UP AS STOREKEEPER,

It has been suggested in some quarters that AVm. Brown, when he ran away from his ship, managed to get ashore a chest of tools., Tlrs, liowiever, is not well established. AAhat is certain, however, is that when he landed he had with him an old-styie large English Bible, which he greatly treasured and which, much to his sorrow, was burnt in a fire at Alakareka many years afterwards. AYiMiam Brown, strange as it may aupear, never hoc ame a master o! the Native language. However, he quickly gained « .snilicient smattering to enable him to oov.verse anil even ,0 teach English to Natives with whom he came into contact. He conducted family prayers every morning mm taught the Scriptures to his wife anil family on Sundays, and to Natives who cared to join in bis religious observances. Bring an indust: ions man and of. a quiet disoosition In' got on remarkably well with the Maoris, who showed him every r-ors'ibrnUon. In due course. A\ illisun Brown sot up shop at Ngawaierua, which on tlie side towards the sea between Awap'Uiii and Owm, his stock-in-trade consisting for the most part of clothing, blankets, etc. Barter was, 111 those days, the only means of exchange and with the .produce which he obtained from the Natives in return for goods lie was ahj.e to enlarge his stocks in the course of trading with vessels calling in to Poverty Bay. William Brown was also given in return for goods the right to use certain lands. , , Prior to tho JTnnhau trouble- .'»rcakin<r out in 18G5 Win. Brov/n luid ostablishcd himself as a flour miller on the Flats near Afakaraka. AYhere he got the plant does -not seem clear, hut it was probably obtained from ,Svdnev. The Natives as well ns the few 'white settlers thereabouts brought their wheat to the mill to he ground. A pnkehn named Neri (Ned) Paranoid was his chief assistant. Oftentimes, helpers, c-arne from the AA'aereiiga-a-Hika mission to assist at the mill and, not infrequently, the growers of tlie wheal lent a hand. The mill had, however, to close down when the rebellion started and AA’m. Brown and his family came in to the Haiti redoubt.) After the Ha.ulnui trouble had subsided ho opened a store in tlie Afakaraka district, ft was destroyed by fire in IBIS.

PLAN TO VISIT ENGLAND FRUSTRATED.

William Brown sustained a heavy blow when his wife died in the middle CD’s. For a long time ho ha<t contemplated re-visiting England, lnit Lis love for his wife and children refrained him from taking the step. Up till then, he and his relatives had maintained correspondciro. When Mrs. Brown died, he firmly made up his mind, to return Home, but the elders of his late wife’s tribe would not agree to his proposal to take with him two of the hoys. They told him that if he wished to go he could go by himselL Off lie went, but on reaching Melbourne, he began to miss his family so much that- ho retraced his steps. It' seems that the elders were afraid that lie would not- return if he took any of the children with him. Afterwards his relative’s c-cggra to write to him and their identity remains unknown on account of the destruction of all his correspondence in the fire at Makaraka.

In later life, William Brown fbecarne a more conspicuous figure the streets of Gisborne by reason of the fact that he wore his hair long. After the deatli of his wife, lie would not suffer His liair to be cut and it hung down to his waist. This decision on his part was questioned by members of his family, blit lie would in! i rinfbly -rqply that- keeping his hair long was a token of respect for His dead wife. Ho lived to t-lie advanced age of 87. dying at His home, “Brown’s Point,” not far from Makaraka, and near the old Kia Ora Coy.’s factory, in 18S9.