Days of the Pioneers.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 6 (Supplement)

Days of the Pioneers.

FLATS COVERED WITH WILD STOCK.

MR GEO. ROULGRAJN’S GRAPHIC XA.KR.Vi i YE.

SIMPLE, RUT HARD TIMES.

New Zealand is wonderfully wellfa lored in respect of the absence oi wild animal pests but, away l.ackjn the years between 1850 end 1870, I traveller.-, on the Mataivhero flats, ) were they on foot, ran a serious dnni ger of being attacked by wild pigs ! and cattle. Thick manuka covered j this part of the country and right | into the present heart of Gisborgic | town. .From the earliest times pig'., | cattle, horses and goats had been introduced into the district and many I of these ran wild in the country outj side tlie town, breeding heavily and building up a strain, particularly in j tiie pigs and cattle, that constituted i.a it a I menace to any loot travehei I who ventured, unarmed, out oil tne I scrub-covered flats of Mat a where. -

SOME OF THE EARLY FAMILIES

This interesting feature of early life in Poverty Ray was related by Mr. George Poulgrain, who, seventyfour years ago. landed in Gisborne as a ' |,aiie in anus with his parents. Thev took up land at Matawhero aim lived there until the -Maori troubles of 1803, when they left for Auckland and soonl some years at that town, finally* returning to Gisborne about 1870.' , “Among the earliest settlers I can remember,” remarked Mr. Poulgrain, “were the Biiniops, Burns, Halberts, 'l'llits. Captain Ren Harris, tlie Wellies. the Williamses (who had a church at Waeieiiga-a-iiika), the Bensons, ('’Rons, a well-known character called ’•French Bob” whose full

name [ timer knew, a Dr. Emitli and, of course, our family, im hiding an uncle of mine, Richard Poulgrain. All these were living here between 1853 ami 1860, and there wore others, too, whom ! cannot call to mind. “Wo lived very simple lives Ml those days and. while it was hard, i think everyone enjoyed it. Tiie Alaiawlicro flats swarmed witli goats, pigs, horses and cat tie, for which we really had little use in tiie 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, cii'.ljiig off whatever part vve wanted, and leaving the rest of the carcase in delay or lie eaten ’by the birds or tile wild stock. Wo had no coins at ail and. in fact, until after 1 left the Bay, 1 eidn't know what a half-crown, a shilling or even a penny was. Ail mir hnar.ee was oa paper or by exchange of produce. After tlie Massacre in IMUS, however, natters beerm-; greatly improved ami the settle's began to realise I'm value of these wild animals on vhe Matawhero Hats. Tne horses were mustered and large numbers were sent to Wellington and Auckland where thev were sold.”

WHALE KIDDED IN VAIPAOA RIVER.

Mails came to Gisborne. Air. Pouigrain related, at periods varying between five anil eighteen weeks. Captain Read had a schooner, tlie ‘'Tawera.” under tlie captaincy of the late Joe Kennedy, which traded between here and Auckland pud tier arrival was tlie special, more or less regular, event of tlie 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 tiie AVaipaoa river nearly as far as the railway bridge at Patutahi. Once even a whale, some thirty feet long, managed to find its way up tlie river and was stranded near Air. Wyliie’s place. There it «'as killed and boiled down for tlie snße of its oil.

About ALitawliero near Air. Foulgrain's first home in the Bay, however, it was quite possible to walk across the river in normal times. 'Later, when the land was cleared, matters became changed and the river reached a depth of many feet where previously there had been only inches.

PROBLEAI 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 cr Wellington for their schooling, Others depended entirely on their own efforts, but, generally, after a hard day’s toil felling hush or clearing off scrub, parents were too tired to spend hours at night instilling tlie three "IP” 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 tlie roads received the first dressings of metal. Even tlie old . bullock drays, which were supposed to he able to get through almost any sort or morass, often became firmly settled in the mud on tlie old Ormond to town load. A coacli was scheduled to go hack and'fore each day, on this route, hut it was uo unusual tiling 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 Aiaori'. Air. Poulgrain. recalled the terrible stir caused in the district in March. 1865. hr the dreadful tragedy at Opotiki. of which the Rev. Volkner was tlie victim. “When word came through here.” he remarked, that 'the Rev. Volkner had been hanged in a tree by Kereopa. and after his l-odv had been mutilated. Kereopa had swallowed bis eyes, the indignation bf the settlers knew no eunds and relations with the local Natives became, very strained, despite the fact that thev had net the slighest connection with Kereopa. Then came word that Kereopa was coming through this way and. there was great con stern r Dor sro r.~ p-~

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 Rosebud and sailed down the river to Turangaimi,. where everything was considered sate. Then followed the Warn enga-a-hika ris.ng with the utter temporary defeat of me rcI beds.”

RESCUE WORK AFTER .MASSACRE,

Mr. Poulgrain went on to refer to the To 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, one hound ior Auckland and the other for Napier. As there laid been little wind since these vessels left, the authorities decided, when news of the massacre was received, that the best chance of safety for. the women and .children lay in" an attempt to recall these two schooners. the Tawera and the 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 tlie vessels, ft was night-time and the reflection from the burning home of Air Bloomfield was still plainly visible when tlie boat got into the roadstead. Flames were lighted and a ocntinual calling kept up. as the boat cruised about during the night in search of the 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 tlie tragedy. The whole of tlie day after was occupied in transporting tlie women and children to the two floats. The Tawc-ra. on which' were the Poulgrain family, was three weeks in making tlie trip up to Auckland and had to lie off the coast and send boats ashore, in order to secure fresh supplies of food and water. “I was only a hoy those stirring times,” concluded Air Poulgrain, “find I have forgotten most details of the happenings, hut one thing 1 do remember particularly is that thev called the earn’) at Patutahi “Stinking ("anil'.’’ The great number of dead bodies there prevented practieallv anyone from approoehaing practically anyone from approaching.”