LONG MEMORIES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 9

LONG MEMORIES

Samuel Alafsdcn was _a. personal friend of mv parents, Mr. ancl Mrs. Gilbert Mair, of Baihia, Bay of Islands . (where, -my. father was a merchant-). He had married them in 1027. at St- James' Cliurch, Sydney, so they saw much more of him later. I remember my mother telling me that on one occasion he arrived .a* her home footsore and weary after a lons journey- She gave him iefreshmont, and hsj lay down on the sofa in jibe, sitting room. She covered him with a plaid, my! sister and 'Wiirother of seven and five years help- * ing .her and saying, “Wo will tuck up his feet and make him comfy. That was in 1835. When the Marsden centenary was held in 1914 my sister. Mrs. Win. Bodlington, travelled. from Whangarei to attend it. There she met some of Marsden’s rof<4tivcs,. who had come from Now South Wales. She was able to tell them many interesting incidents connected; with bis life in 'he Bay ot Islands. Mrs. Bodlington and my brother. Robert Mair, died, at- In? advanced age of 89. TinC FIRS!' HORSES.

Marsden brought the first horses to New Zealand. on bis initial visit m 1814. My father imported the next lot. lam not. sure tv hat year it was. but it must- have-, been many years later, for I have a' vivid recollection of Haul to, a., bo.-utifui chestnut marc, which lived to a great ago. My father sent the first kauri, gum to America; mv' brothers “and' sister, playing, discovered, the pretty ehintkg. amber-like stone in a. wafercourse- ‘ Ho sent a sample to Hie ■4 telling them that he eouJcl slip,ply any quantity The reply, he f received was to this effect: “We gudss it’s ‘some stone,’ but it’s no good to us.” Many years later the kauri, gum industry- became a very lively one in Auckland and other places. When T was living with my brother. Major Mair. in Alexandra, Waikato. an old Maori came "to the house one. clay, who told me that ho saw my parents at AVaitangi, when mv father signed the Treaty on Fobirn.nry 7, 1840. Mv father died at Doveron. Whangarei. in 1857: my mother at the same place in IS7O T. well remember a visit we. had from mv uncle, the Rov. William Qilherli Pnckev, of Kaitnia. We children found him a delightful companion. He. was so full of fun. ancl joined in our games as if he was our own age. Flo used to carry me oU ; his shoulder, and, as he was a, tall man. I loved being so high up in the world. He was also a friend of Mars<lon. and in his home—like ours t<m name of Marsden was a household -\ word.

OBEY AND SELWYN

• I .knew Sir George Grey. Ho'w® an intimate- friend of niy brother. ■William, [have been entertained at Ids home at .Hawaii, with i'js beautiful and romantic; surroundings. Wils there that I heard, bagpipes for the first time, played in the prett? wood behind the' house, where “<hss- - lent enchantment,” Sir George imported the 'first deer to New Zealand and liberated them on Ins island. He also brought opossums .from Australia. lie gave us ot young and it became ns tamo as a

bitten. ... When Bishop Ssiwyn visited »nan-. trarei he always staved at on-r house. 1 so well remember, it being impressed upon um, that I must address him as “Mv lord.” I was sent in call him to breakfast one morning, :sn I shyly. tapped on his door and wnid:“My God. will you come to breakfast?” The bishop had a charming way-with

lik'o children- I have often sat •on W’Jnwe and sung m> little songs; y whilevhe 'stroked my hair. On onft w: /\Jiis visits he brought a' native lac /from Norfolk Island, who was very shy and didn’t like the bishop to be ■ont" of his sight. So my mother '.brought him Jntc. the sitting room, ■stnd he pat in corner on my btFe is tool : and consequently was 9™ * happy. The bishop asked me, _how manv brothers and sisters 1 had. answered proudly; .! I am esfc of twelve ” He said: Huvb. lad can beat you, for. he is the eldest •of thirteen.” ' The tel was Macey 'o,ulntel, whom the bishop educated,, mnd for many' years lie practised in- ' Auckland as-a lawyer. _ .. ■■■ •Mv brothers had an .immense aciroiratdi for Bishop. Selwyn,. and I hearing tbein relate r.torm of his- manliness, discipline;, and mnTtV. spVndid qualities.... On. one occasion the btslmp had t 0 gbteWW bv sea. - He,hired m scratch crew . *T<if white.men -to man the boat. A| . weir for a- time, -.when a storm

LINK WITH MARSDEN AND SELWYN tiff; Maui family. PIONEERING in TIIF north. ■ Mrs. Howard • Jackson, a daughter ’of ..Mr. ancl Mrs. Gilbert, Mair, of the Bay of Islands and sister of those- famous, soldiers Major Mair and Captain Mair, 'is living- in Dunedin. The- foliow-ing.-article is taken from heff. remiuisceners, which link the present with Marsden and Selwyn : ’

arose and things looked serious. One of the crew ceased rowing and refused to take orders, thereby upsetting the others. Th* ? , hisho-p calmly rose, and taking the .grumbler by the scruff of his neck, clipped him several times in the sea. and deposited him in the bottom of the boat- spluttering a.nd swearing. After that there was no more' trouble. The? bishop evidently believed in muscular Christianity. • -/"• VISITING CLERGY. -There was no resident clergyman in Whangarei, ancl when my numerous, sisters wore married we had to send to Auckland' for one. I can vividly call to mind three of them —the. Rev. Mr. Britt, the Rev. Mr; Hey wood • and the Rev. Mr.; Volkner, who was with us ’iu 1862. Three* years later, he was foully murdered by lvoroopn, leader of the Hauliaus at Opot-iki. Mr. VoikucT was a thoughtful-looking man with rather a sad expression in his blue eyes, just nis if ho had a premonition of the cruel and tragic end to his life, awaiting him in the near future. Major Mair as soon as possible organised an expedition a.nd captured the murderers, who wore all brought- ft) ■■justice. I know Dr. Hector —afterwards Sir -Tames. He visited us in 'Whangarei in the early ’sixties. He was a man of ; many parts—medical, musical, a keeu botanist, and altogether a • deI’gbtful person to know. We had several musical evenings when he v r.s w.it'i us, and after he left he;' sent me. a roll of music addressed to “TheLittle- Nightingale.’’ Dr. Hector cxy plorcd the forests-of Now Zealand, mv ’brother, Henry Abbot Mair, accompanying him, through the North, and thoroughly enjoying the society hf such an interesting companion, from whorn ho- imbibed much of his knowledge. . “

..In 1913, passing th vouch the Canadian Rockies by the O Mount Hector was pointed out to me. it having,boon named in memory of Dr. Fleeter, who 1 was engaged in thd sur ~ vey of' North-west- Capa da before tie came to New Zealand. ' :