KAPITI ROMANCE

Grey River Argus, 2 April 1932, Page 8

KAPITI ROMANCE

A WHALER’S MIDDEN. “THE DESERTED VILLAGE”. Not quite in the vein of Goldsmith is “the Deserted Village” left by the Kapiti whalers. This is how it appeals to F.W.V. in “The Tararua Tramper”: Down at Kahu-o-te-Rangi, commonly known as Honeymoon Gully, little more than half a mile from the Webber’s comfortable homestead at Waioru, on Kapiti, are many evidences of the old time whaling station that existed a century ago. Some fireplaces, once containing try-pots for boiling down blubber, can still be seen, and one or two nearly as good as the day they were made. The nearby flat and bushy gully shows quite clearly where the whalers had their little homes.

Apparently one end ..of each house was occupied almost completely by a huge fireplace, built up of heavy boulders, bound together with clay. Quite a number of houses lined both sides of the beautiful stream from which this place takes its name, and it is quite evident that this plot in its heyday was quite a busy one. These old house sites are overgrown with heavy manuka, etc., and their examination is mado unpleasant by tho presence of stinging nettle, which provides additional thrills to investigators who affect the bathing costume habit in their island rambles. Near the old trypot sites, facing the bushy slope, are old rubbish heaps, and digging these over provides considerable interest. Bits of ancient pottery are common, mostly of the old willow design; old barrel hoops in parts, and occasionally whole, are common, as are broken clay pipes and trypots. Tho broken portion of a boar’s head, with one tusk, in quite good condition, gave cause to speculation, as did part of a harpoon head, and the necks of curiously shaped bottles, no doubt once containing a kick. One or two items suggested femininity, end that, too, stimulated the imagination, as did an occasional marble of the glassy, ally, or stoney type, which hinted at small boys. However, marble 3 was a game the whalers indulged in during the many days of the off-season, and likely enough these games were associated with high finance It is a fine exercise for the imagination to root in these old heaps, the ruins of the house, trypots. barrels iron hoops, etc., which restored to their original state, presents a picture, according to one knowledge ah 1 ability. of a life 100 years old, but. alive with romance, adventures, bitter fights, i wild orgies, alarms, excitements, pleasures, and sadness.

. Old Kapiti was an island of romance not quite entirely extinct; its history is teeming with interest very scantily recorded. What a treasure it. would be if a diary kept by an intelligent observer could be resurrected. It is quite possible that such might exist somewhere and be little valued. Some day it is to be hoped an able pen will endeavour to give us as complete an account as can now be got of tho early story of this beautiful island of rom-c.jce.