MR M'NAB'S RESEARCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15331, 14 June 1910, Page 7

MR M'NAB'S RESEARCHES.

] NTE RESTING HISTORIC A L DOCUMENTS. THE EARLY HISTORY OF AKAROA* [From Octi CoRKKsroNDF.NT.] WELLINGTON, June 13. Mr Robert M'Nab, formerly Minister of Lands and Agriculture, returned to Now Zealand on the Arawa on Sunday, after a lengthy absence in Britain, America and Europe. His special purpose was the collection of historical material relating to New Zealand, but he also took an activo interest in the general election in Great Britain, speaking in eleven constituencies. He intends remaining in Wellington for a few days, and on July 1 will commence a series of historical lectures in aid of the Cook Memorial Fund. The business ho has to wind up in connection with his partnership with Dr Chappie, who is now a member of the House of Commons, will necessitate Mr M'Nab's residence in tho vicinity of Palmerston North. Rich finds of historical matter relating to Now Zealand wero made by Mr M'Nab during his absence from the dominion. A slight sketch of his discoveries which he gave to a reporter yesterday will indicate the interesting nature of the new matter, which will find its place in a further edition of " Murihiku " to be shortly published. Quite the biggest treasure was the complete story of the bloodthirsty Rauparaha's raid upon the Akaroa Natives, carried out successfully through the connivance of Stewart, tlie captain of the trading brig Elisabeth. " What has been published so far is more or less romantic," states Mr M'Nab. " I was fortunate enough to get the whole record, a narrative by Natives belonging to the Akaroa tribe. Their statements were made on oath within a month or six weeks of tho tragic events, and are much more reliable than tlie statements many months later at the trial of Stewart. The newly found record puts a new complexion on the matter, by showing what preceded the expedition, gives actual details of the sailing, the correct number of the Natives, the actual procedure at Akaroa, and clears up disputed points about what the invaders did upon returning to Kapiti. There are also a number of details by an eve-witness of the great cannibal feast" and of the end of the carptivoi chief Tamaiharanui, whose fate was separate from the rest. This I obtained in Paris. In London I unearthed tho efforts of the Law Officers to see how they could get around the law point which prevented the conviction of the Elizabeth's captain in Sydney. Another of Mr M'Nab's Parisian finds was tho log of De Surinele's trip to Mongonui in 1769, the details o| which are new, and his sketches of th< Maoris, their implements and the Ne» Zealand coastline.

"Then wo come to the Akaroa Set tlemont," continued the enthusiasts historical searcher. "In tlie corres pfmdcnco of tho French Government with its representatives in New Zealand \ro will, when I obtain an accurate translation of the old French of these documents, obtain further knowledge of this interesting phase of the country's history. A good deal of matter has been obtained about the whaling industry, and while in London I unearthed Hem pieman's journal of tho Peraki whaling station, containing entries up to IS4O. A portion of the journal was donated by Mr Anson to the Canterbury Museum, but the authorities could not find it. However, I got other people interested in the work, and a special search resulted in itc discovery' in some outlandish place. Tt gives a day-to-day narrative, and is the only shore whaling journal I have ever been able to find." Turning over its pages Mr. M'Nab pointer.! to an entry which vividly illustrated the state of civilisation in those days. The chronicler mentioned in somewhat matter-of-fact terms that the Maori chief Taiaroa had encountered in the station a Maori boy from a tribe antagonistic to himself, so he cracked the boy's skull and cooked him in one of the trypots. Lord Durham allowed Mr M'Nab to copy tho manuscripts of the first Earl of Durham, who Was chairman of the New Zealand Land Company, and while on tho same quest in the English Record Office Mr M'Nab came across a solution of tho hitherto unexplained mystery of why the British Government suddenly discountenanced the company and obstructed its operations. It is a quite unsuspected reason, and the telling of this story will make a highly interesting chapter to Mr M'Nab s nest historical work.