COLONIAL EXPERIENCE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 877, 3 November 1874, Page 2

COLONIAL EXPERIENCE.

On Friday evening last Mr W. J. Barry delivered a lecture at the Town Hall on the above subject The lecturer illustrated the subject by giving accounts of his own career in the Colonies during the last forty-six years, and some of the incidents, of which we give below. There was a fair attendance of the public, considering the disagreeable nature of the weather. The proceeds of the lectortfe, after payment of expenses, are intended to be devoted to the Wakatip Hospital, but after deduction they amount only to a trifling sum. Mr Eichardt, lessee, kindly lent the Town Hall at a nominal rate. Dr Douglas, J.P., occupied the chair. Mr Barry stated that he left British soil in the year 1828, in the first free immigrant ship that ever sailed to the " mother" colonies. He was then a very young man, smart, and more active than he was now, and came out as valet to Sir John Alcock, Bart., whiie performing the great feat, in those days, of making a tour around the globe. After proceeding to relate the incidents of what was then considered a momentous voyage—in which an account was given of the horrors produced by an out break of typhus fever, and the springing of a dangerous leak on board, which led to the detention of the ship at Cape of Good Hope for one month—the lecturer proceeded to say that when he arrived at Sydney he found the population there to consist of prisoners of the Crown and the officers controlling them. Many had become free men and women, but they were not allowed to leave She Colony. The arrival of the ship caused a good deal of surprise and. excitement in those days. The free-men were wealthy, as far as regarded possession of land, and many of them had made a good deal of money besides. Wealth, in the shape of land, was actually " chucked" at men, none could go wrong in that respect, and those who came in the Red Rover had great chances. They were the pioneers of the " mother" Colony, and many were now proud of the day they landed from the Red River in Sydney. Many of the convicts who had become emancipated were very wealthy in cattle and horses, as well as lands and money. One old resident of this class was W. Nash, Esq.; who hod been exiled for life, but who succeeded in obtaining a free pardon. He went home and drove a carriage and eight horses before the Queen. Her Majesty, when she found out who the " owdacious" character was, that did this before her in London, had him sent back to Botany Bay, and orders were given that no more free pardons of that nature were to be granted, and none of these " lifers" ever afterwards got the privilege of leaving the Colony. Old Sam Terry was so anxious to visit home that he offered the Queen to build her a frigate, man her, victual the men, and keep her afloat for two years, but even this offer had no effect. When Tetry died a large number of crocks were found full of golden sovereigns which he had saved up—for he was his own banker—besides about five bushels of dollars. The coin, in the days he spoke about, was dollars and "dumps." He begged to inform them that he was a self-taught man, that he -had only two years' schooling when a boy at Paramatta, that he had since educated himself into a commercial man of trade. He did not pretend to be a grammarian but he could speak in a common-sense manner, so that every Britisher could comprehend him. Where he was brought up tutors and teaching power were not so abundant as now-a-days. Just opposite to where he went to school at Paramatta was the female gaol. The punishment for " obstregulous" conduct in those dnys was cutting the hair close, or shaving the head, and he paid more attention to the manner in which these operations were received by the prisoners than attending to his lessons. When the tfed Rover was returning home he went down to her as he was going back with her. Instead of that he jumped into a water tank that was near the jetty, from which he did not stir for two days. He afterwards found a home with Mr Smith, a butcher in Sydney. That place was then about as large as Queenstown. He remained until he became a man. He thus learnt the butchering business, and became a thorough judge of stock. During this time he Lad frequently to make excursions into the couutry. He should never forget one scene that came under his own personal observation, at the head of the Liverpool Plains. The blacks had murdered two white women. This aroused the feelings of the free prisoners and assigned servants, and they massed themselves together. They rounded up the blacks to the number of fifty, and drove them, like wild cattle, into a stockyard, and then killed them and burnt their bodies. It was a horrible scene. The men were acquited on this occasion. Four or five davs after the result of this trial, some of the band again turned out, but only succeeded in capturing one old man, a well-known peaceable black named Jimmy, 80 odd years old. They murdered him, and also burnt his body. This time the law caught a fast hold of them. The lion. J. H. Plunkett, the Attorney-General, prosecuted seventeen men, who were found guilty, sentenced to death, and he saw them " strung up" one morning in Sydney. That put an end to that kind of business. This took place m 1833. After this, Mr Benjamin Boyd arrived in his yacht of 12 tons from England. The crew consisted of three men and himself. lie was reported to have brought half a million of money with him. He issued his own notes and speculated heavily in land, stations and whaling ventures. Boyd Town in Twofold Bay, is named-after him. He (Mr Barry) entered into his employ at that place, and became his exporter of stock, and trading master in one of his vessels. In one of these trips he went to Hobart Town, and discharged a cargo of sheep, when he came in for a peculiar duck hunt. The laws were very severe, and Sydney people were regarded with great jealousy. This was in Sir John Frankliu's time. The chief mate of the vessel was one of the brutal men found about everywhere in those days. He was a powerful man, and had stiuck one of his (the lecturer's) shepherds with a belaying

pin. He interfered and was threatened with the same punishment. A tussel ensued, and they both fell overboard. This 41 bully" could not was got on board again. He complained that he (Mr Barry) had thrown him overboard purposely. Now, he Was then a slight young man, and the other fellow could have eaten him if he liked. A boat's crew was sent for his arrest, but he had seen so much of injustice done, and knew that he was liable to be punished for having turned upon a ship's officer, that he got frightened at the consequences and took to swimming. He was a very good swimmer and it took two boats' crews to catch him, and they only succeeded in that after three-quarters-of-an-hours chase. He was taken on shore before Mr Price, then a Magistrate (but who was afterwards Inspector of Convicts in Victoria, and was killed by them at "Williamstown). Price was a very hard man, and was going to pass a summary sentence upon him when the Governor interfered, and he obtaiucd his release. He did not know what would have become of him if he had been sent into such a pandemonium as the Hobart Town stockades were then. He did not want to go to Hobart Town any more after that. He then went trading amongst the Malayan Islands for Timor ponies. These people were very wild and savage, and knew very little in those lays of the value of articles of trade. They were very warlike, and always fighting amongst themselves. These seas were also full of pirates, and the trade was therefore full of horrors. He succeeded in escaping these, he was glad to say, and was more fortunate than others, for he returned without any loss from tho trip. The Malayaus were very fond of iron-hoops and red calico, and for about lsd of this a good Timor pony could then be obtained. The value of these were £lB to £2O in Sydney. He got a full cargo and made lots of money by the trip. The lecturer here gave an interesting account of his proceedings in those islands. In that trip he had sailed round the " Island" New South Wales. The year IS3B found him at Port Essington. The Sydney Government, in consequence of the complaints of free " emigrants," determined to make a new settlement at Port Essington, at ten degrees north in the tropics. There he first met Sir George Grey, who he afterwards met when he (the speaker) was Mayor of Cromwell. He had charge of cattle. In a dreadful hurricane his vessel w»s driven from its auchorage, and 11. M. brig Pelorus, 10 funs, was blown keel out of water, 1G men rowned, and the vessel sunk. Out of his vessel, the captaiu's wife, Mrs Short, fell overboard from the bumping of the vessel on some rocks. He jumped overboard ; saved the captain's wife, and afterwards the vessel snnk. Provisions got short after this disaster, all hands were put " six upon four rations"—privation prevailing very much amongst the soldier and civilians for want of proper food. Through being a civilian, he was able to leave by a schooner for Sydney, via Swan River. Three days after leaving Port Essington the schooner struck on a sunken rock, and all hands perished but three. These were the captain's wife (Mrs Brown), Winton, a sailor, and the lecturer. They landed on the beach as naked as they came into the world. They found, fortunately, a seal cove, in which they lived for nine days. They had no tire, and only leaves for clothes. They lived upon cockles and shell-fish, and fortunately caught one seal, from the skin of which he (Mr Barry) made a covering for Mrs Brown. They were rescued when they thought it was "all up" with them. They saw some smoke, and thought that it was caused by the aborigines. However, they were prepared to meet death that ■way ; but it proved to be a sealing-boat lookingout for skins. They were thus miraculously rescued, and taken to Swan River. The lecturer then proceeded to Sydney; afterwards made a trip with horses to Calcutta; was there during the cholera in 1840, and, in following the remedy to drink cognac brandy, he found himself in the hospital with the "horrors." Afterwards joined the Proserpine steamer (man-of-war), as butcher. Mr Barry then proceeded to describe the battle of Rangoon j the taking of Canton; the scaling of the walls; the looting of the city, End several hairbreadth escapes. These accounts were rich and racy, and elicited a good deal of applause. He (Mr Barry) made a good deal of money in this war, owing to the plunder taken, and the perquisites he was able to obtain as a butcher. The lecturer then gave an account of a visit home, and the "high life below Stan's" he led for one year, tall his savings were gone, and the " mother " colonies again became his home. In Sydney, upon his return, he joined the late Captain Howell, whom they all knew so well, upon a whaling voyage. Was a chief mate with him for two voyages, which proved very successful ones. Portions of these voyages were spent in the New Zealand and new Hebrides waters. I« the latter islands ho saw cannibalism carried out to its grossest extent. This was described by the lecturer in a way that chilled one's blood He also gave an account <pf the war between Robullock and Bloody Jack at the Bay of Islands, and described the sanguinary and cruel scenes he had witnessed. He, after this, commenced whaling on his own account, and was very successful. Amongst the many vicissitudes and scenes dtscril>ecl was one of a long ride on the fluke of a " forty-barrel bull whale." This portion oi the lecture created much amusement, and was a relief to the bloody scenes and Cruelties that had been just described. Next eame an account of a visit and residence in California, from the years 1849 to 1854. Th< scenes described were so truthfully given a? tfe command attention. The description o1 thf breaking of Adams and Co.'s Bank, and the loss of £BOOO by it, was given in such i spirit as to command applause. To describe the ups and downs of this part of the lec turer's career would require almost a columr to itself Then followed an account of th< vicissitudes attending the career of th< lecturer on the goldiields of Victoria, and hi; subsequent career in Victoria and Otago. The lecturer, despite the comicalness of th< language used, and the outre illustration given, was full of much sound information

which was likewise valuable to the rising generation, a3 well as young colonists, as an example of what untiring industry, sheer pluck, colonial " cheek," and a willingness to put no with good or bad fortune may accomplish. We think that, if Mr Barry again lectures, he will obtain a larger audience, for he teaches a lesson in a homely manner that all may profit by. We must reserve some remarks upon his Otago experience for another occasiou, as he told some plain truths that are worthy of record. Mr M. J. Malaghan moved, in terms of praise, a vote of thanks to the lecturer, which was carried with acclamation. The lecture lasted two hours.