ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TO-DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 31 December 1941, Page 4

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TO-DAY

A NELSON CHRONOLOGY 31st December, 1841: Found a schooner at anchor about 2 miles to the northward. Sent out a boat to bring her in. She proved to be the Look-in from Port Nicholson; passengers Air Moore, Air Lloyd and four working men. Received a private letter from Mr Wicksteed who was acting for Colonel Wakefield now at Wanganui, and Wellington Spectators to the 15th inst. The whaleboat left for Rangitoto—supplied Mr McLaren with lewt tobacco, and three gross pipes to pay the natives for going out to intercept i the vessels bound here. Discovered that’Mr Bramwell, a Supernumerary Assistant Surveyor was, at times, in a state of mind bordering on aberration. Air Tuckett, Mr Bell, and Mr Macshane were witnesses to the most incoherent language, and the two former to acts which could only be attributed to that state. He presented me with a printed paper announcing himself as a Commission Alerchant. I therefore found it impossible to go into the case of affray between him and Mr Arnold. I wrote to the Chief Surveyor to caution those under him to desist from exciting him, either by word or j deed, which several of them had been in the habit of doing. It appears from accounts from Port Nicholson and from the Look-in that the weather had been very bad in the Straits during the last fortnight. We also have experienced stronger winds than usual, but I consider that there has not been a day that a vessel drawing 15 feet water could not have come over the flats at high water, and ride out the breeze in the anchorage off the entrance of the harbour or have entered it. The Look-in brought a few thousand feet of plank which will be very acceptable to our builders. —Captain Wakefield’s Diary. Ist January, 1842: People employed as yesterday. Fine and clear. Not much done on the embankment for a bridge over the tideway as it is in the neighbourhood of a haunt of people who have established a grog shop. They came in the Eliza from Port Nicholson. Paid the people and issued some stores, principally shoes and tobacco. The Look-in advertised to sail on Thursday. —Captain Wakefield’s Diary.