A VERY OLD SETTLER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9324, 29 March 1889, Page 5

A VERY OLD SETTLER

The late Alexander Chapman, of Hok!anga, a notice of whose decease appeared in our issue of March 16, was one of the few remaining who were contemporary with the earliest settlers in New Zealand. He was born at Dunbar, Scotland, on the 2nd of February, 1805. His father was a lieutenant in the navy, and died in India when Alexander was quite a child. His mother, with her two sons, then removed to London. At the age of eleven years Alexander went with Sir Edward Parry's expedition to the Arctic regions, and retained some lively recollections of the severity of the cold there. After his return he was indentured for seven years to William Yateman, shipbuilder, Deptford. About 182S he arrived in Sydney, N.S.W., and in 1830 came to New Zealand with the late Mr. G. F. Russell to superintend, at Horeke, Hokianga, the construction of the first large ship built in New Zealand, viz., the Sir George Murray, of 400 tons. When completed, Chapman, along with several of the Ngapuhi chiefs, took passage in her to Sydney. Shortly afterwards he returned to Hokianga, and worked at his trade. Being of frugal habits, Chapman saved enough money to enable him to live in easy circumstances in his old age. In ISSS he took his daughter (his only child, now the wife of Mr. George Martin, pilot, Hokianga Heads) to Scotland to be educated, returning himself to New Zealand the same year. Chapman had vivid remembrances of the "early days" of Hokianga, and among his papers is a very interesting account of what he calls " The Battle of Pork." It appears that some natives on the Mangamuka River had looted tho house of a European named Ryan. Mr. G. F. Russell, at the head of 50 Europeans and about 400 natives, armed with muskets arid a small cannon from Te Horeke, started for Mangamuka to punish the offenders. On arriving near the pa of the offending natives, they, frightened at the formidable appearance of the attacking party, lied, leaving behind them their canoes, two muskets, a quantity of potatoes, and 150 pigs. So the whole affair was accomplished without bloodshed, save that of the pig 3 killed to satisfy the whetted appetites of the triumphant warriors. Would that subsequent battles had been no more sanguinary. For the last twenty years Mr. Chapman lived with his daughter at Omaperc, surrounded by his grandchildren. About a fortnight before his death he caught a severe cold, which, with natural causes, hastened his decease. The Rev. T. A. .Joughin was with him jus before he died, and to him Mr. Chapman expressed the happiness he experienced' through faith in Christ. Thus his em' was quietness and assurance •He was interred in the Pakanae Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, March 10. Of the "old hands" in this district only two remain now—R. Hardiman, over 80, and Frank Bowyer, nearly 100 years.