OLD IDENTITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9925, 14 September 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD IDENTITIES.

REMINISCENCES AND ADVENTURES

OF MR. CHARLES RING.

THE FIRST DISCOVERER OF GOLD IN NEW ZEALAND. No. I.

| To-day we commence the firsbj>t a series of ' articles containing the Reminiscences and Adventures of Mr. Charles Ring, one of our earliest and mosb respected pioneer colonists. He saw the infant growth of the Australian Commonwealth and of the colony of New Zealand—was a Forty-niner at the discovery of the Californian El Dorado—the comrade there of Harg reaves, who subsequently received £30,000 reward for his discovery of goldfields in Australia —and was twice shipwrecked. On the last occasion he was cast away on a coral atoll, off Fiji, with 150 others, and was one of four volunteers who made the forlorn attempb to reach Queensland in a dingy to obtain help, and who at their last pass, ready to perish from lack of food and water' and exposure for eight days under a tropi•cal sun, were providentially rescued by a chance passing American whaler. But for her casual notice of their waving handkerchiefs and . throwing up their hats, the volunteer relief party in the dingy would nob only have perished, butr the 150 shipwrecked people on the coral atoll must have inevitably died of starvation and thirst. So thrilling were the adventures of the actors in the episode, and the incidents in the shipwreck so remarkable, that Captain Mayne Reid, the famous novelist, embalmed them in his well-known novel, "LostLenore." Mr. Ring's career as a colonist, a gold miner in California, and gold prospector in the Coromandel peninsula, where he discovered the first gold obtained from the soil of New Zealand, is so fruitful of incident and adventure, that the detailed narration would fill several volumes. Though now in his 73rd year he is still active and vigorous in mind and body, and enjoying a well-earned competence in the evening of life in the midst of his family, and living that life over again with the heart of a boy—in his grandchildren. We give below a portrait of Mr. Ring, from a photograph by Mr. F. W. Edwards, the well-known photographer of this city.

Charles Ring was born in 1822, in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, His father, Mr. YVm. Joseph Ring, who was in a large way of business as a London merchant, became ruined through a bank failure, and the loss of three of his ships within six months. In consequence of these disasters Mr. Ring decided to emigrate to the colonies, with a view of making a fresh' start in life. He elected to go to Tasmania, where owing to liberal land laws, and the ample supply of labour from the penal settlements, there was a fair prospect of success. Young Ring received his oarly education at ono of the educational institutions in Hobart. When a lad of 15 he thought it was time for him to " paddle his own canoe," and seeing that there were few openings for the sons of colonists, went away to Adelaide, where he started in business in a small way, opening a general store, and did very well, till he got, unfortunately, burned out. Then he took a trip back to Tasmania to see his people, but his restless, adventurous spirit would not leb him settle down, more especially as there seemed no outlook for young men in Tasmania, and away he went back to Adelaide, to fight the battle of life again.

HE ARRIVES IN NEW ZEALAND IN 1842. In 1841 there was a great talk about New Zealand and the Maoris in South Australia, and in the following year he determined to try his luck in New Zealand, landing at Port Nicholson (Wellington). He came on to Auckland by an English ship which was calling at Auckland, his fellow-passengers being the Hon. Alexander Shepherd, our first/ Colonial Treasurer, and his family. The city of Auckland existed then only in name. A few raupo whares and tents only were to be seen amidst the waste of fern and scrub. COMMENCES LIFE AS A SETTLER.

After Mr. Ring had been here for some time he bought two farms, one near the Pa, Onehunga, known later as Hayr's farm, and the other a block, occupied in after years by the late Mr. Joseph May, Mount Roskill. He bought both pieces of land from the natives. There was no difficulty with the Maoris in these days in land transactions. They wero upright and honest, and had not yet been demoralised by Native Lands Courts, soi dvtant native interpreters, and Pakeha Maoris, or debauched by " Native Lands Court grog," as ib is technically called—" sudden death" ab thirty yards, and little better than a mixture of logwood and tobacco wash ! The land transactions were vary simple in those days. Major Matson wenb oub with Mr. Ring and the chief. The land was pointed oub and the natural boundaries described. Mr. Ring agreed to those. The chief then said thab all was straight and clear, and tiki (correct), the ulu (or payment) agreed upon was handed over, and " the incident was closed." There were no lawyers, " rubbing their hands with invisible soap and imperceptible water," applying for hearings and re-hearings ab ten guineas a-day,. " Sundays included," because on that day "they were thinking about the case !" GOES TO THE BAY. —SEES HHKK COT DOWN THE FLAGSTAFF. Mr. Ring was puzzled how bo stock his land. He could nob get sheep in Auckland, so he went bq the Bay of Islands, chartering a vessel from Captain Stewart, and purchased 500 sheep from Mr. Busby, ab Waitangi. The times were exciting jusb then, and Johnny Heke had gob the settlers and the authorities by the wool, for the colonists lived under the shadow of the tomahawk, and could have been " driven into the sea" if the Maori leader had bub said the word. On arrival ab the Bay Mr. Ring found the settlers in a great state of excitement and alarm, a number of Maori warriors, headed by Hone Heke, having arrived there the previous day, threatening to cub down the flagstaff. On retiring to bed that nighb each of the people staying ab the Hotel were provided with guns, as they feared an attack from the Maoris during the nighb. However, all was quieb until daylighb the following morning, when they were awakened by a noise, and on rushing oub found the natives dancing the war dance in the true old Maori style, after which they marched to the top of the flagstaff hill. Captain Beckham (who was stationed ab the Bay of Islands at the time as magistrate) joined Captain Stewart and Mr. Ring, and they followed the natives up the hill and saw Hone Heke cub the " flagstaff down. The war broke oub the following year. Johnny Heke had gob the idea into his head thab the flagstaff was intimately connected in some mysterious way with the increased price of tobacco, rum, and blankets, and therefore he was as mad as a flannelette shirt-maker under the Wardian tariff, and declared with an ignoranb impatience of taxation thab "the stick musb go!" Accordingly ho marched up the bill thab morning with

his men armed to the teeth, cub down the flagstaff, and departed without molesting a single European, or injuring or looting a penny of their property.

RING " oars HIS STICK." Finding a difficul by in getting cattle to stock his land, there being scarcely any in Auckland, Mr. Ring bought a brig jointly with a man named McGregor, and wenb over to Twofold Bay, New South Wales, and brought in succession two cargoes of cattle over. Finding that he wanted a run for his cattle, he applied to the Government. He was referred to Mr. Ligar, the SurveyorGeneral. Mr. Ligar said he had no land for disposal, and the Government knew he had none. The only land which the Government had was portion of a block, where was afterwards built Henderson's Mill. Ib was Of no use as a run, and he applied to the Government for leave to make arrangements with the natives at Mangere. The Government would nob permib him to do so, so as he had no place to run his cattle he collected all he could of them and drove the mob to Connell and Ridings' cattle sale yards, Queen-street (about where Porter and Co.'s premises now stand), and sold them by auction on three, •six, and nine months' bills, owing to there being no money in the place.

LEAVES FOR THE CALIFORNIAN EL DORADO.

Mr. Ring then made up bis mind thab as New Zealand was nob "God's Own Country" (Tom Bracken's testimony notwithstanding), he would go to the Californian goldfields, which had just then (1849) broken out, try his fortune at the new El Doradw, and join the noble army of " Fortyniners." He took passage in Henderson and Macfarlane's vessel, the brig Fanny, Captain Leathart, the first on the berth for 'Frisco. He was joined by his brother, the late Mr. Fred. Ring, of this city. They took in the Fanny a whaleboab which Mr. Ring had bought from Mr. Scobt, of Epsom, for use on the Californian rivers for prospecting if required.

VISITS THE PITCAIRM ISLANDERS IN THEIR

ISLAND HOME. The Fanny ran short of water on the voyage,.and it was determined to head for an island to get a further supply. On standing in to one they saw some bronzed, olive-complexioned islanders, shoot out of a bight, in a little canoe or shallop, and, boldly plunging into the open ocean, head towards the Fanny. As the canoe shot alongside the vessel, the crew said, in a pure English accent, to the astonishment of the Fanny's people, "Give us a rope !" The Fanny's crew and passengers then found to their astonishment the newcomers were the Pitcairn islanders. The islanders came on board, and these English - Otaheitian descendants of the mutineers of H.M.s. Bounty chatted in English with as much ease and fluency as those on board the Fanny, to the great surprise of the latter. It was only a few years previously that this simple, interesting community had bean discovered in their island home by an English man-of-war casually making the island. CHARLES HAS " A GOOD TIME " WITH THE

PITCAIRNERS. The islanders were anxious for the passengers to land, and particularly the ladies, as the Pitcairners had never seen a white woman in their lives. The ladies cheerfully accepted the invitation, and all went ashore, and most of the male passengers, their advent being heralded by the crew of tho canoe paddling ashore to tell their island friends that the European women were coming to see them. When the Fanny's people landed they were astonished to find the women dressed in mats, garlanded, and all carrying wreaths of flowers and baskets of fruit, which they presented to their guests as soon as they came. In presenting wreaths of flowers to the European ladies the Pitcairn women prefaced the presentation with the request that they would take down their back hair and do it up Pitcairn fashion, with the garlands entwined in their hair. The ladies willingly consented, and also stayed ashore for the night, r» the ship was detained to replenish her water casks, and so share in a social dance which the islanders gave in their honour, and also of the Fanny's peoplo. The festivities and dance proved a mosb successful affair, and in the morning all the passengers went aboard to go on their voyage, delighted with their visit to the simple, innocentminded Pitcairners—in that veritable Eden of the South Pacific. On returning on board the Fanny they found that the generous, hospitable islanders had festooned her rigging with bunches of bananas and other fruit, as gifts from their gardens and orchards. The Fanny's passengers reciprocated these tokens of good will by presenting the islanders with such requisites as they were short of, and the Fanny stood away for 'Frisco, amid mutual adieus and regrets. The islanders were anxious for the Fanny's people to make a short stay ab the island, and the latter were equally as desirous to do so if time and circumstances would have permitted. The Pitcairners proposed, and Captain Leatharb disposed, which is a new version of an old adage, and the Fanny sailed away.

EN ROUTE FOR 'FRISCO. During their stay at the island the passengers saw the scenes of the tragedies between the Otahejtian men and the last surviving mutineers of the Bounty. Old Adams, the last of the mutineers, had died some time previously, but his grave was pointed oub to them, as also the look-out eyrie on a jutting headland, where for many months the mutineers had kept watch and Bfuard, scanning the horizon seaward being apprehensive of the advent of an English man-of-war, to avenge the mutiny of the bounty, and the seizure of Captain Bligh. ARRIVAL AT THE NEW ELDORADO.

The Fanny arrived at 'Frisco three months out from Auckland, on a Sunday. As soon as the vessel had caab anchor the crew *:Bized the ship's boat, pulled ashore, and cleared out. Inhere were fifty vessels similarly fired at anchor in the bay. Capb. Leathart appealed to the captain of an American warship in port, bub he simply shrugged his shoulders, laughed, and said all the arews did the same. All he would do was to give Capt. Leathart and officers a passage ashore to bring back the boat, and this was done. Although ib was Sunday there was no Day of Rest in that motley bownship. All through the Sabbath the oarpenters were hard ab work, and everyone rjho could drive a nail was erecting houses to accommodate the thousands pouring in from all quarters of the globe, and sheds in which to store the goods being landed. Brick warehouses, wooden shanties, sheetiron huts, and shaking tents were blended in admirable confusion. There were hundreds at work in the streets who were daintily reared, and who were doing in 'Frisco what they dodged ab home. Here were gathered soldiers and sailors, poets and politicians, merchants and mendicants, doctors and draymen, clerks and cobblers, trappers and tinkers. Thousands of men hitherto unknown to each other, and without mutual relationship, were thrown suddenly together, unrestrained by conventional or domestic obligations, and all more' intently bent than men usually are, upon the one immediate object of acquiring wealthsome £250,000,000 worth of gold being poured into- the laps of the Californians in eight years.

SOMETHING LIKE A MINING BOOM. Here is a description by an eye-witness of the wild speculation—the mining boom which was on—which would throw our local Exchange and the Chamber of Mines into spasms : —

I hare seen merchants purchase cargoes without having even glanced into the invoice. "I've a water lot which I will sell," cries one. " Which way does it stretch," inquire half-a-dozen. " Right under that craft there," is the reply. "And what do you ask for it!" "Fifteen thousand dollars." "I'll take . it." "Then down with your dust." So the water lot, which mortal eyes never yet beheld, changed its owners. "I have two shares in a gold mine," says another. " Where are they," inquire the crowd. " Under the south branch of the Yuba River, which we have almost turned," is the reply. " And what will you take?" " Fifteen thousand dollars." "I'll give ten." "Take them, stranger." So the two shares of a possibility of gold under a branch of the Yuba, where the water rolls rapid and deep, are sold for ten thousand dollars paid down! Is there anything in the Arabian Nights that surpasses this?

Yet with all these drawbacks, with all the gambling tables, grog-shops, and shanties—in which dogs and fleas, with varying success, struggled for the mastery— San Francisco was swelling into a town of commercial importance, as commanding the trade of the great valleys through which the Sacramento and San Joaquin with their tributaries rolled, and also gathering to her bosom the products and manufactures of the United States, of England, and the islands of the Pacific.