A WHALER'S MEMORIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 16

A WHALER'S MEMORIES.

"EARLY DAYS OF RUSSELL. WILD TIMES ASHORE. BULLY HAYES AND THE RONA. BY LONEHANDEB. Russell, to the newcomer, means anywhere inside Cape Brett on the cast and Cape Wiwiki on the west, but the oldtimers called it the Bay of Islands and the township Russell. The old place has a luro for the fisherman. The present attraction is the swordfish and the rnako shark, and many deep sea anglers arc feeling tlio allurement. The old-time whale-fishers found Russell particularly adapted to their requirements, 'especially regarding the crews, who had "to have liberty occasionally. And, as many of the men would desert their ships if opportunity offered, the whaling skippers hired Maoris to herd the sailors while on shore leave. Naturally, the men resented this interference -with their liberty, and many bloodless battles took place between the two parties. These fights alTorded much fun for the younger people who scouted for both sides, hut it was not all burlesquo. Now and again the Maori would "catch a Tartar." The New Zealand Herald, a while hack, reported the death of a Maori chief reputed to be over 100 years of age. That old man, over 50 years ago, bad three bullets fired into his body by a runaway sailor whom he had rushed, bull tho Maori stuck to hia man. Murder on the Beach. In Russell churchyard is buried a man ,who was stabbed by a shipmate. The .writer stood not 10ft. away and watched vvbat he thought was going to be a bit of a scrap, but tho two fighters died, one nt Russell from a knife wound, tho other at Mount" Eden gaol by order of tho law. The old-time excise officer had an unenviable job and many good stories could be told of how he was often baulkejl by trusting too much to tho majesty of tho lav/. On one occasion a schooner wish a contraband cargo was anchored in tho Rawhiti passage, nearly opposite where Zane Grey had his fishing camp. The customs authorities boarded and seized the vessel, and left one of the beat's crew in chargts. The others came 'on to Russell. The master of the schooner was an American and had formerly been skipper of a whale ship. Ho had with him a half-caste woman, who was voyaging under his protection. The vessel was well found in all essentials for a lengthy voyage, so the captain said to the man in charge, "Look here, if you don't .want a trip to the islands, I will put you ashore." The man was put on shore and came up and reported to his chief. The writer was one of the fi:rst to hear his story, and a number of years later he met the half-caste lady m the islands, and she told him what hap pened siter the customs' representative •was landed, of their trip to the islands, the disposal of the schooner and cargo, the death of the captain some years later, fi S nd ofcher experiences she had during 15 j-e&rs of island life. The Freebooter. And they were many, for during that time Bully Hayes was going strong and the Pacific had many tales of the daring Jreebooter. One was that he had been deprived of his ears. That may have been iruejHbut as he wore his hair long and well below where ears are supposed •to be, the writer has no opinion to offer, but ho recollects the man well, also Mrs. Hayes and their two daughters, and the <jiay3 he spent on the bfig Rona when she lay moored head and stern in the little harbour at Rarotonga, and the supercargo who used to encourage him to visit the brig. This man, judged by his conversation and behaviour, should have been on the quarterdeck of a man ~ of war, or the bridge of some big liner. He seemed out of place in the Rona's deckhouse. The mate, a big, heavilymade man, suited the ship and was a good match for Hayes, with hi 3 hands and at tho bottle. Broken cabin furniture and pieces of mirror-glass thrown over the side often spoko of wild times in the saloon the . night before. . Hayes tried to live up to his reputation and leave without squaring up, but Lb did not succeed. His boat, with himself and two rowers in it, was picked up by the infuriated natives and carried bodily inland 50 yards from the tide, and surrounded by a crowd of angry men clamouring for their money. Hayes, like the good general he was, recognised defeat, and paid up. No blow was struck, and no one was roughly handled. The natives put the boat afloat again and Hayes and his two men rowed off to their ship. The only one of the Rona's crew the writer ever Baw again was the mate some years later on Queen Street Wharf, and the ex-blackbirder disavowed the acquaintance. Amateur Whalers. The Bay of Islands, as far back as its liistorv goes, has never been without virhalemen, either on ships or shore stations, and anything with blubber on it that ventures in there is in bad water. Many years ago a killer came into the bay. Although it was only a small kind of whale, it was plenty big enough for a crew of five, who set out in chase of their first whale. The boathcader was an experienced whaler, and he took advantage of the greenness of his crew to have some fun with them. The collector o.E customs who pulled the midship oar .was a middle-aged man, and he came in for most of the chaff. After having c6neiderable sport the boatheader the whale off, and the chantying of the crew 33 they towed their kill to the beach brought all Russell out to view the capture, and hear the collector's graphic story o! the great fight. The oil boiled from the blubber realised £24, of which the writer had £4, his first greasy money. The buyer was the master of the notorious brig Carl, but not the man under whom she gained her notoriety. Fitting Out For Sea. Before the sperm whale catching ceased it was no uncommon sight to see ten or fifteen whale-ships anchored m the bay at once, all busily refitting for another season's whale-hunting. Perhaps one or two ships, whose four years' voyage was drawing to a close, would be preparing for their homeward journey. If they had space to spare they would take oil from ether ships on freight. All day long boats could be seen towing long rafts of casks filled with fresh water, others loaded with firewood. Those under sail would be for 'the fishing grounds, or pipi banks. Occasionally the skippers would give a picnic and finish off with a dance and a real supper. The majority of these old captains were real Americans, and when they iaade a splash it was like the kick of a whale. The stewards got orders to spread themselves and they spread, till they covered the supper tables with many delicate dishes till then nnknown to the young New Zealander—the clam chowder and curly doughnuts will never be forgotten. With the going down of the sun, boats would leave for the shore with men who had liberty for a few hours in tho evenand with them came the violin and banjo. Many good singers and clever step4»n«trs con ] ( ? ke found on the whale-ships trrmii 0 t an< * these meir helped wouid y fi°A v , cn aiin S s U P- Ten o'clock pier readv 4 1 men assernb lmg on the ml 2?* be taken on board again, a mo' 4?* bo over. Finally,' the ships i lx weeks ln harbour ail^HLii 4ave £or th ® whalejfflfe. , turn over and 4,11 the next-visitation.