A NEW ZEALAND CENTENARIAN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5511, 13 February 1905, Page 7

A NEW ZEALAND CENTENARIAN

Thirty miles from Eketahuna, beyond; the Puketci ranee, lives a man who, ; from Ids patriarchal ago and honour-j able connection with the infant history; of New Zealand, deserves to be known to a generation that is already remote: from the pioneers. .Air Homy Burling' is in Ids one hundred and fourth year. Grey-haired men—pioneers with him in 18-12—call him ‘ father.’' | Tho name of Air Burling is a house- 1 bold word throughout the Forty mile Bush district. Last week a represonta- 1 tivo of lh» “New Zealand Times" paid him a visit at Ins borne at V. atcrfalls, when ho found tho old gentleman not : only well and hearty, but taking a lively iutciesb in the affairs of Hie world. It is difficult on looking at tho white-haired kindly figure, to realise that one so cheerful and well preserved can have lived for more than a hundred ; years. But a few moments’ convorsa- j lion is assuring. ] Wo were discussing, as lie loves to do. tho events of to-day. Mention of Die conflicts of (soldiers and people in Russia, immediately recalled to the old man that affair at the funeral of Queen Caroline, when the Guards and the

people were at loggerheads. He was at the funeral. A young man then—lie was born in Essex in 1801—h© followed tho procession throughout, and he. se- 1 cured one of tho tassels that were knocked off tho hears® in tho melee. Tlio return of the soldiers from Waterloo, tho coronation of George IV., and Lord John Russell’s speech on the Reform Bill in Hyde Park, are all in tlio remarkably retentive memory of tho centenarian. FOR A NEW LAND. It was on May Ist, 1842, that the ship London arrived in Port Nicholson. The chief settlements then were at Peton© and Hutt, but the London’s company came up to where Wellington city now is, and landed abreast of “Macbeth’s corner.’’ The Government bad erected a large wharc on Thorndon flat for tlio accommodation of immigrants, and here Mr Burling and family took up their residence for tho time being. For some time ho was engaged gardening for a lady who cnino out in tlio London, and then ho went “ back.’’ His connection nitli tlio Maori race, a happy memory in every respect, commenced at an early date under favourable auspices. There was a chief called Otero Hepapa living in tho then wild country west of Wndestown. Tho Otoro Pa. was at tho foot of tho Wadcstcwn hill, where tho two creeks from 'Wilton’s Bush join to form tho Kaiwarra stream. With his wife and a number of Maoris, the chief was driving pigs down over tho hill to Wellington to sell to the immigrants, when Hcpapa’s wife took ill. Mr Burling was living in Wndestown then, and ho and his wife took in the Maori woman, and nursed her for a few days until sho recovered. GOING OUT BACK. Hepapa then persuaded Mr Burling to go out to Otore, offering him some land. ’Tho offer was accepted, and the Burling family removed to Otore, which, although only about three miles in a direct line from' Wellington, was then quite beyond tho white sphere. Tho settlers had a few' cow's, and used to supply tho Maoris with milk, and the acquaintance gradually ripened into an intimacy that was afterwards of great value to tho colony. Tlio honso that Mr Burling built then, an oldstyle wattlo-and-danh, exists in fragment to-day. It is on a riso at tho back of Wilton’s bush, and has tho remains of an old orchard about it. “Some of tho walls aro still standing,” interjected Mr Arthur Burling. “ A few years ago, when I was in Wellington, I wont out to look at tho place, and saw also one or two of tho old ngaio trees.” Some timo later Air Burling, when ho had taken a run, sold his honso at Otero to the man wdio owned the watermill at Porirua. "Many a timo,” said Mr Burling, Colonel Wakefield and Captain Daniels had tea out at tho old place at Otero. Captain Daniels got some good thoroughbred stock from England.” It was not long before Mr Burling was engaged by Mr Fitzgerald, tho engineer of tho company, in cutting various boundary lines. Tho first was that to Oliarin, dividing tho land purchased by tho company from tho Maori properly. MAORI TROUBLES. When tho Maori troubles camo, following on tho sale of land to the company by Wharcpori and Puni, all tho men in tho settlement wore sworn in. Air Burling was on good terms with the Alaoris, who warned him of tho danger, i and advised him to come closer into! Wellington. Up to (bat time Maoris

MR HENRY BURLING.

A REMARKABLE LIFE.

THE PERILS OF THE PIONEERS

(By Our Special Reporter.)

: had carried the Government mail I through to Porirua, Waikanao, Otaki, ,; and the settlements on the West Coast. | Now it bccamo necessary to get someone oho to do the work, and Mr Burling was chosen. | Tim old man spoke strongly of the dealings between Die Government and tho natives. In nine cases out of ten, ho -said, the Maoris were perfectly right > in what they did, I “Old Rangi," ho said, referring to Rangiliaeata, “told an interpreter called Brookes That if lie came to him again bo would cut his tongue out, for it was a wicked tongue. You come to me,’ ho said, Tuul tell me a lot of lies that the Government lias not told you, and then you go to the Government and tell them a lot I have not told you.' Tho Alaoris persuaded him to go to Nelson with them at the time of the Wairau massacre, and sure enough they cut his tongue out." A DANGEROUS MISSION. I “Rangi was a fine man," continued ] Air Burling, “ho fed me scores of times. After tho Wairau massacre letters were sent round by the Government, one for Rnlmlla (i.c. To Rauparaha, the great chief whoso base was at Kapiti Island), : one for Rangiliaeata, and one for Air' Hadficld. I had come homo just the night before the mail was to be sent.

When I went down to the station Burgess. who was then chief constable, said, ‘Henry, where have you been all day?’ . “I said, 'lt was very late when I got home last night. Surely you don’t want mo to h© travelling day and night.’ “Ho said there was an'armed party of twelve getting ready to carry the letters, and I would have been one. They had just gone down to the Government office to get guns. “To got killed!’ I said. ‘Do yon mean to say they aro going there armed?’ Ho said, 'Yes.’ “I said, ‘lf they go armed, they will get killed. Tho only man I knew who took a piece there was shot with it. and had all his gear taken away. If I had to go' I would go single-handed. He went and told the Governor, who asked If I thought it would be safe. . “I said. ‘A good deal safer than if a lot go. Tho Alaoris know that I have nothing with mo; therefore, what can I do? They would tap mo on tho shoulder, and say I had some grit in me. Only if anything happens to m© you will have to look after my family.” CATCHING RENEGADES. “They said that would be done, and so I wont. I bad been on Alana and Kapiti before, at tho time when the prisoners from Melbourne broke out of gaol. Old Rangihaeata caught the chief one and sent him to Alana. The others went to Rangitikoi. AVe had got as far as tho Manawatu river, and camped there at night. In the morning Burgess camo up, and took mo back with him. Wo took a boat, and went across to Mana Island to take the prisoner. Tho Maoris had been promised £5 a' head for them, and old Rangihaeata would not let us have him until ho got the money.” Continuing his story about the delivery of tho letters. Air Burling said lie took the old Porirua road. At Parcmata one Bill Jackson kept a Government boat to put travellers across the bay, thereby saving them tho long journey right round by Pahautanui. When Otero Honare, as Air Burling was calleel, arrived at Paremata, h© saw a big crowd of natives and a largo tent in tlio distance, and be did not know what to make of it. RANGIHAEATA. If be had believed Rangihaeata was there ho would have gone straight up,, bnt ns it was ho went round behind a swamp and got down on tlio beach. Just as ho stepped on the road he was confronted by three Alaoris with muskets ono of whom lie recognised as having been a frequent visitor at his place at Otore. “Halloa, Tommy,” said Air Burling, “what are yon doing hero?” Tho Maori uttered n. fierce grunt. “Rangi wants you,” ho snarled, taking away something that Hcnarc had in bis hand. “Where is Rangi?” asked Air Burling. “Down there m tlio bell-tent.” “Well, anyway,” said Air Burling, “I am going to have a smoke,” and ho took out of his pocket tho pipe and tobacco which ho always carried. They were at onco snatched out of his hand, and ho had to follow the Alaoi-is down to tho camp. Rangihaeata, was standing at tho mouth of tho bell-tent. “Ho was nearly seven feet high,” said. Air Burling, rising to his own full height; “a great, big man, with his hair always plaited up, and cut off short at tho top. He was a fine fellow.” “So," ho laughed, “you thought I didn’t.see you.” “Look hero, Rangi,” replied Air Burling, “if I had known you wore here I would not have gone round.” “I know you wouldn’t,” said Rangi.

‘‘Now, where aro all your picaninni 'bus’ (pistols)?' 1 Of course, Hemiro had no no. xlo told Rangi tliat the Maoris had taken away his pipe, and they were, at once ordered to give it hack. This occurred closo to the spot where To Rauparaba mis captured sliortly afterwards. DELI VERIXG THE LETTERS.

Rangihaoata would not take his letter, but told Mr Burling to take them on and give them to Rauparaba. When ho arrived at Mr Hadlicld’s place, that gentleman—(of whoso death recently tho centenarian was very grieved to hear) —asked him to stop for tho night, and advised him to take a couple of Maoris with him, in tho morning, as the country was not very safe to travel. “Oh!” replied Henarc. "They all know me. I have never harmed -And so he wont on his way to Kapiti. RAXGIHAEATA’S BASKET.

Once, after Air Burling had had a meal with Rangihaoata, on Mana Island, tho chief gave him a basket full of fish and. knmaras, saying, "That will look after you on tho road.” Henaro was ignorant at tho time who made the basket, hut ho found out in a peculiar way. When lie got to Ohau, lie found a great crowd of Maoris on the beach floating their boats in the surf. As soon as they saw him, they called him, and took all his tobacco and pipes, which they chared amongst themselves.

.r milling made a practice of carrying Ids trousers along tho seventy-mile beach, and on this occasion ho liad iwistcd them up round Rangi’s basket. When they liad taken tho tobacco and pipes, the Maoris called to. a woman, who was on tho beach. She. cam© over, looked at tho stranger in an unfriendly way, and proceeded to take her share of tho plunder. By-aud-byo she saw the, trousers, and, giving thorn a vicious kick, caught sight of the basket. Sho was terribly affected, and burst out crying. It was Rangihacata’s mother, and tho basket was one she had made for her son. Tho woman at once became most gentle, and kind to tho pakelia, who then explained how he liad got the basket. “Ab I” sho said; “that will look after yon.” THE MAX-EATERS. One day Henaro was on his way to Waikanao. At a place called Wainui, opposite Kapiti, and at the foot of a hill called Bnkoroa (probably Pukerna), tho chief Tommy asked him where ho was going, and urged him to stay all night, as some old Maori man-eaters were expected to arrive. He agreed to stay, but was warned not to let anyone know lie spoke Maori, as tho cannibals would not speak at all. Just before dark tho Maoris arrived, and went into tho long underground wharo. They all went to bed and to sleep. Soon afterwards ono got up' to attend to tho fire; then another to have a smoke, and the chatter began. At last they were all talking quite freely about the white men—whom they had killed and whom sent presents to. Next morning, at Tommy’s instigation, Air Burling snoko in Alaori in praiso of tho kaika the chief had given him. Tlier© was trouble immediately, and Tommy only got out of the hole by explaining that Henaro could not really speak Alaori. Ho was merely imitating what the’ man-eaters themselves had said about the food. THE HUTT TROUBLES.

Speaking of the Maori troubles, tlie centenarian emphatically contended that tlio Europeans were generally to blame.. Bishop Hadfiokl always held the same- ‘‘They loved him,” said the pioneer, “and veil they ought.” The Wairarapa natives never gave any trouble, but many of them crossed the ranges and joined their countrymen on the West Coast.

Touching on the Hutt difficulties, Mr Burling said: “I remember a. man and his son being killed at the Hntt. It was their own fault. The land was E.angl's, and lie never sold it. The Maoris told them that, if they planted anything there, and went to dig they would be shot. They wont and felled a nice patch of land,_ and planted potatoes. They were handy for Wellington, and could load them into* cancos and take them down the river, and right into Wellington. As a matter of fact, it seems the section had boon sold by the company to somebody in England.

“Whan the man went to dig the potatoes, a Maori crossed over and said, ‘Don’t you go there any more. If you do you are sure to be killed.’ ‘‘The soldiers were camped quit© close. Tho same week the man and his sons were going again, but one of tho hoys went away to get a few bottles of grog for a soldier. The others—tho father and son—never came back. They were found dead—both tomahawked.” ‘T was never treated better in my life than with the natives,” continued Mr Burling. “When we came hero first, you could chuck an old boot out- 1 side, and I guarantee tho Maoris would como and ask it it was any good to you baforo they took it. When tho ‘new’ fellows came over from Sydney and Melbourne was tho time you wanted locks and keys, and police too.” CROSSING THE RIMUTAKA.

Mr Burling’s engagement under the surveyor Mr Fitzgerald extended over several years. The most importantwork ho was engaged on was cutting the track across tbo Rimutakas into Wairarapa, or “Wyderap,” as the centenarian still calls it in the old-time nomenclature. He claims to- have been the first white man for many years to have entered tho Wairarapa. He was in charge of the roadmen, who numbered between sixty and seventy. They wore all good hard workers, chiefly whalers, and ho never required to have a timekeeper or overseer. They worked along until they got over tho top of the range. “When I got over the hill,”- said Mr Burling, “ I came across some thirty Maoris, who came over and asked to fall tho bush. When I saw tho plains I was anxious to get to them. I saw Wi King and Mauihera, tho two chiefs, whoso families now live at- Papawai.” AN ENGINEERING BLUNDER. Tho cutting of tho road over tho Rimutakas was not accomplished without difficulty. Heavy fogs hung about, and tho workmen could not soo where they were going. Tho party had crossed the summit-, nnd had been working, according to Mr Binding's recollection, about six weeks on the eastern slopes, when one day Mr Burling, accompanied by a young man named Sandy McLachlan, took a run round to make observations. At last the fog lifted, they got a good view, and Mr Burling recognised the 'Pokuratahi. Ho realised at once that they had made a mistake, and were working on the wrong spur. “ ‘Good God!’ I exclaimed, ‘That is the Seven Sisters. We had laid out thousands and thousands of pounds on the wrong spur. All the men would

have to bo knocked off, as it was only throwing money away. So I wrote a note to Fitzgerald, saying I had found another spur we could have got over, and asking for orders. I got a Alaori to take it down.

“Fitzgerald sent back directly by the Alaori to tell me to take the men and open up tho Alaori track as well as I could, so that people could go to and fro, and he would bo up in a day or two himself. Another engineer came up with him. He said ‘What have you found out now, Burling? A rook's nest ?’

“I said, ‘Yes, it is a rook's nest. There’s a summit down below that will .surprise you, as it did me.’ “ ‘Well, I can’t sc© anything of it yot.’ said tho engineer. “ ‘Xo,’ said I, ‘and I could not until I camo right on it. I sat down to have a smoke, and the fog cleared right off, and there were the trees we used to call tile Seven Sisters.’ INTO THE WAIRARAPA.

“AA r e kept going on for a few days, while Fitzgerald went down and got hold of tho Governor, Sir George Grey. By-and-byo tho surveyors came up and laid out tho lino for tho present dray road over the Rinnitakas. I took the contract for cutting the whole track. I was overseer and everything. Sir Gcorgo Grey told Fitzgerald it was impossible for ono man to look after the whole thing. ‘Xo,’ said Fitzgerald, ■he’s got good men, who don’t mind doing a little extra work.’ “Two of the men,” observed Air Burling,” were the Bcotliams. They were lino young men, and well deservo all ilicy have got.” Tho track was continued right down to Fcatherston. FIRST WAIRARAPA STATIONS.

From AVi King Air Burling took a run where Fcatherston now is. It was called Patuinokai (a name signifying a wounded decoy . bird), and stretched from Fcatherston to Tauhorenikau and down towards the lake, including tho land where Fcatherston now stands. No sooner had Air Burling taken it up than the superintendent (? company’s agent) interfered. Sir Georg© was then in Melbourne on his way to take up the Governorship of the colony. “Tho superintendent,” says Air Burling, “sent up to mo to say that if I took runs from the natives lie would sue mo. I went up to him, and asked whether I could not go into tho AVairarapa. Ho said, ‘Xo; if you go- there I will fin© you £SO per month, and you must leave Otere.’ I said, ‘All right, you aro goiru; to shut mo out of ono door and won’t let mo go in tho other. What am I to do with my family? “Ho said, ‘There is plenty of work.’ However,” said tho old man, with a toss of his head, “I took no heed of him, hut went in. I .had dozens of loiters from him. At first I used to burn them, hut afterwards I went down to Alajor Richmond, Governor of the place, and told him about the affair. IT© said: 'Oil, laugh at Him. Don’t take any notice of him., I have the reins yot.’ So we went in.” STOCKING THE RUN.

“We wore very anxious to go to Wydorap. My boys were very much taken up with it. They bad never seen so much flat country before. Wo went round with th© cattle, about seventy bead, by the coast, past the Miikamuka rocks. When wo got to' tbo lake it was full and rippling over tbo top of the spit. I said I would chance it. We lias some good dogs, and wo ‘ripped’ tbo, cattle over the spit. Wo bad just got over toi the other side when there was the most terrible noise I over hoard in my life. I was tbo water of the lake bursting through. Tile Maoris said it was caused by tire cattle shaking the gravel.” Mr Burling, being now deposited with bis stock on the east side of tbo lake, where tbo Lake Ferry Hotel now is, bad to go northward, past Gillies’s and MoBlaster’s until bo got to Bidwill’s, whore bo bad to commence cutting a track through what is now called Morrison’s Bush. Wi King sent a couple of Maoris to point out the best route, and so the track was cut through to Feathorston. Mi; Bidwill, then a single man, was already in the Wairarapa. “Tlio superintendent was very glad to get a drink,’’ chuckled Mr Burling, “when ho came over the hill, about six months before Sir George Grey.” “I well recollect him coming up there,” said Mr Arthur Burling. “He was a very tall man, over six feet. I can see him now.”

When tho Burling family removed with their property to- Wairarapa they had a. good journey over the Rimutaka. At Mungaroa there was a Government storehouse, to which goods wore drawn up on wheels. Thence onward, everything had to ho packed over the hills by the settlors themselves. There wore then no horses for packing. The first “horse” that Mr Burling obtained—and ft was one of the first in tho Wairarapa—was a mule ho bought from the engineer, Mr Fitzgerald. ROADING AND PACKING.

Tho track cut by Mr Burling through Morrison’s Bush is now .followed by the road. As soon, as wheels could work tho road, Mr Burling had two drays going from Bidwili’s. He used to pack goods right round the coast from Wellington, across the head of the lake, and through the valley. The route taken from Fcathorston W-as across the head of the lake to Bidwill’s. When Mr Burling’s transport service was properly under way, he had horses, mules, and bullocks at work. A donkey that ho got from Sydney was a source of great amusement to the Maoris, who called it “rabbit nui,” or big rabbit, on account of its long cars. THE LAKE SERVICE.

The old transport service between Wellington nnd Wairarapa is a matter very familiar to the centenarian. The boat station was at Te Kopi, in Russell’s place, not far from the jjresont Lake Ferry. Captain Bob Russell used in tho earliest days to take all the Wairarapa wool round to Port Nicholson in a big schooner. Three and four-ton boats used to enter the lake, and go right up to the Wlmrckaukau. But tho big earthquake changed the whole aspect of tho country, and raised tho Ruamahunga until there was hardly any water in it. Then Mr Burling carted most of the wool down to tho beach, taking back the stores that tho boats used to carry up the lake. In the olden days the shores of Palliser Bay, now small shingle, were covered with big boulders some feet in diameter, and heavy spars had to bo used to ease the drays over them. Tlio carriers drove four drays at a time, and had many an exciting tussle in journeying along the beach to the boat station. The leaders had often to go right into tlie surf, and the drivers wore frequently wot through. Sometimes in a southeast wind—and they had frequent long spells of it—if- was impossible to get round at all. Then the wool and stores wore stacked on the beach above high water, and covered with tarpaulins, and

the party, including tho Maori hoys, who made the whip crackers, etc., camped out. At a later date, Mr -Burling cut a track from Ma-stcrton to Moron. LATER MIGRATIONS.

About 18G0 Mr Burling left Pa-tu-mokai, and took up a place farther down, by the side of the lake. Tho ruins of the house can be seen to-day on Mr Matthews’s property at Waiorongoniai, a milo or two north of the homestead. About- 1880, Mr Arthur Burling took tho property at Peep-o-Day. near tho Tawataia toll-gate. This he afterwards sold out, and took up his present rim high up on a terrace at Waterfalls, where his centenarian father has since lived with him. •

THE SECRET OF LONGEVITY. Mr Burling cannot ascribe bis longevity and general health to anything in particular. Other members of his family lived to advanced- ages, and he himself has always been' active, living in the open air. “I have always been doing or undoing,” he expressed himself. And tho figure is that of an active man. So far from being infirm, Mr Burling is still remarkably active. Until a few years ago, he picked up fleeces in the woolshed. Now ho does work about the house, always keeping himself employed. In the early days, ho was not a teetotaller, though for somo decades past he has been. He has all his life been a regular smoker. It is now about five years since the old pioneer was in Eket-ahuna, hut he is known and spoken of throughout tho Bush district as a remarkable character. "What boats mo is my eyes,” ho-ex-plained. “I cannot measure my distances and get about on roods I do not know.” And even this slight infirmity is largely duo to an accident in the early days. Mr Burling ivas unloading a huge log from his waggon, near Fcathorston, when a chain swung round with great force, striking him across tho eyes and inflicting severe injuries. For somo time it was feared his sight was gone. FIVE GENERATIONS.

There arc five generations of the Burling family living to-day. Of the original family of eight sons and five daughters, three sons and one daughter are still alive, the sons holding land in the Bush district, Mr. Arthur Burling, with whom his father is living, is the second youngest son. Ho is sixty-five years old, and was the hahy when the London deposited this -remarkable family on the foreshore at Wellington. * \ few years ago there was a gathering of a hundred members of tho Burling family, which was then estimated to Include three hundred and forty souls.