"THE OLD WHALING DAYS."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15788, 12 June 1913, Page 5

"THE OLD WHALING DAYS."

A TALK WITH THE HON. R. M'NAB. To a Wellington Post representative Mr R. M'Nab gave some interesting particulars from his forthcoming work on early Wellington and the old whaling days in Cook Strait. He also stated that he* had three other historical works in progress dealing with tihe early history of other parts of the North Island. "I hope to have the finish of tho South Island history up to the proclamation of the Treaty of Waitangi at Port Underwood on the 10th June, 1840, issued before the end of this month," remarked Mr M'Nab in replv to a question. "The title of the book, as you probably know, will be "The Old Whaling Days." The period actually covered bv tho book is from 23rd January, 1830, to June, 1840. It includes the arrival of the New Zealand Company's expedition, and the foundation of Wellington, or 'Britannia as it was then, called."

In reply to a question as to what local matter "The Old Whaling Days" deals with, Mr M'Nab said:-"There is, of oourso, the whole of the Cook Strait trade, which is really the bulk of the trade dealt with in the volume —the main centres of which arc in Cloudy Bay, Tory Channel, and Kapiti Island. . ■ "The peninsula on which Wellington is built is rather barren of history during the period, and the bay itself has little more than the origin of the Maori expedition which went down and captured the Chatham Islands—until the arrival of the New Zealand Company's officers in 1829. That -is to be expected when you remember that the trade of ten years dealt with was whaling, and the flax industry during the first few years.

"We have "the dawn of agriculture on the firat European farms established at Mana Island, and also the first for the whole of the South Island. The next is Rhode's Settlement at Akaroa, and Jones's in Otago. Probably, Mana Island was selected because of its natural boundary, and because of the safe protection afforded there by the dominant chief, and also 'for the reason that the settlers sold mutton, poultry, rabbits, and vegetables to the shipping in the Straits, and the farm must, of course, be where the market was, in those days." • '

Alluding 'to the old whaling try-pots, which are still noticeable on a point at the south entrance to Porinia Harbour and other places in the vicinity of Cook Strait, Mr M'Nab mentioned that runholders in the goutli in the early days used to buy these try-pots to boil tobacco in for use .as sheep-dip. "In my own place there is one of these pots, which lias long since been superseded by modern methods of dipping. I had it unearthed the other day, and I am presenting it to the Invercargill Museum; ag an exhibit of an extinct industry. - ■

• FUTURE WORK. "In regard to future work I intend to continue on the early history of the North Island, and probably the first volume will take me up to Marsden's arrival at the Bay of Islands in 1814, or periiaps to June. 1830, according as I secure the material. A lot of the material I have ready, chiefly French records, I procured during my last visit to Paris; but the English Tecords, although I know where they arc, were never collected during former trips, as my work then was confined only to the South Island. "This work," added Mr M'Nab, "will be the first of tluee to deal with tho early history of the North Island down to the same date as my works dealing with the South Island." . NEW ZEALAND'S HISTORICAL RECORDS,

In response to a query as to the position of the Historical Records of New Zealand, Mr M'Nab said: —"The second volume is almost ready for publication, but as the great bulk of it- contained my own privately-collected journals and logs of English and French explorers, which I had not yet incorporated into my own historical work, the Government will hold over the publication of the volume until my next work comes out, to enable me to secure the first publication to tho world of the voyages of de Urrille ;ind his visit to Ma'ngonui Harbour, and the details of Marion's expedition in the Bay of Islands. Without that arrangement the material could not have been handed over for publication in the Records.

"I hope to liberate a second volume of the Records within twelve months or two years at the outside. I may say that the sccond volume gives promise of being the finest volume of records published in connection with any of the Australasian colonies."

Are you giving the result'of your investigations into the French operations at Akaroa?

"Not in this volume," replied Mr M'Nab, "but that is coming out. The material obtained was so voluminous as to necessitate a publication of its own, and had, with other material, to stand "over for the future opportunity of publication.

"111 view of my anticipated visit shortly to France, and another search amongst the French records, it will bo just as well in the interests of completeness to hold it over in the < meantime. In regard to the point at issue, however, namely, the proclamation of sovereignty, it is not a matter of doubt. The ceremony of proclaimin" British Sovereignty Over the South Island had not vet taken place at Akaroa, nor had the celebrated international neck-and-neck race between France and Britain."