LETTERS FROM OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26959, 20 December 1948, Page 4

LETTERS FROM OTAGO

TAIERI “ SQUATTERS ”

This is a further contribution to the series of letters sent to the Homeland 100 years ago by the Free Church settlers. This letter was written by Howard and Heber Lakeman to their mother. Dear mother, —We arrived here safe and sound. Sunday, December 3, 1848, and anchored 8.30 p.m., well pleased to have got over the first difficulty, the sea voyage, so easily. We did not go ashore till Tuesday morning, as Port Chalmers is 10 miles distant from Dunedin, which, you will recollect, is at the head of the harbour. The people at Dunedin seem to be of a good sort —hospitable and friendly, and anxious tc# improve their colony. We have chosen our town and suburban sections, and are very well pleased with them. Our' town quarter of an acre is a level piece of ground, well suited for building, with two frontages—one abutting on Princes street, the main street; and the other on a street leading to the North-East Valley (one outside the town, which bids fair to be soon cultivated, and the support of it). Our suburban lot is chosen in this North-East Valley, which runs from Dunedin to Port Chalmers; having thereby an increased importance, as the “ route ” from the port to the town. A road is already being formed through the valley to join them. Yesterday we started for our section (the suburban being what we intend cultivating first), with our axes and hoes on our shoulders, and provisions for the day in a bag. We set to work and cleared a space which we selected for our hut, set fire to the

fern and flax, and cut and dragged out of the bush some 20 poles for the framework. In doing’ this, however, Howard, who was felling and lopping the trees for that purpose, over-worked himself, and is so fatigued that today he ' has kept in bed to recruit himself, which is the reason I write to you, solely. The .North-East Valley is a most beautiful spot, bounded by hills on one side, clothed with trees, and on the other, stretching away in pasture for flocks, with a streamlet styled “ the Water of Leith” (the name of one in Scotland) meandering through. The sections are being rapidly taken up, and we trust, ere long, that it will be a beautiful instance of the value that cultivation can confer upon land. We are living at present in the “barracks” till we can get one house up. There are four of these of various sizes, three of wood and one of grass (wari). They are comfortable wooden houses, with a fireplace m each, and fitted up from the woodwork of various ships that have come out with emigrants, and are very acceptable to the “ houseless wanderer.” . \ We made an excursion of two days into the interior to view the rural land (Howard had made one previously of three days, with knapsack and blanket, kettle and gun), in company with the surgeon and one of the cuddy passengers. Mr . After travelling 21 miles (30 by the track), "they came to a native, reserve on the Taieri (Ty-ee-ree) River, where there are, but two white men squatting, by permission. on the native land. They have Maori wives and live an easy, indo- v lent life on wild ducks and. eels and wild pigs (which abound here), with a few potatoes and some wheat, but no cattle (they are too much trouble, they said), so they have no butter, cheese or milk, which they might have. Five miles further is the Waihola Lake, a beautiful piece of water, where an extensive proprietor has chosen nine sections.

The chief of the tribe here, who owns an immense tract of land, is, Howard says, the beau ideal of savage chieftainship—generous and hospitable. and very anxious to have white men among the Maoris. The Taieri is a beautiful river, something like the Lee at its broadest part, and navigable for boats for miles. Very few of the rural sections are yet chosen as people are waiting to see where the roads will be made and how the land will look in winter, besides which the 10 acres near the town is quite enough to occupy one for the present. The labourers working on the roads here get 3s per day (meat is 6d per lb, butter 2s, sugar 5d and 6d, tea 2s 6d per lb, shoes and clothing dear) Labourers’ wages are not higih at present as the number is regulated by the quantity of land bought. The weather here is very pleasant as yet. though they tell us it had been more variable lately than usual.