DR HOCKEFS SECOND J&ECTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 10

DR HOCKEFS SECOND J&ECTURE.

(Continued.) Mr Barnicoat in his private journal gives an interesting account of his sojourn at the Molyneux Bay whilst awaiting his chief. At this time there weretwo Europeans residing there — Messrs Wilt* shire and Russell— the name of the former being yet embalmed in Wiltshire Bay. During the great landsharkhig period, just about or prioc to tb-Q time when the British Government took formal poysassion of New Zealand, Mr John Jones, of ftydney, effected a purchase, Bucfe as it was, from the Natives in this district ef a block of land of 20 miles square, and seat down Wiltshire as his agent in 1842. At cne time there had been a whaling station h£re,belongingtothelate Edward JPalmer, and quite a large Native population of over 2000. These, however, had dwindled down to a very few in number, wretched, illfed and illclothed. A terrible mortality occurred amoDgst them from an epidemic of measles, which was brought by a native in one of the whaling vessels from Sydney in 1835. Measly Beach, near the mouth of the Tokomairicotiver, derives its savoury name from this incident. The afflicted natives, of course ignorant as to Ahe nature of their disease, sought to relieve •ihe fever accompanying it by exposure to the cold air, or by sitting up to the neck in water. No wonder, then, that of three large war canoes on that river there was but crew enough left to man one. Such is the statement of Mr Palmer. In the earlier part of this lecture I referred, to the legend connected with that lofty overhanging rock which projects into the taieri river, and is known to all Who pass it as -'the Maori Leap. The statement is that a Maori warrior, hard pressed by his enemies, plunged from it into the deep waters beneath, and so escaped his sure fate by swimming across the broad current to the other side. But this is incorrect, and it is worth while rescuing from •oblivion the real, though sorrowful legend, and '/investing therewith the lovety Taieri with its -rightful claim to classie&lity. The song was a great favourite with tile natives all up and down fine coast, and Mr Barnicoat heard them chaunt it in their monotonous dirge-like way, whilst sitting round the fires by the mouth of the great Matau, whose waters in their unvarying cadence formed a most fitting accompaniment, As with her fair sister, so with this Maori maiden— the course of true love never did run smooth. In secret she had given her heart to a youug man of. her own choice, whilst her parents urged her to marry one whom she abhorred. In vain did she plead with them ; her prayers and tears were - of no avail, and Fate was inexorable. Death's friendly hand pointed out her only avenue of escape, and that she elected to follow, by springing from this lofty rook into tne dark waters below, and so ending her miserable life. To her sistec she communicated hor secret, and sought her assistance, The two started together on their mournful jcurney, the sister alone returning. When asked what had become of the missing one, she replied by plaintively singing a few lines composed by her sister a few days before, and which in simple words recited the sad story. Again pressed, she again answered ia the same way-. Search was then made, and lovers sacrifice discovered. The rest of Mr Tuckett's jourooy south •was performed chiefly overland, partly by whaleboat, and when necessity arose by tue Deborah, which followed him down the ce&st like a trusty dog at its master's heels. With the adjacent country he was highly pleased, though there were no indications that his first choice would be superseded Owing to the bad weather the Deborah sailed from off the Mataura to Ruapuke Island. Here Mr Wohlers decided to fix his abode and commence his missionary labours. He had learnt that in no part of southern New Zealand was there so large a Native population within so small a compass as here. The delight of the Natives was intense on heading that Mr Wohlers had come to reside : amorigßt them, probably for the remainder of his lifetime. They dragged the whaleboat up on the beach, orowded round him, everyone vociferously talking, shaking hands, and nose rubbing. ' His baggage, himself, aud the whole party were marched off by the crowd to the residence of the priucipal chief, to whom Mr Wohlers presented his letter of introduction from some ( brother missionary. This was read aloud to the clustering crowd amidst great rejoicing* ta the afternoon the rest of the party returned to the Deborah, now bound for. the Bhifr and the New river, leaving bohiud them their fellow-voyager in the midst of his already firm though newfound friends, flo died last year, after 42 years of labour andfeucsess upon the little island where so long ago he lauded in the prime of manhood. Of his works I need not here speak. Here is his portrait, sent to me by his widow. For many years he corresponded with Mr Tuckott, with whom, he formed a lasting friendship on board the Vittle schooner. The travellers now entered th/at large estuary named the Waihopai, at whose v.pper part is situated the town of Invercargill, and into which debouche the Waihopai and the Oreti or New river. Whilst anchored here, Mr Tuckett visited the Bluff and the Aparima or Jacob's river, so-called after an old Native named Jacob who lived at its mouth. Here the very pretty little town of Riverton is situated. With the latter district he was highly pleased, its well-known succession of gentle slopes with open land or bush stretching far into the interior proving a most agreeable picture. He did not, however, consider the land so good as much that he had seen nearer Otago, and the climate appeartd to be much more severe. Captain Stevens, one of our lastsurvivingold whalers, and a resident at Riverton, says that he well remembers accompanying Mr Tuckett a f«w miles inland, who was armed with a spade, with which at intervals he examined the 1 character of the soil. It is certain that the whole of this district, with the Bluff as its harbour, offered such attractive claims as to give Mr Tuckett again some difficulty in deciding as to where his ultimate cho'ce for the settlement would lie. Three days were spent at Stewart Island, th© furthermost point of the exploration. Here was the comparatively large population of about 70 white people, with the same number of Natives, inhabiting comfortable cottages, tilling the soil, and having the air of a well-to-do people. And now, on the Ist of June, the return journey commenced, and the Deborah turned her bows to the northward, making a splendid run of 10 knots an hour to the Molyneux, where she anchored. From this point Mr Tuckett, who was desirous of becoming better acquainted with the interior of the country, decided to make his way to Otago by leaving the coast line and striking inland. Two Nativo guides were hired, aud by their intelligence did much to beguile the toilsome way. The baggage was sent up the river by boat, and on Suuday afternoon, the 2nd of June, the party started. It consisted of Messrs Tuckefct, Barnicoat, Wilkinson, and Dr Monro, besides [the guides.

By night they had walked 12 miles, camping near the Puerua. The next day they made Iwikatea, where is now Balclutha, and where the magnificent Matau divides into its two branches of Matau and Boau, which, again joining, enclose the fruitful island <# Iriqh Glutha, then called after sts owtfer, BldoAy Jack's Island. The fertile appsara'nee 'ci this neighbourhood Btruck all. The ViVer crossed, a wearisome march began. Tbe guides, as aforetime, did not know, or fead forgotten, the way, and the unfortunate travellers plodded on for mile after mile through that weary swamp by the side <# the Kaitangata and Rangitoto lakes. They were up to the knees in ice-cold water, and when a halt was called could only get a few flax stalks wherewith to make a fire. In the names of these lakes is commemorated a fierce tribal fight and its sequence 5 the " bloody day * was spent by the eide of Rangitoto, the cannibal feast which followed, the " manfood" was enjoyed by JKaitangata. The night was miserably spent, with no other shelter than that afforded by a little valley. The 'bttfy £cmforts of this miserable night were boiled ducks and billy-boiled tea, traless '6n£ might add that the soaking clothes attd boots were thoroughly dried, if not 'by fire at least by frost. The route now pursued was over the Tokomairiro plains to the Waihola Lake and thence to the banks of the Taieri, almost opposite the spot where amontb before Mr Tuckett and Dr Monro on the downward journey found their progress stopped by the river. Down the Taieri tlioy descended in a canoe, and from its mouth walked along the beach, crossing, of course, the Otakia stream near Brighton and the Raikoial in the Green Island distriot. Fortunate toe Journey was so near its end, for t&ey were in sad plight, foot- 1 sore and destitute of provisions. The natives, however, ever fertile in expedients, caught a rafc, cut some blubber from a stranded whale, added a few pieces of a Cuttlefish which had been left on the beach by the tf de ; these well mixed with a few potatoes-, gdnie wild native cabbage, and above aU the optimum condimentum, made a most sumptuous repast. As the receipt is probably new, and is certainly unique, I think it well to give it in full for the benefit of any novelty-seeking epicure. One native piously said grace over it ; the other fervently added " Amen." According to instructions the whaleboat met the wearied travellers at the head of the Otago harbour^, audit* safety carried them down to the Deborahs side. So, on the 11th of June) ended this memorable expedition — 10 days from the Molyneux, and more than 10 weeks from its start. And with this ending was the real beginning of New Edinburgh. Hitherto it had existed out in name; now it had a local habitation also. To-day the story oif a feip from Nelson to the Bluff would excite little interest. Fifty years ago it-wastho absorbing history of a toilsome exploration through wild solitudes untrodden before by the foot of civilised man. (To be continued.)