DE ItOCKEN'S SECOND LECTURE,

Otago Witness, Issue 1875, 28 October 1887, Page 10

DE ItOCKEN'S SECOND LECTURE,

(Concluded.)

It was upon this expedition that the B.tst inTorms/fcioft was given by the Natives of the existence ; in the interior of certain animals, conduied »frecn the description to be beavers. Eakiraki, wie of the guides, circumstantially describes them as building whares like bis countrymen and as making a screaming noise, and also that some of their houses were floating ones. Their habitat is on the eastsidc of Lake Wanaka, as indicated in this map enlarged from Mr Bantfcoat — who also -gives in his journal fchis description. It is needless to say that no such sftimal has ever been found in New Zealand $ and yet it seems probable there must be some foundation for Bakiraki's positive statement.

And now the returned travellers saw some yigns of bustle and activity. During their ■absence Mr Symonds had tetumed 'ftyjtil Wellington, and with him Mr Daniel Wakejfield, who, as previously said, •eatoe to act •as peacemaker or intermediary between tha belligerent parties. Several natives had =alfto arrive I from various quarters, for, in the wonderful way in which news spreads amongst them like wildfire, it was known tar and wide that the pakehas wished to purchase a largo block of land in the district. 'S?he Deborah lay quietly at anohor a short ■dis* 'iance from the shore. On the beach wefts two 'wharcs and two tents, and a rude temporary .■jetty had been erected for landing the vessel's •cargo. The bricks and timber for the erection 'of Mr Tuckett's little bouse were lying close by. All this was to be seen on the narrow head of Koputai or Port Chalmers, on tbe spot now occupied by the foot of George sfeceet and the road leading to the dry dock. Koputai nneans the high or full tide. In a day dr tyro tfche schooner Carbon arrived from Wellington nvitfe Messrs Nicholson and Allom, surveying cadets, and seven men < c J n board. Colonel Wakefield had despatched, her, being desirous that there should be iio delay in the surveys. She had been actually 30 days on her passage down. Tne" ground was white with snow, and the cold was Beverely felt in the draughty tents. Sketches or plans of the district between Otakou aud the Molyneux oil a .scale itf two miles to tho inch were made. Thess were to be used by the natives in recognising the various boundaries, and naming the several owners within them. Mr Symfeds proposed that the extent of land to be purchased should be pointed out to fhe Natives on the ground, and considered it indispensable that Mr Tuckett should himseft accompany them to prevent the possibility of any future misunderstanding. And then commenced the second quarrel, which terminated in Mr Symonds again leaving for Wellington with bis friend Mr Daniel Wafcefield ; for Mr Tuckott held ttat as chief agent his presence ufc Koputai was important, and that Mr Barnieoat was in every respect as. equally competent to travefrge the blaok "with the natives as himself. This seriously impeded negotiations— indeed, temporarily suspended them,— to the loudly expressed dissatisfaction of the natives, who were daily coming m in fresh numbers. Altogether there were 18 boats drawn up on the beach, and not less than 150 natives, who according to tfltofr custom, being mihanere or Christianized assembled twice a day for religious service. Some were wild-looking fellows decked with albatross down and feathers strfek in their nostrils. The difficulty was to g*3fc them to name a price for the land—a subject which a'forded them a source of many a voluble and clamorous discussion. Taiaroa said he would take £1200 for his share, another asked £2000 for his, and Tuhawaiki modestly mentioned a million, finally Mr Tuckefct succeeded in getting Tuhaxvaiki, Karetai; and Taiaroa to sign 0 memorandum binding them to to sell the whole •country from Otago to the Molyneux, with the •exception of certain reserves for themselves, aud •as shown in this map of his, for the sum of •£2400. This was signed on the 20fch of June, and Mr Tuckett engaged that payment was to bo made a month from that date, and further that if the money were not then forthcoming he would move from the ground. He concluded that this period was ample to bring all negotiations to a final issue, and accordingly waited until 6ome further Government official should be sent down from Wellington with whom he could more amicably act. He was thus left almost alone on the beach of Koputai. His recent companions returned to Wellington in the Deborah, .and the natives kuowing that their presence would not be required for a month, departed in boatloads to visit their friends at various points of the coast.

After a six-days' passage, inclusive of a detention at Waikouaiti for the purpose of taking in whale oil, the Deborah reached Wellington on the &9th of June. Mr Symonds again laid his complaints before the Government, and after some correspondence upon th«m Colonel Wakefield decided to go down himself to Ofcago. He was accompanied by Mr Spain, the commissioner appointed to inquire into the laud claims, and Mr George Clarke, the subprotector of aborigines. Mr Symonds, whose services and' knowledge were indispensable, again formed one of the party. The Deborah was chartered at ii9o 3 month, and sailed on the 7th of July, arriving at her destination on the 15th after a stormy passage. Colouel Wnkefield was greatly pleased with the appearance of the harbour and surrounding country, and considered that Mr Tuckett had made a most excellent selection. Accompanied by six Natives he proceeded to inspect the boundaries of the land, with which he became increasingly satisfied. They proceeded no further than a lofty hill in the neighbourhood of the Waihola Lake, from the top of which the Molyneux district could be descried. The perambulation occupied a week, and on the 26th of July the party returned to Koputai. Messrs Symonds and Clarke at once prepared the deed of conveyance. By this time the Natives had arrived in full force; and a remarkablesight it must have been to see them, 150 in number, men, women, and children, mustered on the present site of Port Chalmers for the purpose of alienating their lands to the pakeha for ever. The whole matter was carefully explained, and sufficient time allowed them for their > usual korcro. They consented to the terms, and on the 31st of July the 'deed was read to them— Mr Clarke saying that they had now only to receive the payment to complete the transaction for which they had assembled; that they were about to part with the land with all growing on it or under it ; that ifc would be gone from them and i/heir children for ever ; that they must respect the white man's land, and that the white man would not touch the land reserved for them. A little speechmakiug followed, and then Tuawhaiki first signed the deed, followed by Karetai, Taiaroa, and 22 others of the Ngaitahu tribe of New Zealaud. It was witnessed by Messrs Symonds, Tuckett, Clarke, and Scott. This Otago block contains 400,000 acres, and extends from Taiaroa Head down the coast to Tokata Point or the Nuggets, then inland in a J

north-westerly and northerly direction> having for its boundaries the crest of fch'e Kaihiku range, of tho Maungaa't'ua 1 , or 1 the Wakari or Pla^staf , and lastly '6f 'the Mihiwaka rang©, dropping down to 'We sea level again at Heyward's Point, at the nie v J!lb. of the harbour, and opposite Taiaroa Head. The sum ¥or this was £2iO@> equal to about threehalfpence an acre. ! l s he norbhern portion, extending from the Otago Heads to the.Taieri, belonged to Tuawhaiki, Taiaroa, and Sara'tai, r*nd the portion from the Taidri %t the Molyneux, to Tuawhaiki and thu members of their tribe. The final act wi's that of payment, and this was accomplished in the most orderly and satisfactory manner. This time no blankets, piftts, or tomahawks formed any part of the quid jn'o quo ; it consisted of bank notepj <gc\a, and silver only. For his share, tn'e largest proprietor, Tuawhaiki received £900, together with, £3oo for divisrote feniongst his Taieri and Molyneux friends. Taiaroa and Karetai received fiSO'O e&ch, and the remaining £600 was divided amongst the other Otago Natives. ■An eye witness tells me that Colonel Wakefield penetrated the bustling crowd in every direction, freely distributing ha^crownßftndDmlliogs and even sixpences amongst Jthe Women ,and children. All we.ro perfectly satisfied and in high good humour, Any little difference or misundersfcattdihg Was ably adjusted by that eleven Maori> TuawhaiM. .'M^ informant says fcbafc the portion. 'o\ thta chief was devoted to the pur.cha'&e ih'd fitting out of a little vessel with whfah to extend tbe trade which he already 'carried on. Bold and skilful sailor as he was, he lost his life soon afterwards whilst piloting his boat through a tempestuous sea. He wfts standing at the steer oar when a trt&onaous wave struck it so. as, to kntfcfe Him overboard, and no effort availed to ea've him from his watery grave. So perished John Tuawhaiki, or Bloody Ja'tXk-, esteemed and liked by both pakeha arid Maori for his intelligence, courage, and justice. I wish it were possible to say that the remainder of the purchase money was expended in a similar judicious manner. Then the tapu was removed by carrying away the bohes of a chief interred there and burning dowii his whare, the Union Jack was unf\Xrtec>, And thus at Koputai was the 'Otago bldek pjade over to those who now dwell therem. The Natives turned their boats homewards, Colonel Wakefield and his party returned to Wellington 1 , &nd again was Mr I'uckett left almost, fUo^it? co propt^ebisplan of futureoperatioh's and to await the arrival of the staff wKogllould commence th? survey. AfteV the completion of the survey of these 4d6,i)00 acres Colonel Wakefield undertook to select from them his 150,000 acres, being the quantity whose pre-emption by the Crown had been waived in favour of the company by Captain Fitzroy. Mr tfymtinds had sanctioned the extension ot the limits t'b the larger quantity m tu'e first instance in,order that the most Available laud might be included, and that there might be ho difficulty about boundaries. When this SeWofcion had been made the Crown gratit wa<s ft) oe issued, and there was an unders'tafrdlhg that if Colonel Wakefield desired still more land he was to have it. This was the origin of the depasturage licenses. At Wellington and Nelson rumours were in the air that the company's credit had gone, that its funds were exhausted-, and that a full stop would be put to aft its operations in the colony. But it was evident that Colonel Wakeneld-, tn'e 'company's agent, knew nothing ot these; for on his arrival at Nelson he stated tfr&t fee Otago survey contracts were to be entered upon immediately. Accordingly, Mr 6arnicoat and Mr Bridge engaged 10 men, at wages of 25s per week each, with rations, took provisions for 20 weeks, and chartered the lifcfcle schooner Carbon, of 20 tons, to take them to Otago. They started on the 25th August in this abominable little boat, which was blown backwards aud forwards, into and out of Cook Strait, seeking shelter here and shelter there, until on the Ith of September, 10 clays after starting, the buffeted passengers found themselves no nearer Obago than Port Nicholson. Here they determined to go ashore, learn the new&, and th/'n proceed. A fortunate resolve for them, as now they learnt that vague rumours had developed into undoubted facts. An English vessel, the Raymond, had just arrived, confirming the worst suspicions. Colonel Wakefield's despatches eD joined him to discharge all workmen, to reduce expenditure to the utmost, and to enter into no fresh obligations — notably those of New Edinburgh. Word of this was at once 3ent to Nelson, and arrived jusb in. time to prevent the sailing of the Deborah for Otago, loaded with goods and provisions and a large survey staff. And as the gloomy pall of a cruel disappointment had descended^ upon the anxious expectants on the other side of the globe, extinguishing their cherished hopes, so here did it abruptly terminate those labours begun and continued with so much activity and success.

Having thus brought down the history of these events in New Zealand and the Home country to a point of parallelism — call it paralysis if you will — I cannot more conveniently close this lecture. It but remains again to thank you for youi: patience aud courteous attention.