NEW ZEALAND LONE LANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 43

NEW ZEALAND LONE LANDS.

(Sole Right of Publication in New Zealand Secured by the Otago Witness.;

Chapter IX. CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

CAMPBELL ISIAND PERSEVERANCE Habboub — The Gbave of the " Frenchwoman " — The Discoverer of Stewart Island.

Hitherto our course had been leading us further and further down into southern latitudes, until we had got fairly within bail of antarctic circles. Now, however, we began to relax a little ; and, although it was not a clean case of about-ship and awayjnortb, the tendency was slightly in that direction. The result of course was that we now began to talk knowingly about climatic influences and the prospect of soon getting into warmer climates.

We were not driven to these conclusions by any serious breach on the part of the weather itself; but, having been outside Temperate Zoneß, we felt it to be a duty we owed to ourselves that a change for the better, real or imaginary, was absolutely neceßsary for sustaining the importance of the position. It was this feeling operating upon our minds in the inverse ratio which promr/ted us to put on an extra wrap or so when we were making for the Auckland Isle 3; and, now that we were getting away to nor'-ward of them we | felt— or, at all events, thought we felt, the air was getting less chilly, and the time had arrived for putting them off again.

Meantime we sighted Campbell Islands, or perhaps it would be more correct to say we got within eyeshot of their outposts. The preceding night had not been a really bad one'; but, somehow or other, that mischief -making element in natural phenomena — the genius of the storm— hail managed togiveusaturn ; and in consequence thereof a majority in number and value of the innocents abroad in the Hinemoa had, to a certain extent, been turned up. The result was that the approach to the island — one of the spectacles of tbe place — became to a great extent lost to the admiring gaze. The afore-mentioned outposts consist of a variety of rock-bound pillarß and pedestals, twisted, turned, and tampered with until the whole looked as crooked a lot of customers as ever took to seafaring life.

The Hinemoa dodged in and around these questionable characters, greeted on all sides by the jeers and croakings of legions of seafowls — birds of evil omen, hail fellows well met, and otherwise in accord with the evil odour of the place.

At length she reached Perseverance, being the larger of two harbours situated on the east coast of the island, and which is specially recommended to .the attention of shipmasters on the look-out for good anchorage. Its entrance is at least half a mile wide, with a straight course of three miles, running between hills, rising abruptly from tbe water's edge to an altitude of from 800 ft to 900 ft.

The steamer anchored off Tucker Cove, so named after the provisien depot which is erected at a point on one of its arms.

A rcmantic, if not a stirring, episode has been manufactured in connection with this place. The subject was first broached 23 years ago by a Mr H. Armstrong, who visited the island in the interest of the Provincial Government of Southland. He relates having discovered several graves, amongst others the grave of a Frenchwoman. Since then speculation has been rife as to who the Frenchwoman was, and how she came to be there. These have now taken the form of a distinct narrative, which may be given for what it is worth. Although a Frenchwoman by birth, she was a Scotswoman by extraction, being the daughter of

one Meg Wilkinsbaw and "Bonnie Prinoe Charlie," of '45 celebrity. This Meg Wilkinshaw, it is known, attracted attentions at the hands of the ill-fated Prince during the memorable festivities which took place at Holyrood both before and after his battle at Prestonpanß. It is also known that, after he returned to France, Miss Wilkinshaw was induced to follow him. His associations with the lady occasioned complications between him and the remnant of the Jacobite party, the latter having reason to think she was in communication with the Government, and acted as a spy on their movements. Charles Edward, however, disbelieved the reports, and maintained relations with her until her death. She left a daughter, who assumed the place in her father's regards theretofore occupied by the mother. The suspicions attaching to the mother now fell on (he daughtei, and, in order to get rid of her, the Jacobites entered into a plot for carrying her out of the country, A seaman named Stewart is next brought upon the scene. He is first heard of in New Zealand history as discoverer of the fact that Stewart Islandnamed after him — was separate and distinct, and not an integral part of the South Island. Stewart made it his boast that he had drunk Burgundy and been otherwise upon familiar terms with the Prince and his immediate followers.

Now for the denouement to these details. Acting in the interests of his party, Stewart carried off Miss Wilkinshaw, and brought her in his own ship on a buccaneering cruise to the South Seas. Arriving there he lost his ship, took up his quarters on the coast of New Zealand, where he distinguished himself aB a discoverer, as already recorded. Having lost his Bhip, Mr Stewart next set himself to the task of losing Miss Wilkinshaw, and this he accomplished by making her over to a brother tar of his own type, who took her away to Campbell Island, where she died and was buried.

That is the story as told, and, as it fits in with certain scraps in authentic history, and the " Frenchwoman's " grave is still to be seen, the narrative, as given, had better be taken and not shaken. . r Although there is reason to doubt the poor Frenchwoman's identity, there can be no reason to doubt the French flavour the Campbell Islands have acquired. There is, fox example, Jaquemart Island, besides a host of other places, named Courjolles, Filhole, &c. That is accounted for by the fact that the island was selected by tbe French expedition of 1874 for observations of the transit of Venus. On that occasion the Vir6, a French man-of-war, lay at Perseverance some months, and erected an observatory under the superintendence of M. Bouquet de lay Gtye, hydrographer to the navy. A few — only a very few— fragments of the expedition are still to the fore, one being the grave of a midshipman, who met his death while the vessel lay in port. It is a sad, solitary, neglected grave, only distinguishable from tbe surrounding heath by a small iron cross erected at its head. It is a grave without a name, without a record ; so that in very truth it is the last resting place of the unknowing rendered back to the unknown. The coast line is everywhere bold and precipitous ; even inside the harbours there is very little that can be called flat or lowlying country. The hills are bold and bar-ren-peaked, with rocks like spikes sticking out of them. The highest of these measures 1800 ft, but rising as it does from the bosom of the deep, it looks much higher. Tbe formation is volcanic, and in many places the rocks are eaten away into pilasters of two tiers or more, the dividing line being scoria, or a light red and brown soft stone, which wears out by the action of the elements much faster than the intervening rocks.