EARLY TROUBLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 13

EARLY TROUBLES.

But before the disembarkation of the second batch of immigrants could be accomplished, the weather, which had been so freely praised by the first arrivals, took a bad turn. Thick easterly rain set iv and continued ceaselessly day and night for three long weary weeks, all of which time the immigrants were cooped" up within the narrow compass of their quarters on board the ship. One of Otago's characteristic easterly drizzles had set in, and the aspect of the country as it presented itself to the pioneer settlers, who had come high with hope to found a new nation, was cheerless and depressing in the extreme. Dark sombre forests reeking with misty vapours hung on the steep hill sides right down to the water's edge, while dripping mist rested like a pall overhead, shutting out the sun and landscape alike. Compelled to remain on board ship, while the weeping heavens dripped ceaseless moisture, little wonder that many of the unfortunate immigrants regretted leaving the land of their birth to be cast upon a shore, the first experience of which was so forbidding. But the die was cast, and they had to make the best of what they considered a bad bargain. The succeeding three weeks were very wet, and on many other occasions the early settlers had experience of what the Otago climate was capable of in the way of protracted rains. Some of the first to get into their own houses were afterwards driven out by floods, and one still amongst us relates how he made his escape from his hut by swimming to another hut on higher ground. While the heavy bush covered the hills all around the Otago Harbour, lengthened spells of drizzling rain appear to have been much inoi-e frequent than they are now. Clearing off the fern has without doubt had a beneficial effect upon the climate in that respect. The older settlers lived at Otakau, as the settlement inside the Heads was called. There were a good many houses beside the harbour, near where the white blown sand covers the hill now. Port Chalmers boasted one house — a large clay whare, with thatched roof, jointly occupied by Mr. Mackay and Mr. Wyllie (surveyor), while out of sight in the bush French Peter had a small hut.

As soon as the weather cleared up, arrangements were made to allow the settlers to go on to their land. Some held land orders numbered according to the result of a ballot held at the Company's office in London before the ships sa led.

Just here it might be opportune to relate how Duneilin was named. After the surveys wtre made, plans were sent Home, and on the plan submitted to the Committee the upper town was named " New Edinburgh." While the Committee of the Free Church Association were discussing the plans, William Chambers, who always took great interest in the colonisation scheme, dropped in. He at once took exception to the name, remarking that they had too many places scattered about the world with the prefix " new." He expressed the opinion that New Zealand should have been called by its native name, and begged the committee to call the town by the Gae ie name for Edinburgh, viz., Dun-Edin. The committee at once concurred, struck out "New Edinburgh " and substituted " Dunedin," and thus gave the town a unique and euphonious appellation. In order to meet the natural desire of the settlers to get on to their sections, Captain Cargill fixed Friday, April 2 ist, as the day for making the first selections. This operation, simple as it might appear now, was not without difficulty. Heavy bush came down to the beach, and it required good judgment to select the sections calculated to become the more valuable as the settlement progressed. About twenty selectors who held land orders proceeded to the site of the town. Mr. Garrick held No. i order, and had the first right of selection. He chose the section on which the Bank of New Zealand now stands. Mr. James Williamson held order No. 2, and chose the section at the corner of Princes and Manse Streets, where Brown, Ewing & Co.'s establishment is now located. No. 3 fell to Mr. Andrew Mercer, who chose a section in Fort Street, where it is cut by the Leith stream, his intention being to erect a sawmill ; but he had previously arranged a joint occupation with Mr. Wil'iamson. Captain Cargill selected a section in Princes Street South, and Mr. Burns at the corner of Walker and Princes Stretts ; and so on, the selection being made in order of ballot. The pioneers landed at Dunedin in boats, amongst the rocks at the foot of Manse Street, wbere the first rough jetty was built of mapau posts, and planked over on top. The intending settlers found that the whole of the land fronting the harbour had been withdrawn for public purposes — wharves, docks , etc . Man y were in great wrath thereat, as this action of the Company was in direct violation of the contracts entered into with land purchasers in London and Edinburgh ; but as there was no court to appeal to, the settlers had to accept the inevitable and make treir selections in the next best place, which according to their choice appeared to te along Princes Street, which was represented by two survey lines 66 ft. apart and about two miles long. The street itself consisted of flax, grass, stumps, trees, creeks and bogs.

The town sections each contained a quarter acre, and were sold at first for ten shillings. Most of the original purchasers were poorrnen, but the judicious investment of the small sum required to make landed proprietors of them ultimately brought in a handsome revenue, and placed them and their families in after years in positions of comfort and independence. The first houses built by the settlers were of an order of architecture styled " wattle-and-dab." Mr. Jas. Adam, who leased a section off Captain Cargill, thus describes the erection of his house: — "On my leasehold there was a clump of mapau trees, but before cutting them down I stretched a Hue through them for the ground plan of the house. Trees which coincided with this line I left standing, merely cutting off the tops, and those which were out of line were cut down and put in the line by digging holes. By this novel plan the walls were made strong and substantial in one day. The natives then put small wands or wattles across the uprights, about twelve inches apart, fastening them firmly with strips of flax, and over all they laced the long grass to the wattles, did the same to the roof, and at the end of four days my hoxise was habitable. There was a difference of 2 ft. in the breadth of the gables, but as no one could see the four corners of the house at once it was never known to anyone but myself." This interesting description shows Mr. Adam's first Otago home to have been a grass house. Wattle-and dab houses were built in the same way, only that the wattles were nailed across at intervals of a few inches, inside the upright posts. Then the whole was plastered inside with a mixture of well wrought clay and chopped grass. This made draught-proof walls, and the close thatched roof was both warm in winter and cool in summer. The windows were, in many cases, calico stretched across the opening, intended to be fitted with glazed sashes some day, while the fireplace was usually a very large affair, occupying pretty well the whole of the end of the house Firewood was plentiful, and the settlers could at least indulge in the luxuty of good fires — a luxury indeed to many of them who had known the necessity of using every small lump of coal with miserly care. The floor was generally the natural soil packed level with the spade

before the walls of the house were erected. Having completed his residence, Mr. Adam goes on to sa}-, in his book "Twenty-five Years of Emigrant Life" — "I went down to the ship to bring up my family. I fear my wife must have felt some self gratulation because she was going direct to her own villa instead of to a crowded and uncomtortable barracks. My cottage stood where the Empire Hotel [the present site of the Grand Hotel. — Ed.] now stands, with its busy throng of passengers and coaches, but none of 1113* family could see it for the trees. The entrance was through a leafy archway from Princes Street, and at the first sight of the rustic cottage a cry of joy burst from my little girl in my arms, and from the rest of my family. Here was a sweet reward for all my labour and toil, for I was anxious that their first impressions should be favourable. Tea, the never-failing beverage in the bush, was proposed. A fire was kindled outside, and the kettle hung upon a triangle of poles, while the frying-pan was doing duty lower down. That was the finest repast I ever had. The cottage, apparently in the centre of an impenetrable bush, the shades of evening closing over us, the gipsy encampment around the fire, the happy countenances of loved ones, the light and shade — turned a plain cup of tea into a delightful picnic not easily effaced from the memory." This was the right spirit wherewith to enter upon a life, which though at first one of hardship and toil, for many meant the beginning of brighter days than they had ever known on earth before. Most of the pioneers were equally cheerful and equally hopeful amid their wild surroundings, prepared to hew out homes for themselves in the wilderness, to wrest the sceptre from savage nature, and subdue her to their will. And after the lapse of half a century it is pleasing to relate that most of them pdmirably succeeded. There were a few discontents, who would have failed anywhere else ; but to the everlasting honour of the pioneers of Otago be it said — reverently now for most are in their graves — they were men and women of the right stamp, worthy representatives of the men and women who have always led the van in Britain's march of empire around the world. Behind them lay the old world, over-crowded and hard-driven ; before them lay the new, pregnant

with possibilities in the near future, hope their guiding star, and industry the magician's wand to transform the rugged face of nature into smiling homes, where peace and plenty dwell.

The first barracks was a rough building made of round posts and grass, with thatch roof, and stood near the site of the present gaol. It had no fireplace, and afforded the merest temporary shelter until the settlers had time to build their own houses. Several brought material with them for houses, which were built on their sections.

Captain Cargill had one of these houses. Mr. Garrick had one, which was afterwards the Royal Hotel. One belonged to Mr. Edward Lee ; Mr. Cutten and Mr. Jeffreys had each a small house ; and there was one for the Rev. Mr. Burns. These were the first timber houses built by the immigrants, although a party of sawyers had been at work, below what was afterwards called Macau drew Bay, for some few months before the pioneer ships arrived, sawing timber for the use of the settlers.

The first party of sawyers consisted of Messrs. David Carey, John Logan, Charles Hopkinson, and Jpmes Bell. Antonio Joseph, who ran away from the whaler Favourite, hai his first employment in the country as cook to the party. When the Philip Lainq and John Wicklitf'e were lying in the harbour Mrs. Anderson bought timber of these sawyers to build her hotel. Shortly after that the Company's sawyers commenced -operations at what was in consequence subsequently called Sawyers' Bay.

Gradually the pioneers made their selections, or temporarily leased sections, and built houses upon them, until the first batch of immigrants were all housed. The next concern ot the management was to set the labourers to work to earn food for themselves and their families. The work of erecting a building for the storage of the goods which had lain for several weeks on the beach under tarpaulins was put in hand, and the formation of Princes-street commenced. Wages tor labourers were fixed at 3s. per day of ten hours, and for tradesmen at ss. a day. The clay was divided up as follows : — Work commenced at 6 in the morning and

continued till 9. Then there was an interval of an hour. Work resumed at 10 and continued till 2, when there was another interval of an hour. From 3 till 6 finished the day's work. This was the system in vogue in Scotland, work ceasing on Saturday at noon, when a gun on Church Hill, atterwards known as Bell Hill, was fired as a signal to leave off for the rest of the day. Farm servants had their wages fixed at a year with rations as follows: — iolbs. meat per week, iolbs. flour or equivalent in potatoes, slbs. potatoes to be reckoned for every lib. flour. They were to get besides a house rent free and liberty to graze a cow. A married man was allowed 50 per cent. more.