A DAMOND WEDDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 5 July 1900, Page 29

A D AMOND WEDDING.

On Thursda/v^r and Mrs James John Tame, of Wellington, celebrated their diamond wedding, they having been married on June 28, 18-10, at St. Paul's, Wellington, by the Rev. J. -F. Churton. It is worthy of note that theirs was the second marriage in New Zealand after it had become a British colony, the first marriage being that of C. W. Keys to Miss Hunt. It is also a singular fact that the first four persons united, in wedlock in New Zealand should all have lived to attain tHe celebration of their dianiond wed- ] cling, ar-c 1 that they should all have been, with th 3 exception of occasional visits to the neighbouring colonies and to England, a-esiclents' in iNew Zealand from that date to the present time I — Slot only so, btit they formed part of the original pioneer settlers who left England to establish a colony m New^ealand. prior to its becoming a British, colony. The origin of this movement was caused by an association in London caiied " The New Zealand Land Company," which had been formed to establish a .British settlement in. New Zealand, as the British Government in those days were hostile to any extension of its colonial possessions, and positively refused to entertain any fproijosals maao by the company to establish a colony m .New Zealand. Ihis determination of the Goverument placed the company in a difficult position, and ultimately it resolved to act independently, with which intention a large sum of money was subscribed by the company, and by many othera who intended to become actual settlers in New Zealand as soon as- due preparations were made. To carry out these views the company proposed to send out a preliminary expedition to purchase sufficient land m a suitable locality 110 m the Native 3to form a settlement, after which to arrange as to the mxmtier of piospective land purchasers and others who would undertake -to become pioneer settlers in New Zealand, so- as to forin'a nucleus for further extension of the company's operations. As soon as this was publicly announced a large number of persons who had contributed to the funds of the company enrolled themselves a-s. pioneer, settlers, each of whom wa& to be privileged to nominate an artisan or mechanic for a iree passage to New Zealand in one of ike ships the company proposed to charter. Steps were then taken by the company to cairy out these views. In the first place, two ships \vcl3 chartered— the Tory and the Cuba- — lo "convoy Colonel V/akefield (the company's representative) and other officials, also Captain W. JMeni Smith, R.E., as principal surveyor, together with a large staff and other assistants. A lajge quantity of goods and articles for trade were also shipped, as well as coin ar.d a quantity of stores, to anticipate probable wants on the arrival of the niam body of settlers who were to follow. As soon as the Tory and Cuba had sailed, preparations were made to convey the pioneers to their destinations, for which purpose five ships were chartered — viz., the Adelaide, Aurora, Oriental, and Bengal Merchant — to sail from London, and the Duke of Roxburgh from Glasgow. All these ships sailed in August, 1839, and, inclusive of women and children, carried nearly 1000 souls. At the date of their departure it was not known what part of i\"ew Zealand might have been selected by Colonel Wakefield for the settlement; therefore, the captains of each ship had been instiucted to rendezvous at Port Hardy, to which port Colonel Wakefield was to convey to, and to leave as a temporary resident, some person in authority to inform, the pioneer ships on their respective arrivals the locality of the part of New Zealand which had been selected for the settlement. Ml the five ships arrived in due course at Port Hardy early in the year 1840, and were duly informed by the agent sent to await their respective arrivals that the land around a fine harbour, which had been named Port Nicholson, had been selected for the first and principal settlement, and that a town which was to be called Britannia was then being laid out by the surveyors. This town was to face the harbour, the hills being the boundary on one side and the Waiwetu River on the opposite side, the town being divided into, two parts by a. river jcalled the Hutt, which ran through it. The above information was given to each ship on their respective arrivals, and, after a sojourn for a day or two, each ship sailed for Port j Nicholson, and on arrival off the heads they found no difficulty in discovering the entrance to the harbour, and cast anchor therein. The pioneers soon landed and/ busied themselves with their belongings; but scarcely had they erected temporary huts when a flood came rushing down the river ; and, on making inquiry of the Natives, they learnt that the river was subject to these floods, so. after much consultation, it was determined before the surveyors had completed their work that the site for the town should be removed to the opposite end of the harbour, and that it should be called Wellington. The British Government, after the*der>artuTe of such a large number of intending settlers for New Zealand, re-considered their determination not to approve of the colonisation projects of the company, and took steps to annex New Zealand as a colony by sending instrtictions to the Governor of New South Wales for that purpose. On receipt of which the Governor appointed Caiatain Hobson, R.N., to act, and authorised him to sail in H.M.S. Herald from Sydney to the Bay of Islands with full authority to treat with the Natives for the cession of the countiy. The result was the Treaty of Waitangi, and thus, on the sth Febritary, 1840, was New Zealand constituted a British colony.

The output from the We<str>ovt Coal Com- i pany's mines last week was 7947 tons T9cwt. A proclamation in the Gazette notifies the taking of certain land in the Rock and Pillar and Maniototo survey districts for roads in connection with the Olago Central railway. One of the good old Scottish customs was exemplified on Thursday last at East Taieri, when a number of farmers turned out to (rive Mr Arthur Young, of Breadalbane, a day's ploughing, he having leased the farm known as Hellenslea farm at Springbank, East Taieri. The day was beautiful, and all th° ploughmen did their best. The followingfarms were represented : — Lawfield. Athol Bank, Owhivo, Xiocheu'd, Browulea, Blairfield, Glasgow, Ralston Neuk, Dowiefield, and I'/eith Hall, in addition to which there are a number of others who inlpnd n;iviiio a day's ■■roughing later on. Tin > i-s n very priciioyl lay in which to welcoirc n iio> jhbonv to ih" jli strict, and, as an old ■ a^loin, v, c hopes il . will not readily die oufc. !