OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 12

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

INTERESTING RECORDS

Mr L. Langlands, secretary of the Otago Early Settlers' AFsocialiou, has succeeded in getting together a number of interesting records of the early days of the settlement, as well as of the colony. The more valuable records are kept in a fire-proof safe in the secretary's office at the Agricultural Hall, while a number of photographs «are hung round the walls, and books, bound volumes of early newspapers, and various other things too, numerous to mention are neatly arranged on shelvep. Mr Langlands desires it to be known that he is only too pleased to see anyone interested in the association at his office at any time, and a visit of inspection would repay anyone, as many really valuable things have been collected as records and mementoes of the early days, alas ! now passing into oblivion all too soon. The Committee of Management are grateful to the donors of documents and records, etc., of the early settlement, and will be pleased to receive anything relating to the pioneer days that may be sen I in to the secretary. The first historic document that attracts attention, ond in the light of its importance merits tlo'o scrutiny, is a facsimile of the '■ Declaration of Independence and Treaty of Waitan^a,' 1 in virtue of which New Zealand becpne an appanage of the British Crown anr 7 an independent colony. Prior to the Treat i- of Waitangi New Zealand was considered part of the territory of New South Wol'*. and Mr Hobson was appointed Lieutenant- jovernor under Governor Sir George (Ji, ps, of the mother colony. At a time so re 1 ate from the inauguration of the colony, it 's not possible to appraise the difficult negotiations with the Native chiefs at their tia-e value. To Mr Busby, the British Reriocnt at the Bay of Islands, the honour belongs of bringing the negotiations which made New Zealand a British colony to a successful issue. The Declaration of Independence was feigned at a meeting of chiefs convened at Waitangi by Mr Busby on the 23th October, 1835. The draft treaty was subsequently adopted by Govei-nor Hobson, with no further alteration than the transposition of a few sentences to make the issue clear. As the Maoris had no written language, and were unacquainted with penmanship at that date, the names of the signatory chiefs were embodied* in the document, and opposite each name the chief appended the leading and distinctive lines ol iixa tattoo 9A Jiis $m.§ x wjiiah, was. a, s^f^ti.

ingenioxis device for placing on record the agreement of each individual chief to t hetreaty. An examination of the signatures is interesting, and shows how careful the pioneers of the Empire were to avoid any subsequent repudiation or misunderstanding. The language of the treaty is simple and, conclusive, and is in both English and Maori. In 1840 Hobson secured the signatures of all

the principal southern chiefs, and. amongst the signatories were Tuhawaiki, Koroko, 1 Taiaroa. and Karetai, well-known southern 1 ohiefs. This very valuable and interesting i document was presented by the president

(Mr D. Reid). 1 A copy of the New Zealand Constitution 1 Act was presented by Mr G. C. Proudfoot, also a report, dated March 28, 1851, by Messrs Charles H. Kettle, Daniel Macan-

drew, and E. J.

Wakefield, on the praoti-

cability and probable cost of constructing ; a road from Dunedin to Port Chalmers along j the harbour beach. The surveyors estimated , tho work to cost £4581, and in the report ' desire to convey their thanks to the Rev. | Thonias Burns, who accompanied them in all I their expeditions, and made many valuable • suggestions ; also to Mr Robert Campbell, of

Blanket Bay (now of St. Clair). Dr Fulton l presented the association with specimen land ! orders from the Now Zealand Company entitling the holder to a town allotment of a

quarter of an acre. 10 acres suburban land,

■ and 50 acres rural land, on arrival in the colony. Another interesting document is the> i letter appointing Dr Henry Manning surj goon-superintendent of the ship John Wickj liffe, signed by G. V. Harington, on behalf ; of the directors of the Now Zealand Company. This document was presented by Mr ■ J. Richardson; also the memorandum*, of i agreement of the Charter Party of the John Wickliffe, by Norman Maclcod, on behalf of the firm of Lachlan and Macleod, of 62 Cornhill, London, on the one part, and the , New Zealand Company on the other. The catalogue of the library of the First Church ! shows the character of the' reading selected i by the founder of the settlement for the

guidance and edification of their

proteges.

i A bound volume of the Otago News, the first newspaper of the settlement, was presented by Mr T. S. Culling. The paper commenced publication on December 13, 184-8, and ceased on 21st December, 1850. The editor and proprietor (Mr Graham) died: of consumption the following February. In the safe Mr Langlands has a mass o£ manuscript containing information on a. variety of subjects, all carefully docketed for reference. All the information relating to 1 tl»e reunions celebrating the jubilee of th» ' arrival of immigrant vessels is also docketed and kept in the safe. The register of births, : deaths, and marriages for Waikouaiti from I 1840 to 1859 will be of interest to the de- • ecendants of the Waikouaiti pioneers. The large register of early pettlers. commenced at the jubilee in 1893, is being rewritten by Mr Langlands so as to bring the family names together, and others are being added as they come to hand. In a large scrap book newspaper reports of reunions, picnics, and all sorts of information relating to the association are kept for future reference. Other tilings of interest are a number of valuable publications, forming the nucleus of a library, a copy of Mackay's first Otago Almanac, published in 1864-, a book of views of Dun-rdm by Mr D. Mundy, successor to Mcluish, Dunedin's first photographer. Sun printing on sensitive paper was not invented in Meluish's day, and only a single positive on glass could be produced as the result of one sitting. Many'of these old photographs are still in existence, and are as good as the day they were taken. The late Mr J. E. Brown presented three numbers of the Otago Journal, published in Edinburgh. Banged? round the walls of the secretary's office are large frames containing photographs of early settlers and their descendants. The firpfc frame contains those prior to 1848; next the ships John Wickliffe and Philip Laing, 1848:' the Victory and Blundell, 1848; the Ajax and Mary, 1849 ; the Mariner. Larking, Cornwall, and Mooltan, 1849, and ships between! 1850 and^ 1861. There are also a view o£ Dunedjn in 1848, photographed from a paints ing by the late J. T. Thomson, chief surveyor; a picture of the John Wickliffe at anchor at Port Chalmers, with the Philip Laing saib'ng in on April 15, 1848; early, views of Dunedin, and various other photographs. Altogether a very valuaftle collection has beeu gathered together, and it is to be hoped they will be added to from timtf to time until the association lias a building of its own wherein to house them.

The name of Mr John M'NeiL Balclutha^ wa3 inadvertently omitted from the list of vice-presidents elected at the annual meet* ing on Thursday evening.

When other remedies fail, try TUSSI* CURA. However bad your cold, mavblf

.Professor Bickerton has written anol^r jlong letter, which he calk "Protect ?»<> 2," to the Canterbury College Board < i Governors, dealing with the subject ol hi-, dismissal. The board on Monday icf erred tthe letter to the College Committee ioi

A loagu& lia^ been formed in Ooro for the advocacy of the Goie-Ke'^o laihvaj*. A. northern sawmiiler predict, that about 15 yoar3 hence will see the end cf the kauri , timber trade. He also declared that five ' year 0 would sec the end r>i tLe nhite piuc ' iv the Tftrsuaaki. tiisliifit*