EARLY POVERTY BAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4895, 22 June 1887, Page 3

EARLY POVERTY BAY.

Ax the weekly meeting of the Presbyterian Literary Society last ni^ht the Yen. Archdeacon Williams delivered a lecture entitled "A Contribution to tho history of Poverty Bay." The lecturer showed how, accordiig to Maori traditions, tho natives first cime to New Zealand from an ialand named Ovvaekihi about 000 years A an One canoe called " Takitimu with HO souls on board, first sighted laud at Poverty Bay, and the natives landed at the Murewtti and took possession of tlie district. There were no women among them but they afterwards obtained wive, from other tribes that had anded in diflerent parts of the island. The Manns brought with them food of several kinds, and "an expedition waa sent back to get more, the first supply being insufficient. The expedition returned, bringing many kinds of seeds, trees, etc. One tree brought possessed a stringy kind of bark with°which a kind of cloth could be made The tree has since become extinct, though many places are pointed out where it used to grow in abundance. The karaka treo was among others supposrd to have been brought, and some very near relations of the first trees planted are said to be growing at th. East Cape now. Many of the places aboub hero are said to have got their names from the chiefs of this party, notably the Waipa-a and J uranganui mera. The population increased rapidly for many generations. Quarrels were numerous, and in must cases were attributed to witchcraft. Tribes trom this vicinity were driven to migrate to the South Island. A chief at Whangara went out fishing with his party, taking away with them some property of another old chief. The old man cast imprecations upon the plunderers, when a storm arose and the lot were drowned. Another 5 quarrel aroso between two parties, and one of the chiefs erected two poles on two different trucks near the Wainui beach. Whoever passed these polos was to fall down dead. And sure enough they did (according to tradition 1) until the poles were destroyed by a courageous Maori. Many interesting stories were narrated about the sUte of the country before Capt iin Cook's visithereon Sunday, October Bih, 17G9. The appearance of the Bar and incidonts that occurred during Captain Cook's visit were fully described. The Archdeacon showed how the country began to flourish after the starting of the penal settlements in Australia and the opening up of the whaling industry on these shores. Poverty Bay supported two whaling stations, one at the boatharbor, and the uiher at Papawhanki. An American brig was captured and destroyed by the natives and all massacred except an Englishman named Rutherford, who lived for nearly ten years as a chief among tho Maoris at Tokomaru. The natives grew most anxious \o tmde, their sole aim being to become possessed of fire arms. The flax trade was thus developed, and a Sydney firm sent as a^ent to this Bay a man named Hams, Who lived where the Turanganui Hotel now stands. This man became a large chief, and was master of all round him. He had wilh him large quantities of guns and ammunition, which the Maoris held oioit dear, but ai tempts at theft wero never made. One day Harris found a Bon of a very influential chief beating his mother. He interfered and struck the boy, whereupon the whole camp, the mother included, rose against him for doing so. After a big korcro it was resolved that he be pardoned, as he, perhaps, did not know any better. The lecture concluded with brief sketches of the very early days, interspersed with many amusing anecdotes. As handled and rendered the subject was extremely profitable and interesting, and excited the curiosity of all present to try to gain even more knowledge about the place in which we live.