YOUNG AUCKLAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 16, 9 April 1927, Page 8

YOUNG AUCKLAND

A PIONEER REMEMBERS CAPTURED BY MAORIS “Old people and the things that pass." How aptly the title of Louis Couperis’s novel describes a talk with Auckland pioneers. These old men have seen so much; they have watched Auckland grow from a straggling line of huts and houses to a city the largest in New Zealand and famed for its loveliness. Mr. Edward Boyle is one of those men. He was 87 years old last December. Despite, his years his memory is no fickle jade. Occasionally she trips him up, but for the most part he remembers the Auckland of SO years ago. Mr. Boyle; turns back his yesterdays at the Auckland Infirmary. He turned back the pages for a SUN representative recently, and interesting pages they were, crowded with a life full of interest and colour. One of his earliest and most vivid memories is his capture by the Maoris at the age of 11. Mr. Boyle arrived in Auckland with his parents at the age of seven. They had jour-

neyed all the way from fair Killarney to try their fortunes in an unknown land.

A LONG CANOE-JOURNEY

Along with other boys of his age Mr. Boyle “cadged” peaches from the Maoris who frequented the waterfront. One day, in Mechanics Bay (now the railway shunting yards) he was up to his usual tricks getting fruit to eat. A Maori boy said, “Come on the canoe; we will give you some peaches.” Young Boyle went on board. Before he knew where he was the canoe was skimming over the waters of the harbour and making for the Hauraki Gulf. On and on went the canoe until at last it arrived at the Thames. It was a wonderful journey over the 42 miles of water in that Maori canoe, and, if the truth must be told, Mr. Boyle enjoyed it. And there, for six long and jolly months, Mr. Boyle lived with the Maoris. His captivity was not a dangerous affair, and no ransom for his safe return was demanded by the Maoris. There was consternation in the Boyle home and a search was made for the missing boy. At last Mr. Boyle’s brother discovered where he was, made the journey to Thames and brought him back to Auckland. EARLY AUCKLAND

Back in Auckland Mr. Boyle busied himself about the growing town. He tells of Queen Street, then in the process of formation. Boats could sail in as far as Shortland Street. There were no real roads and a few bullocks and horses did duty for transport. Soon stories of gold to be found in the South began to drift to Auckland, and young Boyle decided to try for fortune in Otago at Gabriel’s Gully, the Shotover, and other places where the yellow metal was to be found easily. With three other young miners Mr. Boyle pegged out a claim and in six months each of them had cleared £3OO. The wanderlust must have got into his blood. Mr. Boyle set off adventuring and made his way through to Picton and Nelson, where he worked in the copper mines. A FORTUNE LOST Then on to Hokitika, where gold had also been discovered. The journey was made in a small boat round the coast. Here Mr. Boyle lost a chance of making a fortune. With 11 other miners a claim had been pegged out, but Mr. Boyle’s health broke down and he was forced to sell his share. The remaining 11 men made £4,000 each in four months. Hokitika was in its heyday then. Still the lure of gold attracted Mr. Boyle. His next venture was in' the Thames after he returned to Auckland. Luck was against him, however, until he became manager of the Castlemain Gold Mine Company at Moanataiari where he stayed for some time. Next we find Mr. Boyle in the gumfields of the North. After digging for some time he was asked by the Maoris to start a store. Mr. Boyle did very well in business and soon he was shipping his own kauri gum to England. He hacl his own yacht and sailed between Awhitu, where he lived, and Onehunga. These were bright days for Mr. Boyle. Trade was good, Auckland was fast becoming a big trade centre and the Dominion generally was growing fast. “I have had high tides in New Zealand and low ones,” said Mr. Boyle. "My trading days were the high tides! I carried on with that for 16 -years until I ‘broke up.’ ” T"E FIRST RAILWAY Mr. Boyle remembers the great day when the first railway train ran from Auckland to Onehunga and also the first which ran from Auckland to Point Russell. It was an event in those days, but nowadays the younge»generation takes each new line as a matter of course. It is just the age. Talking of the Maoris in Auckland when he was a boy, Mr. Boyle says that they were not troublesome. _He remembers one incident which might have ended with grim results. A Maori was imprisoned for stealing a shirt. Into the harbour came six canoes crowded w-ith Maoris. They demanded the release of their fellowcountryman. There was a man-o-war in the harbour at the time and Sir George Grey told the natives the ‘ if they did not leave he would have them blown up. The Maoris thought better of it aud left the harbour. Mr. Boyle's sight and hearing are failing, but he enjoys life in the pretty surroundings of the infirmary. “Yes, I saw the Duchess of York,” se said, “and a fine little woman she was.”