SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13653, 19 February 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO.

■ (From "The Colonist," Fob. 15.) Mrs. B. Crisp, of Church street, supplies us with the following notes:— On February loth, 1842, seventy-one years ago, wo landed at Nelson., A ntumber of they expedition men, who were the fathers and husbands of many, on board our vessel were, on the lookout and soon as the vessel reached the port they ara o off, in "boats, and took us ashore, afterwards returning to the ship for our luggage. On landing, a considerable number of Maoris greeted us with their cries of "Kapi tho wahinas," "Kapi the piccanies." In those days the- natives wer© always pleased to. get some of our old clothes, for which they made us presents of fish and potatoes. My mother wanted to know where our house was, and m reply n:v father pointed to one of a number of tents which were to be sccii on tho .djacont hill. My mother demurro'l, but we had to live in a tent for! th, time 'being. Afterwards, with thei a;■••':-.stance of three natives, my father -icctecl a whare on part of the 'prdporty known as "The Cliffs." The wharc had no windows, no chimney or iirepkee, '.and-'its entrance was covered with canvas in the place of a door. The natives built us an oven on the pattern of those they used, and instructed us how. to cook fish and potatoes with it. To reach the site-of the •ity of Nelson, where the1 .expedition '-non wore then busy in forming roads iad streets ,there were two ways. One was along what "is now known as the Haven road, but that way could only be used when the tidi© was .out. Tho other way, which was principally used by us, was over tho hi".l and down the valley i(now known as Washington valley). The ditch in St Vincent street was crossed by means of planks, to which was attached a railing. Tho site of the future, city had the appearance of a huge swamp. The lower part was like tho mudflat, and on the higher portion there 'was any amount of toi-toi and flax growing. On the rising 'ground, ..manuka abounded. A oon-

sidorable quantity of water was lying about, and until 'the formation of the streets was-.•completed, we had to : skip ti-ovn one flax root to another in our endeavours to keep out of the water. After a time had elapsed we shifted from the port to p, whare my father had built not far from tho junction of Bridge and Collngwood streets. In tho part of the city now known as Tho Wood there was - a line bush, which contained some splendid,trees, and which was tho homo of numerous birds. My father used to keep us supplied with pigeons and kakas and we used to gather our supply of firewood out of that bush. The natives told us what wild berries Arecould art, such as white pine, tetokai, fustihia. aaml ,bu!l-a-bulls. The latter resembling somewhat the Cap? gooseberry. On Battery hill (now known' as .Chnrcli- hill) gun* wear placed. 'There. woie- deep trenches dug around tho hill, and at regular spaces there were holes •for tho- men to use tho guns. On the crown of th? hill, there was a wooden building in which the women and children ho re quai'tcrrd .for -safety.; These precautions were taken on account of the Wair.iu mnwrarce, and a i'ear of a descent being made by tho natives on the young settlement. The Maoris fortunatflv did not. come.TT o wooden building on. the hill was afterwards used by the Church of England for

Divine serykes. We used occasionally to have some very heavy floods in those days. The Maitai and thel Brook streams used to overflow and cover the low-lying lands. Trafalgar street north right up to the Trafalgar Hotel, the lower portion of Collingwood street, arid the lower parts of St Vincent, Vanguard, and Waimea

streets wore sometimes covered with water, and mor<> than once people had to bo removed from their houses. la these days people travel by mean© of swift and easy motor cars, but seventy-one years ago, wo had to use bullock drnys when visiting our country friends. One enterprising , ."Dakar ufod goats harnessed to a'small'cart for the. delivery of his bread. My husband before he came to New Zcakmd w.is in the employ of the late Mr, John Falleoner, of Adelaide, who was a noted South Australian pioneer. One day, wiiilf> visiting Port Nicholson; (now "Wellingtor.) my husband saiv a man, mlio was driving two bullocks attached* t-o a dray In a difficulty. He could not get tlm bullocks to move. 'My husband asked the man to lot him brsvo a try. My husband took the whip, and to the great surprise of the raiin called on the p.nimals by their :i;ii)ios (Cobbler and Tinker), and soon bad thorn jroing. My husband had rccognked the Jjulloeks as two that formerly, belonging to Mv t Falleoner.

Aftor'.vards, my' .husband purchased tho bracts, and Cobbler and Tinker wrro- brought to Nelson* Cobbler got poisoned having oaten some tutu, and was foimd dead one morning en the land w.hei'c the X jam factory now stands. Until he reaped his crop of oats my husband used'to feed his bullocks on hro'f'd and thist'es. Tho children used to be glad- -%o earn x little, niojicy;'by gathering'the thistles. ; We were then- living in Trafalgar street iust abouti N Avhero ,Mr 'Diokson's ■'i.'j-drllar'n shop now stands, and my husband secured a fine crop of oats on the l.i-id adjacent going in thq direction of. Hardy street. It is not the lot of many persons to. r.tic tho birth, and gradual growth of' n, -city .for • sev«nty-oao years.' x>uruig tJiat pffriod New Zealand ho.s nuwl© vs<;t strides, h or population rising from n few hundreds to over one million. Col ego^, high .schools, first class primiK.y -s-phools, and technicals schools have taken tho place, of primitive night .'•cluols .which were conducted by the zv.lf- naorificing labours of some of the eauestod/ pioneer settlers.. ; ;