SENIORS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

SENIORS.

FIRST PRIZE. M. Geddes, 17 years 8 months, Form VI. On the morning of December 27, 1642, in a roaring southerly gale, Abel Janzoon Tasman sped up the West Coast of New Zealand, On his right the long green shore rose gradually until it was lost in the clouds. Then with a strange suddenness the clouds parted and for a brief interval the watchers on the ship had glimpses of a lofty, snow-clad mountain —the Cabo Pieter Boreels of Tasman’s map. Thus was Taranaki first viewed by white men. For more than a hundred years after Taranaki was viewed by none but halfnaked savages. Then on the evening of Friday, January 12, 1770, Captain James Cook sailed within three leagues of the shore immediately under a white-capped mountain, which he named in honour of EaTl Egmont. Next day he sighted and named Cape Egmont. In his log he mentions having seen a group of rocky islets—the sugar loaves of Moturoa. Two years later Captain Marion du Fresne sighted Egmont and, not knowing of Cook's discovery, named it "Le Pic du Muscarin,” after his ship. Forty-five years later, in 1817, John Rutherford, a fugitive sailor from an American ship, visited Taranaki in company with a party of Maoris. In a book, which he wrote many years after, he gives an account of this trip, and describes Taranaki in glowing terms. The first trader to visit Taranaki was John Mannon, who arrived about the middle of 1824, and bargained with the natives for a cargo of flax. In 18281 Richard Barrett was wrecked at Motu-1 roa, and after brief trouble with the Maoris, he settled and married an Atiawa chieftainess. After a few years of trading he set up a whaling station at Moturoa and did a thriving business, but during the tribal wars of the ’thirties he was forced to seek a more secure j home on the Moturoa sugar loaf. The first real contact with the natives | occurred in 1834, when the “Harriet,” under Captain Hall, was wrecked near Cape Egmont. The passengers landed, and were at first treated in a friendly manner by the natives. However, trouble soon arose, and several of the sailors were killed. Their plight became known, and the H.M.B. Alligator was sent to the rescue. Somewhat unnecessarily, she fired on the natives and killed sev-1 era), but the prisoners were rescued. i In 1839 the New Zealand Company I purchased a large block of land, stretch-1 ing from Mokau, past Moturoa and I Wanganui to Wellington. Later a party, including Dr. Di li enbach, spent several weeks on shore, and climbed Mt. Egmont, subsequently making a boat trip to the north, in the course of which they examined the Waitara, Onaero, Urenui, and Mimi River mouths.

Next year the Plymouth Company was-formed for the purpose of colonising New Zealand with people from the West of England. Mr. Carrington was appointed chief surveyor and given orders to select a suitable site for the colony. He was given a choice of Queen Charlotte Sound and Taranaki, and visited the latter in the ship Tory early in 1840. He was greatly impressed with the fertility cf Taranaki, but deplored the fact that it had no harbour. However, he chose Taranaki for the settlement, because he said that a harbour could be made to serve a rich country, but a rich country could not be made to serve a harbour. The rival claims of Waitara and Moturoa had next to be considered. After an extensive inspection of the Waitara district he, however, came to the conclusion that Moturoa was the more suitable. The choice having been made, it was necessary to define the actual site. The Huatoki and Moturoa were both inspected, but the latter was ruled out owing to the abominable smell of the whaling station, the lack of water, the extensive sand drift, and the interception of the land by others. On March 30, 1841, the first colonists arrived in the William Bryan. They were all (148) landed at Moturoa, and the work of building the settlement commenced. Much dissatisfaction at Carrington's choice was expressed, and nearly all freely joined in abusing him. As the months passed and the next ship, the Amelia Thompson, became overdue, the small supplies of the colonists began to be exhausted, and famine threatened them.

The anxiously awaited ship arrived, however, in September with another large body of immigrants. After some little difficulty in passing through the surf all were landed. They found a contented little colony, which had overcome the first difficulties, and was well on the read to prosperity. The drawback was the lack of accommodation, but this, in time, was overcome. A month later the Regina arrived ami began to unload stores, but a gale, rising during the operations, the ship was driven on to the reef off the mouth of the Huatoki ami wrecked. Owing to this unfortunate occurrence the roadstead received a bad name, and the colony was at times threatened with isolation, owing to owners refusing to lend their vessels there. The Oriental and Timandra arrived in the next few months and discharged more immigrants. The new arrivals found the settlement threatened with a Waikato invasion, but the timely aetion of Governor Hcbsoji saved the situation, and the Waikatos, who had claimed land round New Plymouth, were j'H< ified. Before the Treaty of Waitangi much land had teen bought from the natives, and in 1842 Commissioner Spain was appointed to decide on the validity of any claims based on such purchases. He arrived in New Plymouth in May, 1844, and examined three hundred Maori witmsfos. At the eml of the hearing Mr. Spain gave his award, the substance of which was as follows: The New Zealand Company were ordered Io pay £2OO to the Governor, to be used to the advantage of the Maoris. In return New Plymouth was to receive 60.000 acres lying between the Waitara Biver and Parituui, except certain native lands v.ithin those limits. The Maoris were dissatisfied, and Governor Fitzrby arrived next year to settle the matter. He set aside Spain's award, but did jj« thing else. He returned in a few ji < uths ami managed to persuade the Hlaoris to sell him the Fitzroy block. He left a dissatisfied colony behind him.

In 1842 the first Wesleyan Mission was set up under Rev. Creed, and was soon followed by a Church, of England Mission under the Rev. Bolland. The first churches were raupo huts, but in the next few years more substantial buildings were erected, and in 1846 the first stone of the present St. Mary's Church was laid by Bishop Selwyn. Throughout the first five years of the establishment of the colony food supplies were scarce. But the increasing yield of the wheat crops, and the establishment of two flour mills on the Huatoki, relieved the situation. A surf boat harbour had been established on the Huatoki, and this did excellent service in the unloading of boats. Except for the land troubles the colony was in an excellent position. In 1847 Governor Grey arrived in the HAI.S. Inflexible, ami after lengthy conferences with the Maoris he managed to persuade them to sell the Grey and Tataraimaka blocks. For the next three years the colony pursued the even tenor of its way, and in 1850 was in a very prosperous position. But when we think of the trials of the early pioneers we cannot help wondering at the manner in which they overcome trial after trial and in the end carried the colony well on the road to success. To them we owe the peace and quiet which we to-day enjoy in the “Garden of New Zealand. '