TARANAKI HISTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1929, Page 3

TARANAKI HISTORY

PERIOD ENDING YEAR 1852. BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY. (First Prize. —Junior.) (By Cyril W. Hoskin.) The discovery of New Zealand is popularly attributed to the Dutch navigator, Abel Janzoon Tasman, who sailed on a voyage of discovery from Batavia. Driven by a southerly gale up the west coast of the North Island, he passed Taranaki on December 26, 1642. In 1770 Captain James Cook, while proceeding down the coastline, saw the mountain and named it and the cape in honour of the Earl of Egmont. He also noticed the sugar-loaves and described them as “remarkable peaked islands lying under' the shore.” The next navigator to approach these shores was Marion Du Fresne, a Frenchman,' who passed the cape, in 1772. He named the mountain “Le Pic de Mascarin” after his ship. Whaling was a very profitable occupation in the early days of the colony, and as it was a common thing ' for schools of these animals to pass through Cook Strait, whalers often frequented

the . West Coast line. Amongst these was one Captain John Guard,, who, with his wife and family,- was sailing from -Sydney to Port Underwood in his ship, the Harriott. Captain Hall was'master of the vessel, which encountered bad weather and was wrecked near Cape Egmont. - ’ _■ , The sailors were friendly for about six days with the Maoris,' but'., a quarrel arose.' In the fight which.ensued 12 sailors and 25 Maoris were killed. Mrs. Guard, her ?two children, and 10 sailors were held prisoners bythe Maoris, while her husband and the remainder of the crew were,allowed to de-, part on promising to return with gunpowder as a ransom for the.. others. Guard went to Wellington and thence to Sydney. The New South Wales Governor sent H.M.S. - Alligator under Captain Lambert to rescue the prisoners. The rescue was effected and according to Dr. Marshall’s account of the incident the Alligator’s guns destroyed two villages, killing numbers of Maoris. The New Zealand Company’s first ship) the Tory, entered Wellington (then known as Port Nicholson) on September 20, 1833. Colonel Wakefield;-'who "superintended the company’s actions in New Zealand, purchased some land in Taranaki from the Ngatiawa tribe. He resolved to proceed north to view some of the company’s territory at Kaipara On his way he decided to leave Dr. Dief? fenbach, Richard Barrett and his family, and John Dorset, the company’s agent, at Ngamotu and to take them back on his. return. -

It was arranged that /Barrett should assemble the chiefs on the coast-line in a month’s time, when the colonel intended to. return. He would then make payments for the land acquired in the different districts and receive the written consent of the chiefs to the sale. Dr, Dieffenbach, with Dorset as interpreter, ' set out intending to climb Mt. Egmont. They reached the foothills

but had to return through lack of food.

Another start was made, however, in fine weather and with ample'provisions. Their ascent and return occupied six days. They then explored the Waitara River. .< ■

On January, 25, 1840, the Plymouth Company, with a capital of £150,000, was formed in the town. of that name. This company purchased from the New Zealand Company 10,000 acres of its ncw.ly-acquired land.'' It despatched on August 13, by the barque London, the chief, surveyor, Mr. F. A. • Carrington, with a staff of officers and men to select a site for its settlement and to commence the; surveys. The Plymouth Company made a further purchase, of 50,000 acres from the New Zealand Company, which sent out instructions to Colonel Wakefield to give Mr. Carrington every assistance in his power to make the selection. ’ Accordingly an expedition left Overland to explore Taranaki. After a month’s fatiguing journey the party reached the sugar-loavcs only to remain one day and retrace their weary steps. When Mr. Carrington arrived at Wellington he interviewed Colonel Wakefield who placed at his disposal the barque Brougham’. An expedition consisting of Messrs. F. A. Carrington, Bains, Nesbitt, Rogan and Mr. R. H. Aubrey, as well as Mr. Richard Barrett, who had decided, to take up residence again in Taranaki, left Port Nicholson in the ship on January. 8, 1841. They arrived off Moturoa on the evening of the 10th. Mr. Carrington examined the country and re-embarking visited many other likely places for a settlement in the South Island. On arriving back in Port after 16 days had passed, he finally gave his decision for Taranaki. He again made use of the Brougham to carry his survey staff and some intending settlers to Taranaki, leaving Port Nicholson on. February 9 and reaching Moturoa on the 12th.

The first ship sent ’by the Plymouth Company was the William Bryan, commanded by Captain MacLcan. The ship left 'Plymouth on November 19, 1840, and on March 30, 1841, it anchored off the sugar-loaves with 148 immigrants. The Amelia Thompson soon followed, leaving Plymouth on March 28 with 178 emigrants. It arrived in Port Nicholson instead of New Plymouth, and there was some trouble over the landing .. of passengers.' Colonel. Wakefield persuaded Captain Dawson' with - £lOO to take them to New Plymouth,' where they disembarked on '.September 11, 1841; The Regina was then despatched with the stores and luggage that had been excluded from the Amelia Thompson. She arrived off New Plymouth on Sunday, October 3. On' board was Captain Liardet, whom Colonel Wakefield appointed as resident agent in lieu of Captain King whose appointment was only temporary. Whilst unloading the Regina was washed ashore and could not be refloated. Following' the'. Regina came the Oriental, which arrived early in November.

As the number of Taranaki pioneers -was'rapidly increasing Captain Liardet consulted Colonel Wakefield, who wrote to Governor Hobson applying for “an extension of the block at Taranaki to 30,000 acres.” The Governor’s reason for curtailing the selling of the block was that the powerful Waikato Maoris claimed the land by conquest. This tribe threatened to dislodge the settlers, who did dot purchase the land from them.

Owing to Captain Liardet leaving New Plymouth as a result of an accident, it became necessary for Colonel Wakefield to appoint another resident agent. Mr. John Tylson Wicksteed was the gentleman chosen to fill the vacancy. Accordingly,' early •in » May,: -■ 1842,■ he

arrived in the Brougham to undertake his new duties. Now followed what has been appro- - .‘■J priately termed “the dark ages of Taranaki History,” a period from 1842 to ’4B, when retrogression took the place . $ of advancement. Mr. Wicksteed in a letter to Colonel Wakefield said: “The settlers in this part of the company’s 1 territory have recently had some dif- ; ficulty with the natives, the particulars ' of which I think it right to state, as they are liable to misconstruction. You are aware that -a considerable number • of natives have lately been liberated by ' the Waikatbs, who, some years ago, ‘ ' overran the Taranaki district, and carried off a large portion of its inhabitants as their slaves. The manumitted natives are now returning" to-this district, and not having been parties to the sale of the land to the company, now complain that they have neither potato grounds nor ‘utu’ in.money or recompense.” . '1 Some of these natives resorted to , r ‘) violence, burning the homesteads . of some of the settlers. They also drove the settlers from the northern side of the Waitara River. Mr. Wickstced took a surveying party and accompanied by an armed guard proceeded to Waitara. A. long parley with the ended in their entire submission and a promise ? of better behaviour in the future. On June 20, 1842, the selection of rural lands took place, :8200 surveyed . acres being available for .sale.. Captain . v, King, who had been Appointed protestor of aborigines, failed to. obtain, land for the Maoris and protested when Mr. Wicksteed selected none for them. Mr. Wicksteed was anxious to. place the ‘ natives in one block by themselves.

lii October Bishop. Sei wyn, and. Chief Justice Martin visited New Plymouth. The following month, 0n... the 19th, the Blenheim arrived from Plymouth with 159 passengers. Lieutenant. Shortland, the first representative of British authority to visit New Plymouth, arrived by the Government brig Victoria, which anchored in’ the roadstead on February, 25, 1843, He would not land nor permit* any officials with him to do bo. The resi-‘ dent agent went off to the vessel, and had a long interview with Mr. Shortland, who informed. Mr. Wickstced that' he considered the land in Taranaki-to have been fairly purchased from the chief of the Taranaki tribe—the 'man, he. considered, who was the real owner of it. ■ > ■ , .

' The last vessel despatched by the Plymouth company was the Essex. Under Captain Oakley, it arrived ..at New Plymouth on January 23, 1843, thus making . dose on ’ 900 men, women and children who had left Plymouth in Great Britain to fouml a New Plymouth in th& “Britain of the South.” As the funds of the Plymouth Company had become 'exhausted and the New. Zealand.. Company were unable to assist with money . for-the purchase of more land, there was nothing for it but retrenchment, and operations were' suspended. Mr. Wicksteed and Mr. F. A. Carrington were informed that their services would no longer be required' as from March 31, 1844. The latter had left the settlement in the Deborah on August 28 of the previous year for' Wellington; en route for England. He took with him a large and valuable collection of specimens and Maori curiosities.

On April 16, 1544 Commissioner Spain intimated to Colonel Wakefield that he intended' to visit Taranaki in order .to settle the native land claims in that district. The court opened in New Plymouth on-Friday, May 31, 1844 in-the presence of a large assemblage of, Maoris. Mr. Spain awarded. 60,006 acres of land in Taranaki to the New Zealand Company upon their payment of £2OO to his Excellency the Governor of New; Zealand.

When Mr. Spain’s decision was Interpreted to the natives they raised strong objections. So threatening was their attitude, indeed, that Governor Fitzroy, was informed. He immediately sent Mr. Donald Mac Lean ahead to Taranaki. Ho himself followed iff the H.M.S. Hazard. On August 3, before axgreat gathering of Maoris and settlers, he declared that his view of the matter differed from Commissioner. Spain’s. He pacified the Maoris for a time and left. On his ye-; turn in three-months’ time he declared the settlement invalid and ordered the company to pay the natives £350 for the land block as compensation. , . ! Fitzroy was popularly believed insane, in consequence of this act, which was the commencement of the hatred, between the Goverriment and the com-; papy. - As a result of Fitzroy’s mis-' management of the colony he wag recalled and Sir George Grey , was sent out in his place in 1845. - . Mr. F. Dillon Bell arrived by the Catherine Johnson from Nelson, on August 31, 1847, to supersede Mr. J. T. Wicksteed in the office of company’s agent. Mr. Bell resigned this position in March of the following year. ME William Haise succeeded him. On May 4, 1849, the New Zealand company agreed to grant compensation in land to those settlers who had been deprived of their holdings by the arbitrary act of Governor Fitzroy. On Saturday afternoon, August 18, a barque appeared approaching the sugar-loavea. It proved to be the Cornwall, commanded by Captain Dawson, formerly of the Amelia Thompson. The New Zealand Company, having c ome to an agreement with the Government, had recommenced operations and sent out the Cornwall with a few passengers for Taranaki, but the greater part were for the new settlement of Otago, The Cornwall was followed by other ships chartered by the company, and,a number of settlers were added to the little community. However, during 1850, the company returned its. charter to the Crown. .