Taranaki In Its Infancy

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

Taranaki In Its Infancy

PIONEER DAYS PRIOR TO 1852 (New Plymouth Boys* High School Essay Competition)

FIRST PRIZE SENIOR—T. MeLEAN.

Tradition says that there was a race of people living round the New Plymouth Sugar Loaves long, long before the coming of the Maori race from Polynesia in 1350 A.D. It is not know whether they were Morioris or not but it is thought the race had come from the western part of Polynesia. In that great migration or heke, as it is more often called, the canoes Tokomaru, Aotea and Kurohaupo all eventually found their way towards this part of New Zealand. Many of the Maoris settled' round about the Sugar

Loaves. Oakura is known to have been a centre. Other Maoris settled at Waitara, Urenui and especially as Tongaporutu. Taranaki was very densely populated in those times and later. Probably the first European to pass this way was Abel Janszoon Tasman •who, with the ships Zeehan of 100 tons and the HeemskerCk of 60 tons, sailed past this neighbourhood on the night of ijecember 26, 1642,'in a gale from the south-east. He saw nothing and noted nothing but he knew there was a cape by the contour of the coast. Captain James Cook was the first European as far as we know to see, in 1770, Cape Egmont and Mount Egmont. He called those two by that name in honour of the Earl of Egmont. He also

saw the curiously shaped islands round about Motui-oa and gave them the name of Sugar Loaves. Th® Maori name is Ngamotu, meaning “the islands.” About two years later Marion du Frcsne saw Mt. Egmont, and his name for it was “le pie de Mascarine,” Mascarine being the name of one fo his ships. Doctor Marshall, surgeon on H.M.S.

Alligator* which was sent out to rescue the shipwrecked sailors of the whaler Harriet, ; gives us the first detailed description of the coast between New Plymouth and Hawera. This was in 1834. The first white meu to settle in New Plymouth: were traders in a small way, and shore whalers. These settled at Moturoa in the Ngamotu Pa in 1828. The freezing works now stand, on the site of the pa. The first recorded communication between Sydney .and Moturoa took place in 1828 "when the Adventure, a cutter of 29 tons, sailed from the former port on February 26,. 1828. Captain Verral was in charge of the vessel. She sailed from Moturoa on April 16, John Love in command, and arrived at Sydney on May 4. The exports from Moturoa were pork and potatoes, these being primary products. The Adventure left Sydney again for Moturoa, but was wrecked ou the beach just past Paritutu. As a result of the wreck, the crew were forced to stay here for four years. During that ~time they married into the Ngati-Awa tribe. The Admiral Gifford was the second direct trader between Sydney and Moturoa. This vessel, which was a 42 ton ship, sailed from Sydney on November 13, 1828, for Moturoa, Captain Stewart commanding. The Admiral Gifford left on December 18, and arrived back in Sydney on January 18, 18’29, with the following cargo ’ consigned to Thos. Hyndes; —Twelve tons pork, 4 tons flax, 1 ton potatoes, 40 mats and 100 fishing lines, all of which indicates that there must have been a thriving settlement here even in those early times. Between the years 1831-35 a taua of 4000 W.aikatp Maoris, came to Waitara and Moturoa. After unspeakable barbarities in Waitara, the natives came on

to Ngamotu where they besieged 11 Europeans and 350 Maoris. It is estimated that there .'were 10,000 .fighting Maoris’ln Taraiiaki during that time, but when Mr. Carrington arrived in 1841 he estimated that there were only between 60 and 80 Maoris around the New Plymouth district. On November 27, 1839 the ship Tory dropped anchor round about the Sugar Loaves. On board acting as pilot was Richard Barrett. Dr. Duffenbaeh, who was also on board, decided to land with Barrett in order, to carry out exploration.

Two representatives of the New Zealand Trading Company, Edward Gibbon Wakefield and Dr. Dieffenbach, came to New Plymouth in 1839. Dr. Dieffenbach greatly distinguished himself on December 23, 1839, by .making the first known ascent of Alt. "Egmont by a white man. He was accompanied by Heberly and six natives, who acted as guides, but who refused to accompany him beyond the snow line. As far as is known, the route taken by the party , lay up the .Waiwkkaiho' Valley.

An overland surveying expedition was sent from Wellington on August 27, 1840, to Taranaki. Owing to the very great scarcity of food at Moturoa, the party returned, departing on September 27 without doing any surveying north of -.New Plymouth. The party comprised Messrs. Stokes and Park (surveyors), Heaphy (draughtsman), Dean and six swagmen. In December, 1840, Edward G. Wakefield called in Mr. F. A. Carrington, chief surveyor, and asked him to settle the site of New Plymouth, which had not been defined at that time. Air. Carrington was authorised to visit - Tasman Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound and Taranaki in order to obtain the best site possible for the new settlement. Taranaki he had already visited, and he had recognised the tremendous value of the land. The harbour, he knew, although a poor natural one, could be made perfectly safe with the aid of a breakwater. He therefore decided in favour of Taranaki. He stayed at Afoturoa for a few days in December, 1840. On January 8, 1841, the barque Brougham dropped anchor by the Sugar Loaves having the following passengers on board: —Mr. Frederick Alonzo Carrington (chief surveyor), Air's. Carrington and their three children, Frederick James, Frances Margaret and Jane; Octavius Carrington (chief assistant), John Bogan (second assistant), George Dnppa (draughtsman), Messrs.,

Harcourt Aubrey, J. B. Baines, James Dingle, Samuel Harris, Gardner Levitt, Charles Vairn, Samuel Teague (survey assistants), William Lakeman and Mrs. Lakeman and William Pote and Mrs. Pote.

On that dajf Mr. Carrington wrote: <: We had a fine view of the eoast of Taranaki and Mt. Egmont. We kept close to the coast all day and had a clear view of the country for 60 miles, in which distance we saw only seven natives and one hut. The country is the most magnificent I ever saw for agriculture ” Mr. Carrington may be considered rather remarkable through the medium of his prophecies. The country he alluded to is. now considered amongst the best in New Zealand. The breakwater of which he said there was a need -was started mainly through his exertions and to-day 12,000 ton vessels berth at the wharves in the greatest safety. Mr. Carrington thoroughly .deserves his name as “Father of New Plymouth.”

After investigating at Waitara and finding that place unsuitable owing to the bar on the river, Mr. Carrington fixed the site of New Plymouth to be between the Huatoki and Henui Rivers. This was on February 25, 1841. E. G. Wakefield had recommended Moturoa, but Mr. Carrington decided against it for the reasons that Richard Barrett and the mission station-together owned over 200 acres at Moturoa, that there was a native village there, that firewood was far too distant, and that the abominable smell of the whaling station would be a great disadvantage. On March 1, 1841, Mr. Carrington and his assistants set out with the help of Barrett and some natives to survey the ground lying between the Huatoki and the Henui. Their progress was considerably hampered by dense fern, scrub and virgin bush. On March 20, 1841, the barque William Bryan, Alexander McLean, captain, dropped anchor in Port Underwood. When the vessel left Plymouth on Nevember 19, 1840, the site of New Plymouth had not been decided upon. No one in the whole ship’s company knew to which part of New Zealand he was sailing. Mr. George Cutfield, the leader of the expedition, find-

ing no one except sqme whalers at Pori Underwood, crossed to Wellington in a pinnace, and there learned from Edward Gibbon Wakefield of Mr. Carrington’s choice. The William Bryan accordingly left Port Underwood on March 28 for the Sugar Loaves. One is compelled to admire the great spirit and indomitable courage shown by these God-fearing West-country men and women who came out to New Zealand in the z f or ties. To think of them

leaving homes and relatives to go 14,000 miles to a land where even at that time were cannibals, leaves one astounded at their pluck. - At 10 a.m. on Alarch 30, 1841, a vessel was sighted beating up the coast from the south. About. 5 p.m. it . was opposite Dicky Barrett’s establishment on Aloturoa Island, whence it was given a salute of two guns. The vessel, which was none other than the William Bryanj anchored at 6 p.m. about three-quarters of a mile north-east of Aloturoa ( Island. The next day the landing of the passengers with their luggage commenced. The first person landed was Airs. Sarten, who had been sea-sick most of the voyage and who consequently was in such a state that it was; thought advisable . to get her ashore immediately. The next fortnight was a period of great responsibility for Air. Cutfield owing to the fact that there were not nearly enough huts to hold all the immigrants, most of -whom had to lie on cold Afother . Earth. No doubt many tears were shed when the. pioneers, hardy though they were, thought of home. Tarpaulins were the only shelter. Fortunately the weather for the next 10 or 12 days was fine and this helped to cheer the settlers so that they were eager to settle down. Nine days before the William Bryan arrived the first divine service ever held in the settlement was held at the Rev. Air. Creed’s house,- which was situated on the seaward edge of the cemetery at Waitapu, Aloturoa. Mr. Creed was the Wesleyan minister in charge of the Taranaki Alaoris, his district ranging from Awakino to Pihama. On April ’5, 1841, Messrs. Carrington and Cutfield decided upon the site of the company’s store-house. This was the most important building in the early history of the town, and is often called the “cradle of New- Plymouth.” On the 6th the same two gentlemen showed the immigrants the location of their quarters at Devonpnrt between St. Anbyn

Street and Young Street. Each section, was an eighth of an acre and could be built upon without delay. The sections w’ere promised to the settlers at a rental of six shillings per year, after which they had to deliver them up for public auction or else stay upon them at an increased rental. The settlers • were very pleased with this arrangement and proceeded to build almost immediately. From the 18th to the 23rd of April, the pioneers were very busy completing the storehouse and’also erecting a bridge across the Huatoki. The timber had to be carried all the w*ay from where the racecourse now is to the Huatoki. River, but by the 29th'the bridge was finished. It would teke a., horse and cart, The task of : hauling their luggage from Moturoa was the next thing to which the pioneers turned, their attentions Their method of transport was with one timber dray, two hand carts and six: wheelbarrows, all of which had to be hauled by hand along the beach at low water. During April Mr. Carrington wrote to the -secretary of the company defending his selection of the site of New Plymouth. Some criticism had been levelled at him because of the absence of a natural harbour. Among other things he wrote: “I have minutely examined seven or eight hundred miles of coast and am satisfied that the Plymouth company has the garden of this country.” On July 3 the brig Speculator, on her way to Port Nicholson, anchored off Moturoa. She left two passengers, Messrs. J. B. Douglas and Richard Brown, both of whom were well-known in after life in New Plymouth. Indeed, Richard, more often Dickey, Brown once, by reason of his ungovernable temper, had New Plymouth almost wiped out'' by some Maoris. One day he liad the misfortune to hit a native of high rank over the head with the stock of his whip. For 48 hours the chief lay ’twixt life and death, and during that time the town was surrounded by Maoris of the Puketapu hapu. No European was allowed outside for fear that some slight incident might start a massacre, and Brown was placed in gaol. Luckily the chief did not die, so the' Maoris withdrew. But on Friday, August 4, Brown was tried before the magistrate, Captain King, R.N., J. T. Wicksteed, J. G. Cook, J. Flight, J. Webster and W. Haise, J.’sP. and fined £5, £2 10s of which had to go to the Government and £2 10s to the person injured. He also had to give his horse to the chief, for- he was on his horse when the Maori was struck. In addition he was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months under a penalty of £lOO. Later Brown made a great name for himself in 1860 when he was per-

sonally complimented by the Governor for bravery in the field. He seemed to lead a charmed life. But no. man is proof against an ambush and Brown was killed on May 26, 1860, and was buried with full military honours at St. Mary’s Church. After great delay in Cook Straits and ■Cloudy Bay due to Captain Dawson, the long expected barque Amelia Thompson put in an appearance at the Sugar Loaves on Sunday, September 4, 1841, having left Plymouth on the morning of Thursday March 25. She carried 187 passengers. It is a very strange thing that the ship which carried so many people to New Zealand had left the yards where it wai built witli its back broken. And what is more, the shipbuilders knew her back was broken. The settlers in New Plymouth were , greatly delighted when the Amelia ! Thompson ■ dropped-, anchor. They had '■ been isolated for. practically six months on end, had gone through a hard winter and their crops for the most part had . failed. . Captain Dawson, commanding the Amelia Thompson, caused great dissatisfaction by standing off-shore whenever a 'breeze became too fresh. Some mornings he was too far away to be seen. However, there are excuses for him, one being that he did not know the coast. He carried out thoroughly the principle of safety first. During September there were troubles over land with Captain Hobson, Governor of New Zealand. Hobson tried to restrict the company’s property to 50,000 acres, but, Mr. Carrington pointed out the injustice of it. Hobson thereupon extended the property to a 30 mile strip along-the coast. His -restrictions were slight, however, compared with Governor Fitzroy’s. The passengers by the : William Bryan and, Amelia Thompson could not take all; the personal belongings that they wanted out to the new colony, so the company charteredija- fid® new vessel, the Regina (Captain Browse), which left Plymouth on April 10, arriving at Port Nicholson on August’3l. • She stayed there for some time and arrived at New Plymouth on.- Sunday, October 3, bringing as passenger- Captain Liardet, a distinguished navalaofficer who had been appointed permanent resident of the New Zealand Company at New Plymouth.' Captain Liardet had arrived at Wellington on the Whitby on September 18. A passenger on the Regina thus describes the landing:—"After narrowly escaping shipwreck, we were landed, with our numerous baggage, on the beach at Taranaki. A more lovely country no one need desire to live in.” Soon afterwards Captain Liardet returned to Wellington on business, but he returned on the Oriental, the third ship under the company’s charter to sail for New Zealand. The Oriental (Captain W. Wilson) left Plymouth on June 22, 1841, carrying 191 passengers, most of whom disembarked at Wellington. The Oriental arrived at New Plymouth on November 7, and landed her passengers j on the foreshore near where the railway station now stands. Two days before the Oriental arrived the Regina was blown bn to the jocks. Fortunately all the crew were saved, but this event gave the town a very

bad name, and many ships did not come to New Plymouth because of the possibility of being wrecked. On November 14 the Oriental, owing to a stiff breeze, was nearly piled up on the rocks. In fact it was only the great skill shown by her captain that saved her.

A most unfortunate accident happened to Captain Liardet on November 29. He had intended to fire a salute from a four-poundcr but the gun did not go off. He started experimenting, when the gun went off unexpectedly. Liardet received the sand and burnt powder in his face, and at first it was thought he was going to die. His face was in a horrible state; The sight of his right eye was lost for ever, and Captain Liardet was obliged to go Home to receive expert medical attention. The event caused great sorrow in the settlement as Captain Liardet W’as very popular. The first Christinas Day celebrated in New Plymouth was very quiet. Divine service was held in the morning and at night. Two days later, however; the settlement was thrown into a panic by reason of a tribe of Waikato Maoris under Te Kaka, who came claiming the land by right of conquest. The settlers had bought the land from Ngatiawa slaves who were here when they came. However, the Waikatos had conquered them' in 1831-35. The Maoris danced a war dance, but upon being given some •trifling presents they returned without doing any damage. ‘ Nothing of very great importance took place in 1842 until the of the barque Timandra,. 382 tons (Captain Skinner) on February 23. She had brought out two buoys which were laid down at Moturoa, one fairly close into shore and the other further out for big Vessels. On March 2 the Brougham left Wellington for Nelson and New Ply-; mouth, having on board Colonel Wakefield and Messrs. Murphy and Cooke; The Brougham stayed three days and Colonel Wakefield expressed himself as being very pleased with the settlement and the country round about.

During March a small , vessel arrived from Port Nicholson and discharged eight bullocks and. one liorse. Four of the .bullocks were • for Messrs. "King and Cutfield, who ploughed with them every dav. ■ : ; ■•. ■ ' ’ ■ -...

As successor to .Captain Liardet, Colonel Wakefield sent Mr. John Tylson Wicksteed on the Brougham as resident agent. He arrived on May 5, 1842. On June 20 the selection of rural lands took place, 8200 acres being available. Captain King protested. against Mr. Wicksteed’s action in not setting aside any land for the. Maoris. He stated that he would select sections for them. Mr. Wicksteed ignored Captain King’s protest, saying that he wanted the Maoris in a separate block. The idea of having the Maoris next to the English arose from a philanthrppic desire to help the Maori. In theory it was a very fine notion, but in practice it was the opposite. The Maori was a lazy farmer. He permitted his pigs to trespass, his curs to worry the neighbour’s sheep and his fields to produce rich crops of noxious weeds. Mr. Wieksteed’s decision began the troubles with the Maoris and led eventually to the Taranaki land wars.

On September 30 the first anniversary of the arrival of the Amelia Thompson was celebrated. There were wrestling, boxing and all. kinds of sport for all. In the evening “John Company” gave a display of firewprks. During October Bishop Selwyn and Chief Justice Martin made their first visit to the settlement. The salaries for’ those times were rather high and would compare favourably with salaries nowadays. They' were: —Chief surveyor . £350, first and second assistants £290 each, third assistant £250, fourth assistant £2OO, sth assistant £l7O and .15 men at £BO each, making in all a total of £2750. These figures are for October. A little later, however, several men were discharged with the result that the total expenditure was about £l3OO per annum.

On July 19, 1842, the labourers, who received 5s a day, struck because of the high cost of living, e.g., flour was 4d a pound, fresh pork sd, sugar 6d and tea 4s 6d. All bf them agreed that they wanted niore wages. As a result no work was done oh that day or the 20th. On July 21, however, four men came down to .the storehouse at the usual time to receive instructions from M Cutfield. At 10 o’clock the remainder of the men-came down for a parley. Messrs. Baynes, Douglas and Cutfield convinced the men they had been too well treated and that the wages were high. The result was the men. had to work an hour extra per day for the same money.

On November IS) the Blenheim arrived from Plymouth, having left that port on July 1. She carried 159 passengers including. Mr. Parrig and family, Mr. Smart and family, Air. and Mrs. Alarsh, Alisa Chilman and Air. George Duncan. In December jSpmp -natives started to .fence a town section without having

purchased it. Mr. Wicksteed, hearing of this, tvent to them and ordered them to stop. The natives refused, whereupon there was great trouble. One Maori threatened to hit Mr. Wicksteed over the head with his tomahawk and was arrested.

On December 31, 1842, the cutter which had .been built in the settlement sold for £2OO in Wellington. During the winter of 1842 a contract for erecting a suspension bridge over the Waiwakaiho was let to Messrs. Edwin Brown and Goodall, the price charged being £5OO. Unfortunately soft wood was used for the piles and-five years later the bridge became a total wreck. On January 23, 1843, the barque Essex,. 392 tons, Captain Oakley, arrived from Plymouth with 110 passengers and immigrants. The Essex was the last to leave Plymouth for New Plymouth under the company’s charter. Captain Cooke, a well-known personage in the early; days of the settlement,- left Wellington on February 20, 1843, for New Plymouth, driving 70-head of cattle and a large flock of sheep before him along the beach. With Cooke were Richard Barrett and two or three ■stockmen. E. j. Wakefield left after ■Cooke, but caught up with him and help-

ed him -to drive the stock for a while. •Wakefield ■ stopped-.at Wanganui but came up afterwards and was very pleased with the settlement. ’

In March the wages, of labourers were reduced to 16s a week,.Mr. George Cutfield was deprived of his position as company storekeeper and immigration agent, and Mr. Carrington was told that his services would not be required after March 31, 1844.

On May 29, the barque Thomas Sparks (Captain Sparks) arrived from London via Nelson bringing as passengers Messrs. John and Charles Hursthouse and their families, and others. In June-the'times were-very hard and the labourers’ wages were reduced to 8s a week. /

..On August 27 Mr. F. A. Carrington and family left New Plymouth, in the Deborah for Wellington.

' Late in September the settlement was reported to be in a very flourishing condition. Two flour mills, were being built on the banks of the Huatoki River. The mill stones used can still be seen outside the public library, New Plymouth. In. September Bishop Selwyn appointed the Rev. Bolland. as first clergyman of the Anglican Church in New Plymouth. He arrived late in October. On December 23 the barque Himalaya arrived from London. The vessel carried as passengers Captain Creagh, his wife and five children, two sons of Captain Davy, Messrs. Thatcher, Watt, Low, Crooke and several steerage passengers.

The beginning of the year 1844 saw a great scarcity of food in the settlement. Mo&t.of the settlers were forced to eat musty, weevil-ridden biscuits, while the poorer people had to be content with small potatoes. As a result of the fight at Wairati, Marlborough, in the South Island, Lieutenant Willoughby 'Shortland, actingGovernor, had issued an order that Maoris ’were not to be ill-treated. The

Taranaki natives at once took advantage of this proclamation by cutting down bush on various properties. Petitions were sent to the new Governor, Captain Fitzroy, about the matter. By March, 1844, the two flour mills were at work on. the Huatoki. The wheat harvest yielded about 109 tons of wheaten flour for, home use. On March 19 the Theresa arrived from London with 18 passengers, including a few farmers, for New'Plymouth. Eight days later the Belle Marina, 600 tons, Captain Ashbridge, arrived from London with Messrs. F. W. Gledhill and Bateman as passengers.

On April 16, 1844, Commissioner Spain wrote to Colonel Wakefield-saying .that he was departing-for. New Plymouth in order to settle _ the land problem.' The Commissioner’s Court opened at New Plymouth on May 31. > , ; • On June 8 Mr. Spain gave judgment that the New Zealand Company was. entitled to 60,000 acres, one-tenth of which was to be set. aside for. the Maoris. The decision was very popular with the pakehas and the . reverse withthe Maoris. • The aspect, of the - latter was lo threatening-that messages were sent to Governor Fitzroy and Bishop Selwyn to come and settle the native disputes. On August-3 a largo meeting of both races assembled at Mt. Eliot (somewhere between the present,- railway station and Ariki Street) in order to hear the Governor's decision.-Captain Fitzroy started off by -saying that he did not take the same view as Mr. Commissioner Spain and therefore, he ordered another trial. The Governor left a Protector, Mr. (aftefwards--Sir Donald) McLean. and returned to Auckland in H.M.S. Hazard. On November 5 he returned to New r Plymouth. By the 25th all we natives interested in the matter were in town to hear Fitzroy’s decision.

He declared that the whole of the settlement was forfeited and induced the Maoris to accept £350 as compensation and complete payment for 3500 acres around-the settlement. Th© result was startling and the Taranaki wars can be traced to this act.

The general belief was that Fitzroy was insane. The older people always declared that he was and when in later years he committed suicide their belief was strengthened. . . ■

. On November 9 the. Governor interviewed some .labourers who had been complaining about the state of affairs in New Plymouth. Colonel Wakefield, who protested/very strongly .against Fitzroy’s land decision, added: -“I must also protest against the delusive promises held out to settlers and labourers to abandon the settlement for the neighbourhood of Auckland.”

The wheat crops at the end of February, 1'845, were good enough to cause general satisfaction among the settlers. On Captain Henry King's farm, by accurate measurements, the crop yielded 00 bushels to the acre.

In this month also, farm labourers’ wages were raised to 12s per week, part of which had to be taken out in’wheat at 6s per bushel. In April the Paul Jones, a cutter of 25 tons, sailed for Adelaide, carrying 18 settlers who had given up the struggle because of the Governor’s decision. The Carbon and the Richmond both took small exports of flour away in May. ! One person was reported to have found coal on a section in the western part of the town. In May some Maoris committed depredations at Mangoraka and a church had been built with stolen timber. Governor Fitzroy, when asked, refused to send troops to New Plymouth because he considered it to-be inaccessible both by land and sea. For this reason jthe overland mail to and from Auckland was stopped. In September, 1845, the news reached New Plymouth that Captain Fitzroy had been recalled and Captain Gray appointed in his place. There was great joy in the settlement on receipt of this news, for Fitzroy had been cordially disliked. - The September statistics-for the settlement were:—l,lo6£ acres cropped, 635 J being in wheat, T2BJ in barley,'the rest- being in carrots, turnips and gar-

dens. Some 267 tons of flour were exported and 1600 bushels of bailey. The first stone of St. Mary’s Anglican Church was laid by Captain Henry King, R.N;, on March 25, 1845. The cost of the first portion of the building, which was 50 feet by 30 feet was £1095 7s 6d, towards which Bishop Selwyn gave £250. Tn consequence of an attempt by the millers to raise the price of grinding flour fi’om 6d to 9d. per pound in January, 1846, the settlers formed a Union mill.

The May statistics for 1846 were:— Land sold} 14,000 acres; unsold, 11,000 acres; price per acre of suburban land, £2 ss; rural, £1 ss; 9.5 suburban sections unsold, and 800 town sections, the minimum price being £l2 10s per acre. 'ln July 400 Waikato Maoris visited the settlement and stayed a fortnight. There were signs that they were wanting a fight but the influence of Mr. McLean prevented them. The following is an article from a letter dated July 2, 1846, from the Secretary of State (The Hon. W. E. Gladstone) to Captain Grey: “I. cannot - bpt. express my ■ great surprise- and regret at not having been placed •by Captain Fitzroy im? possession of a full report . of -the course which he. pursued in 'this case, and of his reasonsifor that’course. I, however, indulge the hope that you may have found .yourself in a- condition, to give effect to .-the award of-. Spain. in, the case, of the company’s claims at New Plymouth, and in any case I rely on your endeavours to gain . that end so far as you have found practicable, unless, indeed, which I can hardly think probable, you may. have seen reason to believe that the reversal of Commissioner Spain’s judgment was a wise and just measure.” In August there were 50 tons of whale oil at Barrett’s station awaiting exportation, and the Ralph Bernal (Captain McLaren) , called in at New Fly.mouth on her way Home and purchased all the remainder of the whale-oil as well as some provisions. In December the population of the settlement was 586 males and 5-02 females, making a total of 1088. On January 30, 1847. the overland mail to Auckland was re-established. The-Elora arrived direct from London, bringing a large quantity of goods. On February 23, 1847, occurred an event which caused a gloom to fall over the whole settlement. Richard Barrett, who had done so much to help Dr. Dieffenbaclr, Colonel Wakefield, Mr. Carrington and many others, died. By reason

of his cheerful personality arid his everlasting good spirits, Barrett was most popular with all with whom he came in contact. Captain George Grey had intimated tbit he would be. visiting the settlement as soon as possible .and on February 26 he arrived in H.M.S.'S. Inflexible, the first steamship to visit New Plymouth. With him were Colonel Wakefield, the Ngatiawa chief Te Puni, and several lesser chiefs. At 10.30 a.m. they landed. The party stayed eight days, most of which was spent by" the Governor in trying to arrange a settlement of the land question. Wiremu Kingi Whiti refused to sell. His conduct, it is stated, was rather unbecoming a chief of high rank. The Governor left the town on March 0 for Wellington. Qn April 29 another sad event, occurred. The Rev. Bolland, the . first Anglican minister, died. He, like Barrett, had been very popular with everybody and his premature death was universally regretted. ' On August 31 Mr. Francis Billon Bell, the father of the present Sir Francis, arrived from Kelson to supersede Mr. J. T. Wicksteed as agent for the company. In September the Waiwakaiho bridge became a total wreck. On the 9th Bishop Selwyn arrived in the Undine but he stayed a few hours only. Mr. Hulke, a settler from Wanganui, bought the Union mill. Several labourers and their wives had long awaited a chance to go to Auckland. In October their desire was fulfilled, for the cutter Sarah Berry called and took away several men. Colonel Wakefield had once promised the whalers at Moturoa some land. In November 34 acres were given to.be divided amongst 10 or 12 whalers. Mr. Devenish arrived overland from Wellington with 22 head of cattle, all of which were sold. The price bullocks gained was from £26 10s to £36 10s, while heifers brought in from £lO 10s to £l7 10s. The year .1848 is perhaps the leanest year in the whole history of the settlement as far as historical records are concerned. The town was rather a dull place, and it was only just beginning to show the signs of prosperity which were and are the milestones of its existence. < The second known ascent of Mount Egmont was made by Mr. Bell and Mr. Whittington Carrington, brother of the chief surveyor. These two did some ex-

ploring on the mountain &uu u.ow.v.«« Bell’s Fails, naming it after Mr. Bell. In March, 1849, Mr. Bell resigned his post as agent, his place being taken by Mr. William Haise. Bell Block is also named after Mr. Bell, who negotiated its purchase. Very early in April the Rev. H. Go vet t arrived to take up the position as clergyman of St. Mary’s Church. On the 9th Bishop Selwyn visited the settlement. In his accoupt of his visit we read: “We anchored at Taranaki early on the morning of Sunday, April 9, 1848. If I may confess a partiality such as a father may feel for one particular child, without injustice to the .rest, this is my favourite settlement in New Zealand.” Surely as good a testimony as any.to be had. On November 23 the Star of China arrived from Sydney with the. fourth cargo of horses and cattle. The township in 1849 consisted of a few cottages round about -the Huatoki bridge, with several more round St. Mary’s Church and a few past the Waiwakaiho River. Outside a 500 feet radius of the. Huatoki bridge all was fern.

On May 4, 1549, the New Zealand Co. agreed to pay in land the settlers who had been deprived of farms by Governor decision,, r .. ~ During .this year .(1849) there...was a ..partial failure of the wheat , crop owing to a very wet season and in these times there, would sometimes be a great short 2 ' age of. one particular kind of condiment.' For instance, salt was very scarce at one period ,and sea. water ..had .to be evaporated in order to obtain that very , necessary article. . On Saturday, August 18, a gun was heard at sea and the whole township was overjoyed to see an English barque approaching. One of the surfboats soon put off with Messrs. Webster (Customs officer) and Watson (pilot). The ship was the Cornwall, 588 tons (Captain 'Dawson), carrying immigrants to the new settlement at Dunedin. Messrs. Charles Brown and B. Wells landed. Captain Dawson, the man who had brought out the Amelia Thompson, was given a rousing welcome by his old friends. Measles was communicated to the children of the town from the Cornwall.

By the end of 1849 trade was increasing and the outlook was particularly bright. Although the 1850 season was rather wet the settlers at Omata and Mangoraka were busy clearing bush and planting seed. In 1850 the New Zealand Company, through failing to honour- a debt of £230,000, was forced to give its charter back to the Crown. On the morning of Friday, August 2, 1850, the cutter William and James

drifted on,, to the rocks below Pari tutu and a passenger, a young girl named Elizabeth Bishop, was drowned. In October the Eden arrived fr,om London direct, -bringing the .following .pas-sengers-Mrs. Kingdon and family; Messrs. Alexander King, the first auctioneer in the settlement, Richard Pheney, Scotland and P. Macomish. The last named opened a school in the settlement. In 1851 gold was discovered in New South Wales. As a result a great demand for potatoes sprang up. New Plymouth, being favourably situated, became quite a centre, and ships called regularly. Ships chartered by London firms brought many passengers. The demand for land became acute. Late in 1851 the Cashmere arrived bringing 30 passengers. The Simlah also arrived and brought a fair number of passengers. On January 6, 1852, the Lord William Bentinck arrived. During the year the resident magistrate, Captain’ Henry King, resigned his post on account of his age and infirmities, and was succeeded by Mr.- Josiah Flight. The end of 1852 found the settlement firmly established, and slowly attaining some degree of prosperity. The pluck and determination of-the settlers, aided by a fertile soil and glorious climate, had enabled the town to survive even such disasters as Governor Fitzroy’s judgment. There were plenty of troubles still ahead of the settlement, but the spirit of these hardy pioneers was destined to carry them successfully over all obstacles. Even that courageous prophet, Mr. Carrington, had never foreseen the future which lay before the settlement he did so much to set on the road to prosperity.

Master: “I have been waiting for my for half-an-hour. Isn’t it New MaldT *No sir. I thought the first lot was too long getting hot, so I changed it.” Guide: “ . . . . and the oldest castle " American Tourist: “Yehl What picture was it built for?” Guide: "But, my dear sir, this castle was erected in 1392 1" Tourist: “Waal, I never did like them early Hilums." ..