FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144852, 2 December 1915, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

TARANAKI’S EARLY HISTORY. (From tho Taranaki Herald of 1865.) Saturday, Doc. 2. A meeting of members and adherents of the Presbyterian Church was held in the Independent. chapel on Tuesday evening, when managers were appointed and } preliminary arrangements connected with the Chinch \vere made. The first service will he held at the Freemasons’ : Hail, Brougham Street, to-morrow, by I the Rev. It. M'Niehol. .. On Saturday last an armed party of the enemy came down on to'the-bench in sight of the camp at the White Cliffs and 500 or 01XJ yards off, and, while the rest remained under cover, one, who appeared to be a priest, came out and began to circulate round a rod; —instead of the usual polo in pai mariri fashion. When ho iiad linisbeA another canto out, but did not go back again, a shot from the cant)) killing him. Not very long afterwards tho onomy attempted a reprisal by firing at a parly of Military Settlers getting fern a short distance from the redoubt; no one, Jiowever, was hurt. Tho Natives, wo believe, are camped at Wnipingau, about a mile from tho redoubt, but why the garrison docs not dislodge them wo are quite unable to say. Captain donas' company of Bushrangers wore ordered down in a hurry to the White Cliffs early in the week, and now they arc on tho way back again to their .ow-ii laud, having been employed niton nothing but cutting down a little scrub. We regret to record the death' of a young man. Arscott Bayly, son of Mr. James Bayly, who was drowned in the Hangatalum or Stony River on Wednesday last. 'The deceased had come tip from Warea as part of the escort. Tho river was flooded and therefore very dangerous; lie had crossed safely himself, when the cart they were escorting got into difficulties, and ho and two others, Corporals H. Newland and D. Wright, went back into tho river to help. In doing this Wright was washed off his horse, and .young Bayly, in trying to help him. was carried away by tho flood and drowned. His body was recovered shortly afterwards by Corporal Dempsey, of tho 43rd. who crossed the river for the purpose; lie carried it above high-water mark and left it there, as it was impossible to bring it across; but wo regret to add that it was not there next morning, tho heavy surf which set in with the. gale during tho night having, no doubt, carried it out to .sea. Tho deceased was only 20 years old. and was as gallant a young man as ever mounted a horse.