Colonising Schemes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13803, 14 January 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Colonising Schemes.

THE "WAKEFIELD SYSTEM. "How great events from little causes spring." If an impetuous young man had not made a runaway marriage at Gretna Green in 1826, New. Zealand would be in a very different condition to-day, because it would have been colonised under entirely different conditions. The young man was Edward Gibbon "Wakefield; he abducted and married a ward in Chancery, and for his contempt of court he «as put in prison. There he had time to study, he studied the art of colonisation, and when released he published pamphlets that were approved in high quarters, and- through them and subsequent efforts Edward Gibbon AVakefield changed the whole system of founding British Colonies. The chief idea in the "Wakefield system," was to make each colony like a slice of England, with well-to-do people owing land, and labourers provided with constant work by the landholders; and churches, schools, and colleges were included in the Wakefield programme. In order to ensure the working out of such a scheme, Mr Wakefield considered it essential that the land should be. sold at suc'hja price as would compel owners to-cultivate it. and would prevent, the labourers becoming land-owners too q'uickly!. The proceeds of sales were to be spent mainly for the benefit of the settlement. The "sufficient price" thcory was strongly combatted at Home, and in New Zealand and Australia, and at first, it did not prove an entire success; but in.the long run the opposing cheap land theory proved to be still less successful." South Australia was started on the Wakefield plan and very soon came to grief, because the purchasers of dear land'did hot set about working it themselves, and the labourers they took out with them or got from Ne'w South Wales asked what, was thought exorbitant wages when asked to work it for them. Captain (later Sir George) Grey was made Governor and gave them a fresh start, and the discovery of copper and silver put the new settlement on its feet. This experience probably made Sir George Grey" a' "cheap" land" man. and he tried .to apply this theory in New Zealand later on. In 1537 Mr Wakefield founded in London the "New Zealand Association,", to colonise New Zealand according to his plan. The idea was to purchase land from the natives as cheaply as possible, and sell it to colonists in farm sections of 150 acres, with a town lot lor each rural lot. The land was to be sold at 10s an acre, but the settlers were required to pay £3 per acre ,-• 50s of which was to be spent ror the benefit of the settlement—los on survevs and roads, 20s on schools and churcires, and 20s on bringing out labourers. The Wakefield plan contemplated an agricultural not a pastoral settlement, and the concentration instead of dispersion of settlers. Agents were sent out zo negotiate with the natives for land, which intending colonists were to buy in Loudon, and were given "land orders" or "scrip' entitling them to selections on arrival, aftei the sections had been surveyed and laid off. In some cases the allotment was made in order of application and survey; in other cases the sections wer" allotted bv ballot. The surveyors did not trouble to select suitable land, and some of the sections, were useless, bein" cither swamp or shingle. Inc agents, too, did not understand the communal land system of the Maori, and "bought" land from chiefs who had no-nower to sell, so that- when the colonists" arrived in districts where the natives were numerous, as in Wellington, thev found that they could not get their orders filled. At Yvairau, Nelson,' niany whites were killed because of -an unwise attempt to survey lands'that were in that condition, and the news of the "Wairau Massacre" for some years acted as a deterrent to emigration. Some people who had purchased land orders for Wellington were kept waiting a long time for suitable laud, and it was this failure to obtain land'there that caused the Deans, the Hays and others, who arrived in Wellington in 1840, to come south, ..the Deans to settle at Riccarton, the Hays at Pigeon Bay, the Association allowing them to transfer their orders. The Association's purchasing agents were more successful in this island, and secured -the whole of the East Coast for a inere trifle. The Association expected or hoped to make a good profit nut of the lUs an acre for land sold, but the sales did not come up to expectation, and the Association became insolvent in 1845. Its undertakings were however carried on by means of generous financial assistance from persons who believed in the scheme, till 1850, when the Association handed over its engagements' to the Rritish Government, and finally obtained a considerable sum in payment for the land purchased bv them from the natives. SETTLEMENT OF OTAGO. The New Zealand Association encouraged the formation of subsidiary associations, to undertake the settlement of selected portions of the country on the Wakefield system. The parent Association undertook to assist in founding the settlements, in return for the 10s an acre for the land. One such association was formed under the auspices of the "Free" Church of Scotland (separated from the "Established" Church by the "Great Disruption" of 1843). They bargainc.d with flic .New Zealand Association for 400.000 acres of laud, to be selected, for them somewhere in the South Island. This is specially worth mentioning, because Canterbury was near being selected for the location of the Scottish colony. Mr. Tm-krtt. a surveyor, who was sent from Nelson to select' the 400,000 acres, declined to undertake the task unless he was given a free hand to select a block "anywhere between Ranks' Peninsula and'Milford Haven." In a letter written bv him '.just before starting from Nelson on his quest, he said, "ir there is a good local;; for a settlement in this island. 1 mean to have it." Mr Tuckett came by sea to Port Cooper, and intended to travel overland thence southward. That intention was not fulfilled. Mr Tuckett was unlucky in several .wins. When Ik; .climbed the Port Hills' to have a look over the country, he selected a summit from which he saw little more than swamps and Lake Ellesmerc. And what he saw of the plains seemed small in comparison with the bulky mountains be-, yond and not far away. He visited the Deans at Riccarton, and had to flounder through swamps more full of water than usual. Finally, he was unable to make what he" considered a fair bargain for a Maori guide and porters, so lie determined to go further south by sea : he did so. landed at Moeraki, and walked on. He therefore missed the great plains of Canterbury altogether. Mr Tiiekcii records that the Maoris at MoeiMki.told him flnfc "the J-.ud ad-i;i.r-iil to the- rivi-r Tiniaru is the niohl, fertile on this line of coast," but h<did not walk back to have a look at it. ?!•• selected the block which became the nucleus of Olago, and the

first colonists arrived there in 1848. The Free Church accepted the "Wakefield principle, but made the price, of land £2 an acre, with proportionately smaller sums-for the several purposes above mentioned.

FOUNDING OF CANTERBURY

The High Church party in England, following the lead of the Free Church of Scotland, formed an Association with the Archbishop of Canterbury as its chairman, and many aristcratic and ecclesiastic notabilities on its committee, to found .a Church of England colonv in New Zealand on the "Wakefield plan. A bargain was made with the New Zealand Association, for a block of land to be selected. At first 300,000 acres were asked for,' then one, two, and finally three, million acres was agreed upon, "the price being 10s an acre, to lie paid to the parent Association as the land was sold. The Gaiiterburv Association fixed the price to be paid bv colonists at £3 an acre, and sold it in town lots of half an rural lots of 50 acres. Of the total price 10s an acre was to go to.the parent Association, 20s to be spent on survevs and roads, 20s on schools and churches, and 20s on assisting immigration Inquiry as to the best locality for the colony, and especially a letter from one of the Deans Bros, already long settled at Lyttelton, resulted m the selection of the Canterbury plains from the Waipara to the Ashburton, with the Port Hills, and Port Cooper as the harbour. The selection having been made, the New Zealand Association sent their chief surveyor Captain Thomas, with Mr' Edward Jollie as his first assistant to lay off towns—Lyttelton (for the "capital'.'), Smnncr and Christchurch ; to survey farm lands tor. the purchasers, to, erect barracks tor the immigrants, and to make a road; from the port over the hills About 100 men were, at one time, at. work-; buildings were erected: a bridle track over the hill was made, and a. start, made with a road to Sumner. . THE "PjIONEERS.'' The history of !the founding of the Church settlement in North Canterbury, the description of the preparations made for the "Pilgrims" (the arrivals bv the First Four Ships) and the sto'rv of the " Pioneers" ,(the numerous settlers Vho had already established themselves before the "Pilgrims " disembarked is cxtreinely interesting, but wc can only refer to such • nortions of it as have a close relationship to the history of the settlement of South [Canterbury. North Canterbury was a much older settlement when, the " Pilgrims" landed than was South Canterbury when the Strathallan cast anchor in the Tiniaru roadstead. Captain "W. B Rhodes bought land from "the Maoris and landed cattle at'Akaroa in 1839. In 1840 or '4l a man named Hcriot brought a team of bullocks, a married couple and a single man from Sydney, ploughed up 30 acres at' Riccarton and Harvested the crop, but native rats ace the grain, and ho quitted the place in disgust, leaving a stack of straw. In 1840 a party of fifty-nine French and nine Germans settled at Akaroa and " German " Ray. In '43 the Deans settled at Riccarton, the Hays and others at Pigeon Bay and the neighbouring Hays. In 'li three brothers named Greenwood established themselves at Purau, and sold out in '47 to Messrs \V. R. and G. Rhodes. In '47 the Deans were shipping tat steers to Wellington, and Gobble and Manson shinned 2; tons of butter and ciieese to Sydney, and in '49 the Deans .shipped Home 14 bales of wool, the ;,c-.v Zealand Association had buiit barracks and made roads in Lvtteltou; H. J. LeCren, who afterwards became a prominent figure in South Cantcroury, had been sent out as an agent of the New Zealand Association, and with a partner named Longden had set up a wholesale store: there were several small retail stores, a bakcrv, and the inevitable "hotel," when the first four ships arrived at Lyttelton. Never before had a colonising party had its way so well prepared. It may be interesting to note here that many of the familiar place names of North Canterbury commemorate members of the Association who engineered the colonising scheme. Canterbury was named after the Sec of the chairman, and Christchurch after his church ; Lyttelton and Sumner after two Lords on the committee. Lyttelton was laid out by Captain Thomas and Mr Jollie to be the capital, and its streets wore named after bishoprics. Sunnier followed, and absorbed more bfshops' titles, and when Christchurch was laid out, there .verc ,fcw but Irish and fclouial Sees' names left to be used. That was Mr Jollie's explanation of the use of such names as Colombo, Rarbadoes, Madras, Antigua, etc., in the nomenclature of the streets of Christchurch. Many other place names of North Canterbury recall the names of aristocratic or ecclesiastic members of the Association's Committee —Earls, viscounts, lords, bishops, baronets, right honourablcs and reverends —but very few were applied in South Canterbury. EARLY LAND LA"ttS. The most important of the artificial conditions of settlement were those provided by the regulations concerning the occupation of land, and the first public question the Pilgrims had to discuss (after exchanging Lyttelton for Christchurch as the " capital") was the land question, in regard to the leasing of pasture lands. TJic Canterbury Association's regulations provided that no unsold'land should be leased to anyone but a purchaser of land, a freeholder; the area to .be leased was limited, and the rentals l'xcd were high. It happened that in the late Forties the sheep owners of Australia suffered very much from droughts, and learning that some line sheep country had been discovered in Canterbury, some of them came over and sought to obtain runs — large runs —on cheap terms according to "the Australian practice. The Pilgrims saw that it would be a mistake to turn away these " Shagroous " (as thev were nick-named) with their stock, their moiiev, and their experience, ana at a meeting of the laud purchasers it was decided to make new land •regulations, Mr John Robert Godlcy, the Association's agent, undertaking to get them approved by the Association. Mr James Edward Fitzgerald drew up the resolutions, the terms suited the " Shagroons," and they formed the basis of the Canterbury land law adopted bv the "first Provincial Council in 185o". The new regulations provided for the leasing of lands for pastoral purposes without reference to any qualifying ownership of a freehold, but with conditions requiring each run to be stocked, within a certain time. The minimum stocking was to be one head of cattle or horse to each 120 acres or one sheep-to each 20 acres; and the rentals were fixed at 20s per 100 acres for runs under 1000 acres; for runs of 1000 to 5000 acres, 2d per acre for the first 1000. Id per acre for the rest; for runs over 5000 acres, -Jd per: acre for the first and second years, id for the third and fourth ; and 3d per acre afterward*. 'lhe area of runs was limited to 20,000 acres, north of the Rakaia. but owing to the difficulty of crossing this river and the Rangitata, ''nd the distance from Port Cooper, larger runs were allowed south of the Rakaia.

The Pilgrims proved quite able (o compete with the more experienced "Sliasronns" in Inking advantniie of the new land law. The invasion of .Australians was greatly checked too. bv the discovery of gold iii New South' Wales in

1851, and the goldliclds also drew away, permanently or temporarily, sonic of the New Zealand colonists before they got well settled. Within a few months all the country north of the Rakaia, and the Port Hills, had been applied for as runs. The Rakaia was so formidable a river for crossing sheep that it checked the expansion of " squatting " southwards. Only: for a short time, however, for Messrs R. 'and-' G. Rhodes soon showed the Shagroons and Pilgrims that the active merino can swifri; even such wide and l-nnid rivers as the Raka-'a mid Rangitata, and by the end of 1854, practically the whole of the plains and downs of South Canterbury had been ..minlied for as:i pastoral runs oy about thirty Pioneers of South ■ ;;•. > Canterbury. _ t The honour lot being the founders of South Canterbury belongs to the brothers W. B, R., and G. Rhodes, and the opportunity came to them in this way ; .;. Among the employees of Rhodes Bros, at Purau was' Samuel Williams, been a member of the whaling party at Tiniaru, and hearing from him a good account of the country iu the neighbourhood, and of the feasibility of shipping wool at Tiniaru, Mr George Rhodes, before ISSO,- paid a visit to Timaru to see for himself whether the ex-whaler's opinion of capacity of the Tiniaru country was well founded. It may safely bejsurmised that Mr Rhodes was well.pleased with the well crossed and gently undulating downs that extended mile pn| mile beyond a far dis- , taut librizon and swept gently up to the low hills on the west. Tt must indeed; have appeared to the keen eye; of the experienced grazier a delectable laiid compared with the steep: slopes >pf' "the Port hills, the swampy flax- ia'iid that, ran in a broad belt along theirf foot, or the, dry shingly .plain i As soon as the adoption pftitlis. new. land law:liad beep adopted'.^ ting .of grazing" leases being given arid taken, the "Rhodes Bros, took up three leases of 50,000' acres, the, first, in South... Canterbury. The area included in the three runsVit was supposed, the whole of the* .country between the Opihi and and. from the sea to the Opawa at Albury. Later on it was found f that the boundaries given contained much more than 150,000 acres, and a separate run of 22.500 acres was made ,of the south-eastern portion, between Saltwater Creek and the Pareora —Kingsdown—for Mr Jas; King, a relative of the Rhodes family The station was' named'"The Levels, and a homestead was founded where "The -Levels" is to-day. Mr Rhodes first brought down cattle, and then some sheep, erected a small shearing shed and wool store near the landing place pointed oivtjby Williams and the profitable occupation of South Cyite--burv was thus commenced. Air J. W.'stubbs, of Geraldine, •»•«* employed on the Levels, in; its carl csg cl;ni?. The brothers R. and G. Rhodes were the first to put sheep over the Rakaia, and thev were nearly giving up the attempt in despair. Day after day they tried in vain, to get the sheep to face the stream. ■ One them was for giving -in, -and taking the sheep- back to Purs.u. One more try to-morrow," said the other; and nn "the morrow the sheep were crossed with very little trouble. Mr George Rhodes was the member of the partnership who paid most attention to the South Canterbury property. He has been described as a kindly hearted man. most readv;to help new-comers. H" died at Purau'on June 18th, 1864. 'His sors, A. E. G. Rhodes, of Christchurch, .and If. Ti. Rhodes, of Bluecliffs, have worthily maintained _ the name of the pioneer rimholder of South Canterbury. ' . The Rush for the Runs, It has been mentioned that the plains were spcedilv taken up as runs after the settlers at Christchurch had agreed to allow the lands to be leased at low rentals and in large .blocks —larger south of the Rakaia than to the north of it. -An excellently got up map, published in London in 1856, with an attached list of names of applicants, shows the order in which the runs were applied for, and the area allotted to each. The ..areas' must have been guessed at, and the boundaries proposed by applicants were, subject to correction on survey, which was not effected till 1858, when Messrs S. Hewlings and E. Jollie took a contract to survey the runs south of the Rangitata. Mr Hewlings was in South Canterbury before that however, probably engaged on a general survey of the country, for C. Rippingale, who is now living in Tiniaru, a hale and active man of 74, came' down to Raukapuka - (Goraldine) with Mr Hewlings in 1855 and helped him to build the bark hut which was preserved in Geraldine .i'or many years for old time's sake, as the first "house" built in Geraldine. The list of names accompanying the may shows that there were, at the date when the materials were supplied to the map-maker, 50 runs in the Canterbury Block (Waipara to Ashburton), 9 north of, the -Waipara, and 41 south of Ashburton. The following is the list of runs on the plains, in the order of their numbers. Missing numbers are those of runs north of the Waipara, Nos. I, 2 and 3 were v tne selections of the Rhodes Bros., already mentioned, three runs of 50,000 acres each, between the Opihi and Pareora, the sea and Albury. ■• No. 7. —Major A. Hornbrook, 30,000 acres, between the Opiln and Teinuku.—the Waitohi Flat and . Waitohi Downs .of - to-day—the next nearest available downs to 'Timaru with level road most of the way. Major Hornbrook made his homestead near the western cud-of the -Arowhemia Bush, and called his place Arowhenua. His brother "William- managed it for him,' with the help of some Maoris and. a Maori woman as cook. Mrs \V. Hornbrook was-the first' white woman in South Canterbury. Charles Rippingale, already mentioned,' was employed for a few months in 1855-6 by Air Hornbrook, after he left Air Hewlings. His pay tnen was £1 a week and found. Nos. 8 and I).—G.;G. Russell, .34,000 acres,' Upper Hinds.

No. It). —Harris and limes', 34,500 acres, between the Pareora and Otaio — as near to-,the shipping place as they could get down land. The future Holme station. They first made tneir homestead on the banu of. the ..farcora, where the main road now crosses the liver, and the ancient willo ( ws and large gum trees at that spot are survivals of the old homestead. They afterwards formed another at--, riolnic Station, and the old one became useful as an accommodation house. The late E. Elworthy bought out Harris and limes in 1864. Mr. F. W. Stubbs was for some time overseer-for Harris and limis, and Air J. Strachah helped to build a chimney at the new homestead in July, 'SB.

The downs further south were not so clear and open grazing ground as those now taken up, and the next succeeding squatters seem to have been governed 111 their choice of country by a preference for open tussock land. Hence the record shows that the next coiners selected runs on the grassy plains of the Waitaki and the Rangitata. No. 11 Harris ' (of Harris and I lines) 22.000 acres, a long narrow strip on the south bank of the Wailiau.

No. 13. —F. Jollie, an early settler in Nelson, 27,300 acres, on the Upper Rangitata-Orari Plain to Peel Forest. No. 15. —G. Hall, Ashburton Forks and across to the Hinds. No. 16.—A. Clifford and S. Steven, 34,000 acres in the S.E. angle of the AVaitaki and tiie sea. Nos.. 17, 20,-32 and 33. W. K.-and A. Maedonald, 96,000 acres, the whole plain between the. Orari and Rangitata from the-sea to Coooer's Creek run, (The latteV is not shown on the map or named in the list; It may have been found room for, on survey, between Maedonalds' Jollie's runs.) Nos. 18 and 31— Alfred Cox, 43,000 acres (Raukapuka) between the- Orari and Haehaetehibana, including the Geraldine Downs and Pleasant Valley and Fairfield and Woodbury districts. The eastern boundary was somewhere near the present railway line, avoiding the swam'ns below Winchester.

No." 21'.—Taylor, 22, Steven, 23, P. Pykc and 24, J. H. Pyke, each 22,000 acres, were on the Waitaki plain above No. 16!

The .Waihao Downs run appears to have been taken up later by Douglas. No. 25.—Was Otipua, 22,000 acres, ; surveyed out of Messrs JRhodes origi-.- 1 nal applicant, for J. S. King. Nos. 27 and 2S.—B. Campion, 30,000 acres, AVaitui Hill, and "Upper-Kakah-u country; sold out to A. Cox in,1861. No. 29—P. Burke and W.. G. Brittan, 34.000 acres, Raiucliff. Sold,m----'55 to A. and W. K. Purnell. It was this P. Burke who discovered Burke's Pass, the : easiest way into the Mackenzie Country. N. 0..30 W. Hornbrook, 22,000 acres, Opuha Station; and to Studholmc and YVigley. ■ No. 35 —Miss Collier, 28,000 acres, between Otaio and Makikihi—Bluecliffs. Afterwards, G. Buchanan and Poyndestre, in '56, then J. Hayhurst, then R. H. Rhodes. Mr Buchanan is now living in Timaru. ; No. : 36:—L. Thompson, 28,000- acres, -south of the Makikihi, now in T.Tescheniaker's Otaio. estate... ', No. 37 Scott,and Gray, Coldstream, Rangitata, 25,000 acres ;" 12,000 acres swamp, full of pigs and pukaki." No. 38.—McLean Bros., 46,000. acres, Lagmohr, between, /Ashburton and Hinds. Above Lagmohr were C. Hurst's Vaietta run, 18,000 acres, Hon. W. S; Peter's Aiiama,, ; 36,000 acres; and Dr j Rogers run below the latter on the Hinds, taken up later, probably on survey.

No. "39.—Waimate, 35,000 acres, taken up in '54 by three brothers, M-, J-, and P. Stiidhol'me, who had previously taken up runs in the Canterbury block. Eventually M. Studholnic bought out his brothers.

No. 40. —Dr 13. Moorhouse, north bank of Rangitata below the uorge. No.: 41.—\V. » .Moorhousp, 20,000 acres, mapped between Coldstream and Hinds, but never separately occupied. No. 42.—Cracroft Wilson, 54,000 acres, next below No. 40. . No. 43. —An interesting case, as its number shows that the best agricultural land did not suit the pastoralists. They needed land that could be utilised without expense of clearing or draining. This wa5,26,000 acres between the Opihi and Orari, from the sea to near the main road. It was selected by G. Dunpa, who had in '4l informed Colonel "Wakefield' that the plains would make an excellent settlement. He never occupied the run, but obtained another in North Canterbury. No. G. Tripp, 10,000 acres, Mt. Somers Downs.

No. 45.—Seal, 30,000 acres, between Ashburton and Hinds along the. sea — ■Longbeach. Transferred to J. E. Fitzgerald and C. P. Cox in '56. Mr Cox is a resident of Ashburton. No. 48— H. A. and J. C. Knight, 25,000 acres, Catinington, (mapped in error to Harris.) Mr J. C. Knight is still living and well known in Timaru. No. 49. —The next comers made their way up the Tcngawai Valley., and .-into the Fairlic basin. No. 40 is listed to Raven, position on the map indefinite. Raven selected Ashwiok, and transferred to Brown' and Maude. Other well known runs were Opawa and Clayton, Kennaway and Acton; Albury, Dunnage, then Matsoii and Spencer: Sherwood Downs, Rainc Bros.; Mt. Nessing,

Spencer ; Three Springs, Dunnage Bros., Capt. Kimbell; Burke's Pass (Rollcsby) Maude and Elisor: THE MOUNTAIN RUNS.

The rush for the plains had rapidly covered them with claims if not with stock, and the stocking followed rapidly. Later arrivals must perforce take to the hills and cm Mackenzie Country, and they were allowed • still larger areas than those on the plains. There was some diffidence in tackling the hills as sheep country. fcamuei Butler, who owned Mcsoputdmia, upper Rangitata, says in his well-known romance, "Erehwon": — "It was thought that there was too much snow upon them for tot) luuiiy months of the year; that the sheep would get lost, the ground being too difficult for shepherding; that the expense of getting wool down to the ship s side would eat' up the farmer's profits, —and that the grass was too rough and sour for sheep to thrive upon; but one after another determined to try the experiment, and it was wonderful how successfully it turned out. ' Men pushed farther and farther into the mountains, and found a very considerable tract inside the front range, between it and another which was loftier still, though even this was not the highest, the great snowy one which could be seen irom out upon the plains." . The following version, which has the merit of being very nearly first hand, of the way the hills were first ventured on as runs has been supplied by Mr C. H. Tripp to the secretary of the Jubilee Committee :j—" ine late C. G. Tripp and J. B. A. Acland arrived in Lyttelton on 4th January, '55. Shortly alter that my father drove a team of bullocks to JLCainehff, and on the way back was camped on tno ' south bauK of the Rangitata when the late Adam Irvine (who was tnen a shepherd for Mr Jollie, I think; stoppcu a night at the camp. Tcople then had tauen up nearly all the plains and low downs, hut no oho nad ventured on to the hills. On my. father asitihg Air Irvine what sort of country - tne fulls were —pointing to Mount Peel and Orari L»orge —Mr Irvine replied that they were icariiilly rough, not lit for anytning but wild pigs, and there were thousands of pigs tnere. On arrival in Christclmrcu my father thought that if the lulls could carry wild pigs they might carry something else, so he persuaded Mr Acland to join nim, and together they explored the Mount Peel 'Country, camping there first on September ißtfi, 1805. They then took up the respective runs, Mt. Peel and Orari Gorge, and on May 10th, 1856 both settled at Alt. Peel and cjmmenced splitting timber for building the first hut there. The late Air William Macdonald (who had; a run on the plains near the sea) was heard to prophesy that ' those young fools Tripp

and Acland have entered into a mau project and will soon lose all their money ' —a prophecy that has been nearly verified on more than one occasion. However, though Tripp and Acland were the first pioneers to tackle the hills, they are the only families in Canterbury that have managed to hold on to their original selections,.'and still make their homes on them." The example set by Messrs Tripp and

Aclajul in 1856 was promptly followed. \ second rush set hi, so that before the end of '59 the; whole of the mountain country had been applied for, and Nicolas lladove, "Big Mick," was in possession of Birch Hill run, which included the moraines about the Mt. Cook glaciers,-and the Mb. Cook range itself. -

. In the same vear that Trinp and Acland settled at Mt. Peel, John Hay took up the Tekapo run, and part-or-tho eastern side of the Mackenzie was applied for the same year, the Grampians by J. T, and H.;Ford, .Gray's Hills by'J.-Hayhurst, and Haldon by Teschemaker Brosv. Mr ;T. : Teschemaker, of Otaio, •■ drove, the r first team of bullocks through Burke's Pass. - :.;-1rif4:857 Mr E. G. Stericker, of Sutton Farm, Kiugsdown, broke ground ftirtheV on. -He took up Sawdon for himself, and climbing up one of the ridges sketched out country to be applied for by friends of his.; The- Whale's Back for John Hall; Braemar, for George Hall; Richmond for A. Punicll; Glenmorc, for : Jos. Beswick. Other parts djf the Mackenzie plain were applied for in this year.

.; In 1858, Mr H. J. Gladstone, now of Orari, had: Rhoboro Downs, and 3)ark Bros, had taken Glentanner. T. H\V.\Hall gave the name to "Mistake " station, by applying for' a run within that taken by J. Beswick. In 1859 Samuel Butler, the future author of " Erehwon," \was at Mesopotamia (lie makes the hero of " Erehwori " start on. his curious adventures from this station); A'ndrcws and Luxmoorc took up Hakatoi;amea, and Nicolas lladove. Birch ■ Hill. The last run to be taken up was.Mt. Cook, by Mr A. Burnett. . -.'.'.. ' . A SQUATTER'S BEGINNING. The following extracts; from a letter written by Mr Alfred : Cox ;at ; Raukupuka, to his wife in .Australia, oh May 22nd, 1857, shows hpw the early squatters 1 began getting tilings'; ship-shape for working their' runs, and; shows too that some of them, at. all- events had ,ari' eye to a distant future.- They desired to make homes, arid not-mere temporary camps. v "I am writing .'to you from the station, - where, as.-' you arc aware, your brother and the two lie Moulins r are in possession. I have, had a good spell here, examining, the country and looking on with astonishment : at the; work done by them .in the Raiikapuka forest, in splitting shingles and preparing timber to be used in the erection of the proposed house in which it may bo our lot in the future to 'dwell. Thcy are all robust looking, as if hard work agreed with them, and 'establish the fact that South Canterbury is a Choice spot to live and work-in. ' As to climate I am more than satisfied that it is a place to pitch one's tent in. In this southern part of Canterbury the mountain scenery is magnificent. ' Our station here is very complete, already,

and has a comfortable home look about it. This is mainly due to the fact that the men from Australia have had a qualifying experience in the old colony. At Raukapuka there is now a capacious woolshcd, with stockyard suitable for cattle as well, as'sheep,, and a comfortable house to ,Im in all the work of our boys. 1 was indeed pleased to' find things so. well fixed up. I must not forget 'to 'mention the garden, already producing vegetables of ail sorts as well as gooseberries and currants. They are, well off, having now a married couple, the woman being as active, willing, and competent, as any woman I have yet seen in this happy land. Don't suppose for a moment that I am not at present provided with all that is essential to keep me in good condition. Wo have plenty" of milk and butter, and beef 'and mutton; and occasionally wild ducks and pigeons. . Think of all this and admit the advantage of living in such a favoured laud. My occupation, when not in the saddle visiting remote parts of the run, is vari*d by drawing plans and selecting a site for a house fit to live in, should we agree to come here and live. I had determined that' in the event of our coming to New Zealand, it will not be to live in Christchurch or Lyttelton. There the rents are high and living expensive, and I should be everlastingly looking for something to do.

"Tho sheep on our station are now wholly free from scab, which in Canterbury was not uncommon when, three years ago, I first visited it. Wo have since 1 came here closely examined them and find .them clean. I shall inspect them again? before leaving the district; and if necessary they shall be dipped before shearing. This nov-a.-da.ys is not a difficult operation, and it is inexpensive. It is only two days' work, and unlike the old process involves no danger. The cattle as well as the sheep have done and are doing exceedingly veil. They are about to be mustered, and are said to number about 350 head. The horses also have done veil, seeming to thrive on the native grasses. The old grey mare that you used to ride in Australia has had two foals since she landed. I have ridden lier since coming here and find her as good as ever. ... .

"I am about signing a requisition to a doctor in the neighbourhood, to take up general . practice. The man referred to is well spoken of as a competent man. Should he agree to practice ho will be within nine miles of us. Dr Macdonald is resident', on ■ the ' adjoining run to us. He is one of three brothers who arc interested in the station, and who eventually will reside in the neighbourhood, if not on the station. "We are rich in visitors'this evening. Besides our four selves there are four strangers. Where all are going to find beds or blankets is :> mystery to me, but I suppose, they will tumble into corners some where.". Pioneer Shipping, The. squatters .needed stores, must get their wool away for export, ana to cart either by road to Christehureli was too expensive. Mr Bhodes had seen that, 'when he saw and admired the Levels,-but he saw also that what the whalers had done with their barrels of oil,.'and 'tlieir hut supplies, -.could be doiie with bales of wool and station stores. He erected a shed near the. beach in which to store wool ready i or shipment when a coaster could be got to ~come for it; put his wool into it, his neighbours put in theirs; together they arranged for a schooner to run down, from Lyttelton to take away their wool.;, she to carry a-whale-boat to serve as a lighter; and they -are ranged to help one another, and to get help from the Maoris of Arowhenua, in landing, loading and unloading the boats. A .smoke fire on a. certain point of. the cliff was a signal to all the neighbourhood that a coaster was .in the roadstead and "lumpers" were needed, and that those expecting stores had better bring their pack horse, their sled, or their bullock dray and get them. The schooner anchored a little way off shore, sent her boat to the beach lightly loaded, so that two men could pull her, and a third with long steer-oar keep her head straight for the'beach until a-roller carried her bow well up the shingle. Stores discharged, the boat would be loaded with wool, three bales only at n. time, shoved off the beach and pulled out to the anchored schooner. Sometimes the crews wcro weak, Maoris not available, and'tin-.: squatters' did the boating themselves as well as the loading. Mr S. Graham gives an example of this:—"It was in a little vessel of H. J. L Cren's, the Kaka, 17 tons, with

three of a crow, that brought down stores for Rhodes and Hornbrook in April 1&34, and took away 15 bales of wool. I was just 21. G. Rhodes, W. Hornbrook, and Tom Low ("Cranky Tom") were the boat's crew bringing the wool to us; Tom.was coxswain." Thanks to the researches of our townsman, Mr Samuel 'Graham, who spent two days in Lyttelton during the past Christmas holidays, in noring over a file of the " Lyttelton Times " from its inception to the end of 1854, we are able to sunnly notes on the seaborne trade of the roadstead during that period. On November 2nd, 1851', R. and G. Rhodes advertised for a vessel to make two or three trips to Timaru. On January, 19th, 1852, the schooner Henry, Holmes master, took to Timaru 4 bags sugar, 1 cask sugar. 1 bale, of tobacco, 1 keg tobacco, 2 bags salt, and 2£ tons-flour for R. and &. On October 19th, 1852, the cutter, Kaka, Swanson master, took 2S tons flour, 11 bags of sugar, 3 haltchests tea, 1 keg tobacco, and sundries; On February 20th, 1853, the Kaka took 61 packages for Rhodes and 30 for Hornbrook. On March 24th, the Kaka went to Timaru and brought back 20 bales of wool. , Hurrah! Returns in sight! On February 7th, 1854, the Kaka took down cargo qnd brought 12 bales of wool back. On February 11th, the brigantine De— , spatehj-. Rogers master, brought 53 -- bales of wool from Timaru. - (Tlieso were not the only visits of small vessels, ■ •'■• Messrs Rhodes had a mercantile business in Wellington, and they sent stores from there, and received wool; from Timaru, which arc not re- ' corded at Lyttelton.) The riinholder and. his shepherds could not long occupy the land alone; They■.-.'must have timber for dwellings, yards, and woolsheds, and to provide the materials and put them together, there came the pit-sawyer and the rough carpenter, arid little bushmeii's villages sprang up at the most con-. yeniently accessible bushes —Arowhenua., Wainm.to, and Geraldirio: The ' business of landing stores and shipping wool, .at the only' possible shipoing .place; Timaru, presently created "a, community there, and thus was fixed the situation of the four chief towns— Timaru founded by boatmen, Waimate, Temuka, and Geraldine, founded by bushmen. The Provincial Government of the day employed several surveyors, and on the hint given by these early aggregations 'of men townships Avore laid out, with technical accuracy, but not' always with equally, accurate forc- . sight of the precisely best location for them.

As the number of squatters and their dependent workers increased , in numbers, ariul the'import .of stores and the export of-wool increased in .quantity, it became possible to establish and maintain a profitable landing and shipping service by means of boats larger than whale-boats, requiring a capstan to haul them up the beach, for loading and unloading, and out of harm's way in bad weather. Mr H. J. LoCrcn, who had done much or most of the shipping agency for the fctouth Canterbury people hi Lyttelton, and as time went on oceanic more and more closely identified with the this district, in 1857 seut tain Henry Cain, a partner, to ~eMtMlish \a surf-boat service and also' to opeii a small store. The boating business grew, because the one industry of the district was growing as fast as sheep could brood—there was no Smithheld .or Pareora massacres of innocent lambs in those days—and the' Provincial Government was appealed to for assistance in improving the shipping facilities) by inducing some; of the famed ■-.■ Deal boatmen "to''lconic out and settle, at Timaru, and by importing and laying down suitable heavy moorings to which' the coasters could make frfst- and be safe in even rough weather, lhc squatters too needed more workers on their stations, and thev a; share of the immigrants being assisted to Canterbury at that time should be landed at Timaru. . The result of these representations was that several nnmigranL ships were thereafter ordered to call at Timaru to land part or their human lading. .