The Novelist. A TON OF GOLD! OR, THE NARRATIVE OF EDWARD CREWE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2099, 25 September 1875, Page 4

The Novelist. A TON OF GOLD! OR, THE NARRATIVE OF EDWARD CREWE.

BT.W..M. B.

A Tale of Local Interest.

Chapter T.— Continued.

On the morning of the 13th of December New Zealand arose out of the sea, and on the 18th we landed in Auckland. The town, as I saw it in 1856,_ was not much of a place, but we thought it looted ■well from the ship, with the morning sun shining on the painted wooden houses, and the gardens, with bright green trees interspersed. The harbour was alive with a mosquito fleet of small coasting vessels, and "cargo" boats. There were no wharves then, and the:e cutter-rigged craft of fifteen tons, or thereabouts, dis charged all the English or intercolonial ocean-going ships. Of the town itself I will not say much, of the mud in the tinpaved streets after a few days' rain, or of the country round about Auckland, which is ugly, and for the most part a barren yellow clay, growing stunted fern and tea-tree, except a strip of rolcanic country south, of the town where the lucky owners have the monopoly of the only adjacent land worth anything for farming purposes. , There were four of us landed at Soldiers' Point, for the tide was out, and and tbe mud-flats stretched far beyond the other jetties—mud soft and nasty, in which you may sink from six to eighteen inches.

Makings our way along the slippery locks towards the town,. we met a young man, a Jew, who said, "Gentlemen, I hope you have had a pleasant voyage, are you<many on board ? " "Why," replied young Eees, "there are just eighty-three of us, all told, and we are 138' days from the Downs. But can you direct us to some hotel? for we wish again to behold cabbage and potatoes, and fresh tack of all sorts."

Our Jew friend, with whom I aftewards became well acquainted, and who proved a very good fellow, and. not in the least particular as to pork when there was nothing else in the meat way handy, as was often the case in those days, pointed out the Victoria Hotel, where he said the charges were reasonable—twenty-five shillings a-week—without any drinkables, of course.

"I am staying there myself, at present," said the Jew, "andjiave always found things tolerably good." "We will go there," said.l, "and have some tea presently, supplemented with beefsteaks, new bread, and milk in our tea;":- ; .■ „ ; i ■ .

" I am for some watercress," said Bees, the youngest of our party, " if they have such a plant at the Antipodes." " Watercress! I sliould think they have. Have you never read of it in any-books on the colony, how it grows and grows so big and so long that people are afraid it will stop the navigation in some of the streams ;. I tell you Jack and his Beanstalk are .nothing to the'ways and manners ' of this wonderful plant." By this time we.had arrived at the hotel, and walking into the bar were met by a smiling landlord and landlady, who shook hands with us, asking at the same time about our voyage, and to whom most of the cargo was consigned. We saw at a glance that our host was a Jew, and wife of the same people. Presently we turned out to see the town, as well as to be seen, for^every one we met looked hard at. us, which delicate attention we did not understand, being in no way remarkable „or different in dress from the people in the street. Any way we were "new chums,", and they knew it; you could look down Queen Street in those days and readily count-the few people about, and everybody then had some knowledge of everybody else. To be a new chum is not agreeable—it is something like being a new boy at school—you are bored with questions for some time after your arrival as to how you like the place, and what you are going to do; and people speak to you in a pitying and patronizing manner, smiling at your real or inferred simplicity in colonial life, and altogether " sitting upon you" with much frequency and persistence. - The first natives I saw were a man and woman walking hand-in-hand down the middle of the street; they were laughing and talking to each other quite at the top of their voices, utterly regardless of any passers by. Walking just behind them, I had not yet seen their faces, and waS thinking what a fine strong back the woman had. It was bare and copper-coloured, and her "roundabout" hung from her •well-developed shoulders nearly as low down behind as a young lady's ball-dress in Europe. . When the Maori man turned his Mad, I thought at once that the merry pair must be laughing at his face, it appeared to my "new chum's "eyes just like the countenance a clown might have on any stage. I could not look at him without a grin; but their joke, whatever it mayhave been, was anything rather than his skilfully tattooed figure head, m which work of art he would have a great and proper pride, and with reason too. Doubt ft not, young ladies, I will tell you why: Virtus, pluck, or courage has in all ages, and by all races, been higMy esteemed by you, and take .my word for it who have .seen/the operation, that having your nose, lips, and forehead cut into a nice and pretty pattern by a demon of an artist, who nolds your head between his knees whilst hegets at you conveniently, caring very little about the pain he gives, but working away, giving: smart and quick taps with a kind of hammer, to the odd and very crueHooking tools of his trade, just stopping now and again to wipe out of the way the blood, and also rub in the colouring, which he will have handy byyhis side in a large mussel-shell. I say that a man to pass through such a ordeal must be. a sort of " Cceur de Lion " in copper colour; and mind you, he can only have a small portion done at a time—and that well healed, start again on a new patch. I repeat that a man to endure all this to make himself " beautiful for. ever,' must have great pluck. Now pluck is courage, iiav,' more than courage, and courage 13 valour, and valour, is virtue, aucl virtue is

everything that is commendable in man cr woman.

There are other considerations, of course, that conduce to perpetuate this practice in the ornamentation of the face and body of Maori men and women, some, perhaps, more potent than the foregoing. The] New Zealand " Wahine" has apattern of her own, for 7ter chin, the design "of which the men never plagiarize ; she also often has her lips done, after which they are quite blue, but I do not consider that an improvement on their natural ruby colour.

The next day a fellow-passenger and I hired a horse apiece from the Exchange Hotel, and rode out to see the country. We went south of Ihe town, through, for the most part., a volcanic region, thickly strewn with loose " scoria ;" though in places the solid rock shows, giving a barren, desolate, and melancholy aspect to the landscape. " , I There were a few so-called farms, but

no cultivation," barring" a grass paddock or two attached to each, a garden and perhaps a few acre's of maize. All this has very much altered within the last twenty years, and now you see a beautiful country, fairly cultivated; but at that time I was slightly disappointed, and did not hanker after a farming life near Auckland.

The day after our ride I thought I would deliver a certain small parcel that had been intrusted to me on leaving England. It was for the only person in the whole colony of whom I had any previous knowledge. He was staying, a visitor, as I understood, at a house a mile from the town.

About 3.30 p.m. I found the house, and duly presented what I had brought all the way from his friends in the old country. I expected at least to be asked in, but no such thing happened. Quite the other way, for as I stood talking awkwardly at the door, my friend's host, making his appearance, reminded him, as I slowly turned to walk townwards, that dinner would soon be ready and that he-must not go far, End to whom it never seemed to occur that it would have been only common courtesy to have invited me inside the house, far less had he any wish for my company afc their feed. I hope it was badly cooked, that the pork was raw, and that the potatoes had a bone in them. Presently on my road to the town I fell in with two Maories.

I was sitting on. a hill side in the Domain when up came my two Antipodean, aboriginals who, after the fashion of the country, immediately shook hands, and then sat down for a talk, rather a difficult matter considering I certainly did not know one solitary word they could possibly say. However, to show how easy it is to make known some wants, my two copper-coloured friends produced empty pipes, and intimated how nice and good I should be if I filled them with tobacco T was generous and they glad, but, mark the distinction, not grateful, or even thankful, two' feelings for which even to invent a name takes centuries of civilization. After this, conversation flagged, and we smoked, smiling courteously at each other, for your pure New Zealand savage is always a very gentlemanly fellow. On tie bank where we sat, our ship and a portion of the harbour were full in view. The natives seemed intuitively to know that I was a new " pakeha " by that ship from " the other side," for, pointing from me to her inquiringly, I nodded. It is curioug that I, who have lived with and seen natives so much, should remember "the talk" with this pair of possible cannibals very clearly ; certainly it was my first effort to make myself understood to any one not English. One of the natives, now looking and pointing to my watch-chain, said something, as I understood, that referred, to time, in point of fact asking " the time o' day." It was six, and I said so, in words by a sign, for which, one of them gave me the Maori " c ono." He tlien gave me a in counting : " kotahi," one finger up ; " c rua," two fingers ; "c toru," three; "c wha," four; "c rima," five; "c ono," six. I said all this after him many times mispronouncing the words horribly, butthey never laughed at me, or were in the remotest sense rude. It was very difficult to remember this lesson in Maori " numeration," and by the time I had reached the town I had utterly forgotten all save " kotahi," one.

Chapter 11. " ' Courage !' he said and pointing toward the land, ' This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon.'" •The Lotus Eaters.

It must have been about Christmas time when the Maories first landed in Wew Zealand, for as they neared the shore they noticed the red flower of the Pdiutekavra tree, which at that season of the year is quite a conspicuous and beautiful object as viewed from the sea.

In the story of thess early voyagings of their ancestors, the natives, although differing in some particulars, agree wonderfully in their account of the main incidents relating to the country they came from, their passage across thf ocean in big canoes, and of their dispersion over New Zealand on their arrival. There is now no island in the Pacific Ocean known by the name of " Hawaiki," the mythical abode of the ancestors of the Maori, though possibly " Savii," one of the Navigators' islands, is the place. They have a tradition that Earotonga, Parima, and Manon, are islands near to Hawaiki. The first named is a large island in the Hervey group, the other two belong to the .Navigators, and are called as above to this day. Several stories are told as to the cause of their undertaking so long and perilous a voyage. It is about three thousaud miles from Earotonga (where our tradition says they built their canoes) to New Zealand. Little differences, however, resulting in war, seem to have been at the bottom of their troubles.

T have been told also by natives that an ancestor "of theirs (whose name I forget) having lost his dog, went about calling " Moi, Moi! " but the poor brute being entombed in the stomach of a chief of, another tribe, could only reply by a prolonged howl, and wonderful itwais that he could do even that. Such a marvellous gastronomies! phenomenon must have proved startling to both parties, but more particularly to the greedy pilferer. Upon this, the original owner of the.dog and his tribe went to war with the dog eater and his party, and after much fighting one side being worsted, they fled away to these islands, taking with them dogs, rats, parrots, and pukekos for live stock ; they ; also had on board, their canoes sweet potatoes {kuviera), Karaka berries, gourds, and taro.

The most wonderful part of the story to my mind is that they knew quite well where they were going, a. certaiu man named Ngahue having been to New Zea-

land before; and upon his return to Hawaiki had much, to say in favour of the islands he had visited, more particularly mentioning the size of the eels and the marvellous big birds that ho. had seen, also producing some pieces of greenstone that were specimens of diaphanous beauty which the Hawaikians had never had the

pleasure of seeing, before.. Knowing where New Zealand lay, they made a straight course of it, using the sun by day and ce/tain stars by night, so as not too deviate to much out of the way. . It is donbtful how many canoes started on this voyage. However, the events that happened to three of them, namely, Tainui, Arawa, and Mata-Atua, have been carefully handed down, but I should suppose that ten or more landed their crews safely in New Zealand.

Those on board the Tainui first went ashore ®n a peninsula about twenty miles to the north of where Auckland now stands, when, seeing a sperm-whale on the locks, they called the headland Wangaparaoa, which name it still retains. After sonic rest, again launching their canoe, they sailed up the Tamaki River as far as Otahuhu, when, dragging her across the portage, they again set sail, and, proceeding out to sea through the Manukau Heads, steered south, finally locating themselves at Kawhia, where a great limestone rock is shown to this day as all that is left of the Tainui.

The Arawa also landed her party ia the neighbourhood of Wangaparaoa, but they soon again embarked, and, sailing round the headland now know as Cape Colville, put in at most of the bays, and harbours on their way, naming them as they "went, which name they still retain. -For example at Tauranga they saw what a good harbour the place had, so they gave it the above designation, for the word signifies as much. Some seventeen miles further south they came to a headland with a river running round one side of it. This place thej sailed "Te Tumu," which means a headland.

It was near here they dragged the Arawa ashore, at a place now called Maketu, and from this they spread inland to the lake country. The particular spot of ground where the canoe was beached has been a Wabi Tapu (sacred place) ever, since, and I should hardly think that a native foot has ever from that time to this trod that bit of sandy shore, nor can I think "of anything that would persuade a Maori to desecrate the place, a notable instance of which came under my own experience that I shall hope to relate by-arid-by. It is asserted by some that the voyages of the Maories from Hawaiki to New Zealand were made in double canoes ; it may be so, but I think, as they now never build their canoes in that manner, that it is more probable they came in some larger kind of vessel resembling those native Malay craft to be seen in these our times about the island of Borneo.

The party on board of the Mata-Atua eventually settled at Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. There is a tradition that as they neared the dangerous-looking shore the place appeared so rugged the men feared to effect a landing, when a woman, more bold than the rest, jumped into the sea and swani ashore to pilot the canoe safely into the river. From this circumstance they named the place Whakatane, which means, that there " the woman played the man." All Maori tradition concurs in stating that their ancestors, in their voyage from Hawaiki, first sighted the east coast of New Zealand, and, although almost invariably ih the landscape, they haveiiever applied any word to designate the country as a whole. The south island, which is comparatively small, they have named Kakiuva, but, the Northern and Middle Islands are without native names.

There is a pretty general belief that the ancestors of the present aboriginals migrated from Hawaiki to these islands 500 years ago, an opinion based upon the Maori genealogies, which are cortainly to be traced through twenty generations.

When pushing off from Hawaiki, as they bade a last farewell to those on shore, it is said that an old chief made them the following speech : —

" Depart in peace ; and when you reach the place you are going to, do not follow after the deeds of Tv, the god of war, depart and dwell in peace with all men, leave war and strife behind you." The first Europeans of whose visit to New Zealand we have any certain account were the Dutch under Tasman, in 1642; although a Frenchman named Binot Paulmier de Gonneville, who sailed from Harfleur in 1503, is supposed to have reached these islands. Also it is said that Juan Fernandez, the Spaniard landed in New Zealand in 1576. It is just possible that there is some truth in these stories. Van Diemen, the Governor of Batavia, had an only child, Maria, a Dutch beauty and an heiress. No tronder that she had many suitors. Abel Jansen Tasman amongst the rest, and the one the young lady preferred. " The course of true love never did run smooth; '' and her father, who wished her to marry some one else, or at all events not young Tasniao, who was only the skipper of a small vessel, and in a very different sphere of life to the high born and wealthy governor's daughter, naturally would not have been remarkably sorry to hear that the young fellow was at the bottom of the sea.

About this time Van Di'emen fitted out au expedition for the purpose of discovering new countries, possibly with the idea that by giving the command to Tasman he might get rid of him; or if, again, the young sailor was successful in his explorations, the fame of them would so tend to his renown as to make a union with his daughter no longer undesirable. Tasman left Batavia with two ships, and on the 18th of December, 1642, anchored in a bay next to that where the town of Nelson now stands. Extract from ' Tasman's Journal' :-— " The 13th of December, 1642, Lat. S. 42deg. lOmin., Long. 188deg. 28min. N.E. They had land in sight very high and hilly—in the chares now called New Zealand.

"They went north-east along the land, as the chart showed it, till they anchored in a bay S. Lat. 40desj. 50miD, Long. 191 deg. 4'lmin, on the 18th December.

" The inhabitants were rough of voice thick and gross made. They came not within a stone's cast on board of us, and blew several times an instrument which made a noise like a Moorish trumpet, in answer whereto we blew ours. Their colour between brown and yellow; they had black hair, bound fast and tight upon; the crown of their head in the same manner as the Japenese have theirs behind their head, and near as long and thick of hair, upon which stood a great white feather. Their clothes were of mats, qthers

of cotton, but their upper parts were naked.

"The 19th of December. * These Antipodes began to be sotnewhot bolder and more free, so that thoy endeavoured to begin a truck or merchandize with the yacht, and began to come on board; the commander, seeing this, began to fear lest they might be fallen upon, and sent his boat or prau with seven men to advertise them that they should 1 not trust these people two much. They .went off from the ship, and not having any arms with them, were set upon by these inhabitants, and three or four of them were killed, and the rest saved themselvds by 'swimming. This they endeavoured to but the water going' high, they were hindered; the bay was for this reason j named ' Murderers' Bay,' as it is marked I on the chart.

" From (his bay they went on east and found the land all round them. It seems a good land, fruitful and well sheltered ; but by reason of the bad weather and the west wind, they had great trouble to get out. |t" The 24th of December. Because the wind would not well suffer them to go to the northward, they not knowing if they should find any passage to the northward and the flood coming out of the south-east, the}' concluded to go back again into the bay and there seek a passage. But on the 26th the wind, better serving, tbey went away northerly somewhat to the west. .

"The 4th of January, 1643—5. Lat. 34degr 35min., Long. 191deg.—they came to the north-west cape of this land, and had long waves out of north-east, and therefore doubted not there must be a great sea in the northeast therefore they were glad at having gotten a passage." To he continued.