Barnicoat Diary Tells Of Adventurous Forties.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 24

Barnicoat Diary Tells Of Adventurous Forties.

CANON NEVILL UNFOLDS STORY OF FIRST DAYS OF NELSON.

(No. 1.) THE DIARY of Mr (afterwards the lion) W. .T. Barnicoat, of which the “ Star ” presents extracts, not before published, deals with troubles and dangers of settlement hi New Zealand in the years 1842 to 1844, well before the Otago and Canterbury settlements were founded. Specially interesting is his account of the Wairau massacre, of which he was a witness, the events which led to it, and alarms that followed it. He also writes on early Wellington in the vein of a secular Dean Inge, shows a warm appreciation of the Maori characters, and sharply criticises the methods of the New Zealand Company. Canon. Nevill, to whom we are indebted for the story, writes: “The value of the journal is that it has never been in print before, and is.an in.valual>le record of the days of the first founders of New Zealand, with all their difficulties and their opinions which are now matters of history. I have to thank the University Council of Otago for their courtesy in allowing me to transcribe the diary, and Mrs MacDonald, the librarian of the Hockcn Library, for her courtesy as guardian of the M.S.” The late Dr T. M. Hocken, in a prefatory note, says: “ The following is a copy of Mr Barnicoat’s journal. The journal was given to me by Mr Barnicoat, but lie afterwards regretted his gift and desired to have it returned. To Ihis I, of course, assented, and returned the two volumes to him on the occasion of his visiting Dunedin in 1888 as a member of the General Synod. I, however, copied this valuable contribution to early New Zealand history first, the only portion omitted (for want of time) being the nine months of 1842. My wife and I and a hired penman completed the copy in two days. Mr Barnicoat is a Cornisliman, and during his almost lifelong residence in New Zealand, has dwelt in the neighbourhood of Nelson. I have frequently corresponded with him on historical matters, and once spent a day at his house at Richmond. He was a quiet, reserved, almost uncommunicative man, but of good memory, very intelligent, and polite. He married Miss Rebecca Hodson, daughter of a widow, and sister of Mr William Hodson, inspector of schools, of James Hodson, a teacher, and Thomas Hodson, a pastoralist on the Wairau.”

Thursdav-, February 24, 1842.—First landing at Nelson, the Lord Auckland lying at anchor about six miles off the harbour head. Monday, February 28. —The fortyeight hours which arc allowed the passengers to remain on board after anchoring in harbour, of course, expired this morning. The passengers are busy in choosing sites to settle on. Several think of settling near the wood, but Mr Fell determining on settling on on aflat on the harbour side about midway between the two towns. It is probable that there will be a little colony of Lord Aucklanders there. Thompson and my self have agreed with Mr Fell to assist him in getting up his house as an equivalent to his looking after and giving room to our goods should we leave for farming or surveying, and, until the town acres are given out, when we shall have ground of our own. There is a public house, or rather grog shop, near us, round which drunken sailors congregate. This evening one of them was purposely annov'ing one of the natives by bawling in his ear and swearing at him a-half hour together. The native at last quietly got up and knocked the man down, then gave him three or four tremendous blows on his head, and walked off in their usual dignified manner. The sailor was too drunk' or too cowardl}* to retaliate. There are a great many natives in and near the place who come in their canoes from many miles round, bringing potaoes, melons, pumpkins, etc., for sale or exchange for blankets. There are no native residents. In the evening, about six, a small bell called the natives of a rieighbouring encampment to their usual prayers. On going, one of them handed us a prayer book in New Zealand tongue, evidently a translation from the Church of England Prayer Book. The little service, w r hich consisted of reading a few prayers and singing a hymn, was conducted very reverentially. Their mode of singing is very unmusical—a drone. Slept on shore to-night for the first time. March I.—Captain Wakefield sent a company's tent for the convenience of the newcomers, which we set up and found a great convenience, affording a much better shelter for sleeping under than the loose planks we slept under last night. The nights are cold and attended with very heavy dew. All the cabin passengers c>f the Lord Auckland, with one exception, are now fixing themselves close together on a point which at present is called Lord Auckland’s Point. A MAORI DUKE OF YORK. A young man, a native, this evening, when we asked him his name, told us Tehikiaka and then took a bit of board, and with some burnt wood from the fire wrote his name in excellently formed Roman capitals. He wrote it again, “Tukiaka,” and said it was given him by Wideawake, by which name Colonel Wakefield (and I believe Captain Wakefield, too) is known among them. The fact is, Tukiaka is the nearest approach the natives can make to “Duke of York,” w r hich is the real name of the young man as given by Colonel or Captain Wakefield. His original name, Kaitai, he Showed me written on his shirt. March 2.—Still assisting Fell at his house. We work hard at digging, bringing stones, tetc., for little cellar underneath. The house is of wood; we now' sleep in a tent. Mr Tuckett spoke of letting the suburban land in contracts to Mr Cotterell, to whom and myself he will shortly make -a formal communication on the subject. Talked over the business vaith Mr Cotterell, who proposed that Thompson and myself should join him in executing a surveying contract. A theodolite is required in setting out lines over the hilly country, and as Tuckett and-myself are deficient in this instrument and Mr Cotterell possesses one, the union will be for our 'benefit. March 4.—By this time we have seen a great d'eal of the natives and the more they are known the more interesting they appear. From what I have seen the natives of this part are superior to those of the northern island—the women especially, who are very T handsome, w'hile young. The great inferiority of the female sex is not so observable here, nor do they seem to be made beasts of burden. The young men are tall, w’ell made, and handsome, and particularly easy and graceful in their motions. Their manners, both to w’hites and to each other, are gentle and polite. Their fine hazel eyes and ample foreheads are full of intelligence. It is very' much to be feared that European intercourse will tend much to corrupt them. The native women who are married to the whites are evidently sometimes rather intoxicated and they may teach their friends and relations to overcome the strong natural aver- ; sion they possess to spiritous liquors. : There is a great desire on the part of both men and women to accommodate themselves in their dress and in every other respect to the English. The women who are married to the whites dress like our own women. The men

are continually in search of articles of dress, which they put on as soon as they get it, without waiting to get a complete suit. A shirt and waistcoat is a common dress. Shoes are ver\much valued. A man yesterday purchased a pair for 12s. He only has 10s by hun, and the other two he will pay when he gets it. Those who know them best make no scruple to trust them. They come about in considerable numbers, and have frequent opportunities of stealing if so disposed, but nothing has ever been missed. Dishonesty is a vice which they have never been accused or suspected of. In Wellington where European intercourse has been more prolonged than here, thieving is occasionally known among them. trousers, hats, or caps they are very anxious to get. They offer 5s for the cap on one's head, then 10s for his trousers, and endeavour to obtain anvtlung that takes their fancy. A patchwork counterpane of a neighbour was sold for 16s, and made a handsome robe for the man who purchased it :\ are 3 favourite article of dress with them. Sometimes we see a voungman among them with a full suit of European clothes, and with their straight, tall, and- elegant figures they very much become them. Some are employed by the whites, and a boat's crew ol six is made up entirely of natives, but they generally show a decidoW^’ e i S ‘2V.? remove so far from their original habits as to engage steadily at any employ. If they take a fancy to anyone they will work for nothing but they expect a great deal of money to purchase their labour. Mr Tuckett tola me that two or three come every day to build a house for him without any remuneration. EXPLORING THE LAND. March 6.—ln the afternoon walked along the banks of the harbour up to the end of the bank or bar forming the northern extremity of the mud flat bounding the harbour. The country has all been burnt, but was previously covered with fern, probably 7ft high. The land is undulating, about a mile or half a mile without shore, but after that becomes hilly, ascending to a great height. In these seven miles of shore we crossed the large stream at Nelson and two small ones only, so that the Country cannot be said to lie very well watered. There are two or -three patches of fine wood, the rest being fern land, apparently very good land. We got benighted, and had a most fatiguing walk along the beach of large stones and through the dark wood, getting home about nine or ten. The Brougham arrived from Wellington with Colonel Wakefield an Mr Thompson, a Government Magistrate. News was brought that the emigrant ship Bolton was arrived at Wellington on her way to Nelson, and that two other larger ships would shortly follow. March 10. —Thompson and myself set off on a two-days’ excursion to see the district cast of the river Waimao, preparatory to sending in a tender for surveying it. There are three contracts open to competition. We made two bundles, one of blankets and the other of pork and biscuits. We came to a stream about 12 and dined, meeting another party of four, who had left two days ago. A great deal of the land has been burnt, much facilitating a tourist’s progress, but when in the natural state travelling is in many cases very fatiguing, particularly through high fern and flax. We were extremely weary towards sunset, and endeavouring to reach the extremity of the wide valley to get at the stream, where we intended to remain for the night. However, we were extremely glad to find some water in a little marsh by mere digging, with our hands: there we refreshed ourselves and made our home for the night with the counterpane, having a couple of blankets apiece for bedding. We slept well. In the course of our journey we set fire to the fern in two places, which by evening had extended enormously, and was blazing on the hills so as to enlighten the whole atmosphere in the neighbourhood. March 11. —Proceeded with our journey up the valley about a mile and a half, when we came to our proposed destination, a beautifully clear and rather wide stream. We attempted to trace it, but were prevented by high fern and rushes. So we found the best way we could back to the baj'---Tas-man s or Blind Bay, and followed the coast home. Some of the walk through a marsh of flax 7ft high was exceptionally fatiguing. However, after a bath we returned quite fresh’ about *8 in the evening. The whole distance we walked was about twenty-five miles both days, equal to about sixty in England in point of fatigue. The valley east of the Waimoa which we went to explore is a plain about seven miles long and five wide. It is chiefly covered with fern and fiax( particularly the former. A great deal is also encumbered with large bushes. There is but little wood, and that skirting the river. The ground is stonv but appar-

ently fertile. The greater part is dry (from all appearance), through the year, but some now dry is evidently marshy in winter, and a many hundred acres are at present in a marshy state. FIRST PUBLIC MEETING. March 12.—Tn the morning attended ft public meeting (the first held in the colony) for considering the best mode of proceeding with respect to naming the streets, etc., of Nelson. Resolutions were moved and seconded and a committee appointed (fifteen in number) to consider proposals for naming the streets, etc., the result of their labours to be published in the Nelson paper. Saw a Native woman rambling with intoxication this evening. General intercourse with Europeans will probably be the ruin of the New Zealanders as a people. The ether day a man visited us in a state of drunkenness. These are the only two instances of positive drunkenness I have yet seen, but it is to be feared the. original disgust at spirituous liquors will soften down by degrees into indifference, and indifference, succeeded by fondness, and then their ruin will be complete. As far as I can learn, everything was going on very favourably under the mis-

sionarie?. The people were advancing in morality and intelligence; they were being educated and daily assuming a more civilised appearance. But it is dreadful to think what a change European example may produce. Here are a set of drunken, idle sailors and others, the worst characters, mixing with them every day, who may in one year undo the work of the previous ten. March 13.—The Natives had two long services. There is also a service for the settlers every Sunday, in which prayers are read bv Captain Wakefield. March 14. —The first number of the Nelson “ Examiner,” which was to have been published on Saturday last, was then promised this morning. Took tender for survey of East Waimeo district with Mr Tuckett; price Is per acre, which seemed to meet his views. The first number of the Nelson paper came out this evening. March 15.—-To-day it rained for the first time since our landing, as we hear, since about six weeks ago. The rain was not beyond a shower. Received a letter from Mr Tuckett informing us that our tender for the district east of the Waimeo has been accepted. j The Natives are daily gathering round us, and bring large quantities of very fine and excellent potatoes, pigs, melons, pumpkins, cabbages, etc. These they sell, but without any view of amassing money,-, as they exchange the produce of these sales for all kinds of clothing—boxes, prints, calicoes, etc. Blankets are being superseded by European dresses, but are still in great demand, particularly if large and stout. If the size is small or the fabric light, it is immediately pronounced “ no good. - ’ Shoes are also very much sought after. A neighbour sold a woman a clock the other day for 255, 5s of which was to be paid on a future day. The woman made one of a party who left in a large canoe, which returned to-day with the usual cargo. Immediately on setting her feet to ground the woman brought the seller of the clock five baskets of potatoes worth 5s and a melon, with every mark of joy and gratitude, as a present; the 5s being still due, and which, according to the invariable honesty of the Natives, will certainly shortlj' be paid. Another canoe accompanied this in its return. Soon after the first hurry of arrival is over the ceremony of welcoming is performed. This consists in the parties sitting in a circle with their heads cast down and uttering a continuous whine and shedding tears most plentifully for sometimes as long a period as four hours. Two or three is the more usual length of the ceremony. Men and women alike engage in it. To-day I observed two women sitting on the ground embracing one another most warinlj'. Ihe embrace lasted near an hour. To-night two Natives came into the tent and asked leave to sleep on the ground in it. As they often bring “ very exceptionable company with them, "we refused as mildly as we could, telling them the tent was 'Wideawake’s and we could not give leave. March 16.—A large arrival of Natives to-day, among them a chief, whose name, from a number of testimonials of captains of ships, magistrates, etc., appears to be Tarra. He is not tall, as usual with chiefs, but is very intelligent. Amongst other things, he seemed very anxious to obtain a New Zealand Testament, shown to him by one of the settlers. When he lound he could not purchase it, he begged to borrow it for a day, which was acceded Portion omitted by Dr Hocken for want of time to copy—nine months ot 1842. (To be continued next Friday.)