HAMILTON JUBILEE.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5668, 23 July 1914, Page 2

HAMILTON JUBILEE.

To the Editor. Sir, —Enclosed please find a copy . of a letter 1 have just received from one of the old veterans, who has for a great many years lived at Te Akatea, near Ngaruawahia, having bought land there in the early days, after soiling his 50-acre section on | the River road, near Hamilton. 1 also received Mr Foster’s diary, j written on a leaf of his note-hook on j the night of arrival of the 4th Com- | pany in Hamilton, in which he says | the Company left Wairou on August 17th, got to I'apakura the IBlh, left j I’apakura on the 20th, and stayed 1 the night at Kit iron, two miles from : Qpeen’s redoubt, arrived at the Bluff | oil the 21st, arrived at Queenstown i on Tuesday, the 23rd, and Hamilton j on Wednesday, the 24tli, 18G4. In a 1 footnote he mentions that the Blulf j is about a mile from Mercer, and ! that the first name given to Ngaruawahia was Queenstown. Of course, 1 think that as the 24th August is on a Monday the committee will be quite justilied in making Tuesday, the 25th, a full day holiday,—l am, etc.,

ISAAC COATES

Punga Flat, Te Akatea, July 20th, 1914. Dear Mr Coates, —A friend of i mine has sent me some cuttings of the Waikato Argus re Hamilton Jubilee. Heing one of the first settlers to arrive at Hamilton with the 4th Company of the 4th Waikato Regiment, under Captain Steele, 1 ■ take the liberty of writing to you to set at rest the true date. We reached Hamilton on Wednesday, 24th Auugst, 1804, about noon. Fnsign Crawford was the first man to jump on shore, George Vowles the second, and myself the third. The others got off pell-mell us the old Rangiriri got close to iho bank. We landed just where tiie old punt used to be, and we pitched our camp at the Hamilton East end of the traffic bridge, 'there are only two left in Hamilton of the old 4th Company that 1 know of; they are Messrs John Davis and Charles Tippen, while W. H. Kelly came in as a substitute. Of course, there may be some others that 1 do not know of, but there are many left of the other companies, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, but they did not get to Hamilton for some time after we arrived, as many of them did not come to Hamilton until November. The late Sergeant Knox is wrong as j regards the date, but be did not ' arrive in Hamilton for a good while I after we did, as he belonged to the | No. 2 Company. In conclusion, 1 j must thank you for the interest you ! have taken in the old pioneers of Hamilton; perhaps only for you they would have been forgotten. I am sending enclosed a loaf from my old note-book. It has laid in my old trunk for the past 50 years or so, So you will see the correct date. It was written in my tent on the night we got to Hamilton. When you have taken a note of it kindly send it back to me, as 1 prize it very much. 1 would have liked very much to come to the jubilee, but 1 do not care to travel in the winter. Jam nearly 7ti years old. Wishing you all a happy reunion on August 24th, 1914, and also wishing your family and self every success in life, 1 am, etc,, JOS. FOSTER.