PIONEERING DAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17488, 23 August 1928, Page 9

PIONEERING DAYS.

MR I. COATES' NARRATIVE. BACK TO THE WAIKATO. A MAORI SCARE. Continuing his narative of the pioneering days in the Waikato, Mr I Coates, Hamilton East, writes: — In my last I had been in Auckland for a few days, staying at Porter's Boardinghouse, next door to Close Bros.' establishment, Queen Street. Just at that time I became acquainted with Mr and Mrs Ruben Parr, who arrived at the board/nghouse while I was there. They had with them a young baby. 1 do not know if thai baby grew into Sir James Parr, but it is very probable. They had come from Canterbury and were going to take charge of the ploughable portion of the Monavale Estate, near Cambridge. There were two other men staying at the boardinghouse, who also had each bought horses to ride to the Waikato, so we all three agreed to go together until we got to Ngaruawahia, at that time known as Newcastle; but the latter name did not seem to last long. At first the place was given the name of Queenstown; but as a seam of coal was found near Taupiri the settlers thought it best to call the place Newcastle, but the name would not take. When I reached Hamilton I rode down to have a look at the 200 acres I had bought on my last trip. From there I went to Captain Steele, who told me that Ensign Crawford wanted to sell his 200 acres, as he had bought a fine block of land from the Maoris in the Tamahere block. Crawford had a good four-roomed house built, a barn and cowshed, and a few paddocks fenced, besides a good patch cleared and down in grass, on which he was keeping a few cows. I interviewed Crawford, who at first wanted £2 per acre for the farm, which is now known as Ruakura, but I bought the property for less than 30s, as he was very anxious to sell as he had to And the cash for the Tamahere property. Of course it took a few days to clinch a bargain. I afterwards bought some of his furniture, also a cow or two and the poultry. Crawford had a fairly good vegetable garden, well fenced with slabs. After the bargain was completed I agreed to go with him to Auckland to get the transfer completed. We rode to Auckland, staying at Drury all night. I think the distance was far too much, we having ridden about 70 miles that clay, and both of us were riding ponies. As I had secured a home I wrote to my brother-in-law, Thomas Dinsdale, asking him to come out at once with his \vife (my sister) and their two children. He was to have £1 per week and found, and of course if he could do better he would be at liberty at any time to do so. So in due time 1 got a letter to say that he and his wife and family were leaving per the barque John Banfleld!

My fear now was that the Maoris wore going to be troublesome. A panic came over the whole settlement. Several of the settlers cleared out for Auckland; even people with cows drove away from Hamilton and from further up the country. One settler sent me word that he had milk and butter utensils to dispose of as soon as possible. So I went with my horse and cart to the punt landing "on the East side and bought all the milking plant. As I was waiting the punt came across from the East side I .den with a cart two horses, five girls, one bov and their mother, laden with utensils 1 little thought then that amongst the girls then leaving Hamilton was my future wife and, mother of my nine children. The male portion bad gone to the Thames some lime before Had 1 thought that my future wife was amongst those girls f would have had a better look at her. We now have been married for 54 years, and both ol us are in good health. ■