page 178

Chapter XIX.

I got safely to Melbourne, and to my lodging, and found out the parties I was waiting for would not arrive from Adelaide for a fortnight. I knew very few people in Melbourne, but occasionally dropped across a New Zealand acquaintance, or some one just arrived from that colony, and passed the time knocking about, but found it pass very slowly.

I thought I would leave Melbourne and remove to Sandridge, and wait there, as, do what I would, I found Melbourne to be too expensive for my purse. I took my luggage, and went down into lodgings at Sandridge, one of the sea ports of Melbourne, and spent my time visiting the vessels in the bay, and occasionally running up to Melbourne in the train. It is astonishing what luck I have in meeting old acquaintances. A vessel arrived one day from the Mauritius. I went on board, and the first man I saw, in the person of the chief mate, was Thomas Winton, who was—as the reader may recollect—ship wrecked with me on the West Australian coast, in my young days. You may depend upon it we were pleased to meet again after so many years. He accompanied me to my lodgings, and what a long yarn we had to tell each [unclear: other!] When I mentioned the business I was upon, he wanted to accompany me to Sydney, page 179but I told him to wait, and if matters went all right I would send for him at once. He spent the most of his time with me until I left.

At this time my friends had arrived from Adelaide. I went to Melbourne, and had a satisfactory interview with them. My passage was taken in one of the steamers, and we had a quick, pleasant voyage. On entering Sydney harbour, thoughts of old times rushed over me, and I recalled to memory the many happy days I had spent there, from childhood to manhood: I felt as if I were once more at home. When we landed, I took a cab and drove to an hotel in Pitt Street called the "Six Lamps." It was also called "Tattersall's," and sending in my luggage, I secured a room at three guineas per week. It was a good place to stop at for one like me, being much frequented by sporting men, whose company I always affected. As it was late when I arrived, I did not leave the hotel that night, and on going to bed I was met by two very old colonists, who wanted to retain me to have a chat about my Bathurst property. I stopped with them about an hour, and then went to bed. I was five days at "Tattersall's" before my Adelaide friends communicated with me. I then saw them, and was informed that I must be ready to accompany them to Bathurst, by rail, on the following Monday.

I asked them what I was to do in the matter of expenses. They said that would be all right; they would deposit the requisite funds in the Bank to my credit, and I felt proportionately relieved in mind. After a prolonged conversation about the business in hand, we left the hotel and proceeded to the Bank, where they placed £700 to my account. A large sum might be necessary in prosecuting the search for, and retaining witnesses who could identify me as William Jackson Barry, since the year 1833.

I may here mention that the property to which I was about to lay claim had been purchased in the above year, in Bathurst, by a dear friend on my behalf, while I was in the East Indies. He died, and nothing was said about it for several years, in fact, it had almost passed out of my memory, until I met, as before described, in these pages, a gentleman named Cowper Turner, in California. He had been Attorney-General of New South Wales. He had come to San Francisco with horses, and I purchased some blood stock from him.

page 180

In the course of conversation, he recollected me in Sydney and mentioned the fact or this land having been purchased in my name, and said it should now be becoming valuable, as that part of the country was now settled, and the town being built and some day I should come into quite a fortune.

I listened, but did not pay much heed to his words. I was doing well at the time, and did not need it, and in the bustling years which followed I had well-nigh forgotten the affair, and being an ignorant man in such matters I cared little to prosecute a search for property I knew little or nothing about. Then came the letter to Cromwell, and I thought, at last the time has arrived for action; and, being now in Sydney, I looked forward with all anxiety to a successful issue of my mission.

After a deal of journeying from place to place, and three trips to Bathurst, and having been fully and satisfactorily proved to be the "real Simon Pure," I was told I might return to my family in New Zealand, and when again wanted I should be sent for.

I lost all hopes of getting my rights. There appeared to be such a mass of law surrounding the affair that I could not see through it. Some of the land grants in my name had been changed to others, and the land which had been apparently purchased for me had been re-sold by the Government under an act called Torrens' Act, passed many, many years before; so I concluded to let matters take what course they might, as I was completely worried out in trying to understand what it was all about.

I was getting very anxious about my family. I went down to Sydney and drew my balance of the £700 that was placed to my account, about £460, and then left for Otago. I thought that with the money I had in the bank in Cromwell, and the £2460 I was taking back from Sydney, I could make a start in any business.

I left Sydney in the "Rangatira," and had a splendid passage to Dunedin. I found my family all quite well when I got to Cromwell. I had a spell for a few days, and a good look round.

At this time a man named McLaren kept an hotel in Queenstown, called the Prince of Wales. He came and offered to lease it to me for three years. I had known this man years before in Victoria, where he was usually accounted "a queer page 181stick." However, the stand was a good one, and the house was doing a good business, and I concluded it would suit. There was stock and furniture, amounting to about £650, which I had to take at a valuation, and pay £3 pet week rent.

I saw my way clear and closed, and it was not a bad investment. I sold my house in Cromwell and brought my family to Queenstown, and commenced my new line of business. The first year I did well, and made a lot of money. One day my wife called me away from the dinner table and told me that she felt very strange and ill. She was afraid something was going to happen to her, and she really looked very ill. I, tried to cheer her up, and advised her to go to bed, which she did. We had been married twenty-two years, and I never knew her to complain before. She had been always remarkably strong and healthy.

In the morning two of my children came running to the door of my sleeping-room, and called out that "mother was dead." I rushed at once to her room, and found her lying on the floor in a fit. My eldest daughter was trying to revive her. I at once lifted my poor wife into bed, and sent for the two doctors living in Queenstown. They came immediately, and did what they could. She had eighteen fits that day, and afterwards gradually sank, and in ten days left us, I trust for a better world.

I cannot describe my feelings when I found she had gone. I believe I nearly went mad. We had lived happily together for over twenty years, and I could not realise the fact of losing her.

The funeral took place in a few days, and nearly all the town paid a tribute of respect by following my wife's remains to their last resting-place. About forty of my Cromwell friends drove up to the funeral. I got all possible sympathy under my bereavement, but it did me no good, and I was utterly unable to look after anything for two months.

I was left with six of a family, one child being very young. My business was failing, my family was completely broken up, and I had two small children to look after.

The boys were mostly able to look after themselves. I was in my fifty-fourth year, but strong and active, and I thought of selling out of the hotel and giving mining another trial. I sold out to a friend for a good price, and left for Cromwell, taking ray two young children with me. My friends in Cromwell wanted me to start again in the old line of business, but I had made up my mind to go prospecting again.

page 182

It was now the month of June, 1875. I left Cromwell for the Nevis to winter there with a very old friend. There was a quartz reef on the Carrick range, which intervenes between the diggings at the Nevis and Cromwell. I started with two horses, packing one and riding the other. It was fine weather when I left Cromwell, and in crossing the range I overhauled a man on horseback bound for the same place as myself. My friend I put in the winter with kept a store, but had very few goods in it. The goods I took over with me came in very useful, for the Carrick Range was snowed up for two months, and no one could cross it.

Before we reached the store a very heavy snow-storm came on, and three miners lost their lives in the snow crossing the range. When we got to the store two men came on horseback carrying a man that they had found in a gully fast asleep—an usual thing in the snow. If anyone sits down he will fall fast asleep. I thought it was all up with him, but we managed to bring him round. We rubbed his feet and body with snow, and poured hot rum down his throat, and after a time circulation recommenced, and he began to recover. He never had a narrower escape from being frozen to death, I'll warrant, in fact, it is wonderful how he lived through the bitter night, unsheltered in such a region.

The Nevis is well-known as the wildest and most unsheltered goldfield in New Zealand. There has been an immense quantity of gold obtained there for many years. The supplies are mostly packed over in the summer, as the ranges are impassable during the winter months. I stopped the winter at the store, and amused myself writing a book entitled, "Ups and Downs, or Fifty Years of Colonial Life." In the spring we started on a prospecting tour. We found the reef, and I took a quantity of stone from it to Cromwell. I sent ten packhorses out and brought a large quantity of stone in and got it crushed. It did not pay well enough for me to apply for the ground and put men on to work the reef. On that tour of prospecting we found two gullies from which large quantities of gold had been taken, and men made their piles and went home. On that tour I lost over £100, but did good for others.

After a spell, and getting my horses fresh, I started again to look for a cinnabar reef in the locality of the Lammerlaw Ranges. I pitched my tent and prospected about for six days, page 183and in one creek, flowing from the mountains, I found many traces of native mercury and several pieces of cinnabar. After six or seven days' search for a valuable mine, I packed up and left the Lammerlaw Ranges for Lawrence, or Tuapeka, and stopped a few days at Bastings' Hotel, where I exhibited my specimens of copper from Moa Creek, and cinnabar and other minerals from the Lammerlaw Ranges. I gave some to the local Athenæum, in the hope that they might provoke discussion among diggers, and induce a search for other minerals than gold, which are, undoubtedly, to be found in Otago.

It was now in the year 1877. I had a good credit in the bank in Cromwell. I thought of taking a trip to my Mother Country, which I had not seen for over fifty years. I sold my two horses at Lawrence, took coach down to Cromwell, and settleddown for a while. A great many of my Cromwell friends wanted me to start business again, but I had made up my mind to go home to the Old Country.

One night, in the Town Hall, there was a very large meeting held. I was away from home at the Dunstan. A storekeeper came into the hotel I put up at, at which I was drinking a glass of wine along with the host of the hotel. The storekeeper's name was Stanley. He said, "Hullo, Barry, there is a great meeting about you in the Town Hall. It was crowded when I left at eight o'clock." I said, "What is it all about?" Stanley said, "It is all about you and the Government, but you will see all about it when you go home."

I had settled my business at the Dunstan and returned to Cromwell. I was called upon by a dozen leading men of the town; they said the meeting that was held in the Town Hall was to get the Government to send me home to England to lecture on New Zealand as a field for emigration, knowing that few, or perhaps no one has visited this country after fifty years' absence from the Mother Country, who possesses more knowledge of the Colonies and their capabilities than I did. They then handed me a testimonial to send to the Government. Sir George Grey was then Premier of New Zealand. This testimonial was sent to the Premier, signed by over 200 leading men of Otago and Victoria, saying that they had known Captain William Jackson. Barry, either in New Zealand or Victoria, during a number of years as a most enterprising and energetic man, who was always full of hope in the future prosperity of page 184the Colonies. He had made himself fully acquainted with the vast resources and capabilities of the interior of New Zealand, having spent sixteen years and a considerable capital in prospecting for minerals and to develop its other resources. Hearing that he was about to take a trip to the Old Country, they strongly recommended him as a lecturer on emigration. This letter was sent to the Government, who employed me. A letter was sent to me from the Immigration Office, I being in Wellington at the time. The following is a copy:—

Letter 321.

Immigration Office, Wellington, September 25th, 1878.

Sir,—Under instructions from the Hon. Mr. Stout, I have the honour to inform you that, as you are about to leave for England, the Government have decided to employ you as an agent for the introduction of immigrants to this Colony, and have accordingly authorised the payment of the sum of £40 for passage money.

They also gave me letters to the Agent-General in London, Sit Julius Vogel.

After getting business matters all settled with the Government, I returned to Otago. On arriving in Dunedin I met a great many friends, who wanted me to deliver an address before leaving for the Old Country. After staying a few days in Dunedin, I took coach for Cromwell, and was met at the bridge by half the townspeople, who gave me three cheers. I settled my business in Cromwell, and made a home for my two little ones, packed up for a start, and went to the bank to draw out what money I had to my credit; I had cash to the amount of £630. I drew it all, and took a draft for £500 and £ 130 I took in gold.

I was then about to make a start for town. I wished my friends good-bye, and took coach for Dunedin. After staying two days in town I took my passage on board the "Wakatipu," Captain Wheeler. The "Wakatipu" was one of the Union boats that were running constantly between New Zealand and Sydney. Captain Wheeler had command of that vessel for many years; he was a careful man, and was very well liked by his passengers. I shall have something more to say about this gentleman further on.

We had a good run over to Sydney, and I was thankful for it, as I had the gout, and was laid up for two months in Sydney before I was able to leave for England. A very large steamship page 185came into the harbour, "The Aconcagua," and I engaged my passage in her for London.

Many of my friends went on board to have a look at her. Next day I took my luggage aboard, and made a great friend of Captain Conlon. "The Aconcagua" is a steamship of 4000 tons register and 345 feet in length, being the largest steamship that ever came into the South, Pacific at that date, and, by the way, it is but just to give the greatest praise to Captain Conlon and the officers of the ship for the excellent discipline on board and the satisfaction given to all the passengers.

Every evening there were all kinds of amusements on board, including music and dancing. The weather throughout the voyage was so fine that an open boat could have come the entire distance—in all my experience at sea I never had a finer passage. At the request of my fellow-passengers, I gave an address upon the outlines of my manuscript which I was taking Home to put into book form. I received their thanks, and about one hundred and twenty gave me their names as subscribers. On arrival in the West India Docks, the passengers mustered to give Captain Conlon three hearty cheers, and to repeat their thanks for his kindness and courtesy to every one on board.

Thus I found myself once more in Old England after an absence of more than fifty years—and how many changes had taken place in that time, both in England and New Zealand!

When I landed in the colony in 1829, it was in its wild state, inhabited by its aboriginals, and when I left, in 1878, it was in a high state of civilisation. I brought ray family from Victoria in 1861, and settled in Otago. This was the first of the goldfields in that country. In 1861 Dunedin was a very small town compared to what it now is, and in my experience no town has made more progress. On my landing, there was no town beyond 25 miles from the seaboard. Ship after ship, from Victoria to Port Chalmers, brought its hundreds of miners to seek gold. On the way to the goldfields many privations were endured, and the colonists carried their tents on their backs. Towns of canvas at once sprang up on the goldfields, but provisions were scarce and hard to get. I have known flour to be sold on the Dunstan at 2s. 6d. per lb, and meat at 1s. 6d., both being difficult to obtain even at these prices. Dunstan lies on the Molyneux River, 200 miles from Dunedin. The way there page 186at that time lay through a vast, wild plain—now it is fertile land and farms. The cause of this transformation is stated in a few words. The Molyneux River was rich in gold. Two men named Hartley and Riley got two hundredweight of the precious metal, and a great rush of people to the spot took place. Immediately afterward the Government of the day gave £1000 to those men for the discovery.

About 14 miles up the river another rush took place, but it was on the opposite side, and there was no convenience by which to get across. A boat was speedily built, however, to convey miners across, and there were soon 200 tents pitched by diggers. This canvas town was named Cromwell, and it is now one of the finest and best-built towns in Otago. It is surrounded with mineral wealth, and at its back lies a valley of good fertile land, 35 miles in extent, running up to a magnificent lake 60 miles long by seven wide. As yet this fine valley is lying comparatively dormant for want of men to cultivate it, there being only about six farms in it. Nor is this the case with this particular spot alone; there are many more equally good, lying waste for want of agricultural settlers.

The great proportion of the inhabitants are diggers for gold, who get well paid for their labour. Two men in this locality were the first pioneers to the goldfields, and they have to my knowledge taken over £30,000 out of gold and quartz. One is named G. W. Gudger and the other Thomas Logan. But to Mr. Gudger must be given the credit of making Cromwell what it now is, and looking at its mineral wealth in coal, iron, copper, plumbago, etc., it is evidently destined to become a vast manufacturing town such as Birmingham or Sheffield in England. I must not omit to mention Lake Wakatipu, which I have visited. It is about 60 miles long by five miles wide. Its depth is over 200 fathoms in places, and it would float the entire British navy. Some of the finest scenery in the world surrounds this lake, and the neighbouring hills are capped with snow all the year round. There are steamboats running on the hike from Queenstown to Kingston to meet passengers coming by rail, and numerous tourists come to view the magnificent scenery of the district. The railway running to this lake was opened in 1978, and has proved to be a great boon to wool-growers. Previous to the opening of the line, it was a journey of four weeks from the seaboard to the towns situate on the lake, owing page 187to the bad roads, but the energetic farmers can now get their produce forwarded in a few hours.

All this is due to the energy of Mr. James Macandrew and Sir Julius Vogel. It was their scheme to open the country, which has caused so much benefit, not to the farmer alone, but to the entire population of New Zealand.

The changes that have taken place in navigation in the interval of fifty years, are not less striking. Passing through from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, we had a splendid run in the recent voyage, having left Adelaide on the 18th January, 1878, and reached Plymouth on the 5th March following: but when I left home, at ten years of age, it was a seven months passage from England to Sydney. We came home in less than seven weeks! Progress in shipbuilding, steam-navigation, and the Suez Canal have made all the difference.

On my arrival in London, I was surprised to see the bustle and traffic of the streets, the network of railways running over and under the houses, and squalid misery and abject poverty of some of the inhabitants of the poorer localities. I could not help contrasting London in this last particular with the country I had left, where labour is at a premium and starvation a thing unknown.