Ruapuke Reminiscences
(Compiled from information chiefly supplied by Topi).

In 184-3 a Sydney craft named Lunar was wrecked on Waipapapa Point, in vicinity of the more recent Tararua disaster. The Lunar had been on the New Zealand coast some years as a whaler, but on this occasion she came as a trader. She was under charter to one Morgan, who had been on the coast previously as supercargo of trading vessels. We hear of him in 1835. That year he brought a trade cargo, but, before he got it disposed of, a misunderstanding arose between him and the skipper. The result was Morgan and his cargo were put on shore in Chalky Bay (Inlet). On the coast line between Southport and Cunaries branch of Chalky, there is a large cavern still known as Morgan's Cave. It is a capacious cavern, but since the days of Morgan a huge overhanging ledge has fallen, and now blocks the mouth, leaving only a narrow, intricate pas-sage at each side. To this cave Morgan conveyed his stock, and there he must have lived, pending the arrival of a ship from Sydney. How it subsequently fared with him is not known. We find him again on the coast in a similar capacity, eight years thereafter.

The Lunar had gone direct from Sydney to the Bay of Islands. The possibilities are she had been to Norfolk, and called in at the Bay of Islands en route. Topi, the island chief, remembered she was a full ship, consequently she could not have parted with much cargo prior to the disaster. The latter was attributed by Morgan to intoxication on the part of the crew, who, he alleged, had broached cargo, a portion of which consisted of rum and brandy. It occurred on a fine, clear night. Considering the treacherous character of the locality there may not have been much foundation for the charge against the crew. They remained on the wreck all night. Early next morning the disaster was noticed from the shore, and Toitois's natives and whaling station hands visited the wreck. After a great deal of persuasion, Morgan came to see the page 113rescue of the ship hopeless, and arrangements were made with the visitors to save as much as possible. The weather favoured their reaching Ruapuke, and the rescued stuff was taken there.

Describing his voyage to the south, Short-land writes:—"As the day advanced we had a fresh breeze off shore, and were thus enabled to keep very near the coast. Mr J—(alluding to the well-known Johnnie Jones) wished to see the position of the wreck of the brig Lunar, which had, a short time previously, run ashore on a fine night, as was supposed, through extreme carelessness. She lay on a sandy beach which extended for many miles to the west."

Then again at p 151 he writes:—"Tuhawaiki's residence, off which we lay in a very exposed situation, was in an open bay at the eastern end of the island. We landed early in the morning, and met at his house the supercargo of the brig Lunar, who, with the assistance of the natives, had transported all the moveable and more valuable part of the cargo of the wreck to this place." He complained much of the bad conduct of some of the crew, aided by Europeans from Ruapuke and Stewart Islands, who, intsead of endeavouring to save the property, set to work to help themselves. He considered himself indebted to the natives for having rescued so much. "My stay here," adds the writer, "was cut short by the sudden coning up of a gale from the south-west, a quarter from which the wind blows often with great violence. It was necessary to get on board the schooner without delay, as we could see her already rolling and plunging at her anchor. Although we had not been more than two hours on shore, Chasland, our steersman, had got time to get beastly drunk on some sour wine, part of the cargo saved from the wreck."

On 29th January following (1844) Bishop Selwyn paid an inaugural visit to this part of his diocese. At p. 131 of his "Annals of the Colonial Church" he tells us he spent a night in Tuhawaiki's house, which, he writes, contained two rooms, in one of which was a large fireplace and chimney, which the 'Countess of Ruapuke' had carefully spread with two beautiful new red blankets, furnished also the room with carpet and looking glass. "I regret to add that another part of the furniture of the room was a large barrel of rum, which the chief kept for the use of his English sailors and for sale to the whalers."

These statements gave a cue to questions which, on being put to the old chief Topi, had the effect of brightening up his memory amazingly. He recollected Morgan's arrival perfectly. He came accompanied by four boats full of trade, together with the deck fittings of the wrecked brig. He landed on the beach at the foot of the cliff on which the pa is built. The stuff was all stowed away in a cave. The sails, spars, and heavy part of the cargo was used to cover the perishables. A day or so afterwards Morgan left with some of the natives, to visit the wreck and rescue more cargo. He was away eight days, and came back with a lot of chains, ironwork, etc. His absence (was just the opportunity the natives wanted.

When in Sydney two years previously, Tuhawaiki had taken deep interest in military display. In particular, he was deeply impressed with the Governor, attended by his bodyguard, and the idea struck him to form a bodyguard of his own. His purpose becoming known to the officers of the guard, on leaving Sydney they furnished him with what is said to have been a grotesque assortment of military clothing. It consisted of an admiral's suit, comprising a cocked hat, gold lace, etc., and 15 red coats, with chimney-pot hats to match. On the strength of these Tuhawaiki formed a bodyguard, with himself as governor or admiral. He was in the habit of resorting with his guardsmen to the beach and exercising them for an hour or so daily. Topi gave a most delightful pantomimic representation of Tuhawaiki and these military evolutions. En route to the beach they came upon the Europeans who accompanied Morgan to the island, lying scattered about helplessly intoxicated. The fact was only too apparent that they had broached Morgan's cargo. Having set out with a page 114sense of military duty and discipline, Tuhawaiki ordered his guard to take the delinquents into custody. Therein lay the difficulty. They were all so drunk they could not move. A council of war was held, and it was decided to remain by until they got sober, and then march them off for incarceration in one of the adjacent caves. Meantime Tuhawaiki and the guard had to obtain refreshments, and so powerfully did they refresh at the expense of Morgan's cargo that, by the time the others were sober enough to move, the custodians themselves had become helplessly drunk. Under these circumstances they simply changed places, and so went on at that rate, keeping up the rotatory for a day or two. The women getting alarmed at this state of things, assisted by such of the islanders as had not taken part in the dissipation, carried off the casks and hid them in a neighbouring lagoon, where they were kept out of sight until Morgan finally left the island. They were then recovered and taken up to Tuhawaiki's house, and, as stated above, became an eyesore to the worthy bishop.

Interrogated as to Chasland's alleged "beastly drunk" on sour wine, Topi replied, "No damn fear. Tommy Chasland knew better. You don't catch Tommy drinking sour wine as long as there was a cask of rum to be fished up out of the lagoon. Had there been a sly grog tap hidden at the bottom of the sea Tommy would have spotted it. He had ai tremendous eye for business, more especially business in the liquor line." Returning to the narrative in hand, he (Topi) continued:—"Prior to Shortland's arrival, Tuhawaiki and myself crossed over in a whaleboat to Aparima to meet Johnnie Jones, and also to take possession of a small schooner purchased from the whalers. Payment was to be made in scraped flax, and the women had been busily engaged preparing it. The request to meet Jones came unexpectedly, and little more than half the flax was ready. We took that along with us in the boat, but, on tendering it as part payment, some difficulty arose. Shortland's statement that 'one of the European owners should sail her until the balance of the purchase was paid' is not correct. Some kind of tuhituhi (writing) was made out and given to the sellers, and thereupon the boat was given up to Tuhawaiki. The balance of the flax was sent in a few weeks, and thereupon the writing was handed back and destroyed. This transaction took place in presence of Jones. Jones was a man in whom Tuhawaiki had great confidence—in fact, he (Jones) latterly knew all Tuhawaiki's business, and for some time that business was mostly transacted on the advice of Jones. Topi never had the same faith in Jones. Some of the chief women of the tribe were also suspicious of the influence exercised by Jones. Still Tuhawaiki seems to have believed in him, and it was not until after the sale of the Otakou block, and immediately prior to his death, his faith in Jones's disinterested motives was destroyed."

Tuhawaiki and Topi, in the newly purchased boat, and Shortland and Jones, accompamied by Chasland, in Jones's schooner, after adjusting matters at Aparima, sailed for Ruapuke. The newly-purchased craft does not appear to have recommended itself to Shortland, nevertheless, we are told, it managed to outrun the other, and reached the island some time in advance. Shortland attributes this to light winds, adding that "it rendered Tuhawaiki more content than ever with the bargain." After a little thought Topi recollected this circumstance, and the old gentleman became rapturous when he recalled how immensely satisfied he and Jack, as he called Tuhawaiki, were at the result. Chasland considered himself boss sailing master of these seas, and he was prepared to run any risk to maintain his prestige. Jones was not by any means a bold navigator, and Shortland was even more timid. In that case they had the greatest possible difficulty in restraining Chasland from clapping on canvass and taking danger cuts amongst the skerries and reefs in order to shorten the distance. Tuhawaiki and Topi could see the struggle that was going on between Jones and his sailing master, and rightly judging the former would gain the day, they scudded along, making every possible short cut. They were quite satisfied with the performance of the craft, but what pleased them most was the page 115victory they had had over Ghasland, who reached the anchorage two hours later, in, as they expected, a wrathful mood. Chasland was left in charge of the boats, while the others proceeded to the pa at the top of the cliffs. During their absence Ghasland was let into the secret of the rum cask planted in the lagoon, through conversation he had with women of the tribe. With their assistance or connivance the cask was tapped, and Chasland drank so copiously that upon his fellow voyagers' return to the boat he was in the state named, "beastly drunk."

Morgan had meantime taken up his abode in the cave, where his salvage goods were stored. Besides the liquor he had repeatedly lost quantities of stores, and the natives had a good deal of korero amongst themselves on the subject of these goods, and what had to be done. They at length decided to purchase them for flax. A difficulty arose in their being still indebted in a considerable quantity of flax, as balance due on the boat. To overcome that difficulty it was arranged stores instead of flax should be given as part payment, and that all the available hands should at once be set to the manufacture of flax.

That purpose was kept secret from Morgan in the hope that the delay and what pilfering could be done, would tire him out and cause him to part with his goods at a further sacrifice. At this juncture Jones and his schooner, with Chasland, again turned up. He gave a lump sum for the goods and the wreck. What the sum amounted to Topi could not recollect but he seemed quite convinced it was a highly profitable deal for Jones. The stores were forthwith transferred on board the schooner, and it was with a feeling of disappointment the natives saw the schooner, with Morgan and his goods, leave their shores. It was about the year 1840 Tuhawaiki visited Sydney. He sailed in the Magnet. He went under the auspices of Johnnie Jones, to whom the Magnet belonged. Returning a few months after he reported having sold the island or a large portion thereof. He gave Topi and Taiaroa 20 pairs of blankets as their share of the purchase price. He kept all the money to himself, and Topi, from whom I got the statement, never knew what sum had been paid for the alleged purchase. Nothing was ever heard of the land being claimed under this purchase. The Native Land Commission shows one J. S. Clarke, of Sydney, claimed an area—the acerage not stated—in Ruapuke, acquired in 1838, on which a sum of £30 is alleged to have been paid. Sydney Records locate that claim as against Green Island; probably Green Isles, mentioned above, is what is meant. The claim was disallowed. Tami-hana, Te Rauparaha's son, became a native catechist, and was the first missionary teacher who visited the far south. Topi at that time was engaged as headsman in one of the Awarau whale station boats. He (Topi) remembered Tami-hana's tribe owed the tribe to which he belonged utu, or satisfaction. He could not at first remember what the circumstances were. Eventually it was recalled, they arose from the death of Tama-i-hara-nui, who was carried away on the brig Elizabeth, and put to death by Te Rauparaha at Kapiti Island. One party contended that death was justifiable, as the chief's tribe had wantonly slain Te Pehi, who was Te Rauparaha's uncle. A great deal of debate arose, and for a time the island where Tami-hana was located was greatly excited. On being referred to the highest available authority the question was decided in favour of Tami-hana's complete immunity, and he was allowed to go on with his evangelistic work. Both Bishop Selwyn and Mr Wohler bear testimony to the efficiency of the work done by Tami-hana.