Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Annandale Past and Present 1839-1900

Chapter V. — Seeking and Finding a Home

page 57

Chapter V.
Seeking and Finding a Home.

When settled in their homes, even though in many cases these were but temporary ones, those who had brought, or could get garden seeds, set about making enclosures, and soon had the pleasure of seeing tiny sprouting heads showing above ground, giving promise of grand "kail yards" to come. Most of those requiring work found it in sawing timber, splitting shingles, &c., for house-building. The price of sawn timber was then 40s. per hundred feet. One of the great troubles of this time was the absence of coin, labour, &c., being commonly paid for by goods and barter—that is, so much sugar or flour, or an I.O.U. of the party receiving the labour or produce. Business was conducted some thirty years later on much the same lines, though developed to a greater-degree, in a curious small colony or society that existed for a few years in the neighbourhood of New York, where no money was allowed to be used as a means of exchange. The carpenter working a day for the baker got the baker's I.O.U. for its value, passing it on to the butcher, and so on round to the original issuer of it. The I.O.U.'s represented so much bread, meat, &c. Much the same thing existed for years in Wellington, though they were duly page 58provided with a bank in the ship "Glenbervie," already mentioned. The representative of the Union Bank of Australia arrived with a banking outfit, bullion, &c.—no doubt he had the necessary bale of paper for the manufacture of notes. Bank business was then an expensive luxury, and the number of persons who had money to put in or receive from the bank in those days, was a very select few. There were no beautifully printed cheque books issued: cheques had to be entirely written out, pass-books cost 2s. 6d. each, the charge for a notice of a dishonoured bill was 2s. 6d., and all other items in the same proportion.

To pass from finance to local matters, our settlers soon experienced a new sensation, a tendency of the young country to disport itself in a somewhat lively and vehement manner when excited by internal fires. Disturbed in their beauty sleep on the first memorable occasion, many of the new-comers thought the Maoris had come to surprise and attack them in the silence of the night, and some fired from their whares at the invisible foe! Amongst those who thus tried to expel the invader was a Mr. Shand, latterly of Otago and Chatham Islands. As may be supposed, this prompt responsive action did not tend to allay the fears of the timid. Mr. and Mrs. Hay, believing the commotion was wrought by an energetic practical joker—by name Moses Yule—strongly abjured the perpetrator to come forward and show himself, saying, "that'll do now, Moses, come out from there!" The occupants of the other half of the whare, Dr. and Mrs. Logan, had a more intimate knowledge of the cause, and restored peace to the troubled dwelling by the assurance that it was "only an earthquake!" The next visitation of this disturber of the peace was one autumn afternoon in 1845. Dr. Logan and his son were in a windmill then at work page 59grinding flour in Wellington. Mr. Logan was then very young, but can recall the fright and wonder of the workmen at the shock and shake. No damage was done in the then growing town, hut the next visitation in 1848 was much more severe, its results disastrous to chimneys and crockery. Since then we have experienced many more, in some cases accompanied by tidal waves.

About a year after these first arrivals came the "Blenheim," bringing a. full complement of Scotch people, chiefly Highlanders, amongst them a Captain and Mrs. Sinclair and family, who hailed from the neighbourhood of Stirling, and who became fast friends of our two familes. They were accompanied by a brother of Mrs. Sinclair's, Mr. John Hutchison, a well-known and energetic Colonist, a favourite with all who knew him for his genial happy nature and never-failing good humour. Mr. Hutchison was a resident in the town of Blenheim, Marlborough Province, for many years, indeed from the foundation of that place until his death early in 1899. He was one of its most useful burghers, ever to the front in all improvements of this beautiful town and district. It is a coincidence that Mr. Hutchison should have come out in the ship "Blenheim," and that his home for nearly all his colonial life should have been in the town bearing the same name, though in no way associated with the name of the ship. His family are all settled in or near Blenheim.

The Sinclair family consisted of three sons and three daughters, all spirited plucky young people, just the class to begin life in a new country and earn their own prosperity. The girls could manage a boat as well as their brothers, they were fearless riders, (in the coming years when horses were available) crack shots, and capable workers, so that the hardships and roughing of those first)page 60 years were not too much for their buoyant spirits. Captain Sinclair was a very clever man, as well as a thorough seaman, He was not long out in New Zealand before he began shipbuilding, his sons and brother-in-law helping him. They set to work to build a schooner on the Hutt River (then called Haeratonga-why the quaint pretty Maori names should be abolished in favour of inelegant English ones remains an unsolved mystery!) They had to cut the timber out of the standing bush, and then let it "season," while they manufactured their tools and materials not otherwise procurable. Out of old iron plates and hoops they made nails, screws, and bolts, using the butt of an old cannon for their anvil, and making their bellows out of an old musket with a sheep's bladder ingeniously fitted on to it! Fortunately an old sailor appeared on the scene in time to help them with the sails, which they found to be the most puzzling part of the whole undertaking. In due time the schooner was completed to their satisfaction, launched and christened the "Richmond." She was 45 tons burden, and proved an excellent sea-boat. It is to the late Mr. Hutchison himself chiefly, that we are indebted for these details of this first attempt at shipbuilding in New Zealand, and partly from our recollections of a series of racy articles published in a Dunedin newspaper, written by a nephew of Mr. Hutchison's, descriptive of these early Colonials and their labours. Mr. Hay, though he did not assist in building this vessel, advanced some money towards it, and became part owner. It was in this schooner Captain Sinclair and Mr. Hay sailed to explore the South Island, after their unsuccessful efforts to obtain land in the north.

The New Zealand Land Company sold their land orders to speculators and intending settlers for £101 each, said orders bearing on the face of them the right to select one page 61acre in a township and 100 acres of country or suburban land. To encourage emigration on the part of purchasers, the holders of land orders who elected to go out to the proposed new Colony, were entitled to cabin passages for themselves and families, and were also allowed free passages for three servants in the steerage.

The survey parties had to some extent preceded the Colonists through the many difficulties they had to contend with; amongst others, and by no means the least, being the acquirement from the Maoris of any title or right to the land, or leave to survey it even, when some sort of title had been acquired. The Colonists in some cases were unable to exercise the use of their land orders, this applying more especially to those whose right of selection had, in the drawing by ballot for this right, resulted in high numbers. The holders of these were obliged to wait until those whose numbers gave them the privilege of priority had exercised their right to choose. Mr. Hay was one of those who held a high number, and consequently could not for some time get an opportunity to choose. Again and again he made selections, which were at once appropriated by holders of prior numbers, who, knowing Mr. Hay's practical knowledge of good land, were ever ready and waiting to take possession of his choice. This, though within their rights, was very hard on him, and became monotonous after a time, especially after he had explored all the districts immediately around Wellington, Wai-nui-o-mata, and even Manawatu, 80 miles distant, on foot. He had many weary tramps in those days over wild, mountainous bush country.

Mr. John Yule, a fellow-passenger and friend, made one or two trips with him to the Manawatu district on the same errand—land-hunting. Mr. Yule was fortunate inpage 62
Te Aro. Wellington. 1842

Te Aro. Wellington. 1842

page 63being the holder of an early number on one of the two land orders he held; this enabled him to select a town acre opposite to the well-known "Te Aro House," of Wellington, and a suburban section in Karori, part of which became well known afterwards as Donald's Tea Gardens. Mr. Yule lived all his life in Wellington, a hale old bachelor, one of the few "Bengal Merchant" passengers who reached the age of 90 odd years, and retained his mental as well as physical powers to the last. Mrs. Logan and he, being contemporaries and friends, kept alive in a wonderful degree their memories of the past, their intercourse having continued unbroken for 60 years. He died in 1899 in his 92nd year.

In 1841 Mr. Hay's nephew, the late Mr. John Hay, of Barbrafield, Temuka (a son of James Hay, of "Knockindale," Ayrshire, Mr. Hay's brother) arrived in the "Mandarin," and was thereafter very closely associated with Mr. Hay and family for many years. He accompanied Mr. Hay on his last trip to the Manawatu, where he had finally, as he thought, chosen his land. The place selected was on the banks of the Orarua River, a tributary of the Manawatu, where there was no lack of beautiful, richly wooded land. It is now known as one of the finest districts in New Zealand. Mr. Hay described it in a letter to his brother Robert at Home as being—"as level as a bowling-green."

Alas for "the vanity of human wishes." When apparently their first troubles were over and a permanent home in view, behold a "lion in the path," in the shape of an obdurate Chief! The native owners were determined not to permit an invasion of "pakehas," and indicated very plainly to the. Messrs. Hay that if they attempted to settle there a summary mode of ejection would be exercised on page 64them. The Chief told them the land had never been sold, that in no way had they parted with the rights of ownership-a perfectly correct statement, for it was fully twenty-five years later that these Maoris first sold their interests in these lands, and even then they retained large reserves. The Chief was perfectly friendly; he told them he would not object to them alone settling there, but, he added, if this were allowed, many others would follow, and thus the Maoris would lose all their lands. To prevent the possibility of this happening, he frankly told them, "You may build a house; I will not kill you, I will not kill any of your people; but as fast as you build I will burn." Seeing the old Chief and his followers were thoroughly in earnest, the Messrs. Hay felt it would be sheer folly to put them to the test in reference to their threat; so they returned to Wellington considerably baffled.

There they found Captain Sinclair and Mr. Hutcheson, just returned from Wanganui, where they had had a similar experience, much disheartened with their futile efforts to get land there. After a consultation they together waited on the New Zealand Land Company's agent, Colonel Wakefield, and representing their case to him, claimed compensation for being unable to exercise their rights of land selection. He told them he could do nothing for them financially; but when they proposed to settle in the South Island, and asked his assistance to do so, (as the Company claimed there certain rights of ownership by purchase) he readily promised that if, after exploration, they should elect to settle in any part of the South Island, they should be protected in their right of possession in the future, when the New Zealand Land Company should proceed to the formation of settlements there.

page 65

Satisfied with this assurance, Messrs. Sinclair and Hay set forth in their schooner "Richmond" to explore the South Island, Port Cooper, now Lyttelton harbour (Maori name—"Te Whaka"), being their first port of call. This was in the end of the year 1842, when a certain vague knowledge of the South Island, the plains, and French settlement of Akaroa was current in Wellington—information which probably emanated from the survey ships, and no doubt stimulated them on this voyage of discovery. On reaching the head of Port Cooper they dropped anchor, furled sails, and, having left their craft "ship-shape," landed, pulled their boat up to high water mark, and scrambled up the hill, reaching the summit at a point now known as Gebbie's Pass. Here they got a birds'-eye view of Lake Ellesmere, which they mistook for the ocean, and the vista not tempting them to proceed further, they returned to the shore, only to find their boat separated from the water by a long mud flat. This, coupled with the accident of ascending the hills at a point where the magnificent Plains of Canterbury were hidden from their view, decided our voyagers that this was not their goal. Had they made a more thorough examination of this part of the country, they most probably would have decided to settle on the plains, as did the Messrs. Deans, though possibly the want of communication by sea was a consideration that weighed, especially with Captain Sinclair.

On resuming their journey, and passing along the northern side of the Peninsula, the opening of Pigeon Bay attracted their attention, and induced inspection. The native name of Pigeon Bay is Wakaroa, that of the valley and stream Whakaoroi, but from the very earliest days it was called Pigeon Bay, from the fact that the wild native pigeons abounded in such immense numbers in the Baypage 66
Canterbury Plains-From Bridle Path, Port Hills.

Canterbury Plains-From Bridle Path, Port Hills.

page 67and around in those days. Unfortunately pigeons, kakas, this, moko-moko, etc.—indeed, all the pretty native birds—are now fast becoming extinct, whilst the most depraved of our English birds—sparrows, thrushes, blackbirds, etc.—all great marauders on grain and fruit—are thriving supremely in all parts of New Zealand. So pleased were our travellers with the apparent fertility of the soil, easy access to it by sea, and beautiful natural scenery of the lovely quiet bay, surrounded by its bold setting of richly wooded hills, carrying their "virgin forests" right down to the water's edge, that they almost decided to seek no further, but select this spot for their local habitation. The desire to see yet more of the south land, however, prompted them to continue their journey.

On their way southward they explored Akaroa Harbour, and for their menage shot a good bag of wild pigeons at German Bay. Finally they reached "Otakau"—now Otago. Their wanderings carried them all over the site of Dunedin, but no prophetic instinct guided them to take possession of the future Edina of the south. Anderson's Bay and the Peninsula district even did not attract them, and as they missed the Canterbury. Plains, so here the fertile plains of the Taieri did not come under their notice specially. Seeing no place to rival Pigeon Bay in their estimation, they finally decided in its favour.

On their way northwards they called at Moeraki, where they bought a cargo of potatoes from the natives there, for the Wellington market. This was the first shipment of native produce ever taken into Wellington, and then was established the reputation for excellence of the Oamaru or Moeraki potatoes. On their return to Wellington they found Messrs. William and John Deans wanting to arrange for the conveyance of Mr. William Deans and the Messrs. page 68Manson and Gebbie and families to Port Levy, as they had determined to settle on the plains (afterwards called Canterbury Plains), of which they—the Messrs. Deans-had procured some reliable information. Messrs. Sinclair and Hay agreed to take the Deans party first to their destination, and afterwards remove their own families and effects to their future home. This was done, and in a future chapter all details of the journey of the Deans' party and their settlement in "Potoringamotu"—now called Riccarton—will be given. In due time the "Richmond" was a third time under way for the south, this time with our two families and all their belongings on board. They carried with them as part cargo all their stock, consisting of two cows, one calf, a few goats, and some fowls. Cows in those days, there being few as yet imported, were costly animals, £70—and even £90—being the price paid for them in Wellington.

Although thankful for the prospect of a home to settle down in at last, yet it was with feelings of keen regret that our families parted from their good friends, Dr. and Mrs. Logan, who remained in Wellington. They were some years afterwards joined by Mrs. Logan's mother, sister, and two brothers. Mrs. Logan lives there still, with her son, her sister, and her niece—Mrs. and Miss McDonald. Dr. Logan, who was many years Mrs. Logan's senior, died eighteen or twenty years after the time of which we are now writing. Mrs. Logan is now full of years, and honoured by a large circle of friends, who love her for her many acts of kindness, her unbounded hospitality, and the good she has done during her long, active, useful life. The friendship begun so long ago has lasted throughout a lifetime unbroken.

page 69
After a quick passage, our party reached Port Cooper, where they discharged cargo for the Messrs. Deans, and then ran down to their final destination, Pigeon Bay. There, acting under Colonel Wakefield's promises, they selected their estates, and formed their homesteads;
Mrs. Logan—Wellington, 1898.(At the age of 91.)

Mrs. LoganWellington, 1898.
(At the age of 91.)

Captain Sinclair taking what is now known as Homes' Bay, and Mr. Hay part of Pigeon Bay valley, and the run to the east extending to the Heads. These selections were, of course only approximate, as there were no surveys to guide them then, nor for many years afterwards.
page 70

It was early in April, 1843, when they reached Pigeon Bay with all their belongings. Captain and Mrs. Sinclair, three sons, and three daughters, and Mr. J. Hutcheson, before mentioned, comprised one family; Mr. and Mrs. Hay, and two baby sons—James, one year and ten months, Thomas Orr, aged five months—with their nephew, John Hay, the other family. Their first business was the erection of a comfortable tent, in which to live until they could build a house, which they speedily set about designing, and finished in three months. They built a wood-framed and thatched house—that is, a house built of saplings, thatched over by toi-toi, the native grass—long shaped, which they occupied jointly, each family living in their own half of the house. This arrangement lasted for two years, until they had time to get a little clearing made on their respective properties, and timber sawn and seasoned for more substantial and comfortable houses. Before even the thatched house was completed, however, their energies were required for a more Herculean task, which admitted of no delay.

They sold their schooner soon after arrival to Mr. W. B. Rhodes, for "ten head of horned cattle, delivered at Akaroa." This sounded extremely well, cattle being almost a fabulous price in those days, but "experience teaches wisdom;" they had yet to learn to their cost that there was more to pay, at least indirectly, before they could call the cattle their own. There was then only a Maori track through the otherwise unbroken forest, and a mountain of over 1300 feet interposed its height between them and Akaroa, the mountain, as well as the valleys, being covered with dense bush. Over this track in its original state the driving of stock was an utter impossibility. Nothing daunted, however, our plucky pioneers set to work with a will to widen the track to six feet clear, and completed page 71their task in three weeks, by dint of hard labour. Eight capable men were employed in this undertaking, their numbers having been increased by two, viz.: Alfred Wallace, a brother of Mrs. Logan's and a young friend of his named Tom Cullen, (of these young men more anon), and they were extremely pleased to finish so quickly what appeared at the outset so large a contract. They concluded the matter in hand to their entire satisfaction, when in one day they succeeded in bringing all their cattle safely home. Messrs. Sinclair and Hay each took his own share—five of the cattle—and then began in earnest the business of dairy farming, sheep being as yet practically unknown in New Zealand.