Chapter XXV.

The circumstances detailed towards the close of the last chapter rendered the election of a new Superintendent necessary. This was fixed to take place on the 17th of May, 1861, and there were three candidates to take the field —Major Richardson, Mr. McMaster and Mr. Macandrew. At this point a trivial but ludicrous incident occurred in connection with Major Richardson, who resided at Puerua, between sixty and seventy miles from Dunedin, and to whom it was of the utmost importance that a requisition should be sent directly the Governor's writ reached Dunedin. The moment this arrived, a mounted messenger was despatched to Mr. Cutten, in whose safe keeping the document lay, with instructions to procure it and then proceed to Puerua in hot haste. Mr. Cutten hurriedly seized the precious missive from the mantelpiece, inclosed it in an envelope, and impressed on the horseman to lose no time in its delivery. The journey over, the Major broke the seal, to find that by mistake Mr. Cutten had forwarded an unpaid milk bill. Fortunately no evil resulted. As might be expected, there was great excitement at the nomination, which took place at the Court-house. The runholders, who by this time formed a considerable and somewhat powerful body, put forward Mr. McMaster, of Oamaru, as their candidate. He had recently arrived from Victoria, and in every way suitably represented the views of his supporters. Major Richardson was opposed to the gradually increasing encroachment of the squatters, and desired to see every facility given for the acquisition of land by all for agricultural purposes. Upon these opposite views did page 198the battle-cry of many a later election depend. Mr. Macandrew, who was detained elsewhere, spoke to the electors by proxy, and upon a show of hands proved to be the favourite. Polling-day, however, brought about a great change, the numbers being: for Major Richardson, 292; Mr. Macandrew, 189; and Mr. McMaster, 106. A month later the Council was summoned, and Major Richardson then proved himself a most able and competent Superintendent. His address was marked by a grace and even eloquence which at once distinguished it from all previous utterances of the sort.

At this point the writer must begin to draw this sketch of the earliest history and earliest days of the settlement to a close. For now it entered upon an absolutely new era, whose dawn opened with the discovery of gold at the Lindis Pass in the latter end of March, 1861. For ten years previously the existence of gold in various parts of the Province had been known. Perhaps the first occasion was in October, 1851, when Messrs. Pharazyn and Nairn forwarded to Dunedin small specimens of auriferous quartz and gold dust which they had collected on the Goodwood estate, near Waikouaiti. In 1856, Mr. Charles Ligar, formerly Surveyor-General of New Zealand, and afterwards Chief Surveyor of the new Province of Southland, reported gold in the sands and gravel of the Mataura. Mr. J. T. Thomson and his assistant, Garvie, reported the same later during their preliminary surveys throughout the province. But little heed was paid to these passing notices, and attention to them was not encouraged. The wild, roving life of the digger did not comport with the steady plodding of the Scotch community, and doubtless the leaders of the settlement fervently prayed that the day was far distant when the excitement and clamour of a gold rush should rudely upset the existing peace and quiet progress. But the people grew restless, and the wonderful stories which came over from Australia tempted so many to cross to the other side, or to the nearer gold-fields of Nelson, that a petition was presented to the Council asking that a substantial reward should be offered for the discovery of a payable gold-field, and so prevent a further loss of population £500 was accordingly offered, but with no favourable result, until the date above given, when some old Australian diggers, engaged in cutting a dray track upon Mr. John McLean's run, discovered the precious metal in sufficient quantity to create a fever of expectation and a "rush." page break

From an old drawing.]
Port Chalmers.
[To face p. 198.

page 199The Lindis is one of the upper tributaries of the Molyneux, and runs through a district proved afterwards to be highly auriferous. The special credit of the discovery was given to Samuel McIntyre, an old Californian digger, who afterwards applied for the bonus, which was not, however, granted him, as the field proved small and poor, and in three months was comparatively deserted. Probably there were never more than three hundred miners upon it at one time, and the advancing winter fortunately forbade a greater influx.

But the great discovery was at hand, which was first to empty the little settlement and afterwards fill it with thousands of new-comers, and then change it to a bustling, rapidly growing town. In May, 1861, William Gabriel Read, also an old Californian and Australian digger, travelled thirty-five miles inland, with his digger's equipment, examining the ravines and tributaries of the Tuapeka and Waitahuna rivers. Wherever the experienced miner wandered, whatever he touched turned to gold. With rare judgment and consideration he disclosed the results of his search to the Superintendent, Major Richardson, who was thus enabled early to make such preparations as the magnitude of the occasion demanded. Within a month of his communication, depth of winter though it was—July—people began to flock to "Gabriel's Gully." Tokomairiro, the nearest township, was deserted, and at Sunday service the minister and his precentor formed the congregation. Dunedin followed the lead; morning after morning fresh parties left the town, master and man on equal terms, clerks and mechanics, the better class and the shopkeepers, all travelled to the same goal, and the witty Mr. Cutten said that, if the ladies hoped to retain the services of even one man with the wooden leg, they must saw that leg off. Prices rose at once: flour to £30 a ton, the loaf to 1s. Cartage to the diggings—fifty-five miles—was £90 a ton, and flour £150, all to rise still higher within a couple of months—flour to £50, meat 1s. the 1b., butter 2s. 6d., the loaf 1s. 6d., with prices proportionately higher at the diggings. Major Richardson executed his plans with military promptitude. An escort of mounted troopers brought in weekly an amount of gold which rapidly rose from 500 to 8000 ounces. It must have been a sight to see the travel-stained escort dash into town in military order, accompanied by twenty or thirty horsemen who had also ridden in under its protection. An efficient police force was organised under page 200Mr. Branigan, who came down from Melbourne as Chief Commissioner. With the spring months, crowded vessels sailed from Victoria for the new golden shores, bringing by December nearly 20,000 people. The revenue, which at December, 1860, amounted to £97,000, advanced in 1862 to £470,000. Such is the marvellous power of gold! Of the further transformations produced by this great agent it is out of place here to tell. Old things were fast passing away, and those which effaced them have their story chronicled in numerous books, reports and newspapers. Amongst the older pioneers there was much regret and some demur at the great change; but these were unavailing, and were no doubt relieved by the comforting reflection that substantial advantage would be reaped from the intruders. By Dr. Burns—for he had just received the well-merited honour of the degree—the change must have been felt most keenly. His friend, Captain Cargill, with whom he had done and dared so much, had died a short year before. Their earnest wish and faithful effort to preserve intact the Free Church character of their settlement had long been scattered to the wind, and now it seemed that the very remnant of Scotch nationality and Presbyterianism was to be dissipated too. Yet even Dr. Burns must have been solaced during the ten remaining years of his life to see that the very events he deplored so much had proved the accomplishment of his heart's desire, which under no other circumstances could have been realised—the rapid spread of education around him. At the time of his death—in January, 1871—there were over one hundred public schools in the province, with an average attendance of nearly 7000; and for the last year of his life he enjoyed the deserved honour of being the first Chancellor of the newly founded Otago University.

In some relation to the intellectual position of the old days, reference must not be forgotten to John Barr, of Craigilee, Otago's first poet, John Blair, of Abbotsford, the second, and James Brown, of Pélichet's Bay, the engraver and artist. The exactions of modern criticism would probably refuse the titles of poet and artist to these dead and gone worthies, but they were highly appreciated forty to fifty years ago, and now merit warm approbations. Barr came out in the Dominion in 1852, and thereafter constantly contributed a lilt to the Witness, all marked by the richest Scotch, perfect versification, and much sweetness. In 1861 most of these "Poems and Songs, page 201Descriptive and Satirical," were collected and published by subscription, and form a somewhat rare volume now.

"Meet me when the moon is up
And blinkin' ower the brae,
O meet me by the trystin' tree,
My own sweet lovely May;
There I will be awaitin' thee
When shadows speil the hill,
When, minglin' wi' the balmy breeze,
Come echoes of the rill."

Barr was a general favourite, and had a face as soft and sweet as his poetry. At a gathering, he was pretty sure to come down and sing one or two of his new compositions for the good of the company. He died in 1889, at the ripe age of eighty.

John Blair, who also contributed to the "Poet's Corner" of the Witness, came far behind his brother Barr.

"On the Sabbath day, when labour is still,
And the oxen browse on the plain and hill,
With hearts devout by the hill we climb
To hear the Word by the old black pine.
"While the birds rejoice on the leafy sprays,
And carol the hymn to their Maker's praise,
And the echoing low of the humble kine
Breaks soft on the ear by the old black pine."

The verses refer to the little bush congregation by the clay cottage at Green Island, whose pastor was the Rev. W. Will.

James Brown came out by the Mariner in 1849, and died in 1877. In his trade of pattern designer and engraver there was of course no opening, so like a true pioneer he wielded at first the pick and spade, and gradually earned a competence. Sketching was his recreation, and his caricatures give a vivid glimpse of many a bygone incident. The portraits are excellent; and when in later days the Dunedin and Otago Punch were started, his pencil was in constant requisition. He delighted in shooting "folly as it flies," and any prominent event of political or everyday life he depicted with pointed but good-humoured satire, not sparing the leaders of the community.

The origin of the descriptive term "Old Identities" has been involved in some doubt. Not only is it a convenient one, but it is now widely used throughout the Colonies to page 202denote the oldest inhabitants, as distinguished from the newcomers, or "new iniquities." Mr. Charles R. Thatcher, who was the son of a natural history collector at Brighton, and was about his father's business, came to Dunedin with the great rush in February, 1862, and gave vocal entertainments which were highly relished. He was a clever improviser, and nightly sang in rough verse to delighted audiences the events of the day, which then, though trivial, were numerous enough. Mr. E. B. Cargill was seeking a seat in the Council, and addressing the electors, regretted that the old settlers were being thrown into the shade, and that to prevent this they must make a strong and united effort. This was food for Thatcher, who thereupon brought down the house with a witty song of eight verses, each of which terminated with the refrain of "The Old Identity." Thus:—

"Does he wish each brother Scotchman
To come out in a kilt—
To kittle up the chanter,
And go in for a lilt?
With bare legs in Otago
How very cold 'twould be!
But it's one way of preserving
The Old Identity."

Yes, it did seem as though the "new iniquity" were, like a flowing tide, to obliterate the "old identity." But no such catastrophe happened. The first rough contact over, there came a better understanding, and then mutual forbearance and mutual interests completed a union which was never disturbed, and which, with the development of its natural resources, soon placed Otago, once the Cinderella of the sister Provinces, to the forefront. Her advantages she still enjoys, and her future success, with that of the rest of New Zealand, must be secured by the common bonds of mutual help, undivided interests, and freedom from jealousy—the sin through which more than even angels have fallen.