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Tales of Banks Peninsula

[No.] 31.—Reminiscences of an old Settler

page 242

[No.] 31.—Reminiscences of an old Settler.

The following reminiscences of an old settler, which appeared in the "Akaroa Mail" on May 4th, 1894, are most interesting at the present time, and the account of Captain Bruce, after whom Bruce Hotel is named, is most amusing:—

King Dick.

"In speaking of this man it must be remarked that the Natives paid a reverence to cripples, Dick, when I knew him in '53, was, I should say, 30 years old. His spine was injured when he was young, and it bent up almost level with his head. Dick was a chief of the first blood, and was held in much respect by the Natives. At that time a whaleboat was a big property, and Dick owned one, These boats were always painted in gaudy colours, and they vied with each other for the nose. This was any colour from the bow thwart to the stem head at keel. The pakeha always knew whose boat it was coming in by the colour. I'm giving you this because some residents in Pigeon Bay think to this day there is a mystery [unclear: in] Dick's disappearance and where he was buried. Well, I can assure those interested that he never was buried. Some whites had a notion his body was deposited in some of the caves about Pigeon Bay, and they have searched for it, but I could have told them it would be without result. When Dick died there was no tangi, only a peculiar mourning ceremony. The Maoris did not go through the ordinary 'tangi' in this case because he was not to be buried, neither was his body to be placed for the flesh to decay, so that the bones could be cleaned and then interred according to old custom. Dick's burial was an extraordinary one. The Natives came from Kaiapoi and elsewhere—in fact all collected that could be called together in those days for the occasion. The old burying ground was on the rise where Hay's woolshed now stands, and some of them wished to inter him there, but an old fellow (a chief) tapued Dick's remains, so that the Natives were corneredpage 243and did not know what to do with them. After a long korero it was decided to sink poor Dick at Pigeon Bay Heads, and this was done after sundown. Another trouble cropped up so as to who should go out after sundown, as the Natives were disinclined to move out after that hour. This was got over_by some Maoris who had lately arrived from Otago. These men had been whaling, and they took the body and sank it outside the Heads. This was the end of King Dick, or, as we called him, Humpy."

Mr. Jamas Hay informed us that King Dick left £50 in the bank—a large sum in those days.

Captain Bruce (or Pukanui) and how Akakoa became a Port of Entry.

Now, before touching directly upon this, it is necessary to describe not only the locality, but the then people. The top sawyer in this yarn is Captain James Bruce, one of the oldest traders in the long, long ago. Bruce lost his vessel off Peraki within a few months after the French settlers arrived, and the position of the community he found may be described as follows:—There was one great whaling master, and he was a straight friend of Bruce's. It was he who found the dollars and said, 'Stick up a pub old man; I'll pull you through. D—n the Sydneyites; let them rip.' This was proper friendship as compared with the Sydney people's action against Bruce, which I may perhaps give you later on. I am travelling somewhat off my yarn, but it's necessary to give you some few descriptive incidents of the time to make it all intelligible to our children. In those days we grew a few bushels of wheat, and ground it by hand. Mutton was not known: pigeons, wild pork, and perhaps—very rarely—beef (an old bull). These were the jolly days of pipis and pauas, when our food was limited. Bruce was first down on the coast about 1818 or '20, when another old hand, named Scott, was then trading. This Scott died in Dunedin about' 59. These times were almost before whaling was commenced in the South Island. The trade was for flax page 244and Maori heads mostly, with what little oil and whalebone they could get, either by purchase or barter, and rum was never left out of the deal The pub that Bruce built had Elizabethan gables, something like the previous house; but there was a lean-to to the part along Bruce Terrace. This was known as the honeymoon' part of the establishment, and the front had a picket fence. Where the private part of the hotel now stands was an old house that had a peculiar history. It was built by two men and they had a fall out, so they decided to split partnership; but the trouble came in about how to divide the house. After long consultation they agreed to cut it through the middle, which was done. They took their saws and cut a piece about one foot wide right through the whole building. Mr. J. Fry kept a store there, and so did Mr. G. Armstrong afterwards. Scarborough bought it, and erected the present hotel. It was either leaning against the picket fence or walking in quarter deck style upon the sward in the front of the pub, that you would see Bruce in the morning with a long telescope under hig arm. This was especially the case towards the end of the whaling season, wben he was on the look out for boats coming in He was always especially anxious about the boat of the whaling master. When this boat showed round Red House Point there was bustling and hurrying up in the pub Bruce would fly round yeiling out orders, Hear, you Johnny Mick Mock, hurry up, clear those shelves, put up dummies. Are you asleep, the boat will be in directly.' This is, of course, unintelligable without one knows the cause, which is as follows:—After the hardships and work these men had gone through during the whaling season, who could blame them if they were a bit rough. One fellow would take a bottle by the neck and go in for a cockshy at the bottles on the shelves against someone else for a wager, and this was why Mr. Bruce put up dummies —that is bottles with only water in them—but he always charged them something for the mess they made, and they used to think he let them off very lightly when it came to paying up. In one instance I can remember a put up job page break
Bruce Hotel in Mrs Scarborough's Time.

Bruce Hotel in Mrs Scarborough's Time.

page 245upon Bruce. There were four French and one American whaleships in Akaroa, and the captains always patronised Bruce's, and I believe it was the skipper of the Milo that went in to corner old Bruce, Well, this captain had a special dinner, and of course the wine flowed pretty freely. Toasts were proposed at last, and Bruce was pressed for one. The o!d sea dog was a bit on fire, and he gave one that was a gross insult to France, Spain and America. The captains left the table, and also sent for their things from the house next day. Bruce was about off his chump through this, and when a boat landed he was there with a 'Look here old man, what's up. Come in and I will shout champagne.' This he had to do to the tune of some three cases before he healed the trouble. Now, for the front between the houses and the beach, About opposite Garwood's store a point ran out in the old days. There were casks filled with stones making a rough landing for the boats, and a little farther on towards the creek upon the sward stood the blockhouse, erected by the French as a place of refuge should any Maori trouble crop up. But the creek has now washed away nearly the whole site of the old Custom house or bonded store. Akaroa became a port of entry, and the bonded store was built in this way:—Major Campbell was down here in 1653 to arrange French and native matters, but some things were left unfinished, Afterwards a man of war brought the then Governor of New Zealand, and the whole crowd stopped at Bruca's. Now, this is what happened at one dinner. At that time it must be understood that waiters were unknown, and Bruce dined at the same table. After all were served with the substantials, Bruce threw a clean towel over his shoulder and went round to take orders. He, of course, asked the Governor first, somewhat in this way, standing behind the chair—'Well, your Excellency, what can I do for you?' Reply—'Captain Bruce, I'll take a bottle of Madeira' Captain Bruce: 'That you shall old man, and it's good There are no Custom duties paid on it, but it's none the worse for that.' He took the orders of the rest of the guests, and at last he page 246came to the Chaplain, who said; 'I'll take a glass of water,' Bruce replied. 'We don't sell that here; there is plenty in the creek, and if ever you come in again don't expect any bunting, because we don't fly it for peasoupers, but I'll run the Union Jack up to the mast head any time for His Excellency.' The nest morning the Governor was out in the front having a chat with several residents, when Bruce put his hand upon his shoulder and said, 'Look here old man, you might give us a shove to windward.' The Governor said, 'What can I do for you? Captain Bruce replied, 'Why, make this a port of entry; I'll build the shop.' The question was looked into afterwards in Wellington, the request was granted, and a Customs officer was established here for many years afterwards."