Tales of Banks Peninsula
"Bully" Hayes
"Bully" Hayes.
Much romance centres round the name of "Bully" Hayes, one of the most thorough paced scoundrels in the rough days from 1850 to 1860 He was an American by birth, standing six feet, and having an erect carriage. He was a fine looking man, and was always well dressed, wearing check clothes, and in speech and manner had the bearing of a gentleman. Mr. James Hay, of Pigeon Bay, saw him in Lyttelton somewhere about 1860. "Bully" Hayes owned a trading vessel and plied to the diggings at Dunedin and the West Coast. He sold powder to the Maoris north of Taranaki, and showed great skill in evading discovery. One of his lawless acts was to abduct a barmaid from the Mitre Hotel at Lyttelton. The girl was never seen again. Another exploit of his was long remembered on Banks Peninsula. Being out of beef, he sailed round to Little Akaloa, and, landing, bargained with Toby Green, an early settler, whose name is mentioned in several places in this book, and persuaded Toby to sell him some bullocks. In those days bullocks were of great value, but as "Bully" Hayes produced an order on Mr. Hargreaves in Lyttelton, Toby Green had no suspicions. The bullocks were only just taken aboard, when the brig Planet appeared on the scene to arrest "Bully" Hayes for debt, but that astute gentleman had everything ready and got right away from his pursuers. He was last seen waving his hat in derision, Toby Green was a heavy loser by the transaction. Hayes' brutality to his men earned him the sobriquet "Bully," He was a first class pugilist, and, having abnormal long arms, his reach was surprising. His exploits in Australia and the Islands have made him the subject of a book by Rolf Boldrewood. The story of his end is another case of "hoist by his own petard" He stole a yacht from San Francisco, and took as his mate a great big fellow. They sailed for the South Sea Islands; but Hayes found his match in the mate. After a violent quarrel "Bully" went down to the cabin. The mate knew he had gone for his pistol, and he waited above the page 345ladder with a huge bludgeon, When Hayes came up the mate knocked his brains out. He then took the vessel back to San Francisco, returning it to the owner. These few notes about "Bully" Hayes are included, as he was a well known figure in New Zealand, and was known by many of the early Peninsula settlers. There seems to be no truth in the story of his being in Akaroa Harbour, and by displaying pistols forcing the genial Captain Bruce to give him of his best, both in food and drink. He was best known on the Dunedin and West Coast diggings, and he was one of that unscrupulous class of men who sold firearms to the Maoris during the Maori War.